Samsung's next-gen mid-range phone, the Galaxy A36, is starting to pop up online. After an early Galaxy A36 prototype showed up in an online benchmark a few days ago, today, the unannounced mid-range phone graces our news feed again, this time bringing unexpected news about its potential design.
A series of renders (via GizNext) presumably based on third-party data (via @OnLeaks) emerged online, showcasing an unusual camera design.
The Galaxy A36, as seen in these images, reveals a unified camera island instead of the independent camera cutouts we got used to in recent years.
Aside from this unexpected camera redesign, the renders reveal a familiar flat frame with a bumpy Key Island, a flat back panel, and a flat display with a slightly thicker lower bezel.
According to the data supposedly gathered from third-party case manufacturers or the supply chain, the Galaxy A36 measures 162.6 x 77.9mm.
Without the camera bump, the phone's profile clocks in at 7.4mm, and with the camera bump, it measures 9.6mm.
Is this Galaxy A36 design accurate? Is this what the Galaxy S26 will look like?
We need to stress that the renders you see above are likely not official. Granted, they are beautifully made, especially if they're coming from a third party, but they still leave some room for error. So what does this mean?
Well, on the one hand, if these renders are based on case dimensions, there is a slight chance that the camera housing is not portrayed entirely accurately. Cases might have one pill-shaped cutout, but the phone could still retain the current circular cutout design. It wouldn't be the first time for a third-party case design to give the wrong impression about a phone's cameras.
On the other hand, it's interesting to note that the Galaxy Ax series has set the design tone for Samsung's entire phone lineup before. A few years ago, the Galaxy A32 became the first Samsung phone to adopt the independent camera cutout design we now know today. Other phones, including later flagships, followed.
With that in mind, the idea that the upcoming Galaxy A36 might set a new tone for the future Samsung lineup, including the Galaxy S26 series, is not inconceivable. Samsung could be testing the waters with the Galaxy A36, and more devices could follow suit.
Lastly, even if this design language doesn't spread across the Samsung lineup, it could still exist and be accurate as far as the Galaxy A36 is concerned. Just keep a proverbial pinch of salt nearby until more data emerges.
