Samsung’s Galaxy A35 5G may be a mid-range phone but it comes ready to do most of the average things you’d need from a phone. Even so, I can only imagine the A35 appealing to mostly those who are now using an older phone, in need of a modern upgrade without having to rob a bank for it. But if you’re already using the A34 from last year, you’ll probably struggle like I did when it comes to finding a reason to upgrade.

The A35 comes with a slightly better main camera and a better-looking glass finish for its rear panel. While there are other improvements here and there, the phone is otherwise mostly identical to its predecessor. If you are wondering if the A35 comes with the hyped Galaxy AI that came with the flagship S-series earlier this year, the answer is no, unfortunately. But, on the other hand, there are plenty of third-party apps that can replicate most of Galaxy AI functions anyway.

Price and models

The basic model comes with 128GB storage and 6GB RAM – priced at RM 1,399. If you need more storage and RAM, there’s the 256GB 8GB RAM model that costs RM 1,699. The higher-spec model is worth it if you’re looking for a longer practical lifespan.

While the 8GB RAM model that I used for this review performed decently in my day-to-day use, I suspect the 6GB RAM may suffer from minor lags here and there after a while.

Inside the box

Like all recent Samsung phones, the A35 comes in the standard Samsung packaging that includes the phone itself, a sim-eject pin, and a type-c charging cable rolled and tucked neatly inside a slim box.

Just keep in mind that Samsung no longer includes any Charging brick for their phones so you’ll need to buy that separately, especially if you’re buying this device for your parents. You’ll need to get a phone case on your own too, unless you run into some promo deals that give you one for free.

Design and build

Last year’s A34 model had a plastic back panel that made the phone look and feel kinda cheap and fragile. But thankfully, this year’s model saw the A35 sporting a glass back panel, giving it a flagship-level makeover that makes it look and feel like a device beyond its price tag. In terms of finishing quality, the A35 is on par with the flagship S-series.

The A35 unit we have for this review is Iceblue and I love it. The phone is also available in Navy and Lilac. In terms of dimension, this phone looks slightly bigger compared to the S24+ that I was using although the A35 have a smaller 6.6” screen size compared to the S24+’s 6.7”.

With a safety rating of IP67, the phone is protected against dust and water (resistant up to 1m for 30 minutes), which offers some security in case of an accidental drop into the sink or pool. But as always, I wouldn’t count on it 100% so don’t go snorkelling with the phone thinking it could survive submerged.

The A35 comes with a microSDXC slot (via shared SIM slot), so there’s an option for you to buff the phone with some extra storage there.

Specs

Display

Despite its label as a mid-range phone, the A35 offers a genuinely great user experience where the screen is concerned. Its 6.6” AMOLED display, for example, has a resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels, ensuring your videos and games look lively and crisp.

The display itself is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus+, which offers better scratch and drop resistance compared to the older A34 model. And unlike the A34, the A35 now comes with a variable refresh rate where the phone would cap at 60Hz automatically to save on battery life when you run on 120Hz.

The brightness level is enough to make sure the content on the screen remains visible to the eye even when I walk under a bright sun, which is almost always in Malaysia. This is a great plus if you’re getting it in a country that enjoys plenty of sun.

Performance

Powered by the Exynos 1380 (5nm) chip, the A35 can handle most things without so much as a hiccup. If you manage your background apps well, that is. Just keep in mind that we don’t call this a flagship phone for several reasons – performance being one of them.

Flood the phone with too many apps running in the background and you’ll notice it responding slower. However, if you’re just looking for a phone that’ll run Facebook, Twitter (X), Instagram, TikTok, Netflix, reading and replying emails, and instant messenger apps like WhatsApp and the likes comfortably, you don’t have to worry one bit.

The noticeable difference between this phone and the flagship models became apparent when you play games. When I say games, though, I mean those performance-demanding ones like Genshin Impact and not Candy Crush which would work just fine. The phone could play Genshin but only just. When I tried it, the game wouldn’t even let me pick graphic settings. It just decided for me and hid all the other graphic functions normally available like FPS, Resolution, Texture Details, etc. It was actually hilarious. There’d be noise and pixels all over when I move my character before the particles slowly settle after I stop my character.

On less demanding games, the phone performed just fine. Most of the popular MOBA games like Wild Rift and Arena of Valor play well but I find the battery life dipping a little quicker than I’d like but that is to be expected. The action-slasher title like Devil May Cry worked well on the phone too, I even pushed its graphics setting to Super High, expecting the phone to suffer but it didn’t.

Knox Vault

The A35 also offers good security in the form of Samsung’s famed Knox Vault. This EAL5+ certified system is designed to protect the sensitive information within your A35 phone like your PIN, Password, and security screen pattern.

Samsung has also promised the A35 buyers that the phone will receive up to 5 years of security updates and up to 4 generations of Operating System updates.

Cameras

For what it’s worth, the A35’s cameras are pretty amazing for the phone’s price tags. The 50MP main camera will give you a good time provided you don’t stand too far away and there’s adequate light level. The phone’s auto-mode provides admirable quality shots up to 2x zoom which is impressive, considering the fact that the 2x is in Digital Zoom – the A35 isn’t built with a telephoto lens.

Anything beyond the recommended 2x, however, and the quality begins to suffer. But you can still switch to your 50MP lens and snap before cropping the part that you want to focus on, provided the object isn’t too far away, to begin with when you snapped.

The A35’s performance in low-light conditions is arguable. It can work well, providing a clear image with sharp edges around the object even provided there’s enough light for the camera to work with. Taking a night shot of a cityscape or scene, however, may be a tad too ambitious especially when I was standing too far away.

But all in all, I’d still say the A35’s cameras are fairly good. It cannot compare to the flagship qualities but then again, those flagship phones cost more than twice the price of the A35 and even so, the A35’s cameras still take better than average photos so there’s that to consider.

Battery

In the battery department, the phone comes packed with an impressive 5,000mAh tank. If you don’t know what this means, it means this A35 has the same battery capacity as the most expensive S-Ultra series phone from Samsung this year.

The slightly lower-tier S24+ model that costs more than twice the A35 only came with a 4,900mAh capacity. The base S24 model is even further behind, with a 4,000mAh battery unit and it costs RM 4,099 compared to the A35’s RM 1,699.

So, yes. The A35 is kinda “boss” when it comes to battery units. However, it only charges 25W max via wired compared to the flagship luxury of 45W. That’s almost twice as slow as the premium phones which isn’t exactly a dealbreaker since the Exynos 1380 processor is pretty capable in battery life management.

A full day’s use saw me coming home and retiring to my bed with a healthy 40% balance. That’s not bad. Even on my busier days driving 3 hours with the GPS on plus music in the background, I still came home with 30%. Again, not bad.

All in all

Here’s to conclude things.

What I Really Liked About The Galaxy A35 5G

• Affordable Price: Hard to argue with the price tag, really.
• Improved Design: Features a glass back panel offering a premium feel.
• Display Quality: 6.6” AMOLED display with good brightness and variable refresh rate.
• Performance: Commendable overall performance
• Camera Performance: The 50MP main camera performs well in good lighting conditions.
• Battery Life: Impressive 5,000mAh battery providing substantial endurance.
• Durability: IP67 rating for dust and water resistance.
• Security: Knox Vault for enhanced security and promises of extended software support.
• Expandable Storage: Includes a microSDXC slot for additional storage.

What I Wished Was Better

• Incremental Upgrades: Minor updates from the previous model, making it less appealing for A34 users.
• Camera Limitations: Limited zoom capabilities and struggles in low-light conditions.
• Charging Speed: Charges at 25W, could be better.
• Performance: May experience slowdowns with intensive applications.

Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy A35 5G stands out as a solid mid-range option, particularly suited for users looking for an upgrade from older or lower-spec devices without breaking the bank.

It offers a good mix of features and performance that will satisfy everyday needs, from social media browsing to moderate gaming. While it may not justify an upgrade from its immediate predecessor due to minimal enhancements, its improved design, battery life, and camera capabilities make it a worthy contender in its price range.

However, for those seeking cutting-edge technology or superior performance in gaming and photography, looking towards higher-end models would be advisable.