Samsung Galaxy A35 5G Review: Evaluating its Performance and Value
We recently published our review of the flagship model in the Samsung Galaxy A series, the Galaxy A55 5G. Now, we’re turning our attention to its more affordable counterpart, the Samsung Galaxy A35 5G. Will it receive the same praises as its premium sibling? Let’s find out in this review.
Table of Contents
Samsung Galaxy A35 5G
| OS: | Android 14, One UI 6.1 |
|---|---|
| Processor: | Exynos 1380 |
| Display: | 6.6″ 120Hz Super AMOLED 2340 x 1080p |
| Wireless Connections: | 5G, Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS, BDS |
| Memory: | 8GB, 256GB |
| Connectors: | USB Type-C 2.0 , OTG |
| Cameras: | Rear Camera: (Main) 50 MP, f/1.8 (Ultrawide) 8 MP. f/2.2 (Macro) 5 MP, f/2.4 Front Camera: 13 MP, f/2.2 |
| SIM Card Slots: | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) Shared microSD card slot |
| Battery: | 5000mAh 25W wired |
| Price: | 8GB, 256GB: Php 20,990 |
The Design
Like its premium sibling, the Galaxy A35 5G adopts a design similar to this year’s S series. However, when you hold the Galaxy A35 5G, you can feel that the quality is a bit cheaper. Samsung cut corners by using plastic for the back plate and frame, unlike the Galaxy A55 5G, which features a glass back and aluminum frame. Despite this, the Galaxy A35 5G still maintains durability with its IP67 dust and water resistance.
The Galaxy A35 5G we have is in the color Awesome Ice Blue, which is fun and unique. If you prefer a purple shade, there’s also Awesome Lilac. For a more understated option, you can choose Awesome Navy.
The button and port layout is similar, with the volume rocker and power button on the right side. The speaker, microphone, and USB Type-C port are located at the bottom. The SIM card tray, which accommodates two nano SIM cards and a microSD card in the shared second SIM slot, can be found at the top corner of the unit.
The Display and Speaker
The Galaxy A35 5G features a 6.6-inch 120Hz Super AMOLED display, similar to its previous generation, but with some improvements. This time, the design includes a punch-hole front camera instead of a teardrop notch, and the durability has been enhanced with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+, compared to the Gorilla Glass 5 used in the Galaxy A34 5G.
With its Super AMOLED display, you can enjoy content with vibrant colors and deep blacks, similar to what you’d find in premium phones. The display is also decently bright, with a peak brightness of 1000 nits, making it bright enough to use comfortably under the sun.
The Galaxy A35 5G is equipped with stereo speakers that sound loud and clear, even at maximum volume.
The Performance
This time, the Galaxy A35 5G uses Samsung’s Exynos 1380 chipset, replacing the MediaTek Dimensity 1080 found in the Galaxy A34 5G. It comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, but the models available in the market typically offer 256GB of storage. If you find this storage insufficient, you can expand it using a microSD card.
Here are the benchmark scores for the Samsung Galaxy A35 5G:
The Galaxy A35 5G runs on One UI 6.1, based on Android 14. It comes with minimal preinstalled bloatware compared to other phones on the market. Navigating the interface and switching between apps is smooth and responsive. We didn’t encounter any issues throughout our review.
When it comes to gaming, the Galaxy A35 5G performs differently compared to its bigger sibling, the Galaxy A55 5G, which we recently reviewed. Unlike the A55, the A35 doesn’t feature AMD’s RDNA 2 technology in its GPU; instead, it uses a Mali GPU. Despite this, it handles casual games and esports titles without any problems. However, for graphically intensive games like Genshin Impact, you’ll need to lower the graphics settings to achieve a reasonably smooth gaming experience.
The thermal performance of the Galaxy A35 5G is decent, maintaining consistent performance over extended periods. In our benchmark tests, the Wild Life Stress Test returned a stability score of 98.4%, which is impressive. This means that even during prolonged gaming sessions, the device doesn’t slow down.
The Camera
The Galaxy A35 5G has been upgraded from its previous generation, now featuring a 50-megapixel rear main camera, up from 48 megapixels. However, the ultrawide camera at 8 megapixels, the 5-megapixel macro camera, and the 13-megapixel front camera remain unchanged.
The quality from the 50-megapixel rear main camera is good, thanks to the OIS that helps stabilize your shots and videos. The pictures we captured are vibrant with crisp details when shot in well-lit environments. However, in poorly lit settings, there is a noticeable decrease in picture quality, with images appearing less sharp and some noise visible. Nevertheless, the main camera still delivers decent performance.
The ultrawide camera also produced good results, with slightly more saturated colors compared to the main camera, and maintained decent sharpness in the images.
The selfie camera is impressive, with great sharpness and natural colors. It does a good job of separating the subject from the background. We were really impressed, and this might be the smartphone for you if you take a lot of selfies.
The Galaxy A35’s video capability is decent, offering up to 4K@30fps for both the rear main camera and the front camera. The video quality is good, with decent colors, sharpness, and reliable autofocus on subjects. It’s a great option if you’re into content creation.
The Battery
The Galaxy A35 still features a 5000 mAh battery, capable of lasting through a long, busy day with some power left at the end. However, the charging speed remains at just 25W, and the charging brick is not included in the box. Charging is relatively slow, especially if you’re used to faster speeds. In our experience, it took almost an hour and 30 minutes to go from 10% to a full charge.
Samsung Galaxy A35 5G Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy A35 5G is a great smartphone with decent performance, a good camera, and an excellent display. However, it struggles to justify its price of Php 20,990, especially when compared to its more premium sibling, the Galaxy A55 5G, which offers a better design, camera, and performance. Occasionally, the Galaxy A55 5G is available at a discounted price of around Php 22,000, which is very close to the price of the Galaxy A35 5G. It’s unfortunate because, while the Galaxy A35 5G is a good smartphone, its value diminishes when you consider the pricing.
The Samsung Galaxy A35 5G is priced at Php 20,990 and is available for purchase via Lazada, Shopee, Samsung Authorized Resellers, and the official Samsung website.
