Samsung is no stranger to the budget and mid-range mobile phone market with its popular Galaxy A series, which offers a premium experience at an affordable price. The latest offering, the Galaxy A35 5G, aims to take things up a notch with a more premium design and capable specs. After using this new device for a while, here are some things that stood out to me.
Luxury design and display
At first glance, the A35 gives off a more upscale first impression than past A-series models. Samsung has finally ditched the all-plastic construction for this glass-backed beauty. The glass back panel gives it a distinctly premium feel, although it’s a bit heavy at 209 grams.
(Image: Zohaib Ahmed/The Indian Express)
But the plastic frame doesn’t look or feel cheap, in fact it’s cleverly textured to feel like metal, almost fooling me. There’s a new bump on the right side that improves grip and button finding. The flat sides with curved edges remind us of Samsung’s more expensive S24 lineup. However, the A35 has thicker bezels, which makes it feel wider than other phones with a 6.6-inch display size. Sharp corners that dig into your palms also don’t help.
Still, this is definitely a great looking phone if you choose to ignore those awful bezels. I felt like I could do without the rainbow effect, but I also really liked the stunning lilac colorway.
(Image: Zohaib Ahmed/The Indian Express)
Where Samsung really shines is with its gorgeous 6.6-inch 1080p AMOLED display. This screen really looks great, with rich colors, deep blacks, and a sharp image that makes everything pop. Consuming content can be really fun.
A capable camera at this price
Camera performance has also been significantly improved over the previous generation. His main 50MP shooter features a new image sensor that captures clean, crisp shots with impressive dynamic range and shadow detail for this class. Low-light performance is also good, with good sharpness and color accuracy.
(Image: Zohaib Ahmed/The Indian Express)
The 8MP ultrawide lens and 5MP macro lens are there primarily to increase lens count, but they still get the job done. The only downside here is the lack of 4K 60fps video recording.
(Image: Zohaib Ahmed/The Indian Express)
There’s no dedicated telephoto lens, but Samsung’s digital zoom works well at 2x, softening details even in dimly lit scenes. So with its versatile triple cameras and robust image processing, the A35 is sure to meet your Instagram needs without breaking the bank.
Performance still leaves some gaps
Under the hood is the same Exynos 1380 chip found in last year’s A54, a step up from the A34’s Dimensity silicon. This added gaming-friendly graphics capabilities to the A35, but I experienced his UI stuttering while navigating. However, it’s not a complete deal breaker.
(Image: Zohaib Ahmed/The Indian Express)
Samsung is also promising a fairly generous four years of software support for this affordable device, including updates to the Android version. The sleek One UI 6.1 skin looks sleek and includes useful features like system themes associated with lock screen widgets and wallpaper.
Adequate battery life and audio
In the battery department, the 5000mAh cell will keep you going all day with normal usage. The 25W wired charging is also decent enough and can charge from 0% to 100% in about 90 minutes with a compatible charger (though there’s no brick in the box).
Another pleasant surprise is the stereo speaker setup, which provides very rich and full sound whether you’re streaming music or watching Netflix.
However, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. The A35’s tactile sensations aren’t crisp at all, especially when typing, lacking the satisfying sharpness you’d get on more expensive phones.
verdict
(Image: Zohaib Ahmed/The Indian Express)
Overall, the Galaxy A35 is an attractive affordable option for those who have their eyes on the S24 series but can’t stomach its price tag. There are some minor issues, including a heavy build, huge bezels, and occasional stuttering. But this is still one of the better entry points into Samsung’s ever-growing ecosystem. Couple this with solid battery life and Samsung’s efforts to refine/update his UI and you have a well-rounded device.
However, the market is becoming increasingly crowded and there is no shortage of alternatives. If the Exynos 1380’s performance is too tame, check out the Poco X6 Pro. Or the Redmi Note 13 Pro+, which received high praise for its camera performance.
