Galaxy A37 vs Galaxy A36: Should You Upgrade?

Samsung just introduced today the Galaxy A37 5G, a successor to the Galaxy A36, but just like the rest of the A series this year, the upgrade feels more incremental than revolutionary. The Galaxy A37 improves a few key areas, so…let’s see what’s new and what’s not.

Performance is the main upgrade

The biggest change comes from the chipset. The Galaxy A37 switches to a newer Exynos 1480, replacing the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 found in the Galaxy A36. This results in better stability, smoother performance, and improved efficiency, especially during gaming or multitasking. Samsung also improved AI-related performance, thanks to a stronger NPU, which helps with features like image processing and on-device AI tools. That said, the jump isn’t massive, it’s more about consistency than raw power.

Display: same panel

Both phones feature a 6.7-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, and on paper, they look identical. However, the Galaxy A37 pushes higher peak brightness (up to around 1900 nits), making it easier to use outdoors. In everyday use, the difference is subtle, but in direct sunlight, it becomes noticeable.

Design: nearly identical

Samsung didn’t change much in terms of design. They kept the same camera island as on the Galaxy A36, but a bit more refined. Both Galaxy A37 and Galaxy A36 use Gorilla Glass Victus+ front and back, a plastic frame, but Galaxy A37 gets an upgraded water resistance, from IP67 on Galaxy A36 to IP68 on the new Galaxy A37. Galaxy A37 should feel slightly more refined and solid, but visually, it’s almost the same phone.

Camera: same hardware, better processing

On paper, the camera setup stays mostly unchanged. Both Galaxy A36 and Galaxy A37 feature a 50MP main camera, an 8MP ultrawide lens, and a 5MP macro lens. They also have a 12MP selfie camera. Instead of upgrading hardware, Samsung focuses on better image processing, thanks to the new processor. This leads to improved HDR, better low-light performance, and cleaner video results. Still, don’t expect a huge jump, it’s more of a tuning upgrade.

Battery and charging: nothing new here

Samsung keeps things identical here: a 5000mAh battery, with 45W Super Fast Charging 2.0, and no wireless charging. Battery life should remain similar, although the newer chip in the A37 may bring slight efficiency gains, thanks to the new processor.

Software and AI: a more modern experience

The Galaxy A37 launches with new One UI 8.5 based on Android 16 QPR2, along with more and improved Awesome Intelligence (AI) features. These include Circle to Search, improved voice agents like Bixby and Google Gemini, AI Select, and Object Eraser improvements. Samsung is also continuing its strong update policy, offering long-term software support up to six years.

The downsides

Despite the improvements, the Galaxy A37 isn’t perfect. Camera hardware remains largely unchanged, charging is limited to 45W, which now feels slow compared to competitors, and the price is higher than the Galaxy A36 at launch. In other words, you’re paying more for relatively small upgrades.

So… is it worth upgrading?

Overall, the Galaxy A37 is a refined version of the Galaxy A36, not a major upgrade. If you’re coming from an older A series device, it’s a solid choice. But if you already own the A36, the improvements probably aren’t big enough to justify switching.