Samsung Galaxy A35 vs. Galaxy A33: Time to upgrade?

• 

  Samsung Galaxy A35

  A reliable companion

  The Galaxy A35 leads Samsung’s Galaxy A lineup in the US. It features a 6.6-inch display, Exynos 1380 SoC, and a 5,000mAh battery. It also comes with Android 14 out of the box.

  Pros

  • Beautiful display with a 120Hz refresh rate
  • Wi-Fi 6 support
  • Decent cameras

  Cons

  • Not a huge upgrade over the Galaxy A33

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  Samsung Galaxy A33

  Still a capable performer

  The Galaxy A33 is a 2022 Samsung midrange phone with a 6.4-inch display, Exynos 1280 SoC, and a 5,000mAh battery. It was never officially released in the US.

  Pros

  • Excellent battery life
  • Vibrant display
  • Set to get two more major Android updates

  Cons

  • Not available in the US
  • Dated design

Samsung’s Galaxy A-series is popular for its excellent midrange smartphones and budget smartphones. The Galaxy A35, a 2024 addition to the lineup, boasts impressive features like a 120Hz Super AMOLED display and Wi-Fi 6 support. It also flaunts a more refined design with a glass back. But how does it fare against its predecessor, the Galaxy A33, a 2022 release widely liked for its good performance overall? Let’s delve into the key differences to help you decide whether the upgrade is worth it.

Price, availability, and specs

The Samsung Galaxy A35 carries a price tag of $400 in the US for the sole 128GB model. The phone is also widely available in unlocked, AT&T, T-Mobile, and US Cellular variants online and in physical stores, making it easily accessible for potential buyers.

On the other hand, the Galaxy A33 was never introduced in the US. It was, however, launched in other parts of the world. For example, it had a launch price of GBP 329 in the UK. However, as the Galaxy A34 and Galaxy A35 have reached the market, the Galaxy A33 has become more challenging to find.

Here’s a quick look at the raw specifications of the two Samsung phones before we dive deeper into the details.

• 	Samsung Galaxy A35	Samsung Galaxy A33
  SoC	Samsung Exynos 1380	Samsung Exynos 1280
  Display type	Super AMOLED, 120Hz	Super AMOLED, 90Hz
  Display dimensions	6.6-inch	6.4-inch
  Display resolution	1080 x 2340 pixels	1080 x 2400 pixels
  RAM	6GB	4GB, 6GB, 8GB
  Storage	128GB	128GB, 256GB
  Battery	5,000mAh	5,000mAh
  Charge speed	25W wired	25W wired
  Ports	USB Type-C	USB-C
  Operating System	Android 14, One UI 6.1	Android 12 (upgradeable to Android 14)
  Front camera	13MP f/2.2	13MP f/2.2
  Rear camera	50MP f/1.8 (primary), 8MP f/2.2 (ultrawide), 5MP f/2.4 (macro)	48MP f/1.8 (primary), 8MP f/2.2 (ultrawide), 5MP f/2.4 (macro), 2MP depth
  Dimensions	161.7 x 78.0 x 8.2mm	159.7 x 74 x 8.1 mm
  Weight	209g	186g
  IP Rating	IP67	IP67
  Colors	Awesome Navy, Awesome Lilac	Black, White, Blue, Peach

Design and display

Although there are some basic similarities between the Galaxy A35 and the A33, you won’t mistake one for the other. The Galaxy A33’s design shows its age, which isn’t surprising given the phone was released over two years ago. It has a teardrop notch for the selfie camera, thick bottom bezels, curved sides, and a raised camera setup. You also get a plastic exterior and frame.

So when it comes to design, the Galaxy A35 is a clear winner with its more modern design. The A35 features a plastic frame but replaces the plastic exterior with glass, adding a touch of elegance. The sides are mostly flat, and the phone adopts a hole-punch design for the selfie shooter. Drawing inspiration from the newer Galaxy S-series phones, the rear cameras sit independently, protruding slightly from the back. Samsung has also reduced the bottom bezels, but the phone still maintains relatively thick bezels all around.

This display is another key difference between the two Galaxy A-series phones. The Galaxy A35 has a larger 6.6-inch Super AMOLED panel that supports up to 120Hz refresh rate, whereas the A33 has a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED panel with up to 90Hz refresh rate. The A35 also offers higher peak brightness at 1,000 nits.

However, the larger screen increases the A35’s overall size, which, combined with the inclusion of a glass back, also adds to the phone’s weight.

Software

The software experience is largely similar on all Galaxy A-series smartphones, and the same is true for the Galaxy A35 and the A33. Both phones currently run Android 14 with One UI. While the A35 was introduced with Android 14 out of the box, the A33 has reached the same Android version via software updates, as it was initially released with Android 12.

Samsung has also promised four major Android updates and five years of security updates for the Galaxy A35 and the A33. However, as the A33 has already received two major Android versions; it will only get two more. On the other hand, the Galaxy A35 will continue to get Android updates until Android 18.

Performance and battery life

Samsung included the newer Exynos 1380 SoC in the Galaxy A35. It is based on the same 5nm manufacturing process as the Exynos 1280 in the A33 but has four high-power Cortex-A78 and four low-power Cortex-A55 cores. The Exynos 1280, on the other hand, packs two Cortex-A78 cores and six Cortex-A55 cores. Two additional high-power cores in place of two low-power cores also means the Exynos 1380 will perform better than the 1280. While there won’t be a massive jump in performance, you can still expect improvements.

Still, neither of the two SoCs is high-end. So, the Galaxy A35’s overall performance is still in the midrange category, and you can expect some sluggishness. Overheating is also an issue that we encountered while reviewing the A35.

Additionally, the A35’s newer SoC supports newer connectivity features, such as Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3, compared to Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.1 in the Galaxy A33. So, if you have a Wi-Fi 6 or newer router in your home, you can expect faster connectivity with the A35.

The Galaxy A35 and the Galaxy A33 feature a 5,000mAh battery, which is a strong point for the two phones. It’s coupled with 25W Samsung Super Fast Charging support. So, a similar performance can be expected here. However, the Galaxy A35’s larger display and faster refresh rate will impact the battery backup. That said, you can still expect the Galaxy A35 to last more than one full day of use.

Camera

While the camera system in the Galaxy A35 doesn’t see significant changes from the Galaxy A33, it does introduce a new 50MP primary shooter. As we noted in our review, this camera captures reasonably good pictures that are more than adequate for everyday photography. However, lighting conditions play a significant role in the results, and if you’re shooting in poor lighting, the Galaxy A35’s cameras might not meet your expectations.

The Galaxy A33 houses a 48MP primary shooter, which is also decent. However, unlike the A35, which keeps the processing to a reasonable level, the photos taken by the Galaxy A33 are a bit more oversaturated and overprocessed. Still, there is plenty of detail.

The A33’s depth sensor, which was removed from the Galaxy A34, hasn’t returned in the Galaxy A35. However, other cameras, such as the 8MP ultrawide and 5MP macro shooter, are the same. Both take good photos for the midrange segment. The 13MP front shooter has also trickled down to the Galaxy A35 from the A33. Selfies taken with it have a decent amount of detail and look natural.

Rest assured, while the Galaxy A35 does not offer a massive jump in camera performance, the improvements in the primary shooter are certainly welcome. With the A35’s enhanced camera system, you can expect to capture more detailed and natural-looking photos.

Should you upgrade to the Galaxy A35?

The Galaxy A35 is an all-around good midrange phone with several exciting features and improvements over the Galaxy A33. It offers a bigger and faster refresh rate display, a more modern and refined design, faster Wi-Fi 6 connectivity, a slightly more powerful processor, and an improved primary camera. So, if you are in the market for a new phone, and don’t already own the Galaxy A33, the A35 is an easy recommendation.

However, the Galaxy A35 isn’t a massive upgrade over the Galaxy A33, and if your Galaxy A33 is in good shape, you can stick with it for another year or probably more. After all, Samsung will update it until Android 16. It was an excellent midrange phone at launch and remains so.