Samsung Galaxy A36 5G (256GB / 8GB RAM) VS TCL 60 NxtPaper

The most significant differentiator in this group is water protection. The Samsung Galaxy A36 5G carries an IP67 rating, meaning it can withstand submersion in up to 1 meter of fresh water for 30 minutes — a genuine safety net for drops in sinks or puddles. The TCL 60 NxtPaper is rated IP54, which only guarantees protection against splashes and dust; it cannot survive submersion. For users who frequently use their phone near water or in unpredictable environments, this is a clear, practical advantage for the Samsung.

In terms of physical form, the two phones trade blows. The TCL is marginally lighter at 190 g versus 195 g and narrower at 75.5 mm wide, making it slightly easier to grip with one hand. The Samsung, however, is meaningfully thinner at 7.4 mm compared to 7.85 mm, giving it a sleeker profile that sits flatter in a pocket. The Samsung also occupies less total volume (94.27 cm³ vs 99.15 cm³), so despite being taller on paper the TCL is the bulkier device overall.

Neither phone has a rugged build or a foldable form factor, so those are non-factors here. On balance, the Samsung Galaxy A36 5G holds a clear edge in this group: its superior IP67 water resistance is a meaningful real-world advantage, and its more compact volume and slimmer profile make it the more refined design of the two.

Panel technology is where these two phones diverge most dramatically. The Samsung Galaxy A36 5G uses an AMOLED display, which produces true blacks by switching off individual pixels, resulting in higher contrast, more vivid colors, and better power efficiency when showing dark content. The TCL 60 NxtPaper relies on an IPS LCD panel — a fundamentally different technology that cannot match AMOLED for contrast depth or color punch, though it can offer consistent brightness across the screen.

Resolution compounds this gap. The Samsung resolves at 1080 x 2340 px across its 6.7″ screen, yielding a sharp 385 ppi — fine text and detailed images will appear crisp and clean. The TCL lands at just 720 x 1600 px and 262 ppi, a noticeably lower density that can make text edges appear soft and fine details less defined, particularly visible when reading or browsing. Both phones share a 120Hz refresh rate, so scrolling and animations feel equally fluid on either device. Beyond resolution, the Samsung also supports HDR10+ and features an Always-On Display, neither of which the TCL offers — HDR10+ enables richer highlight and shadow detail in compatible streaming content, while Always-On lets users glance at notifications without waking the screen.

The Samsung Galaxy A36 5G wins this category decisively. Its AMOLED panel, significantly higher pixel density, HDR10+ support, and branded damage-resistant glass represent advantages across virtually every display metric that matters to everyday users.

At the heart of this comparison is a meaningful silicon gap. The Samsung Galaxy A36 5G runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3, built on a 4 nm process node, while the TCL 60 NxtPaper uses the MediaTek Dimensity 6300, fabbed at 6 nm. A smaller process node generally translates to better energy efficiency and more transistors in the same space — the Samsung's chip is architecturally a generation ahead in manufacturing terms. This real-world advantage is confirmed by Geekbench 6 scores: the Samsung leads in both single-core (1007 vs 782) and multi-core (2917 vs 2012) results. The single-core gap matters most for everyday tasks like launching apps and web browsing, while the multi-core lead benefits heavier workloads like photo processing or gaming.

Memory performance tells a similar story. The Samsung's RAM runs at 2750 MHz with DDR5, versus the TCL's 2133 MHz DDR4 — a newer and faster standard that contributes to the Samsung's higher maximum memory bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s compared to 17.07 GB/s. In practice, faster memory bandwidth means the processor can feed data to the CPU and GPU more quickly, reducing bottlenecks during multitasking or graphically intensive use. Both phones ship with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage, so capacity is a non-issue on either side.

The Samsung Galaxy A36 5G holds a clear performance advantage across every meaningful metric in this group — newer process node, substantially higher benchmark scores, faster RAM, and greater memory bandwidth. For users who prioritize responsiveness and longevity under load, the Samsung is the stronger choice.

Both phones open with the same 50 MP primary sensor, but the Samsung Galaxy A36 5G quickly pulls ahead in almost every other camera dimension. It adds a third rear lens — an 8 MP shooter alongside the shared 5 MP — giving users more compositional flexibility. More critically, the Samsung includes optical image stabilization (OIS), a hardware mechanism that physically compensates for hand tremors during shooting. The TCL 60 NxtPaper lacks OIS entirely, meaning handheld shots in low light or video clips are more susceptible to blur and shake.

Video capability is another area of clear separation. The Samsung records at up to 4K (2160p) at 30 fps, while the TCL tops out at 1080p at 30 fps — a full resolution tier lower, which becomes apparent when footage is viewed on large screens or cropped in editing. The Samsung also supports slow-motion recording and timelapse, neither of which the TCL offers, adding meaningful creative options for users who want more than standard video. On the front, the Samsung's 12 MP selfie camera outresolves the TCL's 8 MP unit, though the TCL's slightly wider f/2.0 aperture versus f/2.2 could admit marginally more light in dim conditions.

The Samsung Galaxy A36 5G is the stronger camera system by a significant margin. Its third rear lens, OIS, 4K video, slow-motion, and higher-resolution front camera collectively represent advantages that span still photography, video, and creative versatility — the TCL simply cannot match that breadth based on the provided specs.

This is a rare outcome in a product comparison: every single operating system specification provided is identical between the Samsung Galaxy A36 5G and the TCL 60 NxtPaper. Both ship with Android 15 and share the same feature set across privacy controls, productivity tools, and system capabilities. That includes location and camera/microphone privacy options, app tracking blockers, on-device machine learning, and customizable notifications — a solid modern Android baseline that neither phone differentiates itself on.

Worth highlighting for any buyer is what both phones share in practical terms. Support for split-screen multitasking, Picture-in-Picture, widgets, and offline voice recognition makes either device capable of handling a productive daily workflow. On the privacy front, both offer granular app permission controls, though neither blocks cross-site tracking — a limitation common across Android at this tier. Neither phone receives direct OS updates from Google, meaning both depend on their respective manufacturers for software patches and upgrades.

Based strictly on the provided data, this category is an exact tie. A buyer's software experience will be shaped more by each manufacturer's custom Android skin and their update cadence — factors that fall outside the scope of the specs given here — than by any inherent difference in the OS feature sets of these two devices.

Capacity and charging speed pull in opposite directions here, making this a genuine trade-off rather than a clean win for either phone. The TCL 60 NxtPaper edges ahead on raw battery size with 5200 mAh versus the Samsung Galaxy A36 5G's 5000 mAh — a 200 mAh difference that is modest in practice and unlikely to translate into a dramatic gap in screen-on time for most users. Both are solidly large cells by mid-range standards.

Where the Samsung asserts a more meaningful advantage is charging speed. Its 45W fast charging is substantially quicker than the TCL's 18W — at 45W, a depleted battery can reach a usable charge in well under an hour, while 18W charging is considerably slower and more likely to require an overnight top-up to feel convenient. For users who frequently find themselves needing a quick power boost mid-day, this gap is tangible. One practical footnote: the TCL includes a charger in the box, while the Samsung does not — meaning A36 5G buyers may need to purchase a compatible 45W adapter separately to take full advantage of the faster charging.

On balance, this category is close but leans toward the Samsung Galaxy A36 5G for most users. The 45W charging speed advantage is a more impactful real-world differentiator than the TCL's marginal capacity lead, though buyers who prioritize out-of-box readiness and slower overnight charging may find the TCL's included charger a practical bonus.

Audio is another category where these two phones take genuinely different approaches, each catering to a distinct type of user. The Samsung Galaxy A36 5G opts for stereo speakers but drops the headphone jack entirely, while the TCL 60 NxtPaper goes the opposite route — retaining the 3.5 mm audio jack but offering only a mono speaker. Stereo speakers create a wider, more immersive soundstage for media consumption without headphones, which is a meaningful upgrade for watching videos or listening to music out loud. The TCL's single speaker, by contrast, will feel noticeably narrower and less enveloping in the same scenarios.

Flip the context to private listening, however, and the TCL gains an edge. A 3.5 mm jack means any wired headphones or earphones connect without an adapter — a convenience that matters for users with existing wired audio gear or those who prefer the reliability and zero-latency of a wired connection. The Samsung requires either wireless headphones or a USB-C adapter for wired listening. Additionally, the TCL includes an FM radio receiver — a niche but genuine utility for users who want access to local broadcasts without consuming mobile data, something the Samsung entirely lacks.

This category is a meaningful split depending on use case. The Samsung Galaxy A36 5G is the stronger pick for speaker-based media consumption, while the TCL 60 NxtPaper better serves users who rely on wired headphones or value FM radio. Neither holds an across-the-board advantage, making audio preference a deciding factor for individual buyers.

Wireless connectivity is mostly well-matched, with a few notable splits. Both phones support 5G, NFC, and share the same USB Type-C 2.0 port, meaning day-to-day connectivity tasks like tap-to-pay and wired data transfer are equivalent. The Samsung Galaxy A36 5G adds Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) support on top of the older Wi-Fi 4 and 5 standards that both phones share. Wi-Fi 6 offers better throughput and reduced congestion in environments with many connected devices — a router-dependent advantage, but a forward-looking one. The TCL 60 NxtPaper caps out at Wi-Fi 5, which remains perfectly functional for most users today. On Bluetooth, the TCL holds a marginal edge with version 5.4 versus the Samsung's 5.3, though the practical difference in range or stability between these two adjacent versions is negligible for typical use.

Where each phone genuinely differentiates itself is in SIM flexibility and storage expandability. The Samsung supports up to two physical SIMs plus two eSIMs, offering uncommon flexibility for users who juggle multiple carriers or frequently travel internationally. The TCL is limited to two physical SIMs with no eSIM support. Storage-wise, the positions reverse: the TCL includes a microSD card slot for expandable storage, while the Samsung has no external memory option — a meaningful consideration for users who want to grow their storage cheaply over time. The TCL also features a barometer, a sensor absent on the Samsung that can be useful for weather tracking or altitude-aware fitness apps, though it is a niche addition.

This group is closely contested. The Samsung Galaxy A36 5G leads on Wi-Fi capability and SIM versatility, while the TCL 60 NxtPaper counters with expandable storage and a barometer. Users who prioritize carrier flexibility and future-proof wireless will prefer the Samsung; those who value storage expansion above all will lean toward the TCL. Taken together, the Samsung's advantages are likely to be relevant to a broader range of users.

This group is small in spec count but contains one genuinely distinctive feature. Both phones share a video light and neither has a curved or sapphire glass display — those data points are a wash. The sole differentiator, and a defining one for the TCL 60 NxtPaper, is its e-paper display mode. This is the feature the device is explicitly built around, allowing the screen to render in a low-power, paper-like format that reduces eye strain during prolonged reading sessions.

For users who consume a lot of long-form text — ebooks, articles, documents — an e-paper mode can meaningfully change how comfortable extended screen time feels, mimicking the matte, reflective quality of physical paper rather than emitting direct backlit light. It is a niche but deliberate design choice that sets the TCL apart from the vast majority of smartphones, including the Samsung Galaxy A36 5G, which operates solely as a conventional AMOLED display with no e-paper capability.

Based on the provided specs, the TCL 60 NxtPaper holds the only meaningful advantage in this category. The e-paper display is not a universal selling point, but for readers and users sensitive to screen fatigue it represents a unique feature the Samsung simply does not offer.