GadgetByte Nepal

Samsung recently released its midrange A series smartphones: the Galaxy A35 and the A55. We have already reviewed the Galaxy A55 5G, so here I’ll be walking you through my experience with the Samsung Galaxy A35 5G and why I think that it’s the best camera phone you can get in Nepal for under 50,000 rupees.

But before that, here’s a quick rundown of the specs:

Samsung Galaxy A35 5G Review: Specifications

• Display: 6.6-inch Super AMOLED, FHD+, 120Hz refresh rate, Gorilla Glass Victus+
• Chipset: Exynos 1380 5G (5nm mobile platform)
• Memory: 8GB RAM, 128/256GB storage (expandable)
• Software & UI: One UI 6.1 on top of Android 14 (upgradeable)
• Rear Camera: Triple (50MP main, 8MP ultrawide, 5MP macro)
• Front Camera: 13MP sensor (teardrop notch)
• Security: Fingerprint sensor (optical in-display)
• Battery: 5000mAh with 25W charging
• Price in Nepal: NPR 46,999 (8/128GB) | NPR 51,999 (8/256GB)
• Read the full specifications of the Samsung Galaxy A35 5G
• Buy Galaxy A35 5G here

Samsung Galaxy A35 5G Review:

Design

• 161.7 x 78 x 8.2 mm, 209 gm
• Glass front and back, Plastic frame
• IP67 dust/splash resistant

Starting off with the looks, you are getting a good-looking smartphone for the price. It does look similar to last year’s A34, but this time the back here is made of glass. The frames are still plastic but, Samsung has finally gotten rid of the teardrop notch and now we have a tiny, minimalist punch hole that looks way better. But I wish I could say the same thing about the bezels though, they are still thick and look outdated!

The Galaxy A35 is also slightly wider than the A34 and it’s also heavier, which probably is because of the inclusion of the glass back. This time, the back has a shiny finish, which does catch fingerprints and smudges, but it’s not that visible, so I was comfortably using this phone without a cover.

Samsung has not exactly been open about what kind of glass protection they have included at the back, but you get a more robust Gorilla Glass Victus Plus for the display. And as expected on an A-series phone, you also get IP67 dust and water resistance!

Key Island

Oh yes, there is a small change in the design, the camera buttons and the volume rockers rest in slightly protruded space. Samsung has also given it a fancy name, it’s called “Key Island. Now, I know, it might not seem like it’s anything useful, but I’ve found it to make the grip better and it’s easier to locate the power and volume buttons, so I do appreciate this tiny addition.

Display

• 6.6-inches FHD+ AMOLED
• Corning Gorilla Victus+ protection

The display side of things is impressive too. It’s a big 6.6-inch Super AMOLED display with nice colors and contrast. This screen can go decently bright as well and finally, Samsung has included adaptive refresh rate support in the A35.

Last year’s A34’s display could only be set to either 120Hz or 60Hz, there was no adaptive refresh rate option, but that’s not the case anymore and A35’s display can go from 60-120Hz depending on the content displayed on the screen.

Apart from that, I also love the color reproduction, there’s just something to a Samsung display that looks so pleasing to the eyes. The touch response and everything is also great, so I don’t have many complaints here.

Speakers and Haptics

However, I wish the Galaxy A35 had better haptics. Not that the vibration is extremely bad. It is impactful, but slightly buzzzy, and not as precise as you get on the more expensive A55.

The speakers are good though, you get stereo speakers which are really loud! They are not the most balanced, but they’re good enough for casually listening to music or watching content.

Performance

• Octa-core Exynos 1380 (5nm)
• 8GB LPDDR4x RAM, 128/256GB UFS 2.2 storage
• Android 14 with OneUI 6.1 on top
• 4 generations OS, 5 years of security updates

On the performance side, you are getting the Exynos 1380 here, which is the same chip that we saw on last year’s A54 and F54.

And if you have read my review of both of these phones, you will know that initially, I had complained a lot about how unoptimized it was. But over time, Samsung did bring forth a lot of updates that optimized the chip and its day-to-day performance grew to be really stable.

Even when you look at the benchmarks, there’s nothing extraordinary, especially when you compare it with other chipsets that you can get for a similar price like the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 or the Dimensity 8300 Ultra.

But I guess one of its redeeming qualities is the fact that this chipset does not heat up in any kind of workload, so that’s good I guess!

Like I said earlier, because the 1380 is a tried and tested chipset, it will give you a stable experience in everyday usage. It can handle things like multitasking and browsing very well without much stutters or anything like that.

A magical trick

Nonetheless, the phone will feel a little slower in general – Be it while navigating through the UI or opening an app. I guess, it’s always going to be the same with Samsung’s mid-range phones, great software experience at the expense of a slightly slower performance.

A small trick I used is to reduce the animation speed to half, to kind of get the illusion of a faster performance. I did that with the fingerprint animation specifically and now it feels slightly faster.

Gaming

The Exynos 1380 is still not a gaming chipset by any means, the most it can do is give you a maximum of 30 fps in games like PUBG with the graphics set to smooth + high. It’s the same with Genshin Impact which runs on 30 fps in low+30 fps settings.

Slightly less demanding games like Call of Duty do reach around 60 fps, but that’s the maximum gaming performance you can expect from the A35.

Software and UI

• OneUI 6.1 based on Android 14

Anyway, like always, Samsung is at the top of its game when it comes to the software experience. You get the latest Android 14 here on top of OneUI 6.1 and we all know how stable of an experience Samsung offers not just in their flagship phones, but in their mid-range and even budget phones.

You are getting a total of 4 years of OS and 5 years of security updates on this phone and Samsung is one of few companies that sends monthly or quarterly security updates just right in no time. So, that’s always great to see on a Samsung phone!

Cameras

• Triple camera setup at the back
• (50MP main, 8MP ultrawide, 5MP macro)
• 13MP selfie camera (Infinity-O)

And not just the software, mid-range Samsung phones have always had a good reputation for having great cameras. I had the chance to test A35’s cameras extensively and I am thoroughly impressed. You get a 50MP primary camera with OIS along with an 8MP ultra-wide lens and a 5MP macro lens. I did mention this in the beginning, and I will say it again, the A35 has one of the best cameras in its price segment. Period.

Daylight photos

It does not have large 108 or 200MP sensors, but the camera optimization here is excellent. It gives you that classic Samsung color reproduction, pleasing greens, nice blues, and punchy contrast from the primary camera.

I didn’t find the colors to be overbearingly vibrant too, the colors are actually really toned down and if you’re someone who prefers a sort of natural output, I am sure you will like the images from the A35.

Samsung also has done a great job with HDR management. No matter how harsh the sunlight or how difficult the lighting situation is, the A35 was able to handle the highlights and shadows so well.

Lowlight

During night time too, the A35 produces bright images with nice sharpness, all thanks to the onboard OIS. I did find the night mode slightly overdoing the processing sometimes, so I preferred not turning it on mostly. And because the normal mode brings out good images, I did not feel the need to either.

Portraits and selfies

I was able to get good-looking portraits from the A35 as well. The skin tone is slightly brightened, but it does not smoothen it at all and the details look natural. Sometimes it tends to make the skin tone a bit yellow, but not in an unpleasant way, so I won’t complain much. But I do think it’s high time that Samsung starts including 2x options for portraits, considering all its competitors do so!

Selfies also look good enough from the Galaxy A35 5G. It’s only a 13MP sensor and not 32MP like the A55, but it is able to manage details on the face very well. I wish the skin tone was not as warm as it produces though.

4k videos

I am happy that there is a 4k video recording from the front camera as well. Quality-wise- wise the 4k selfie videos are not the most stable, but the subject focus and everything are nice enough. From the rear camera too, you can shoot up to 4k 30 fps videos. The core quality of the videos is great, and color reproduction and highlight management are also good. You will notice a little bit of movement wobble, but nothing that ruins the experience.

Ultrawide and macro

The only thing that’s average here is the 8MP ultra-wide lens and the 5MP macro camera. First, there’s a considerable color shift from the main to the ultra-wide lens, and the details, dynamic range and everything is inferior to this 8MP sensor. Especially during night time the ultra-wide images are really really average. The color reproduction is not bad though and in extremely good lighting, you will be able to get some acceptable images though!

Battery

• 5000mAh with 25W fast charging

Lastly, I have no complaints about the battery life on this device either. You get a 5000 mAh unit that can easily last you an entire day with a solid 7 hours of Screen on Time on my heavy usage pattern.

Charging could be a little pain as you only get 25-watt support that takes around 1 hour and 30 minutes to fully juice this device up. And by the way, the charger is not even included inside the box.

Samsung Galaxy A35 5G Review: Conclusion

To sum it all up, Samsung’s doubled down on its strengths in the camera, software, and design departments making the Galaxy A35 5G a pretty solid deal. Capable hardware paired with Samsung’s optimization makes it my favorite camera phone in the <50,000 segment. If you are someone who doesn’t game a lot on your phone; and cameras, reliability, and good-looking design are what you’re looking for, I wholeheartedly recommend the Galaxy A35 5G.

• Check out our video review of the Samsung Galaxy A35 5G as well: 

Samsung Galaxy A35 5G Review: Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Beautiful AMOLED display
• Premium-looking design
• Decent casual performance
• Best-in-class software update policy
• Good main and selfie cameras

Cons:

• Subpar haptics
• Can’t game very well
• Charging takes a while with the bundled 25W adapter

So, this is the time of the year when Samsung releases its premium A-series phone and today I have the Galaxy A55 with me that has just been launched globally! There is also a slightly cheaper Galaxy A35.

The Galaxy A55 here is a slightly more premium variant of the Galaxy A35 and you can see that from the price itself. The latter one starts at Rs. 46,999. So, the A55’s pricing is actually quite higher this year starting at Rs. 62,999 rupees for the base 8/256GB variant, and if you look at the overall specs, it does seem a bit overpriced.

However, I think, for most people looking for a premium mid-range phone from a brand like Samsung, this is actually a very good and well-balanced phone! I’ll let you know why in my Samsung Galaxy A55 review.

Before digging in, let’s have a quick look at the specifications.

Samsung Galaxy A55 5G Specifications:

• Display: 6.6-inch Super AMOLED Infinity-O Display, 120Hz refresh rate, Gorilla Glass Victus+
• Resolution: Full HD+ (1080×2400 pixels)
• Processor: Exynos 1480 (4nm)
• Software & UI: One UI 6.1 based on Android 14
• Rear Camera: Triple
  – 50MP main, OIS
  – 12MP ultrawide
  – 5MP macro
• Front Camera: 32MP (hole-punch cutout)
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, 5G, GPS, VoLTE
• Battery: 5000mAh with 25W charging
• Color Options: Awesome Iceblue, Awesome Lemon, Awesome Lilac, Awesome Navy
• Price in Nepal: Rs. 62,999 (8/256GB), Rs. 67,999 (12/256GB)
• Check out the full specs of the Samsung Galaxy A55 here.

Buy Samsung Galaxy A55 here (9801100037)

Samsung Galaxy A55 Review

A Solid Build

•  158.2 x 76.7 x 8.2 mm, 202 grams
• Glass front/back, Plastic frames
• IP67 dust/splash resistant

First of all, Samsung has improved the build of this phone by quite a margin! It is now more robust since we get a Gorilla Glass Victus+ protection for the display, a Gorilla Glass back, and brushed aluminum frames. Hence, it has a solid heft to it and feels premium to hold. You also get a sculpted shape here, just like the A35 on the right side of the frame, which helps for a comfortable grip.

Compared to the S24 series which has a nice matte finish, the back here is glossy, but the good thing is it doesnt catch smudges and fingerprints that easily, so that’s better. The overall design of this phone also feels quite premium to look at with a similar camera layout. As for color options, there are four options to choose from. I have this in the Ice Blue color variant, but you can also go with other options like black, pink or lemon.

So, yeah, a solid A+ in terms of design and build. And by the way, you also get IP67 dust and water protection here, just like we got on previous A-series phones!

But not perfect…

The areas where I have to nitpick here are those sharp edges which can be a bit frustrating on longer usage. And second, are these thick bezels in the display, Maybe Samsung could have trimmed it a bit better!

Top-notch display

• 6.6-inches FHD+ OLED panel
• 120/240Hz refresh/touch sampling rate
• Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ protection

But let me tell you that the actual display quality of the Galaxy A55 is top-top notch. It is easily the best display in its class. It is now slightly bigger at 6.6 inches and it looks brighter too. So I had no difficulty viewing contents outdoors in direct sunlight. The minimum possible brightness is also excellent here!

As expected from a Samsung phone, you get excellent colors with punchy output in the default vivid mode. There’s no unnecessary oversharpening on the videos like we see on most Chinese phones, the color retention is best in the business, and the touch is quite responsive as well.

Speakers and Fingerprint Reader

Samsung has also improved the audio here. Its stereo speaker is now louder. So, watching movies and TV shows here is quite flagship-like on this phone. The in-display fingerprint scanner is still Optical and not ultrasonic like we get on S-series phones, but it’s fast and gets the job done.

Performance

• Octa-core Exynos 1480 (4nm)
• 8/12GB LPDDR5 RAM, 256GB UFS 3.1 storage
• Android 14 with OneUI 6.1 top
• 4 generations of OS, 5 years of security updates

Now for the performance, you get the new Samsung-made Exynos 1480 chipset, which is slightly more powerful than the Exynos 1380 chipset we got on last year’s Galaxy A54.

So, the day-to-day task runs fine here. The 120Hz refresh rate is also quite optimized. It hovers between 60 and 120Hz and works without hustle for most apps. There are no jitters or lags while navigating through the UI, scrolling through the news feed, or watching Instagram reels.

But, comparing it with the competition like the iQOO Neo 9 Pro, the Galaxy A55 just feels a little slow. In fact, it scored half in almost all the benchmarks I ran.

Definitely not meant for gaming!

And just like we saw with the Exynos 1380, the 1480 is also not optimized for gaming. I am averaging just 30fps in PuBG mobile and Genshin impact – scores comparable to budget phones of 2024! This new chipset actually has the AMD Xclipse 530 GPU, so I expected it to perform better!

Even in optimized games like Call of Duty, the max fps it can go is just 38. So, maybe, it can get better with future updates, but it looks unlikely given the Exynos history. Hence, if you play a lot of triple-A games, this phone is simply not for you.

The OneUI smoothness

• OneUI 6.1 based on Android 14
• 4 years of OS and 5 years of security updates

Ok now, talking about the software, this is the one area in which the Galaxy A55 truly shines. The One UI is just so good to use and look at. And it has matured a lot over the years. There’s very little to no bloatware, and I can disable even the remaining ones if I want to.

You will also not see any kind of ads or annoying bugs here, the X-axis vibration has soft and precise feedback, so experience-wise, it’s very good, especially if you are a light user.

Samsung is also promising 4 years of OS and 5 years of security patches. And that’s not just a promise, they are one of the few smartphone brands that delivers on-time security patches and Android versions.

So, when Android 15 rolls out, say at the end of this year, you are going to receive that new and refined software experience quite early on this phone vs the competition.

However, one thing that’s still a question mark is, how this Exynos chipset will hold up in 2 or 3 years time. So, in this regard, maybe Samsung should have gone with maybe a faster chipset like the SD 7 Gen 3 or even the Dimensity 8300 which you will see on much cheaper phones.

Some good things about the Exynos

The one good thing I want to highlight about this Exynos chipset is, it doesn’t heat up at all. Samsung has included a Vapor Chamber cooling system here, and that could also be the reason, but no matter what you do, the temperature on the Galaxy A55 does not exceed 40 degrees!

How’s the Battery Life?

• 5000mAh battery with 25W fast charging

The Exynos 1480 chipset is also based on a more energy-efficient 4nm process node, and coupled with a 5000mAh battery, I am getting an excellent battery back on this phone. It easily lasts me a full day of usage with around 7-8 hours of Screen of time, that too on a heavy usage!

Charging is a bit slow! It only supports 25W wired charging, which takes the phone from 0 to 100% in about 1.5 hours.

Cameras

• Triple camera setup at the back
• (50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 5MP macro)
• 32MP selfie camera

OK lastly, let’s talk about the Cameras! And this is the big plus point for this phone! Hence if you are looking for a reliable camera phone under 70,000 rupees, this might be the phone for you.

The reason why the Galaxy A55 does so much better than the competition is not because of how big its camera sensors are, but it’s because of the classic Samsung optimization that looks pleasing to the eye with the right amount of contrast.

Daylight

As you can see from these samples, the photos have a nice color output with excellent dynamic range in shadows. It also maintains the white balance very well, and highlight control during daylights is also doing superbly.

And even when I am taking closeup shots like this, it has a nice bokeh, sharpness, and background blur, and the overall photos don’t look dull.

Ultrawide

The 12MP ultra-wide camera can also take some good shots, but I found it to be less reliable. It doesn’t have the best of details, and exposure control could be a hit or a miss, but I don’t want to complain that much since it’s better than most phones.

Lowlight

During low light, the main lens of the Galaxy A55 also does a good job of retaining the details and it doesn’t mess up the colors too. It’s nice and pleasing. OIS also works pretty well.

Ultrawide camera struggles here

But I found the ultra-wide camera struggling to bring in more lights and hence they look dark with compromised dynamic range. You can turn ON the night mode, but I found that in most instances, the dark mode makes the images look artificial.

In fact, I found its cheaper sibling, the A35 doing a better job in night mode vs the A55. So, I do hope Samsung can fix this with an update.

But, one thing I wished this phone had, especially considering the price hike, is a 3X telephoto lens. The Realme 12 Pro+5G carries a 3X periscope lens, with which you can take some beautiful 76mm portraits! That was something I missed while using this phone.

Portraits

Here you can only take 1X 25mm wide portrait, which just feels too old school. Maybe Samsung should have offered 2X portraits by cropping the photos, just like how Pixel phones do. But that’s missing too!

That being said, the 1X portraits have good skin tone and you do look good. Similarly, I like its selfies too. It has a good amount of details, HDR, and looks natural.

Videos

The Galaxy A55 can also record up to 4K 30fps from all the lenses. And while Samsung has disabled OIS, you can get satisfying output; both during daytime and lowlight. It does have slight jitters if you move or vlog around, but it has steady hands, so you can take some detailed shots.

Samsung Galaxy A55 Review: Conclusion

Okay, this brings me to the conclusion. And yeah, for the starting price of Rs. 62,999, the pricing of the Galaxy A55 is of course a bit on the higher side. But, Samsung Nepal is at least bundling a 25W genuine charger, which is not the case with India. If you look past that, I believe it’s a solid premium mid-range phone, especially if you don’t play competitive games that often.

But if performance is what you are aiming for, I think you should definitely wait for the Poco X6 Pro instead which might launch at a much cheaper price tag. It’s a much faster phone and you are going to enjoy most titles at 60 or 90fps without any frame drops.

However, If you are someone who prefers Samsung’s brand value, good-looking design with a proper IP rating, on top of reliable everyday experience — be it clicking photos with your friends or just scrolling through the Instagram reels for hours or providing all-day backup, the Galaxy A55 hits a sweet spot in delivering a good overall package.

But, let me remind you again – This Phone is not for Gaming!

Samsung Galaxy A55 Review: Pros & Cons

Pros

• Premium Build
• Gorgeous 120Hz AMOLED panel
• Reliable main camera
• Fluid software

Cons

• Exynos 1480 is not for gaming
• Ultarwide camera needs to be optimized
• No telephoto lens at this price point