Samsung Galaxy A35 review: A safe bet with modern looks

Samsung Galaxy A35 5G is the most recent addition to the company's mid-range smartphone series in India. Competitively priced at Rs 30,999, this new A-series model emerges as an affordable option with some good features. What stands out is its striking design, offering significant value for budget-conscious consumers who want a premium-looking smartphone.

Samsung sent us a review unit of the A35 in the 8GB+256GB configuration, which is priced at Rs 33,999. The device runs OneUI 6.1 with a software update being rolled out for bug fixes on May 23. The review unit is in Awesome Lilac colour as can be seen from the pictures. 

Design and build

Samsung Galaxy A35 5G bears an uncanny resemblance to its pricier counterparts, the Galaxy A55 and Galaxy S24. It has a sleek design with a plastic body that doesn't feel cheap. The plastic back keeps fingerprint smudges away and the colour options in this phone are pretty cool.

Samsung sent us the Awesome Lilac color, which adds a refreshing touch, but there are Awesome Navy and Awesome Blue hues too, which bring a sophisticated look.

The Galaxy A35 is 8.1mm thickness and weighs 203 grams, but it is ergonomic and comfortable to hold. Interestingly, Samsung included Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ and an IP67 certification enhances its durability.

The solid metal chassis adds a premium touch, matching the phone's back hue in all three colours. The placement of the buttons are standard: Power and volume rockers on the right and USB Type-C port and speaker at bottom. The SIM card tray, in this phone, sits at the top, but what's unique is the bulged frame just for the power and volume controls so it is easy to find.

Display

Samsung Galaxy A35 features a 6.6-inch Super AMOLED display, with a Full HD+ resolution (1,080 x 2,340 pixels) and a 120Hz refresh rate, which provides sharp and vibrant visuals. I used the phone to watch movies and browse the web, and it is commendable. The stereo speakers deliver loud and clear sound, though the bass could be improved.

What is bothersome is the bezel around the display, which gets slightly thicker in the chin area. This wasn't the case with A55, something Samsung still keeps for its sub-Rs 30K phones. Trimming down the bezels further will add to the overall appeal. But those bezels do not interfere with touches as swipe from the side gestures work just fine. The display touch is also on point and reacts promptly. Unlike in the case of A55, the A35's fingerprint touch was accurate and efficient. Multimedia buffs and gamers will find the display to be quite remarkable.

Camera

Samsung Galaxy A35 comes equipped with a 50MP primary camera, an 8MP ultra-wide camera, and a 5MP macro camera, delivering a decent camera performance. Shooting in the daylight gives vivid pictures with good dynamic range, but low-light performance could use some improvement.

I liked how the HDR processing is done in the shots. I found the ultra-wide-angle shots quite comparable to the wide angle shots, with some slight colour variations. The phone also has a macro lens, which is useful in some cases. It is not something you'll find using a lot, but it is handy to have it in case you want to capture that water drop on a bright Sunday morning. Samsung, however, didn't put much focus on the zooming as it is only digital zoom, which works well until 2x. Though it can go up to 10X, it's not quite useful.

The 13MP selfie camera excels in capturing portraits with accurate skin tones. There are many filters and face-beautification software built-in along with Snapchat filters within the camera interface for quick and easy access. The portrait mode works well too, especially in well-lit outdoor settings.

Check out some camera samples below:

Performance and software

Samsung Galaxy A35 is powered by the Exynos 1380 SoC and 8GB of RAM, to handle daily tasks and moderate gaming smoothly. This may not be a performance-centric phone, it still provides a reliable user experience. I haven't encountered any major glitches or app crashes during the review period. It was used as a main driver, for tasks like calls, emails, IMs, social media browsing, and multimedia. And it held up pretty well.

The device runs on One UI 6.1 based on Android 14, and buyers get Samsung's big promise of four years of major Android updates and five years of security updates, which is something worth considering at this price range.

Battery Life

Samsung Galaxy A35 sports a 5,000mAh battery, which is huge in size and naturally ensures all-day usage. The device only gets 25W fast charging support and the lack of a charger in the box might be a drawback for some users. The phone takes an hour and half to fully charge with a compatible power adapter. Despite this, the battery life and charging speed are satisfactory for the price range, unless you are looking at alternatives from OnePlus Nord, Poco and the likes.

What's impressive is that the phone managed to last a day with 120Hz refresh rate and other features like Always-on display, 5G and GPS turned on at all times.

So yes, the Galaxy A35 is a marathon runner in terms of battery.

Verdict

Samsung Galaxy A35 is a safe choice for those seeking a dependable smartphone with a crisp display, decent performance, and good camera capabilities. The big promise of long-term software support and premium design make it a compelling option in its price segment. The 25W charging speed and basic low-light photography may turn off some, the device remains a well-rounded device comparing the pros and cons.

Pros

1. Good display with Gorilla Glass Victus+ protection
2. Excellent design
3. IP67 rated for dust and water resistance
4. Reliable camera performance in daylight
5. Promised four years of Android OS updates

Cons

1. No charger in the box
2. Only 25W charging speed support
3. Average low-light camera