ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Samsung’s Galaxy A35 5G is a well-rounded smartphone for $400.
- You will love the two-day battery life, wonderful display screen high quality, and 4 years of software program updates.
- The largest difficulty? Efficiency, which tends to fluctuate from day-to-day and might result in overheating.
I am really shocked how a lot I get pleasure from utilizing the Samsung Galaxy A35 5G. The most recent mid-range cellphone in Samsung’s lineup is not essentially something particular — it appears like some other Galaxy cellphone from current years, and there are not any flashy options. Nonetheless, the mission of mid-range telephones is to not make waves; it is to supply a stability between efficiency, high quality, and value. This cellphone does that nicely.
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Some would argue that this is not the most effective $400 cellphone in the marketplace, however it’s definitely considered one of them, and the display screen is likely one of the the explanation why. The Galaxy A35 5G contains considered one of Samsung’s signature Tremendous AMOLED shows, measuring 6.6 inches diagonally. The show has a Full HD+ decision, a 120Hz refresh price so all the things feels clean, and 1,000 nits of brightness that makes it simple to see in direct daylight. Plus, it is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+, which is a pleasant perk.
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Among the finest perks of the Galaxy A35 is the battery. Clocking in at 5,000mAh, this factor can simply final two days on a full cost. Throughout my testing, I solely plugged within the cellphone thrice, and that was with reasonable use. Sadly, there aren’t any wi-fi charging capabilities, and the charging velocity is capped at 25W, so it’d take a while to get to 100%. Nonetheless, it is at all times good having multi-day battery life on any smartphone, not to mention one which prices $400.
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One other factor I wasn’t anticipating to say after spending a while with the A35: the cameras aren’t that dangerous. Actually, I would go as far to say that not less than two of them are good, which is sort of unimaginable to say for many sub-$500 Android telephones.
The principle 50MP digicam is completely able to taking some good photos. Colours aren’t overdone as a lot as they’re on older Samsung telephones, whereas distinction and publicity stay usually on level. You’ll be able to inform that the A35 is okay with sustaining shadows, for higher or for worse, whereas photograph high quality usually takes a dip when the lights get low; it is not horrible by any means, however further grain and noise are laborious to keep away from except there is a ton of exterior or pure gentle within the body.
I will additionally give some credit score to the 13MP selfie digicam, which is completely suited to selfies for Snapchat or your Instagram Tales. The opposite cameras on the again of the gadget, nevertheless, are disappointing. The 8MP could also be ultra-wide due to its 123-degree area of view, however it’s grainy and low-quality in nearly each lighting situation. In the meantime, the 5MP macro digicam is washed out, and it’s unimaginable to seize something usable exterior of broad daylight.
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You’ll be able to’t purchase the Galaxy A35 5G anticipating Spielberg-quality movies, however not less than you may have the choice to shoot in 4K, albeit at 30 frames per second. As well as, I actually like Samsung’s digicam app, which is well-optimized and simple to navigate.
Another notable options embrace the quick and dependable in-display fingerprint scanner, the IP67 certification for water and mud resistance, the Gorilla Glass Victus+ on the again, and the microSD card slot so you’ll be able to increase your storage everytime you need.
The A35 stumbles, nevertheless, in its efficiency. The cellphone is not notably sluggish, however it’s not at all times quick, both. It is geared up with an Exynos 1380 octa-core processor that is quick sufficient for on a regular basis use, however throughout my testing, the cellphone would generally decelerate a lot that it could take various seconds to open an app or bounce into multitasking.
It could additionally generally get inexplicably scorching throughout common use. For instance, in a single occasion, I used to be simply scrolling by means of an article with Spotify enjoying within the background, and the A35 grew to become scorching sufficient that I needed to put it down.
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It is a recognized difficulty with Samsung’s Exynos chips, which have traditionally fallen behind Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors in efficiency and effectivity. Fortunately, you’ll be able to rig the A35 with 6GB, 8GB, or 12GB of RAM, so you will not run out of reminiscence throughout utilization — simply do not push the cellphone too laborious.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
It is laborious to discover a mid-range gadget that balances the smartphone expertise nicely, however the Samsung Galaxy A35 5G does a fairly good job. Whereas efficiency and digicam high quality fall behind in some areas, the remainder of the cellphone is de facto good (particularly that attractive display screen) for the worth.
After all, if you are going to purchase this cellphone, you are in all probability additionally taking a look at telephones just like the Pixel 8a or the wonderful OnePlus 12R, which hover across the identical value. The display screen high quality on both undoubtedly is not as good because the A35, and also you additionally will not get a two-day battery life. The cameras are comparable (moreover the Pixel 7A, which knocks the socks off the A35 and the 12R). All in all, I believe the A35 is an effective pickup. It is not good, however for those who can stay with its quirks, I believe you may dig it.
