Samsung Galaxy A35 review – minimal facelift

The beginning of the year is traditionally one of the hottest periods for Samsung. The new flagships Galaxy S24 and S24 Ultra were the first to debut, and the company began to update mid-range smartphones right after them. In particular, the Galaxy A35 and Galaxy A55 models were presented, which have every chance to repeat the success of their predecessors. Today we will take a closer look at the Galaxy A35 model.

Galaxy A35 specifications

Design and usability of the Galaxy A35

Samsung has not significantly updated the design of its smartphones for several years. On the one hand, the strategy is logical and understandable – users are accustomed to the appearance of the devices and associate this design with Samsung. On the other hand, it seems that people want something new.

There are minimal differences compared to Galaxy A34. The first noticeable change is the appearance of an island on the right side, where the power and volume buttons are located. The keys are at a comfortable height, so it’s easy to use. The frame itself remains plastic and has a matte finish. But the back panel in Galaxy A35 is now glass, which adds a little premium to the smartphone.

The second noticeable change is that the front camera is located in a round notch, which Samsung calls Infinity-O, instead of the old teardrop-shaped notch of its predecessor. The display is now covered with Gorilla Glass Victus+, instead of Gorilla Glass 5. Therefore, you can count on a higher degree of protection against scratches and damage. The smartphone has a hybrid slot for two SIM cards or SIM + microSD. In addition, there is support for eSIM, which is a useful bonus for users.

Another nice feature is the IP67 protection against moisture and dust. The device can withstand immersion in fresh water to a depth of 1 meter for up to 30 minutes. The new product is available in four colors: navy blue, white and blue, lilac, and lemon.

Display

Galaxy A35 is equipped with a 6.6″ Super AMOLED display. The resolution is Full HD+, the refresh rate is 120 Hz, and the peak brightness is up to 1000 nits. There is support for Always-on Display, Eye Comfort mode, the ability to adjust screen colors, and dark mode settings.

In general, there are no special questions about the display. Of course, there is a clear realization that this is not a top-of-the-line matrix, but this is noticeable only when compared directly with more expensive devices. The same applies to the bezels around the screen – they are far from minimal, and the lower one is thicker than the others.

However, with daily use, everything is at an acceptable level – the brightness is enough even in sunny weather, 120 Hz adds to the comfort of using the device, and you don’t pay attention to the bezels.

Safety

The under-screen fingerprint scanner is no longer an exclusive of flagship models. It’s also present in Galaxy A35, although I can’t say that in this case it’s more convenient than the scanner integrated into the power button.

The Galaxy A35 also offers a facial recognition function, but there’s no special secrecy involved in this case

The optical sensor in Galaxy A35 is not very fast, and the fingerprint detection area is not the largest when compared to top-end solutions. But again, this didn’t cause me any problems during the testing of the device. It’s just that this way you don’t forget that you’re using a relatively budget device.

Productivity

The performance of the smartphone also hints at this. In general, everything is fine, it’s a typical mid-budget Samsung.

The Galaxy A35 received the Exynos 1380 chipset, which was installed in last year’s Galaxy A54. Together with the OneUI 6.1 shell, they make a good pair. In synthetic tests, the results are normal, just at the level of the A54.

In games, the smartphone showed itself to be a good performer – even with high graphics settings, it achieves a fairly high FPS. Samsung claims that the Galaxy A35 has a 70% larger cooling system than its predecessor, which is easy to believe.

The new model is available in 6/128 GB and 8/256 GB configurations. As already mentioned, there is a microSD card slot. The Galaxy A35 is also equipped with 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, GPS, and a USB-C 2.0 port. Samsung promises to release four generations of Android updates for the smartphone, as well as up to five years of security updates.

Sound

Two speakers are responsible for sound reproduction in Galaxy A35 – one is located on the bottom, the other in a small notch above the screen (it is also the earpiece speaker). The smartphone produces quite a loud sound, and there are no complaints about the quality. The sound is flat, without low frequencies, but you did not expect to get some kind of enchanting sound here.

Cameras

The camera set in Galaxy A35 has been slightly updated compared to A34. The main module is now a 50 MP sensor with f/1.8 aperture, autofocus and optical stabilization. It is complemented by an 8 MP ultra-wide-angle camera (f/2.2) and a 5 MP macro camera (f/2.4).

Of the three modules, only the main camera is worthy of attention: the ultra-wide-angle camera produces acceptable photos only in good lighting conditions, and the macro camera… Samsung designers probably convinced engineers that three lenses would look more aesthetically pleasing than two.

So, the main camera performs well throughout the day in a variety of conditions. Pictures have good detail, good dynamic range and pleasant color reproduction. In the dark, it’s harder for the smartphone to produce high-quality results, but the night mode copes with difficult conditions quite well (of course, for its segment).

As for video recording, it supports 4K at 30 fps, as well as slow motion at 240 fps in HD resolution. The front camera has a 13 MP sensor, 2.2 aperture, and no autofocus support.

Battery life

The 5000 mAh battery and system optimization allow you to count on a full day of fairly active use of the smartphone, or one and a half, or possibly two days of moderate use.

The device supports 25 W of wired charging, which is far from the fastest in 2024. It takes about an hour and a half to fully charge.