It feels like Samsung is having a bit of an off-year with its midrange and budget smartphones. Last year, I enjoyed my time with handsets like the Galaxy A14 5G and Galaxy A54 5G—the value and performance were great. In 2024, my experience with successors like the Galaxy A15 5G and now the Galaxy A35 5G is disappointing.
It doesn't help that this review season is bookended with two strong contenders. I just wrapped up testing the $300 Motorola Moto G Power 5G—which I gave high marks—and I will move to the Google Pixel 8A ($499) next, a smartphone line that has routinely been my top recommendation for almost anyone looking for a well-priced, feature-rich smartphone. The Galaxy A35 sits right in between those two at $400. It's an adequate smartphone, but it lacks some perks of its peers and doesn't punch as hard as its predecessors.
On the Cusp
In a vacuum, it's not hard to consider the Galaxy A35 a great smartphone. The all-glass design feels like it costs more than the price suggests, and it checks off a lot of boxes on the specs list. I wish it looked more interesting. Samsung sent me the “Awesome Navy” color, and there is nothing awesome about it; it's quite dull. There's a fun pinkish gradient color called Awesome Lilac that looks far more interesting.
Design is an area where I'd like to see Samsung do more. Motorola is playing around with vegan leather on the back of its phones; Google's Pixels have a long camera bar that stands out; and the Nothing Phone (2a) doesn't look like any other midrange smartphone despite its $350 price. It's OK to be a bit more creative, Samsung!
You're treated to an excellent 6.6-inch AMOLED display that's sharp and has a 120-Hz screen refresh rate. Interacting with this display feels responsive and fluid, and I used it in bright conditions outdoors without having to squint. The colors get washed out when the phone cranks up the brightness, but I prefer this to struggling to see what's on the screen.