Samsung Galaxy A35 Review – Great Budget All-Rounder Smartphone

The Samsung Galaxy A35 is an interesting midrange offering not just because of its price tag and features but also its added emphasis on security with the addition of their Samsung Knox Vault to the phone. It’s RM300 cheaper than its sibling the Galaxy A55 but is its a bargain worth getting if you’re on the hunt for a budget phone? 

Samsung Malaysia graciously loaned us a sample for review and after putting it through its paces, here’s our Samsung Galaxy A35 review where we share if it’s worth its RM1,699 price tag. You can also catch our first impressions of the Galaxy A35 here.

Samsung Galaxy A35 review – Performance and benchmarks

Our Samsung Galaxy A35 review sample bears some aesthetic similarities to its pricier sibling the Galaxy A55 which in turn draws on the design of the Galaxy S24 series for inspiration.

You get a vertically aligned camera array on the rear along with a flat front and back shod in glass with rounded corners that pays homage to the flagship Galaxy S24. Unique to this generation of Galaxy A series phones is an elevated portion on the side dubbed as the ‘Key Island’ to make it easier to feel for the power button and volume rocker by touch. 

Where our Galaxy A35 review sample differs from its pricier sibling the Galaxy A55  is that it employs last year’s Exynos 1380 processor rather than its siblings newer Exynos 1480 chipset, uses plastic on its sides rather than metal along with a more modest 13MP selfie camera, a less capable 8MP ultra wide angle camera on the rear and has less RAM though it is also RM300 cheaper.

Like the Galaxy A55, our Galaxy A35 review unit retains a robust IP67 dust and water resistance rating which is impressive for a midrange phone, stereo speakers, a large 5,000mAh battery, a similarly specced 6.6-inch 120Hz FHD+ Super AMOLED display that is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus+ and the latest Android 14 running OneUI 6.1 with a guaranteed 4 years of OS updates and 5 years of security updates. Fast 5G connectivity along with WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3 come as standard which makes it a well rounded device.

What makes the Galaxy A35 and the Galaxy A55 unique is that both are the first Galaxy A-series phones to have the new Samsung Knox Vault feature that ensures improved security by ensuring passwords and other critical data remain tamper proof and secure on the phone on top of their existing Samsung Knox hardware and software protection. 

In Malaysia, Samsung only issues the Galaxy A35 in only one RAM/Storage configuration with your choice of three colourways. Here’s how our Galaxy A35 review sample for the Malaysia market stacks up on paper…

Price	RM1,699
Display	6.6-inch Super AMOLED FHD+, 1080 x 2,340 pixels, 120Hz refresh rate, 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 1000 nits (HBM)
Processor	Exynos 1380
OS	Android 14/ OneUI 6.1
Memory	8GB RAM/ 256GB + microSD card
Camera	50MP F/1.9 w/ OIS + 8MP F/2.2 ultra wide angle + 5MP F/2.4 macro camera [rear] / 13MP F/2.2 [front]
Battery	5,000mAh w/ 25W wired charging
Size/Weight	161.7 x 78 x 8.2mm/209g

Running OneUI 6.1, the Galaxy A35 also has the ability to assign up to 8GB of RAM Plus virtual RAM in 2GB increments off the onboard storage with the phone also featuring a microSD card to add up to 1TB cards; a feature that even the flagship Galaxy S24 series lacks. 

When subjected to synthetic benchmarks with the default 4GB of RAM Plus vRAM, our Samsung Galaxy A35 sample scored the following:

3D Mark Wild Life	2,818
3D Mark Wild Life Unlimited	2,804
3D Mark Wild Life Extreme	810
3D Mark Wild Life Extreme Unlimited	796
Geekbench 6 Single core	1,027
Geekbench 6 Multi core	2,960
Geekbench 6 OpenCL	3,006
Geekbench 6 Vulkan	3,069
PC Mark Work 3.0	13,095
PC Mark Battery Life	13 hours 45 mins

Astute readers will note that the Exynos 1380 used in our Galaxy A35 review unit also saw service in last year’s Galaxy A54 which we also reviewed. When compared side by side, both phones offered similar results with slightly improved battery life in the Galaxy A35 close to 13 hours and 45 minutes likely on account of optimisations within OneUI 6.1.

Day to day performance is surprisingly smooth and the Galaxy A35 tackles all the usual tasks expected including social media, web browsing and gaming without issue in a smooth fashion. It can easily handle PUBG, Call of Duty Mobile and Genshin Impact on the default or low settings but the new unoptimised Warzone Mobile may be a bit of a stretch.

As expected, the Galaxy A35 lacks the sophisticated Galaxy AI and DeX mode seen in the flagship Galaxy S24 series but that isn’t a deal breaker seeing its intended budget-conscious audience. 

Of greater importance are its guaranteed 4 years of OS and 5 years of security updates which vastly improves its service life. In effect, you’re assured the phone won’t simply become obsolete or unsecured for at least half a decade which makes it even better value.

Another key upgrade especially for security conscious users is the addition of Samsung Knox Vault which adds a level of enhanced protection for the existing Samsung Knox hardware and software security that has become a standard feature for Samsung phones in the past several years. 

Boiled down, Samsung Knox Vault is an additional chip on the Galaxy A35 that exists independently of the processor and which acts as a secure data vault to store important passwords in a tamper proof fashion. Samsung Knox Vault is also available on the Galaxy A55 that we reviewed recently. 

Also available is an Auto Blocker mode that comes in especially handy for the security conscious as it stops sideloading of unauthorised apps and also prevents unauthorised execution of commands in certain circumstances such as attempted malware attacks when charging at public charging ports or when accidentally clicking on suspicious links. 

All in, the Galaxy A35’s performance  isn’t going to break speed records nor is it going to beat a flagship phone but it certainly is more than capable of meeting the needs of the vast majority of users with the added security features offering peace of mind.

Samsung Galaxy A35 Review – Display and Speakers

Our Samsung Galaxy A35 review unit features a 6.6-inch Super AMOLED display with FHD+ (1080 x 2,340 pixels) resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate and up to 1,000 nits peak brightness in high brightness mode for short sprints in direct sunlight.

Screen clarity and brightness are excellent for the price with punchy colours, crisp text and sufficient clarity outdoors to read a map or text while the refresh rate ensures smooth animations through the menus though many apps and games are still capped at 60Hz.

The provided stereo speakers are a rarity at this price range and they also have Dolby Atmos support too. In use gaming, watching YouTube and movies, they serve up a good level of volume and detail with relatively even balance for both speakers. They’re even able to be cranked to maximum without distortion.

Samsung Galaxy A35 Review – Cameras

The Samsung Galaxy A35 has a slightly improved camera array over its predecessor the Galaxy A34, upgunning the main rear camera to a 50MP F/1.8 sensor with optical image stabilisation versus the Galaxy A34’s 48MP F/1.8 OIS stabilised camera.

The rest of the setup is otherwise similar with an 8MP F/2.2 ultra wide angle camera and a 5MP F/2.4 macro camera rounding out the rear triple camera complement. The main rear camera can go all the way to 10x digital zoom with lossless 2x zoom by cropping the main camera which is akin to the Galaxy A55’s main camera. Up front, you get a 13MP F/2.2 selfie camera up front for mugshots. 

Both the front and rear cameras are capable of up to 4K@30fps video with electronic video stabilisation for more stable footage. The ability for 4K video capture for the front camera is a pleasant bonus seeing as it’s a typically rare feature for midrange phones.

When put to the test, the main rear camera array on our Galaxy A35 review sample did its best work in daylight conditions. The ultrawide camera is a bit on the soft side in both daylight and low light shots but are otherwise usable for social media. 

Most of the heavy lifting is handled by the 50MP main camera which has comparable results to the 50MP camera used in the Galaxy A55. Shots out to 2X in offer nice detail and slightly oversaturated colours with good dynamic range in daylight conditions and after sundown or indoors, it’s able to yield viewable stills also out to 2X zoom.

Beyond that level of magnification, shots start getting a bit of noise but in daylight you’re able to cover most of the usual topics beloved by Malaysians like food shots, scenery and family photos. 

Selfies on the front camera are certainly above average for what is expected of a midrange phone with relatively accurate skin tones and decent detail in daylight conditions though it still pales to more specialised selfie-centric phones with much larger camera sensors. 

Videos out to 4K@30fps also enjoy the same level of digital zoom and work best in daylight and if you stick to the main camera without zooming, good footage out to 2X zoom. Selfies on the front-facing camera aren’t the best on test but are serviceable when taken in good lighting.

Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy A35?

The Samsung Galaxy A35 doesn’t feature radical upgrades over its predecessor but manages to be a well-rounded, affordable design with features that rarely exist in midrange phones. 

You get a good Super AMOLED display, stereo speakers, decent performance, good battery life, a serviceable set of cameras and an IP67 rated chassis. Where the Galaxy A35 stands above the competition is its generous 4 years of OS updates and the addition of Knox Vault which lends it both greater longevity and better security.

Those who already own a Galaxy A54 may find there isn’t much of a direct upgrade as much of the specifications are somewhat similar but for those who are otherwise seeking a value-packed, well-rounded midrange phone, the Galaxy A35 proves to be a compelling choice. 

Samsung Galaxy A35 review unit courtesy of Samsung Malaysia. To purchase and for more details visit https://www.samsung.com/my/smartphones/galaxy-a/galaxy-a35-5g-awesome-iceblue-256gb-sm-a356elbgxme/