Samsung’s Galaxy phones share a design language, many core features, and various One UI software enhancements. The Galaxy A series aims to offer useful features at an affordable price, while the Galaxy S series showcases Samsung’s latest and greatest tech. Each lineup has several excellent options, but here, we compare Samsung’s top-end A series model, the $399.99 Galaxy A35, with its entry-level flagship, the $799.99 Galaxy S24, to show you what you get for your money. The Galaxy S24 is undoubtedly the higher-end device, but is it worth the extra $400? We’re here to help you decide.Price and StorageThe Galaxy A35 is available in just one configuration: 128GB of storage for $399.99. You can add a microSD card of up to 1TB if you run out of space. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S24 costs $799.99 for 128GB of storage or $859.99 for 256GB. It lacks a microSD card slot, however, so the storage amount you choose at purchase is what you have forever. The Galaxy A35 has an advantage here since it saves you at least $400 and supports expandable storage. Just make sure to watch for deals on both devices since Samsung frequently discounts them.Winner: Galaxy A35Design and SizeThe two phones look almost identical at first glance: Each has a big screen on the front and a trio of cameras on the rear. A closer inspection reveals a few small differences. For instance, the A35 has a distinct, raised area with the power button and volume rocker on the right side of the frame, which Samsung calls the Key Island. For its part, the Galaxy S24 has much smaller bezels around its screen and flush buttons.
Galaxy A35 (Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)
At 6.37 by 3.07 by 0.32 inches (HWD) and 7.37 ounces, the A35 is notably bigger and heavier than the S24 (5.79 by 2.78 by 0.30 inches, 5.93 ounces). Thanks to its more compact size, the latter makes the list of our favorite small phones. Both phones feel sturdy. Whereas the A35 features a plastic frame between its front and back Gorilla Glass Victus+ panels, the Galaxy S24 opts for a more refined combination of aluminum and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 which flow into each other with tight tolerances. In terms of durability, the A35 has a respectable IP67 rating against dust and water ingress, while the IP68-rated S24 is a step ahead. These differences don’t give the S24 a massive real-world advantage, however.
Galaxy S24 (Credit: Eric Zeman)
The Galaxy A35 is available in just two color options (Awesome Lilac or Awesome Navy) compared with seven for the Galaxy S24 (Amber Yellow, Cobalt Violet, Jade Green, Marble Gray, Onyx Black, Sandstone Orange, or Sapphire Blue), depending on where you buy.In terms of design, the S24 has a more premium build, is smaller, lighter, slightly more durable, and is available in more color choices.Winner: Galaxy S24DisplayThe Galaxy A35’s 6.6-inch Super AMOLED display is larger than the S24’s 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED panel. (A Dynamic AMOLED screen is just a Super AMOLED screen that has received HDR+ certification.) Both phones feature a resolution of 2,340 by 1,080 pixels, so the S24 has a slightly higher density (416 pixels per inch versus 390). Both also have a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate.
Left to right: Galaxy A35, Galaxy S24 (Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)
The Galaxy A35’s peak brightness of 1,000 nits falls well short of the S24’s 2,600-nit mark, so it will look less visible in harsher lighting conditions.When it comes to the display quality, the Galaxy S24 has better specs across the board. But if you want a larger screen, the A35 comes out ahead.Winner: TiePerformance and ConnectivityThe Galaxy A35 uses Samsung’s Exynos 1380 system on a chip (SoC) and 6GB of RAM, while the S24 features the cutting-edge Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy platform and 8GB of RAM. It’s not a close competition on benchmarks: The Galaxy S24 easily outperforms the A35 in every test we conduct. Both can handle day-to-day tasks without issues, though the resource-intensive Genshin Impact runs better at higher settings on the S24.
Genshin Impact on the Galaxy S24 (Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)
You get support for sub-6GHz 5G (including C-band) on the Galaxy A35, but not mmWave like you do on the S24. Succinctly, sub-6GHz 5G has far reach, though its speeds can be as slow as LTE. C-band is within sub-6GHz frequencies, has a good reach, and is faster than LTE. mmWave is the fastest form of 5G, though it has the shortest range. Both phones support eSIM cards.Whereas the A35 features Wi-Fi 6 radios, the S24 works with the more recent Wi-Fi 6E standard. In testing, however, the phones performed similarly over a connection to a Wi-Fi 6 router. Both support Bluetooth 5.3 and NFC.If you’re looking for the best performance and maximum 5G compatibility, choose the Galaxy S24.Winner: Galaxy S24Battery LifeWe test battery life by streaming a 1080p video over Wi-Fi with the phone set to full brightness. The Galaxy A35’s 5,000mAh battery ran for 10 hours and 35 minutes in this scenario, while the S24’s 4,000mAh cell lasted a more impressive 13 hours and 5 minutes.Both phones support a maximum wired charging speed of 25W and don’t include a charger in the box. You can’t wirelessly charge the A35, while the S24 supports both 15W wireless charging and 7.5W reverse wireless charging.The choice here is clear: The Galaxy S24 lasts longer per charge and offers the convenience of wireless charging.Winner: Galaxy S24CamerasCamera performance is one of the few phone features that scales closely with price. Samsung’s phones generally produce quality photos, though often with slightly oversaturated colors.On the Galaxy A35, you get a 50MP f/1.8 main camera with optical image stabilization (OIS), a wide-angle 8MP f/2.2 optic, and a 5MP f/2.4 macro shooter. The selfie camera on the front captures 13MP images at f/2.2. Meanwhile, the S24 features a main 50MP f/1.8 sensor with OIS, an ultra-wide 12MP f/2.2 lens, and a 10MP f/2.4 telephoto imager with 3x optical zoom. A 12MP f/2.2 camera sits on the front. As for recording video, the Galaxy A35 tops out at 4K30, whereas the S24 goes up to 8K30.
Galaxy A35 (Credit: Iyaz AKhtar)
The Galaxy A35 takes good still pictures and video overall, but the S24 just does a better job in every way. I also find its telephoto camera much more useful than the macro lens on the A35. Winner: Galaxy S24Software Support and Galaxy AIBoth phones ship with Android 14 and Samsung’s One UI 6.1 interface. Each gets enhancements like the Edge panel (a hideable taskbar) and pop-up window multitasking, but only the S24 supports the desktop-like DeX productivity mode. Samsung promises four years of OS updates and five years of security fixes for the A35, but extends both promises to seven years for the S24.Galaxy AI is Samsung’s suite of AI tools that offer website summaries, live translations, and the flashy Circle to Search feature (which allows you to search based on what’s on your screen). I genuinely find the tools useful and not just a software gimmick.
Galaxy AI’s Summarize feature (Credit: Samsung/PCMag)
Galaxy AI arrived with the Samsung Galaxy S24 series and is making its way to older devices like the Galaxy S23 and S22 lineups. However, Samsung hasn’t announced any plans to bring Galaxy AI to the A35. AI-aided photography edits on the A35 or any phone are at least possible via the Google Photos app. If you want the longest possible software support and Galaxy AI is a must-have feature, the S24 is the way to go.Winner: Galaxy S24Which Galaxy Phone Is Best for You?
Left to right: Galaxy A35, Galaxy S24 (Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)
The Galaxy A35 is a competent midrange phone and one of the best for the price. But, head to head, the Galaxy S24 comes out on top in nearly every way. Deciding between the two ultimately comes down to how you intend to use your phone. If you simply want an affordable Galaxy phone with a respectable software support window, the A35 is well worth it and saves you $400. But if you need the absolute latest camera and AI tech from Samsung, you should save up for the S24. And if neither fits your needs, check out our favorite Android phones overall.
