SAMSUNG Galaxy A35 5G A Series Cell Phone, 128GB Unlocked Android Smartphone, AMOLED Display, Advanced Triple Camera System, Expandable Storage, Rugged Design, US Version, 2024,…

The Samsung Galaxy A35 is a fantastic pick if you’re after an affordable phone that’s surprisingly rich in features. Now, unless you’re a hardcore mobile gamer—like the type who could probably win a Fortnite match with your eyes closed—this phone should have more than enough juice for your everyday needs.

For daily use, the A35 performs solidly. Its camera is decent, letting you capture everything from quick snapshots to carefully curated social media posts. And as for Samsung’s OneUI, Android purists might groan about the customizations, but I’m all for it. It’s a far cry from the old days of TouchWiz (anyone else remember that colorful chaos?), and now OneUI adds genuinely useful features like battery charging optimization that’s kinder to your battery health—something stock Android doesn’t offer out of the box, and you probably can’t just add on afterward, either. Plus, Samsung promises four major updates for the A35, which is impressive for a budget phone in this class, especially when competitors in this price range often tap out after one—if you’re lucky!

The A35 also includes SD card support, so you’ve got plenty of space for photos, music, and all your favorite memes. My one real gripe? No raw API support for the camera. I mean, my cheaper Galaxy A9+ tablet has it—so what’s the deal, Samsung?

At this price point, you could go for a flagship, but you’d be looking at the price of two A35s—or even three! For me, the A35 hits that perfect sweet spot of not-too-cheap and not-too-expensive. It’s affordable enough that you won’t feel like you need to keep it in a bulletproof case, but powerful enough that you won’t feel like you’re carrying around a paperweight. Overall, I’d say the A35 is like that dependable friend who always shows up with snacks but never leaves you broke.

I’ve had my Samsung Galaxy A35 for just over one month. I looked at a lot of reviews before pulling the trigger and I shopped a few brands.

1st – 4 Android upgrades (1/yr) and 5 years of security patches CAN’T BE BEAT at this price point.
2nd – IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 min).

Great screen (Super AMOLED, 120Hz, 1000 nits) and the adaptive brightness works super well (High Brightness Mode). Solid build with Victus Glass front and rear on a plastic frame. 5000 mAh battery and 25W charging give longevity and fast top ups. The 5nm Exynos 1380 chipset has 4×2.4 GHz & 4×2.0 GHz processors along with 6GB RAM, 128GB internal storage and micro SDXC slot. Plenty of power and storage under the hood for all except maybe the hardcore power users and game junkies. A fantastic all-around phone for most users. Fingerprint reader under the screen works great providing accurate and fast access to the device. Stereo speakers have plenty of volume and a pleasing tone for streaming videos. Audiophiles will want quality ear buds regardless of the speakers. The sound is well tuned for normal use. Calls are clear and trouble free.

I don’t really do selfies; the front camera is 13MP of acceptable. Not horrible, not wow.

Let’s talk triple rear cameras. 50 MP, f/1.8, (wide) with PDAF (phase detection auto focus) and OIS (optical image stabilization – way better then electronic image stabilization) + 8 MP, f/2.2 (ultrawide) + 5 MP, f/2.4, (macro). Like their displays, Samsung also makes their own camera sensors and know what they are about in both departments. In my experience, the biggest limiter on phone cameras is the controlling software. Here Samsung gives you acceptable level software. No brand name glass (like Zeiss or Leica) for the lenses. The cameras are solidly utilitarian and get the job done with enough power to give you some creative wiggle room. Those who know how can tweak their pictures by learning the strengths and weaknesses and going to post processing when needed. Unfortunately, there is no RAW support, or you could make even better progress in post. There are also several shooting modes that users might utilize to adapt to the composition of a particular image capture.

The main camera operates in a 12.5MP mode by default. I went into settings > settings to keep > camera mode (switch on) so that it remembers I want the 50MP mode and saves it when I open the camera app again. There is no zoom in 50MP mode, but I’d rather crop in on more pixels than use less pixels getting degraded by digital zoom in most use case scenarios.

The picture of the steering wheel detail was taken with the 5MP f/2.4 macro lens, auto settings, no post process.

The two cloudscapes were captured with the main camera in 50MP mode, auto settings, no post process. You only achieve 50MP when shooting in full aspect ratio. I prefer 16:9 so those images are 37.5MP.

The picture of the moon was taken in Pro mode (12.5MP) with 10x zoom, ISO 40 and -2.0ev.

The picture of the $1 coin was captured with the main camera at 50MP. I used a 10x macro lens clipped in front of the main camera and did post processing in Snapseed.

The picture of the moth was captured with the main camera at 12.5MP and 2x zoom. Post processed in Snapseed.

All-in-all: solid value for money and a phone you likely won’t upgrade from anytime soon. It has all you need to make it a faithful companion for years.

Quick Update: I was out taking Milkyway photos the other night with my mirrorless camera. I did add one image to this review, taken with the A35. The photo of the trees after sunset was during the Blue Hour (low light) with the main camera in 50MP mode, auto settings, lightly edited in Snapseed. The capture was at 1/9th of a second and demonstrates the effectiveness of the Optical Image Stabilization.

I was also using the Stellarium app with live view and can attest to the accuracy and responsiveness of the compass sensor on the Galaxy A35. I just keep finding more reasons to love this phone!

So far a good phone. Decent battery life, good reception, very good camera. Perhaps not the best but great value.