The Samsung Galaxy A35 5G aims to hit the sweet spot between performance, design, and affordability in today’s crowded mid-range market. Launching at roughly $399 for the 6 GB + 128 GB model and $449 for 8 GB + 256 GB, it boasts a vibrant Super AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate, a versatile triple-lens camera setup, a generous 5,000 mAh battery, and the promise of four years of Android updates all wrapped in Samsung’s polished One UI skin. Add in IP67 water resistance, stereo speakers, and a microSD slot, and the A35 5G ticks many of the boxes that budget-conscious buyers care about.
Yet the mid-range field is packed with worthy rivals: Google’s Pixel 8a offers exceptional low-light photography, Motorola’s Moto G Power 5G undercuts on price with solid battery life, and a slew of Chinese OEMs flood the market with feature packed alternatives. In this in-depth review, we’ll break down every facet from build quality and display performance to benchmarks, camera results, battery endurance, software experience, and overall value to determine whether the Galaxy A35 5G truly stands out or simply blends into an already competitive crowd.
Samsung Galaxy A35 build quality
Samsung’s Galaxy A35 5G adopts the clean, minimalistic aesthetics of the wider A-series family, featuring a flat-frame design and the new “Key Island” camera housing that integrates the camera lenses and flash in a seamless island bump. Measuring 161.7 × 78.0 × 8.2 mm and weighing 209 g, it strikes a comfortable balance between screen real estate and one-handed usability, though it sits on the larger side for users with smaller hands.
The front is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+, while the back panel uses a glossy glass sandwich over a sturdy plastic frame, elevating its perceived build quality above many plastic-backed mid rangers. Tactile feedback from the volume rocker and side-mounted power/ fingerprint combo button is clicky and reliable. Critically, Samsung has equipped the A35 5G with an IP67 dust- and water-resistance rating, meaning it can withstand submersion up to 1 m for 30 minutes, an uncommon feature at this price point.
Available in four vibrant finishes Awesome Iceblue, Awesome Lilac, Awesome Lemon, and Awesome Navy the A35 5G caters to a range of tastes, from subtle to statement. Overall, its combination of premium glass, flat-frame minimalism, and IP67 protection gives the A35 5G a more flagship-like feel than its price tag suggests.
Samsung Galaxy A35 display
At its heart lies a 6.6-inch Super AMOLED panel with a 1080 × 2340 px resolution (396 ppi) and a silky-smooth 120 Hz refresh rate. Peak brightness reaches around 1,000 nits, ensuring outdoor visibility even under harsh sunlight, while Samsung’s Dynamic AMOLED tuning delivers punchy colors and deep blacks that rival higher-end flagships.
The 120 Hz refresh rate makes daily interactions scrolling through social feeds, navigating One UI menus, and casual gaming feel buttery-smooth. Touch sampling at 240 Hz further enhances input responsiveness, though hardcore mobile gamers may notice slight lag compared to 360 Hz-capable flagship displays. HDR10+ certification enables dynamic contrast for supported streaming content, though some users report that third-party video apps still cap at SDR playback.
For multimedia consumption, the combination of wide color gamut, 20:9 aspect ratio, and adaptive refresh-rate scaling (down to 60 Hz to save power when scrolling is static) makes the A35 5G’s display one of its standout strengths a rare bright spot in the mid-range segment.
Performance & Hardware
Under the hood, Samsung outfits the A35 5G with its in-house Exynos 1380 chipset a 5 nm SoC featuring an octa-core CPU cluster (4×2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 + 4×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) coupled with a Mali-G68 GPU. Paired with 6 GB or 8 GB of LPDDR4X RAM and either 128 GB or 256 GB of UFS 2.1 storage (expandable via microSD up to 1 TB), the platform handles everyday tasks social media, web browsing, video playback with ease.
However, enthusiasts and benchmark seekers will note that the Exynos 1380 lags behind similarly priced Snapdragon 7-series chips. In Geekbench 6 tests, single core scores hover around 760, with multi core around 2,150 roughly on par with last year’s mid-range but notably behind Snapdragon 778G phones. Sustained gaming sessions on titles like PUBG Mobile settle at medium graphics settings, with frame drops under prolonged load. Thermal throttling is moderate: CPU clocks dip by up to 15% after 15 minutes of stress tests, but user-perceived lag remains minimal for most operations.
Connectivity is comprehensive: dual-band Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, GPS (GLONASS, Galileo, BDS, QZSS), and 5G on both sub-6 GHz and select mmWave bands (carrier support varies by region). The phone also supports eSIM alongside a nano-SIM slot, catering to travelers and multi-line users. Stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos deliver surprisingly rich audio for gaming and videos, though bass depth remains limited by the form factor.
Overall, while performance won’t satisfy power users seeking flagship-level benchmarks, the A35 5G’s hardware delivers reliable mid-range performance with future-proof connectivity.
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Camera System
Rear Cameras
- 50 MP f/1.8 main sensor with PDAF and OIS
- 8 MP f/2.2 ultra-wide (123° FoV)
- 5 MP f/2.4 macro
Samsung leverages pixel-binning to merge four pixels into one, producing 12.5 MP images that balance detail and low-light performance. In daylight, photos exhibit sharp details, accurate white balance, and good dynamic range though highlights can clip under direct sunlight. Night mode boosts exposure and reduces noise effectively, but OIS-assisted long-exposure shots can still appear soft if handheld. The 123° ultra-wide shooter offers consistent color reproduction with moderate barrel distortion, making it ideal for landscapes and group shots. The 5 MP macro lens, while gimmicky, lets you capture close-up subjects but with limited detail and shallow depth of field.
Front Camera
- 13 MP f/2.2 selfie sensor
Selfies are punchy and clear in good lighting, with skin tones rendered naturally. In low light, the front camera resorts to software-based noise reduction, leading to softer images. Video recording maxes out at 4K 30 fps on both front and rear cameras, but stabilization is only electronic, resulting in minor shake in handheld footage.
Video Capabilities
- 4K@30 fps (rear & front)
- 1080p@30/60 fps
- 720p@480 fps slow-mo
Overall, the Galaxy A35 5G’s camera package punches above its weight for social-media-ready snaps and casual video, though it cannot match the low-light prowess of Google’s Pixel 8a or the ultra-detailed output of Xiaomi’s mid-range flagships.
Battery Life & Charging
A generous 5,000 mAh battery sits at the core, delivering outstanding endurance. In our standardized video-loop test at 120 Hz, it ran for over 18 hours before depletion. Typical mixed-use days calls, messaging, social media, intermittent gaming, and streaming yields 6–7 hours of screen-on time, translating to a day and a half of moderate use.
Charging isn’t class-leading but respectable: the bundled 25 W USB-C charger refills the battery from 0 % to 50 % in about 30 minutes and to 100 % in 1 hour 10 minutes. There’s no wireless charging or reverse wireless power share features typically reserved for higher-tier models. A battery-saving “Adaptive Power Mode” in One UI restricts background activity to squeeze extra hours when needed.
All told, the A35 5G’s battery performance stands out even among mid-range peers, making it a solid pick for power users who value longevity.
Software & One UI Experience
Shipping with Android 14 atop One UI 6.1, the Galaxy A35 5G offers four years of major Android updates and five years of security patches an industry-leading policy for a mid-ranger. One UI’s clean interface boasts customizable themes, a revamped notification panel, Samsung DeX support, and integrations with Galaxy AI features such as auto-translate and smart suggestions.
Pre-installed “bloatware” is minimal: Samsung includes core apps (Health, Wallet, SmartThings) and the usual Microsoft and Facebook suite, all of which can be disabled. Knox security fortifies device encryption and secure folder functionality. Regular “One UI Core” updates bring performance optimizations and new features without drastically altering the user experience.
The software polish and update longevity significantly elevate the A35 5G’s long-term value proposition, ensuring the phone remains secure and feature-rich for years to come.
Connectivity & Extras
- 5G: Sub-6 GHz support across major global bands; mmWave in select markets
- Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, GPS (multi-GNSS)
- Dual SIM (nano + eSIM)
- Stereo speakers, 3.5 mm headphone jack
- Side-mounted fingerprint sensor, face unlock
The inclusion of a headphone jack and stereo speakers is a welcome nod to multimedia enthusiasts. Samsung’s “LINK to Windows” and seamless Galaxy ecosystem integration (e.g., Buds Auto Switch) further enrich the user experience.
Price & Value Proposition
At launch, the Galaxy A35 5G’s MSRP sits at:
- 6 GB + 128 GB: $399 USD
- 8 GB + 256 GB: $449 USD
Compared to direct rivals the Pixel 8a ($499), Moto G Power 5G ($299), and Realme 11 Pro 5G ($379) the A35 5G undercuts flagship-style display and battery life features at a modest premium. Its real strength lies in the combination of IP67 rating, four major Android updates, and Samsung’s One UI polish elements seldom guaranteed in this segment.
However, if raw performance, ultra low light photography, or ultra-fast charging are your priorities, some competitors may serve you better. For pure price-to-performance value, Motorola’s offering edges ahead, while Google’s Pixel focuses on camera prowess and clean Android.
Pros & Cons
| Pros: | Cons: |
| 1. Premium glass-and-metal look with IP67 water resistance 2. Vibrant 6.6″ Super AMOLED display at 120 Hz 3. Long-lasting 5,000 mAh battery with 25 W fast charging 4. Four years of OS updates, five years of security patches 5. Stereo speakers, headphone jack, and expandable storage | 1. Exynos 1380 performance lags behind Snapdragon rivals 2. Macro lens feels gimmicky; low-light camera performance average 3. No wireless charging or ultra-fast charging 4. Slightly heavier and larger than some competitors |
Conclusion & Recommendation
The Samsung Galaxy A35 5G blends flagship-inspired design, a brilliant Super AMOLED display, exceptional battery life, and long-term software support into a compelling mid-range package. While its Exynos chipset and macro camera leave room for improvement, most users will find its strengths especially in display quality, durability, and update policy to outweigh its minor shortcomings.
If you value a premium build, future-proof software, and reliable all-day battery over raw benchmark performance or bleeding-edge charging speeds, the Galaxy A35 5G is unquestionably worth it. For those chasing the absolute best low-light camera or peak gaming prowess, exploring Pixel or Snapdragon-powered alternatives may be wise. But for the everyday user seeking a balanced, long-lasting smartphone experience, Samsung’s Galaxy A35 5G checks nearly every box at a very fair price.