Galaxy A06 vs A36: Is the upgrade worth 3x the cost?

Both the Galaxy A06 and Galaxy A36 are on the affordable side of Samsung's smartphone lineup. However, in markets where both are available, Samsung sells the Galaxy A36 for roughly three times the price of the A06. Is the A36 three times better than the A06?

Obviously, this question is not entirely reasonable because it's not easy to quantify the value of smartphones in this manner. For example, some Galaxy A36 variants feature 8GB of RAM, just as some of Samsung's premium phones. But is the Galaxy A36 equal to a premium Samsung device? Not at all.

Nevertheless, if you own the Galaxy A06, you might wonder if the Galaxy A36 is a reasonable trade-up option. Or you might be wondering if it's three times better.

Regarding the latter question, the short answer is no. The Galaxy A36 doesn't have 3x the RAM or storage, 3x the performance, 3x the screen resolution or refresh rate, or 3x the battery capacity. No need to explain further. The Galaxy A36 is not three times better than the A06.

Even so, we think the Galaxy A36 is a good upgrade for the 3x higher price. Plus, you have to keep in mind that the Galaxy A06 is a cheap device that usually costs around $100. And for a little over $300, the Galaxy A36 doesn't cost a fortune, either. It's pricier, but it does offer some nice quality-of-life improvements, including:

We'd label the Galaxy A36 a good choice if you're looking to upgrade your Galaxy A06 without breaking the bank, especially if you can find a good trade-in deal in your market.

But we should point out that you will have to give something up for the A36 upgrade — something more than a couple of extra hundred bucks. Namely, the Galaxy A36 lacks expandable storage and a 3.5mm headphone port.

While the former might not be much of an issue, you will have to adapt to the latter limitation if you plan on listening to music on the go. You may end up spending extra on wireless headphones or Buds to pair with the Galaxy A36.