Samsung Galaxy A35 review

The competition

At the time of writing, the base 6GB/128GB Galaxy A35 will set you back about € 380/GBP 340, while the top-tier 8GB/256GB one retails for around € 450/GBP 390.

The middle-of-the-line 8GB/128GB model seem to be hard to come by in Europe, but easily available in the US for around $ 390 and in India for about INR 30,500. We'd go for the higher RAM amount if possible.

Finding good alternatives to the Galaxy A35 is not particularly hard. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro+ retails for about as much as the Samsung, but its base version comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage of the faster UFS 3.1 variety. The Dimensity 7200 Ultra is an excellent chip that outpaces the Exynos 1380 in many aspects. Going for the Redmi you also get comparable build quality and things like a Gorilla Glass Victus on the front and IP68 ingress protection. Some other niceties include 120W charging on the 5,000 mAh battery.

It is also worth noting that you can elect to save some money by going for the ever-popular Redmi note 13 Pro instead and still get a great experience. And if you would like to prioritize performance and are willing to sacrifice some creature comforts along the way, there is the Poco X6 Pro to consider.

The new Nothing Phone (2a) is an interesting contender for sure. While it is not the best bang for your buck in this segment, there is no denying that it stands out in a good way. Nothing's approach to both hardware and software will have its appeal for the right crowd. We really enjoyed using Nothing OS on the Nothing Phone (2a) and also found that the phone has exceptional battery life in our testing. You will be making some feature compromises though.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro+ • Nothing Phone (2a) • Samsung Galaxy A25 • Realme 12 Pro+

Speaking of compromises, it is worth mentioning that you can get much of the same Samsung experience and not spend as much by going for the Galaxy A25 instead. Don't expect the same materials and durability. You are notably losing the ingress protection rating and the Gorilla Glass Victus+. Also, you should expect slower performance overall. But the core of the experience remains unchanged.

Finally, if you are in the right market, the Realme 12 Pro+ is a pretty strong competitor to the Galaxy A35. Some of its highlights include IP65 ingress protection and faster 67W charging on its 5,000 mAh battery. Most notably, however, the Realme has a dedicated 3x periscope telephoto as part of its camera setup in case that could entice you.

Our verdict

The Galaxy A35 is a very well-rounded device through and through. While it doesn't do anything groundbreaking with the tried-and-true Galaxy A formula, it further refines the A3X series. While the Galaxy A25 still arguably comes with quite a few omissions, notably to its build and ingress protection, the A35 is much closer to the A55 in its general offering.

With the A35, you get glass on both sides, Gorilla Glass Victus+ on the front, and an IP67 ingress protection rating. The 6.6-inch Super AMOLED 120Hz display is still solid without really changing much from previous generations. You also get a solid hybrid stereo speaker setup and a large 5,000 mAh battery with solid endurance.

Performance-wise, the Exynos 1380 is a nice little step up from the Dimensity 1080 inside the Galaxy A34. It is perfectly adequate for the class and enough to offer a fluent One UI experience. That experience will be a big draw for a lot of people. Very few features are still relegated to Samsung's flagship models and outright missing from the Galaxy A35. Plus, the A35 comes with four years of major software updates and five years of security updates.

That said, there is no point in claiming that the Galaxy A35 is the best in its class. Shopping around, you can get notably better hardware for your money. However, the Galaxy A35 remains attractive in its entirety as a package. We are sure it won't disappoint any prospective buyers.

Pros

• Sturdy build with glass on both sides and IP67 ingress protection.
• Good quality 120Hz Super AMOLED display.
• Stereo speakers with good quality.
• Solid battery life.
• Latest Android and One UI.
• Good performance for this price range and great thermal behavior.
• Solid photo and video quality.
• 5G, NFC, microSD.

Cons

• No charger in the box.
• No HDR video support.
• The virtual proximity sensor for turning off the screen during calls is not as good as a physical one.