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Note: Everything mentioned in this review is based on researched opinions, and individual experiences may differ.
Samsung's Galaxy M series is known for being affordable while also offering good value for money. The latest M series phone from Samsung, the Galaxy M35 5G, continues that tradition. Compared to its predecessor, the Galaxy M34 5G, the new handset offers some hardware upgrades and a few design changes. You also get the longest Android software upgrade commitment in the segment. However, with the new inclusions come a higher price tag as well. I've used the Galaxy M35 5G to find out if the phone is a good all-rounder for the price. Read on to find out.
Talking about price, the base variant with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage is priced at Rs. 19,999. The 8GB + 128GB and 8GB + 256GB variants of the Galaxy M35 5G are priced at Rs. 21,499 and Rs. 24,299, respectively. We were sent the 8GB + 128GB variant for review in the Daybreak Blue color option.
Samsung Galaxy M35 Design: Minor changes
Dimensions - 162.3 x 78.6 x 9.1 mm
Weight - 222g
Colors - Dark Blue, Gray, Light Blue
Samsung has used polycarbonate for the rear panel and the frame on the Galaxy M35 5G. It gets a familiar triple rear camera setup as seen on the predecessor, but the camera rings are now slightly more prominent. The pattern on the rear panel is also different from last year's phone, as are the color options.
The phone lacks a headphone jack, which was present on the predecessor.
This is a thick phone and heavier than most phones in its segment, including the Galaxy M34. The rear panel has a tapered edge, but it's all flat on the front and the sides. The back is also quite slippery, but luckily, it's not a fingerprint magnet.
You'll find the SIM tray slot on the left side, the volume and power/fingerprint scanner buttons on the right, a microphone at the top, and a USB Type-C port, speaker, and another mic at the bottom. Samsung has removed the 3.5mm headphone port from the Galaxy M35 5G, which is disappointing. There's no IP rating on the phone, and I didn't find any gasket in the SIM tray either, so I'd recommend keeping this away from the pool.
Samsung Galaxy M35 Display: Good for content consumption
Size - 6.6-inch full-HD+, 120Hz
Type - Super AMOLED
Display protection - Gorilla Glass Victus+
Turning the phone over, it reveals a large display with thick bezels. However, the bezels are more uniform and slimmer than the older Galaxy M34 5G. You also get a hole-punch display this time around instead of the water drop notch. The display is slightly bigger than before, but the rest of the specifications remain mostly the same. You get good brightness (1,000 nits peak), making the screen readable indoors and outdoors. You can choose between an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz or stick to 60Hz, and there are two display color options: Vivid and Natural.
Samsung has upgraded the display protection on the Galaxy M35 5G with Gorilla Glass Victus+, which is rare in this price segment. Overall, the display is excellent for watching videos and playing games, and there's good color reproduction and Widevine L1 support for full HD content on streaming apps.
Samsung Galaxy M35 Software: Mostly smooth
UI - One UI 6.1
OS version - Android 14
Latest security patch - July 1
One UI is one of my favorite Android skins, and Samsung continues to keep the bloatware to a minimum. Of course, you'll find some pre-installed apps and the usual Glance lock screen, but all the unwanted apps can be removed. The app drawer also features a Discover tab that recommends apps for you, but I'd say it's best to just search the Play Store to download whatever app you need.
As for software features, you get things like the Edge panel, which offers quick access to apps, contacts, and more via a slide-out panel on the edge. You also get Quick Share, Modes and Routines, Always on Display (AOD), and the most common One UI 6.1 features.
Samsung has promised four years of Android OS updates and five years of security patches. This is incredible, as no other manufacturer offers this kind of software support in this price segment.
Samsung Galaxy M35 Performance: Gets the job done
Processor - Exynos 1380 (5nm)
RAM - Up to 8GB
Storage - Up to 256GB
Let's talk about the performance. The Exynos 1380 SoC on the Galaxy M35 5G is an octa-core chipset that offers a minor performance bump over last year's chipset. It's a good budget chip that gets the job done. I had no issues multitasking on the phone or playing games. What's also nice is the inclusion of a vapor-cooling chamber, which is something you won't find in this category. During my time with the phone, I never faced any heating issues, even when I was gaming for an hour. Games like BGMI and Asphalt 9 ran without hiccups and at high graphics settings. It's a good phone for gaming.
The UI is smooth most of the time, with animations and apps not taking too long to load. The camera app also loads quite fast, although you may see some lag if several apps are running in the background. I ran some synthetic benchmarks on the phone to see how it performed against some of its competition.
Benchmarks | Samsung Galaxy M35 5G | Moto G85 | CMF Phone 1 | OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite |
AnTuTu v10 | 610,913 | 450,865 | 639,355 | 448,127 |
Geekbench 6 Single | 1,014 | 935 | 1,037 | 904 |
Geekbench 6 Multi | 2,933 | 2,102 | 2,932 | 2,015 |
PCMark Work 3.0 | 12,879 | 11,757 | 12,398 | 9,850 |
GFXB T-rex | 96 | 89 | 60 | 60 |
GFXB Manhattan 3.1 | 46 | 33 | 50 | 30 |
GFXB Car Chase | 25 | 19 | 29 | 17 |
3DM Slingshot Extreme OpenGL | 4,710 | 3,259 | 5,177 | 3,121 |
3DM Slingshot | 5,868 | 4,406 | 6,690 | 4,226 |
3DM Wild Life | 2,813 | 1,569 | 3,122 | 1,508 |
3DM Wild Life Unlimited | 2,806 | 1,578 | 3,131 | 1,507 |
As you can see, the phone does quite well in the benchmark tests. Of course, you shouldn't completely rely on the results, as real-world performance may vary. That being said, I didn't face any major lag or app crashes when using the phone to browse, watch videos, play games, run multiple apps, and take photos.
The phone comes with a hybrid stereo speaker setup with one main speaker at the bottom doing most of the work and the earpiece acting as the second speaker. The speakers offer good separation and are loud but not the loudest. There's some bass, though, and I didn't hear any crackling, even at full volume. The microphones also do a good job during calls, and the earpiece is clear.
Samsung Galaxy M35 Cameras: Not bad at all
Main camera - 50-megapixel, f/1.8, OIS
Ultra-wide + depth - 8-megapixel + 2-megapixel
Selfie - 13-megapixel, f/2.2
The camera setup on the Galaxy M35 5G is similar to what we saw on the Galaxy M34, but Samsung claims to have made improvements in processing algorithms to enhance image quality.
Main Camera Performance:The primary 50MP camera captures good details and vibrant colors in well-lit conditions. The images have decent contrast and dynamic range, but they can sometimes appear slightly over-processed, resulting in loss of finer details. In low light, the camera struggles a bit, but the OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) helps to reduce blurriness when taking handheld shots.
Ultra-wide and Depth Sensors:The 8MP ultra-wide camera is useful for capturing wider scenes, but the quality is noticeably lower than that of the main sensor, with less detail and poorer color accuracy. The 2MP depth sensor does its job well, allowing for good portrait shots with decent edge detection.
Selfie Camera:The 13MP front camera captures satisfactory selfies. In good lighting, images appear clear, with good skin tones, though they may lean toward the softer side. The camera also supports features like Portrait mode and various filters to enhance your selfies further.
Video Recording:The Galaxy M35 5G can shoot videos in 4K at 30fps using the main camera, which is impressive for the price point. The video quality is decent, with stabilized footage that looks smooth. However, in low-light scenarios, the quality drops significantly, with noise becoming more apparent.
Samsung Galaxy M35 Battery: All-day performance
Battery Capacity - 6,000 mAh
Charging - 25W
The battery life is one of the standout features of the Galaxy M35 5G. With a massive 6,000 mAh battery, the phone easily lasts more than a day with moderate to heavy usage, including gaming, browsing, and media consumption. During my testing, I consistently got over 1.5 days of usage on a single charge.
The phone supports 25W fast charging, which is adequate but not the fastest in this segment. It took about 1 hour and 30 minutes to fully charge the phone from 0 to 100%, which is reasonable given the battery size. While it's not the quickest charging solution, the longevity of the battery more than makes up for it.
Conclusion: A solid choice for budget-conscious users
The Samsung Galaxy M35 5G is an excellent option for budget-conscious consumers looking for a reliable smartphone. It offers a good balance of performance, display quality, and battery life, making it suitable for everyday use. The software support commitment adds significant value, ensuring that users will receive updates for years to come.
However, it's worth noting that while the camera performance is decent for the price, it may not satisfy those looking for top-tier photography capabilities. Additionally, the lack of a headphone jack might be a deal-breaker for some users.
Overall, if you’re in the market for a budget phone with a great display and robust battery life, the Samsung Galaxy M35 5G should definitely be on your list. At its price point, it competes well with other devices in the segment, making it a worthy consideration for anyone seeking a reliable smartphone experience.
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