Samsung Galaxy A36 5G vs Xiaomi 15 Pro

Samsung Galaxy A36 5G

Samsung

6.8

Decent

Xiaomi 15 Pro

Xiaomi

8.5

Excellent

What Reviewers Agree On

Design looks more premium than the $299 price suggests
Super AMOLED display is excellent for this price bracket
Battery life is strong, easily lasting a full day and into the next
Performance is noticeably sluggish for anything beyond basic tasks
Samsung's long update commitment adds value over time

Deal Breakers

Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 delivers noticeably laggy performance in demanding apps
Camera quality falls well short of competitors like the Pixel 7a at similar prices

Detailed Comparison

Design & Build

Samsung Galaxy A36 5G

The A36 5G punches above its weight in design, with a clean aesthetic that mirrors Samsung's flagship lineup. Build quality is solid for the price with a polycarbonate back that still manages to look sleek.

Clean, modern design that takes cues from the flagship S25 series — doesn't look like a budget phone
IP67 water resistance at $299 is impressive and increasingly expected at this price tier
Polycarbonate back keeps costs down but doesn't feel cheap in the hand
Color options are attractive and help differentiate it from the sea of black budget phones

Xiaomi 15 Pro

Premium glass-and-metal construction with flat aluminum sides and IP68 water resistance. At 8.35mm thin and 213g, it's impressively slim for housing a 6,100mAh battery. Available in four colors including Spruce Green and Rock Grey.

Impressively thin at 8.35mm despite housing a massive 6,100mAh battery

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What Reviewers Agree On

Snapdragon 8 Elite delivers top-tier performance with excellent thermal management
Battery life is class-leading thanks to the 6,100mAh silicon-carbon cell and efficient display
Display quality is outstanding with 3,200 nits brightness and remarkable power efficiency
Camera system is good but not best-in-class — ultrawide is the weakest lens
China-only availability is a significant limitation for global buyers

Deal Breakers

No global availability — Chinese ROM only with no Google services out of the box
HyperOS described as bloated with unnecessary apps
Bootloader cannot be unlocked on Chinese ROM versions

Display

Samsung Galaxy A36 5G

The 6.6-inch Super AMOLED display is the A36's strongest feature. Samsung's AMOLED expertise trickles down effectively here, delivering punchy colors and smooth scrolling that outclass most budget competitors.

Super AMOLED display delivers rich, vibrant colors that punch well above the $299 price point
120Hz refresh rate makes the UI feel smoother than the processor sometimes allows
FHD+ resolution is sharp enough for the screen size — text and images look crisp

Xiaomi 15 Pro

The 6.73-inch 2K LTPO AMOLED is a technical marvel, hitting 3,200 nits peak brightness while consuming 24% less power than the Xiaomi 14 Pro's display. The 1920Hz PWM dimming reduces eye strain, though some users report OLED smear at low brightness levels.

3,200 nits peak brightness with 24% lower power consumption than the predecessor — outstanding efficiency
2K resolution (2670x1200) with 120Hz LTPO and 1920Hz PWM dimming for reduced eye strain
Reports of OLED smear/ghosting at lower brightness levels when scrolling dark content

Battery Life

Samsung Galaxy A36 5G

Battery life is one of the A36's genuine strengths. The 5,000mAh battery combined with the efficient (if slow) processor means the phone easily lasts a full day and often stretches into day two.

Excellent battery life — the combination of efficient chip and large battery means consistent two-day endurance for light users
Even heavy users will get through a full day without anxiety
25W charging is painfully slow by 2025 standards — a full charge takes well over an hour

Xiaomi 15 Pro

The 6,100mAh silicon-carbon battery combined with the ultra-efficient display delivers class-leading endurance. NotebookCheck awarded a 93% battery score, and the phone consumes dramatically less power than its predecessor (4.42W vs 6.17W for display). 90W wired and 50W wireless charging round out the package.

6,100mAh silicon-carbon battery delivers class-leading endurance — competitors consume more than twice as much energy
90W wired HyperCharge and 50W wireless charging provide fast top-ups
Display consumes just 4.42W vs the Xiaomi 14 Pro's 6.17W — a 24% improvement in power efficiency