We analyzed 1,098 verified user reviews for the Samsung Galaxy A35 to understand its real-world performance. Our approach is to listen to what actual owners say after they have purchased and used the phone.
To do this, we identified the most discussed features and grouped all feedback into key aspects: Value for Money, Camera, Screen, Design, Performance, Software & Operating System, and Battery. Each comment was then analyzed for sentiment, allowing us to calculate the percentage of positive and negative feedback for every aspect. This method turns thousands of individual opinions into a clear, data-driven analysis.
💰 Value for Money: Great Daily, Poor Unboxing
When assessing the Samsung Galaxy A35 on Value for Money, the story diverges sharply between the daily experience and the moment of unboxing. The core of user satisfaction is anchored in a strong sense of getting more than what you paid for day-to-day, with the phone’s overall satisfaction relative to its cost earning an impressive 87% positive rating, three points above the category average.
Users feel they have found a sweet spot, describing it as:
a great mid range phone that has all the benefits of the flagship S-series samsung without the extra bells and whistles, which are not needed.
This sentiment is echoed by another owner who was impressed that the A35 “delivers a premium-ish experience without breaking the bank,” making it “an easy phone to recommend.” For many, the A35 successfully threads the needle between price and performance.
A Frustrating Omission
However, this positive feeling is immediately undermined by a significant and frustrating omission. The A35 scores a dismal 13% for avoiding unexpected costs or missing items, falling a sharp 8 points below the category average of 21%.
This low score reflects a widespread frustration with what’s *not* in the box. One user bluntly states:
At this price, you shouldn’t have to buy accessories just to charge your phone up.
This feeling was shared by another who was:
disappointed you don’t get a USB charging cable with the phone.
This decision by Samsung to exclude a charging adapter creates an immediate, tangible cost that sours the initial perception of value and forces customers to make an additional purchase right out of the gate.
Competitive Context and Upgrade Justification
This mixed experience becomes clearer when placed in a competitive context. While A35 owners are generally satisfied, competitors like the OnePlus Nord CE3 (94%) and Motorola Edge 50 Neo (93%) are generating even greater feelings of value for their cost.
Yet, the A35 carves out a compelling niche as an upgrade, particularly from its own family. Its 64% positive score for Upgrade Justification is substantially higher than the 52% earned by its predecessor, the Galaxy A34, demonstrating that for returning A-series users, the improvements are tangible and worthwhile.
As one user upgrading from an older model put it:
I replaced my A42-5g with the A35 after 3 years of reliable service. The A35 is a quality replacement.
But for those coming from older, higher-tier models, the value proposition is less clear, with one remarking:
Not an improvement over my 6 year old A51. It’s basically the same phone.
Trade-Off: Users must accept the initial frustration and expense of missing essentials like a charger to get a phone that ultimately delivers a satisfying, premium-feeling experience for its mid-range price.
📸 Camera: Day vs. Night
The camera system on the Samsung Galaxy A35 tells a story of two distinct experiences. While users overwhelmingly praise its performance in well-lit environments, a closer look at the data reveals a significant weakness that emerges when the lights go down, creating a sharp divide in user satisfaction.
Daytime Performance & Features
The primary driver of positive sentiment is the fundamental image and video quality, which earns an impressive 86% positive score, a full 8 points above the category average. For many owners, this translates into a feeling of getting excellent value. They celebrate the camera for producing “clear and vibrant pictures to smooth videos,” with one user noting:
The pictures that I can take with this phone are incredibly clear with great color.
This strong core performance is bolstered by a surprisingly robust suite of camera features, scoring 80% positive against a category average of just 61%. This makes users feel empowered, with one delighted owner highlighting “a wealth of tweaks and features, including a massive 50MP setting.”
A Clear Weakness in Low Light
However, this glowing praise dims considerably when day turns to night. The A35’s low-light performance is its clear Achilles’ heel, with a positive sentiment score of only 50%, falling a notable 11 points below the category average. This isn’t just a number; it’s a source of genuine frustration that leads to missed memories.
One user vividly described the poor results as resembling “an old 80s photo from a disposable camera,” where images are either “too much light and white-washed, or it’s too dark and muddy.” The disappointment can be deeply personal, as another owner shared their experience trying to capture the Northern Lights:
they were all able to take photos of the lights apart from me even though I could see the spectacle with my naked eye… I was bitterly disappointed.
Upgrade and Competitor Context
For those upgrading from the Galaxy A34, the A35 offers a substantial improvement in general image quality, jumping 13 points from its predecessor’s 73% positive rating. However, compared to key competitors, its critical weakness is exposed.
While the A35 has more features than the Motorola Edge 50 Neo (80% vs 54%), shoppers must weigh that against the Motorola’s more reliable low-light performance (67% vs 50%). This difficult choice highlights that for anyone who frequently shoots after dark, the A35 may not be the most dependable option in its class.
Trade-Off: For its price, the Galaxy A35 delivers impressive and satisfying photo quality in good lighting, but buyers must accept a significant and often frustrating compromise in low-light conditions.
📱 Screen: Dazzling View, Frustrating Touch
For the Samsung Galaxy A35, the screen is a story of dazzling highs and frustrating lows. Users are overwhelmingly impressed by the visual experience, driven by an exceptional 94% positive sentiment for screen smoothness and refresh rate—a score that towers 19 points above the category average. This, combined with an 88% positive rating for display quality and vibrancy, creates an experience that feels premium and immersive.
Owners describe it as “by far the best screen I’ve been able to get my hands on,” with one user celebrating how “the smoothness during scrolling is exceptional.” For watching videos and browsing, this makes the phone a joy to use, as the “Super AMOLED screen of the phone is premium, sharp, bright and vivid.”
A Critical Flaw in Touch Responsiveness
However, this visual excellence is severely undermined by a critical flaw in day-to-day interaction: touchscreen responsiveness. With a shockingly low 27% positive rating, this factor falls a significant 16 points below the category average of 43%. This isn’t just a number on a chart; it translates into profound user frustration.
Owners report a litany of issues, from phantom touches to outright unresponsiveness that can cripple basic functionality. One user described the painful experience:
Poor in quality of screen response time – once you click on anything it hangs a bit and responds.
For others, the consequences are more direct, highlighting how an unreliable screen can make the phone fail at its most fundamental task:
I have lost a few calls as the swipe would not work to connect to the caller.
Competitive Context
The A35’s poor touch performance becomes even more pronounced in a competitive context. Not only does it represent a major downgrade from its predecessor, the Galaxy A34 (which scored a much better 45% for responsiveness), but it is obliterated by key rivals. Both the Nothing Phone (2a) and the OnePlus Nord CE3 boast a perfect 100% positive score for touchscreen responsiveness, making the A35’s lag and inaccuracy a significant purchasing deterrent for users who prioritize a seamless, reliable interface over pure visual quality.
Trade-Off: Buyers get a visually stunning and fluid display that feels premium, but they must tolerate a deeply flawed and frustrating touch experience that falls far behind its predecessor and key competitors.
✨ Design: Premium Look, Awkward Feel
When it comes to the design of the Samsung Galaxy A35, the story is one of conflicting priorities. Users are delighted by its premium aesthetics, which score an impressive 92% in our analysis—four points above the category average. This satisfaction is driven by a tangible sense that the phone transcends its price point, with many echoing the sentiment that:
Looks wise, easily looks more expensive than it is.
This premium impression is reinforced by a significant upgrade in materials, which scores 83% versus a 76% category average. Users frequently praise the shift away from the plastic of its predecessors, noting that:
the device departs from the all-plastic build of its predecessors, adopting a glass-backed body that lends it a more premium feel.
For some, the practical benefit of this enhanced durability became startlingly clear, as one user recounted surviving a drop into a toilet, discovering in the process that:
the phone has 20 minutes of submerged water protection.
Size and Handling
However, this upscale ambition directly creates the phone’s most significant design flaw: its handling. The Size and Handling factor scores a disappointing 58%, a full 13 points below the 71% average for its category. The same glass and metal that give it a premium feel also contribute to a device that many find difficult to manage.
Users describe it as unwieldy, with one complaining:
Holding this phone is like trying to hang on to wet slippery ice,
…while another simply called it:
a boat anchor.
The physical experience can be genuinely uncomfortable, with some pointing out that the:
sharp edges… hurt on the ear if you talk for too long.
This ergonomic challenge isn’t just about comfort; it’s a practical daily annoyance, as another user lamented:
this phone is too big now to fit in all my pockets, even my cargo pants and fanny packs.
Competitive Context
This trade-off becomes even more apparent when compared to its rivals and predecessor. The A35 is a clear step-up in perceived quality from the older Galaxy A34, which scored a lower 73% on build quality. However, a competitor like the Nothing Phone (2a) demonstrates that premium feel and comfort don’t have to be mutually exclusive, earning a perfect 100% on both aesthetics and look and size and handling. This shows that while Samsung successfully elevated the A35’s look, it did so by sacrificing the in-hand comfort that some of its competitors manage to deliver.
Trade-Off: The Galaxy A35 offers a surprisingly premium look and robust build for its price, but this comes at the direct expense of everyday comfort and one-handed usability.
🔥 Performance: Multitasking Marvel, Thermal Mess
The performance of the Samsung Galaxy A35 is a story of stark contrasts. For everyday productivity, the phone shines, driven by an exceptional multitasking capability that scored an impressive 91% positive sentiment, a full 8 points above the category average.
Users celebrate this fluidity, which transforms daily chores into seamless experiences. One owner explains:
How effortlessly I can switch between apps. Whether it’s making payments at retail stores or accessing my accounts without any hassle, everything is streamlined, making everyday tasks so much easier.
For many, this means the phone handles a heavy load of applications without faltering, as another user confirms:
The 6 GB Ram handles for multiple apps to seize the day.
A Critical Overheating Flaw
However, this smooth everyday operation is severely compromised by a critical flaw: thermal management. This factor received a shockingly low 9% positive score, falling 24 points below the category average of 33%.
This isn’t just a number on a spreadsheet; it’s a physical frustration for users who find the device difficult to use under pressure. One person bluntly described the experience:
It often overheats when charging, when working hard, when the air is hot or when I’m using it as a wifi hotspot. Occasionally it is so hot it’s uncomfortable to hold.
This overheating directly impacts performance, leading to frustrations like, “Lagspikes and crashes are common when gaming with this chip,” making the phone unreliable for more intensive tasks.
Competitive Context
This weakness is even more glaring when compared to its own lineage and direct competitors. Shockingly, the A35’s thermal management is a step backward from its predecessor, the Galaxy A34, which scored twice as high at 18%.
This means that while Samsung made minor gains in other areas, it regressed on a fundamental aspect of usability. For buyers weighing their options, this is a significant differentiator, especially when a rival like the OnePlus Nord CE3 boasts a perfect 100% positive score for thermal management, promising a cool and stable experience that the A35 simply cannot deliver.
Trade-Off: The Galaxy A35 delivers a remarkably smooth multitasking experience for daily use, but this is undermined by a significant thermal management flaw that can render the phone uncomfortable to hold and unreliable under sustained load.
⚙️ Software & OS: Smooth UI, Unstable Core
The software journey on the Samsung Galaxy A35 is a mix of impressive modern features and frustrating core instability. Users are largely delighted by the day-to-day interface, with AI features and UI smoothness scoring a high 78% and 76% positive sentiment, respectively.
This polished experience is driven by what many describe as a refined and helpful system. One owner noted:
The software experience is smooth, thanks to Android 14 paired with Samsung’s One UI 6.1, which is both user-friendly and feature-rich.
Another was converted by the new intelligence, stating:
the Galaxy AI has completely made me reform my opinion! The Galaxy and Android system makes things convenient, but the Galaxy AI takes that to a whole new level!
For many, this makes the phone feel intuitive and capable in daily tasks.
A System Undermined by Instability
However, this polished surface is seriously undermined by significant reliability issues. Software stability emerges as the A35’s Achilles’ heel, with a low 33% positive score, even if that’s slightly better than the 27% category average.
These aren’t minor glitches; they are fundamental problems that interrupt essential functions. Users report infuriating freezes and hardware conflicts that cripple the experience. One user despaired:
The phone system freezes at least once a week… in a middle of a phone call the phone can freeze, and I am unable to press any buttons or respond.
Others face issues with basic communication, with one reporting, “People can’t hear me on calls, most have complained of hearing a loud static or a crackling noise,” while another confirmed, “The phone also crashes when using the usb for calls.”
Competitive Landscape
When placed in the competitive landscape, this disparity becomes a critical decision point for buyers. While the A35’s UI smoothness (76%) is a strong point, it is noticeably outclassed by the fluid experience on the OnePlus Nord CE3, which boasts an 88% positive score in the same area.
The more significant issue is stability. The A35’s 33% positive rating on stability pales in comparison to the Motorola Edge 50 Neo’s far more reliable 45% score, highlighting that buyers looking for a dependable device have better options.
Samsung’s key advantage lies in its AI features, which score an impressive 78%, completely eclipsing competitors like the OnePlus Nord CE3 that show zero positive sentiment for AI. This positions the A35 as a tempting choice for those who value smart features, but only if they are willing to tolerate the risk of significant operational bugs.
Trade-Off: Users gain access to a refined interface and useful AI features but must accept the significant risk of software freezes and hardware-related bugs that can disrupt core functions.
🔋 Battery: Fast Charge, Missing Features
Regarding its battery performance, the Samsung Galaxy A35 presents a story of conflicting user experiences. While it delivers on some core expectations, significant shortcomings create a feeling of compromise.
The phone is praised for its respectable charging speed, which earns a 72% positive score—a notch above the 69% category average. For users with demanding schedules, this speed is a game-changer.
One owner highlighted the practical benefit:
“when it does get down to 10%, I can literally plug it in for 5 to 10 min and be up to 35-50% or fully charged in just over an hour which is incredible with my busy lifestyle.”
This is backed by a solid, if not remarkable, battery life, with 70% of mentions being positive, as many users find it reliably gets them through a full day.
Modern Conveniences Lacking
However, this positive momentum is halted by deep frustrations with the phone’s charging methods. This factor receives a dismal 13% positive rating, lagging far behind the category average of 32%.
A key source of this dissatisfaction is the lack of wireless charging, a feature many now consider standard. Its absence feels like a step backward, with one user reasoning,
“Since the phone has waterproof features then why not have wireless charging? That’s my only downfall to this phone.”
This frustration is compounded for some by serious reliability issues with wired charging. One owner described a critical failure:
“I haven’t even had the phone a year… and already the charger had to be replaced because it wasn’t charging the phone at all… now it will say anywhere from 8-10 hours to charge.”
Competitive Landscape
This mixed performance becomes even clearer in the competitive landscape. While the A35’s charging speed (72% positive) is a notable improvement over its predecessor, the Galaxy A34 (59%), its battery life (70% positive) is seen as a slight downgrade from the A34’s 75% score.
This suggests a deliberate trade-off by Samsung that doesn’t universally satisfy upgraders. Furthermore, when placed next to a direct competitor like the OnePlus Nord CE3, the A35 is outclassed in both endurance (70% vs. 87% positive) and charging speed (72% vs. 100% positive).
This presents a clear case for buyers to look elsewhere. For those willing to spend more, Samsung’s own Galaxy A55 offers a much more compelling experience, with a superior 85% positive score for battery life.
Trade-Off: Users must accept the convenience of fast wired charging in exchange for the glaring omission of modern wireless options and a performance that lags behind key rivals.
Bottom Line
- ✅ Premium Looks & Display: Praised for its expensive aesthetic (92% score) and exceptionally smooth display (94% refresh rate), feeling far above its mid-range price point.
- ⚠️ Crippling Core Flaws: The experience is broken by severe unreliability, combining a dismal 27% score for touchscreen responsiveness with a shocking 9% for thermal management, leading to freezes and overheating.
- 🗣️ How Users Feel It: This isn’t just a number; owners report losing calls because the “swipe would not work” and that the phone becomes “uncomfortable to hold” when it overheats.
- 🔻 A Regression from its Predecessor: It’s a clear downgrade from the Galaxy A34, with touchscreen responsiveness dropping 18 points and thermal management scoring half as well (9% vs. 18%).
- 🏁 Outclassed by the Competition: Rivals like the OnePlus Nord CE3 and Nothing Phone (2a) boast a perfect 100% for touch responsiveness, making the A35’s 27% score feel unacceptable by comparison.
- 💡 The Final Verdict: The Galaxy A35 delivers a premium feel but is fatally undermined by reliability flaws, making it a frustrating choice for anyone who prioritizes function over form.