Samsung Galaxy M35 5G Review: The Ideal Mid-Ranger?

The Samsung Galaxy M35 5G price in India is Rs.19,999 for the 6GB+128GB variant. Furthermore, the 8GB+128GB model costs Rs.21,499 while the 8GB+256GB variant is available for Rs.24,499.

You can buy the phone on Amazon, Samsung India apart from leading retail stores. It is available in Dark Blue, Light Blue and Gray.

The Samsung Galaxy M35 5G packs the following items inside the box:

• Phone
• Cable
• Manual
• SIM Ejector

Before we talk in detail about the device, let’s see what the on-paper specs look like:

• Display: 6.6-inch Super AMOLED with 120Hz
• Chipset: Samsung Exynos 1380
• RAM & ROM: 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM
• Software: OneUI 6.1 based on Android 14
• Rear camera: 50MP+8MP+5MP
• Selfie camera: 13MP
• Battery: 6,000mAh
• Weight: 222 grams
• Dimensions: 162.3 x 78.6 x 9.1 mm

The Samsung Galaxy M35 takes a minimalistic design approach, with a triple camera setup on the back placed in a vertical layout. At first glance, it is difficult to distinguish between the company’s flagship phones and mid-range phones, as they have similar designs.

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However, the similarities end when you touch the phone. You will instantly notice the plastic back, which remains clean except for the Samsung logo at the bottom.

I have the Dark Blue model of the Samsung Galaxy M35 5G for review, which has a unique textured pattern. If you prefer a muted look, opt for the Light Blue and Gray options.

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Due to the large 6,000mAh battery, the phone feels bulky to hold in the hand as it weighs 222 grams and is 9.1 mm thick. Due to its slab-like design, it is not ergonomic to hold in the hand, although you can quickly slap a case on it to improve the feel; however, equipping will only increase its weight.

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When it comes to ports and placements, you get the volume rockers and the power button, which doubles as the fingerprint sensor. On the left is the SIM card tray, while the top remains clean.

At the bottom, you will be greeted by the speaker grille, USB-C port, and primary microphone. The device does not have an IP rating, so it’s best to keep it protected from rain.

The Samsung Galaxy M35 is one of the few phones I have reviewed with a triple camera setup in this price range. You get a 50-megapixel primary camera with OIS, an 8-megapixel ultrawide angle lens, and a 5-megapixel macro sensor. On the front, there is a 13-megapixel selfie shooter.

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During the day, the phone takes excellent photos with plenty of detail and accuracy. You get bright and vibrant images that are social media-ready.

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The 8-megapixel ultrawide angle sensor can also take good pictures during the day, while the 5-megapixel macro lens performs well.

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When it comes to lowlight shots, the phone starts to falter behind the competition. There is a lot of noise and poor exposure, and the lowlight shots are average at best, with plenty of lens flare and visible noise.

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The 13-megapixel selfie camera is mediocre at best, as it doesn’t capture accurate skin tones. The primary and front-facing cameras can record videos at 4K at 30 FPS. If you want the best camera experience, then it’s best to consider other devices like the Realme Narzo 70 Pro or the iQOO Z9s.

The Samsung Galaxy M35 5G packs a massive 6,000mAh battery and is one of the few phones I have reviewed with such a large battery. The phone can easily last two days on casual usage and a single day on heavy usage.

During my review of the Samsung Galaxy M35, I mostly used it to scroll through Instagram reels, watch YouTube videos, take photos, and listen to songs on Spotify.

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Sadly, the phone takes an awfully long time when it comes to charging speed, as it only supports 25W charging. It takes around 1 hour and 45 minutes for the phone to charge fully, given the large 6,000mAh battery. Furthermore, Samsung does not bundle a charger in the box, and you need to buy one separately, which adds insult to injury for price-conscious consumers.

The Samsung Galaxy M35 boasts a large 6.6-inch Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. Apart from a center punch hole cutout, the screen is surrounded by thick bezels. Unlike other phones in this segment that offer slim bezels, the M35 has thick and symmetrical ones that will remind you that you are using a budget device.

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The Samsung Galaxy M35 is one of the few phones I have reviewed under Rs.20,000 to boast Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ for protection. Moreover, thanks to the 1000 nits of peak brightness, the phone is also bright enough to use outdoors and I did not face any issues.

Apart from the Widevine L1 certification, the AMOLED screen also offers bright and saturated colors, which makes it perfect for content consumption.

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I enjoyed watching Season 4 of Slow Horses as the dark scenes popped out.Despite the larger bezels, the phone offers an immersive experience.

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The 120Hz refresh rate makes scrolling through the user interface smooth and fluid. In the settings, you can switch between Standard and Adaptive Refresh rates. In addition, you can choose from Eye Comfort Shield mode and various screen modes.

For audio, you get stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support, and the output is loud enough to fill an entire room. Unfortunately, Samsung has removed the 3.5mm headphone jack this year and is sticking with the side-mounted fingerprint sensor instead of the under-display one.

The Samsung Galaxy M35 5G is powered by the Exynos 1380 chipset paired with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of UFS 2.2 storage. For those unaware, this is the same processor found in the more expensive Samsung Galaxy A35.

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This 5nm chipset is also found in tablets like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE series. I have the 8GB RAM+256GB variant of the Samsung Galaxy A35 5G for review.

The phone runs smoothly during day-to-day tasks, and there are no noticeable lags or stutters. Furthermore, the app opening and closing animations are smooth, and I faced no issues. You also get support for RAM expansion up to 8GB.

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When it comes to intensive tasks like gaming, you can enjoy BGMI at 60 FPS (Smooth and Extreme) and CODM at 60 FPS (Low and Max). Unfortunately, there is no 120 FPS support on either title so you are stuck at plain old 60 FPS.

Regarding benchmarks, the phone scored 921 in single-core and 2889 in the multi-core test in Geekbench 5. Furthermore, it has an AnTuTu V10 score of 588276, which is average at best, apart from a score of 30362 in the AnTuTu storage test. In the 15-minute CPU throttling test, the phone throttled to 80 per cent of its peak performance and managed a stability score of 99.5 per cent in the 3D Mark Wildlife Extreme Stress Test.

The Samsung Galaxy M35 ships with One UI 6.1 based on Android 14 out of the box. The company promises four years of OS updates and five years of security patches, which is unparalleled in this price range.

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Samsung’s commitment to long-term software support sets it apart from other companies focusing on launching multiple phones with similar specifications instead of offering timely updates.

Unfortunately, the device has plenty of bloatware apps, similar to most budget Samsung phones. You get a Discover tab with app recommendations, and ads are shown on the lock screen. There is NFC support for seamless contactless payments, which is excellent.

During my review of the Samsung Galaxy M35, I enjoyed the usual suite of Samsung features, such as Smart Suggestions, Multi Window, One-Handed Mode, and more. However, the company needs to work on removing bloatware apps and providing a cleaner software experience on its budget phones.