When you look at the technical data, the Galaxy A35 5G promises a lot: a lot of performance with the in-house Exynos chip, a magnificent display with 120 Hertz and a timelessly beautiful design – this makes the device an extremely solid overall package that is in the price range can easily claim under 300 euros (price comparison). What’s also impressive is how few compromises you have to make compared to the more expensive Samsung Galaxy A55 5G (test report), which we also tested. The test shows which (few) problem areas still exist with the device.
Why should you buy the Galaxy A35 5G?
For the price from 269 Euro The A35 really offers a lot. If you are looking for a good and cheap smartphone, you can grab it here. The A35 doesn’t set any records, but it does provide a rock-solid smartphone experience. Compared to the A55, it is slimmed down in some cases, but this can also be noticed in the price.
How is the Galaxy A35 5G built?
Samsung has apparently given up on the idea of creating a new design for each new generation of its A-series smartphones. The smartphone looks very similar to its predecessor – as does the Galaxy A55 5G. Rightly so, in our opinion. The design is simple, pretty and timeless, so that even after three to four years of using the smartphone, you won’t have to question whether you’re riding a horse that’s a little too old with the device. The metal housing that we praised in the Galaxy A55 5G unfortunately had to give way to a painted plastic frame in the cheaper model. That saves around four grams. At 209 grams, the cell phone is still lightweight for its size.
Fortunately, the shiny glass back remained intact, but it is regular glass (not Gorilla Glass). The device is also slightly larger due to the slightly thicker display edges, so that the dimensions are now 161.7 × 78.0 × 8.2 millimeters. We like the camera layout on the back with the three individually inserted lenses.
Probably the most striking and welcome innovation compared to its predecessor can be found on the front: the outdated teardrop notch has been replaced by a superior punch-hole for the front camera. It’s almost impossible to tell the smartphone apart from its more expensive sibling. Waterproofness according to IP67 is guaranteed, which is not a given in this price range. The workmanship is flawless, as expected and usual from Samsung.
How good is the display on the Galaxy A35 5G?
Good news: Samsung has adopted the display of the more expensive Samsung Galaxy A55 5G (test report), which we have already praised to the heavens, in the A35. It is the same 6.6-inch AMOLED display, which has a resolution of 2340 × 1080 pixels and thus has a pixel density of around 390 PPI. This is a value that is slightly below average, but no difference should be noticeable to the naked eye.
As far as brightness is concerned, the screen reaches a maximum brightness of 500 cd/m² in manual mode, and even up to 1000 cd/m² in HBM (High Brightness Mode). Reading screen contents is no challenge, even in direct sunlight. The color reproduction is outstanding, the colors are beautifully saturated, natural and vibrant, and the black levels are perfect.
Here you can always see the difference between Samsung devices and the cheaper OLED displays from Xiaomi and Co., which cannot come close to Samsung’s display skills in this regard. The refresh rate is a fast 120 Hertz, which means screen content is animated smoothly. HDR10+ and Widevine L1 are also on board. Overall, the display is definitely one of the highlights of the device.
What can the Galaxy A35 camera do?
The camera setup of the Galaxy A35 5G differs from the Galaxy A55 in a few ways. Although a 50-megapixel sensor is also used as the main camera, it is slightly smaller and can therefore capture less light and details. However, the aperture remains at f/1.8 and optical image stabilization (OIS) is also retained. The ultra wide-angle camera has a resolution of 8 instead of 12 megapixels, and the sensor has also become smaller here. The 5 megapixel macro camera remains the same.
Despite the small drawbacks, the camera performance of the Galaxy A35 5G is convincing: the photos taken in daylight also score points with natural, not oversaturated colors and a relatively high range of dynamics and details. In some cases, the cheaper smartphone manages to get a little more detail out of it than the more expensive device – but that depends largely on the situation. The 2x zoom remains inspiringly good. In the dark, however, the camera quickly reaches its limits – not surprising given the price range.
The savings are much more noticeable with the ultra-wide-angle camera: a lot of color and some details are lost compared to both the main camera and the Galaxy A55 5G. The photos appear much cooler, as if they had been put in the washing machine at too high a temperature. But they are still usable in any case. The front camera also does a good job; If you switch off the extremely offensive beauty filter, faces are photographed in sufficient detail and vividly. Video recordings are possible here with 4K at 30 FPS or 1080p at 60 FPS.
Samsung Galaxy A35 – original shots
Samsung Galaxy A35 – original shots
What features does the Galaxy A35 offer?
At the core of the Galaxy A35 5G is a small, fast Exynos 1380, which is manufactured using the 5nm process and clocks at a maximum of 2.75 GHz. The chip was only recently introduced together with the Exynos 1480 from the Galaxy A55 5G (test report), which is manufactured using the 4nm process.
In the PCmark Work 3.0 benchmark, the device achieves an excellent score of 13,100 points, which is even several hundred points higher than that of the Exynos 1480. However, it lags behind when it comes to graphics performance: in 3Dmark Wild Life, the device achieved 2900 points instead of 3800 points. Nevertheless, this is also an impeccable value. In everyday life, the device performs almost every task without any problems. Complex multitasking works just as well as standard daily tasks. The device can even handle 3D games relatively well. But if you want to stay within the playable range (in terms of frame rate), you have to be satisfied with medium settings.
In Germany, the Galaxy A35 5G is available with 6 or 8 GB of RAM and 128 or 256 GB of internal storage. However, unlike the Galaxy A55 5G, the latter uses the slower UFS 2.2 storage – that’s a shame. Here too, you can expand the internal storage by up to 1 TB using a microSD card. When it comes to connectivity, it meets all requirements: 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3 with LE support and GPS with Glonass, Galileo and other current technologies are installed. As far as the Type-C port is concerned, unfortunately only a slow port with USB 2.0 is available here – but normal in this price range.
The fingerprint sensor is an optical scanner under the display. Unfortunately, it works just as unreliably as the more expensive model. The speakers also don’t sound particularly good.
How long are software updates available?
The software used is Android 14 with One UI 6.1 and the security patch from February 2024. One UI may be a bit controversial in terms of design, but we think Samsung’s user interface is pleasant, varied and gives a complete impression. The only problem we find is the high amount of pre-installed bloatware, which can be uninstalled with just a few clicks.
Samsung’s updates are very commendable: the Galaxy A35 receives security patches for a period of 5 years. Version upgrades are available for 4 years – up to and including Android 18.
Samsung Galaxy A35 – photo series
Samsung Galaxy A35 – photo series
How long does the battery last?
Samsung has installed a 5000 milliamp hour (mAh) battery in the Galaxy A35 5G. That’s the same as the Galaxy A55 5G, but due to the slightly less energy-efficient processor, the device lasts “only” around 11.5 hours in the PCmark battery test. But that is still a very solid value.
In daily use, one and a half to two days of use is realistically possible with moderate behavior; with a lot of effort you should be able to empty the device in one day. Unfortunately, the device does not come with a power supply. The Galaxy A35 5G is recharged with around 25 watts – that’s a charging speed that we no longer consider to be up to date. Since other devices in the same price range often cost twice or three times as much, Samsung should urgently improve this next year. A charging process takes around an hour and a half.
Technical data
How much does the Samsung Galaxy A35 cost?
The Samsung Galaxy A35 5G is available in pastel colors blue, purple and yellow as well as black. The available storage configurations are 6/128GB and 8/256GB. The recommended retail price (RRP) for the basic model with 6/128 GB is around 379 euros; the device is already available from third-party retailers 269 Euro to get. For just under 300 Euro There is the large memory with 8/256 GB – a small and commendable surcharge.
What alternatives are there?
Conclusion
The Galaxy A35 5G is far from Samsung’s most exciting smartphone. Not exciting in the sense that there are no great innovations or unique selling points, no groundbreaking improvements compared to its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy A34 (test report). That doesn’t mean the smartphone isn’t impressive. Sure, there may be better smartphones for the price of less than 300 euros. With its Galaxy A35 5G, Samsung proves once again that the company can do mid-range.
Only a few details such as the fingerprint scanner or the poor speaker spoil the excellent overall impression, which is characterized by the device’s high performance, great design and magnificent display. The differences between the excellently equipped smartphone and the Galaxy A55 5G, which is around 200 euros more expensive, are so manageable that customers with a lower budget can choose the cheaper model without worry.
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