Samsung Galaxy M35 Review

Samsung has just launched the Galaxy M35 in India. If you are looking for a budget Samsung phone in 2024, the Galaxy M35 might be a good choice. This phone is a cheaper version of the Galaxy A35. If you use bank discounts and offers, it becomes even more attractive to buy.

Unboxing Experience of Galaxy M35

When you open the Galaxy M35 box, you will find that it does not come with a charger. This is common with Samsung phones in 2024. Inside the box, there is only a USB Type-C to Type-C cable, a SIM ejector tool, and some paperwork. There is no pre-applied screen protector or back cover in the box. So, if you buy this phone, you may need to spend more money on these accessories.

Design

The first thing you will notice about the Galaxy M35 is its simple plastic design. The colors are not as attractive as the Galaxy A35. The phone is also quite heavy, weighing more than 220 grams. But this is understandable because it has a large 6,000 mAh battery. The bezels (the borders around the screen) are also thick, making the phone look a bit old-fashioned. It does not have any water or dust resistance, but for a budget phone, this is not a big problem.

One good thing is that the Galaxy M35 has Gorilla Glass Victus+ protection, which helps protect the screen from scratches. After using the phone for one week, there were no big scratches on the screen.

Display

The display on the Galaxy M35 is one of its best features. It has a Super AMOLED display with good color quality right out of the box. The touch response is great, and the screen can get bright enough to use outdoors and dim enough for comfortable use at night. The stereo speakers are decent, making this phone good for watching movies or videos. However, it does not support HDR video playback on platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime.

Performance

The Galaxy M35 is powered by the Exynos 1380 chipset, the same one used in the Galaxy A35. While this chipset is not powerful for phones that cost more than ₹30,000, it works well for a budget phone like the M35. The phone is fast enough for regular tasks like browsing the internet and using social media. It has a 120Hz refresh rate, which makes scrolling smooth without any lag.

The phone also has a vapor chamber cooling system, which helps prevent overheating. However, you might notice that apps take a little longer to open, and gaming on this phone is not the best experience. For example, you can play PUBG Mobile at smooth graphics settings with extreme frame rates, but the performance is not very stable. If you play high-end games, you might want to consider other phones like the Poco X6.

Software

One area where Samsung phones stand out is their software experience. The Galaxy M35 comes with Android 14 and Samsung’s One UI 6.1 out of the box. The software is clean, with very little bloatware (unnecessary apps), and there are no ads. Samsung also promises four years of operating system updates and five years of security updates, which is impressive for a budget phone.

Cameras

The Galaxy M35 has a basic camera setup with a 50-megapixel main camera with OIS (Optical Image Stabilization), an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens, a 5-megapixel macro camera, and a 13-megapixel selfie camera. While the cameras are not the best in terms of detail, they produce pleasing colors and are good enough for social media. The dynamic range (ability to capture both dark and bright areas) and white balance are decent.

Portraits and selfies come out well, with nice skin tones and good background blur. However, it would have been better if Samsung included a 2x portrait zoom option, which is now available on many other Android phones.

The ultra-wide-angle camera is not bad either, although the details and dynamic range are compromised. For video recording, the phone can shoot up to 4K at 30fps with both the main and selfie cameras. However, stabilization is done through software (EIS), which is not as effective as OIS.

Battery Life

The Galaxy M35’s standout feature is its battery life. With a large 6,000 mAh battery, it lasts longer than most other phones in this price range. Even with heavy use, like watching YouTube videos and playing games, the battery should still have 15-20% left by the end of the day. Even when the battery is low, around 10-15%, you can still use the phone for a few more hours without worrying about it dying quickly.

Charging is not very fast, though. The phone supports 25W charging, and it takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes to charge from 0 to 100% using a 65W charger.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Galaxy M35 is a solid budget phone under ₹20,000. While the Exynos 1380 chipset is not the fastest, the phone makes up for it with other features like a good display, long battery life, and Samsung’s reliable software and update support. If you want a safe and dependable budget phone, the Galaxy M35 is a great option.