It’s been a while since I’ve experienced a mid-range Samsung phone , since using the Galaxy A52 5G for 2 months. The Galaxy A35 5G attracted me from the beginning even though there was also the Galaxy A55 5G , but I was really fascinated with the Iceblue color of the A35 5G. If you intend to buy the Galaxy A35 5G, you should consider this blue color, it’s so lovely.
This price segment is really very competitive, its direct competitors can be mentioned as OPPO Reno11 F 5G, Redmi Note 13 Pro 256GB, vivo V27e, realme 11 256GB. Except for OPPO Reno11 F, the remaining models are about 500k cheaper than the A35 5G. In terms of brand, Samsung clearly has the brighter spot, but what makes the A35 5G better than its competitors?
I temporarily call the Galaxy A35 5G in this article the Galaxy A35.
Beautiful design, IP67 water resistance, Gorilla Victus+ glass
In two of the three outstanding appearance points mentioned above, the Galaxy A35 is better than most other phone models. The way Samsung applies the design language of the flagship line to mid-range models not only enhances the recognition level of the device but will “disappoint” those who use flagships because this phone looks no different from an expensive phone.
But let’s ignore the flagship users for now, users in this popular segment will benefit more because the phone will be more luxurious, and actually the Galaxy A35 is quite well finished, even though the frame is plastic.
If you buy the Galaxy A35, I will advise you to buy the Iceblue version because this is the most beautiful color, fingerprints on the glass are hard to see, the rough blue frame is very beautiful, there is a connection point but it is very difficult. just saw it. Holding the Galaxy A35 compared to the 6.6-inch screen size or weight of 209g is not too bad, because the plastic frame is rough-painted so it is more secure in the hand, the Galaxy A55 is not as comfortable to hold because the frame is scratched like So it’s not hand friendly.
However, I’m not sure if this plastic frame will be durable over time or not, or if it will easily peel or not, I’ll have to wait until you use the device longer to confirm later. But one thing I don’t like is that Samsung placed the volume up/down button too high. Small hands can’t reach it. If you try to reach it, you will easily drop the device. Samsung has made a protruding edge in this area, for the Galaxy A55 as well, but it is mainly a design highlight, not much of a fulcrum for the finger when holding.
Galaxy A35 also has a dual speaker system, this is better than the Reno11 F 5G, the speakers sound good, the volume is quite loud even though I only turn it on at 80%. The Galaxy A35 is also designed in the form of front and back glass that is slightly indented compared to the frame. It protects the device better, but if you swipe it, it won’t hurt. The fingerprint sensor is placed quite low, the optical technology and recognition speed are at a good level, not fast, not too slow. Because I’m used to using a small device, when I switched to a large device, my thumb couldn’t reach the top ⅓ of the screen. The icons there are also application icons that I rarely use.
The screen is beautiful, the colors are not too bright, but not too bright and clear
In terms of the color of the screen when placing the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy A35 next to it, it is very difficult to recognize, both in terms of contrast and freshness, because it is so similar. But if we talk about the clarity of the panel and brightness, the Galaxy A35 cannot be equal.
Saying so is unfair to this phone. Standing alone, the Galaxy A35’s screen is fine, except for the above reasons, the Galaxy A35’s glass surface also has rainbow reflections, which is not found on flagship phones. by Samsung. The Infinity-O design is a strong change point of the Galaxy A35 compared to the previous generation, because the Infinity-U style is outdated, the device does not look modern anymore. If the edges are uneven, this is an acceptable point, but Xiaomi and OPPO do better at this point than the Galaxy A35.
The camera can record 4K@30fps, has OIS stabilization, and the quality is passable
The main camera with OIS stabilization is an advantage of the A35 compared to the Reno11 F 5G, as well as the ability to record video from the front cam at 4K@30fps. The A35’s video recording quality in low light conditions is also good (6pm in front of Delicate coffee shop), the colors are a bit flat and burnt, but after adjusting it, it’s still usable.
When taking photos in bright conditions, the Galaxy A35 is fine, the photos are detailed, the light sensitivity range is also ok, the photos are taken in low light, but if there is an additional light source shining in, like taking photos of food, everything will be clearly better. . I don’t like portrait mode because it looks a bit fake and the blurred areas with the subject don’t look smooth. If I take a portrait, I will take a photo with the main camera and then put it into Lightroom to edit. If you are a flagship user and switch down to an 8 million phone like the Galaxy A35, you will definitely be disappointed because of the image quality, we cannot evaluate and look at it from such an angle, and I myself am not. position.
Looking at the price range, the equipped camera configuration is 50MP with OIS, night mode, night portrait mode, aperture f/1.8, 1/1.56″, 1.0µm, PDAF is a very good equipment, Not to mention Samsung is also equipped with an ISP to improve image quality with AI .
Obviously, what the Galaxy A35 can do is hard to ask for more.
Performance with the Exynos 1380 is fine for basic needs
If you are a person who uses a phone not to play games and games do not play an important role in buying a phone, the Exynos 1380 is enough for you to use for the remaining basic needs. The Exynos 1380 chip is not strange as it appeared on last year’s Galaxy A54 5G.
I think people who buy this phone will not put too much emphasis on performance to play games, because by nature, when I go through the interface and use it for very normal tasks, the device does not give too much feedback. fast. Of course, if you are using a flagship and switch down, you will see it immediately, but if you are using a phone model also in this price range and switch to using Galaxy A35, you will not be able to recognize it.
I have used OPPO Reno11 F 5G, a phone with a Dimensity 7050 chip, this is not a weak chip, but because the phone is in this segment, in addition to the configuration, there are many other things related to and affecting the performance. Experience, as I have shared in many previous topics, screen latency, touch sampling speed… it also affects whether we use the device smoothly or not.
However, no matter what you say, this is still a 1-year-old chip, moreover, this is a phone of 2024, while Qualcomm has made strides for mid-range chips, Samsung cannot stand still. in place anymore.
Anyway, the Galaxy A35 is not a phone for gaming, even though it has a vapor chamber cooling system that is 74% larger than before. You can see the scores of some benchmark articles above.
One UI 6.1 with Knox Vault
One UI 6.1 on Galaxy A35 actually doesn’t bring many changes compared to One UI 6.0, but when I’m using One UI 6.0 on Galaxy S23, it has quite a lot of errors, especially notification system errors, so I’m using it. I really hope my S23 will be upgraded to One UI 6.1.
But the notable point of the Galaxy A35 is not in AI, it is difficult for Samsung to bring Galaxy AI to a mid-range phone at this time (the future is unknown), on the contrary, the Galaxy A35 is equipped with Knox Vault security feature. This is Samsung’s most advanced security solution currently for smartphones, which is only equipped on the Galaxy S series and folding phones.
One UI 6.1 on Galaxy A35 has some small changes in the AoD screen, the navigation bar cannot be hidden in settings but must use a tip in Good Lock. In addition, Galaxy A35 also gets OS updates for up to 4 years and security updates for up to 5 years.
Battery lasts all day
The 5000mAh battery capacity for the Galaxy A35 is really enough for 1 day, for basic needs. I really like the battery life on the Galaxy A series, before and now, the battery is still very good.
The charging time is a bit long, but because I plugged it in overnight, I don’t really care about this. Just plug it in and go to work tomorrow morning and the battery will be full, because it won’t last a day anyway.
In short, the Galaxy A35 5G is a phone worth buying… for parents
Considering the segment again and again, the Galaxy A35 5G is an extremely serious competitor for other manufacturers, a phone with many strong points such as IP67 equipment, Victus+ glass, very good battery, big brand. …will not be a bad choice for parents, even though it was initially intended as a phone for young people.
I think if this is a phone for young people, it still lacks some elements such as a better camera, more advanced features, especially AI, the trend at this time.
