Galaxy S24 FE vs Galaxy A35 5G: Which is the better value for your money?
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Intro
The Galaxy S24 FE is a device that aims to offer flagship-level performance and features at a more affordable price. The FE sits right between the Samsung's flagship Galaxy S24 series and its mid-range Galaxy A series. But how does it compare to the Galaxy A35 5G, which is one of the best-selling mid-range phones from Samsung?
In this comparison, we will take a close look at the Galaxy S24 FE and the Galaxy A35 5G to see how they stack up against each other. We will compare their design and display, performance and software, camera, battery life and charging, and specs.
We were quite surprised by some of the differences between these two Samsung mid-rangers. The Galaxy S24 FE is definitely more expensive at a $250 higher starting price, but showcases a staggering jump in performance thanks to the new Exynos 2400e chip inside. The A35 5G, on the other hand, somehow still manages to prove its worth as a more affordable option.
The Galaxy S24 FE is priced at $649 in the US, while the Galaxy A35 5G is priced at $399. Both phones are available for purchase from Samsung's website and major carriers.
Galaxy S24 FE vs Galaxy A35 5G differences:
| Galaxy S24 FE | Galaxy A35 5G |
|---|---|
| Slightly larger and heavier | Comes in somewhat smaller so it might be easier carry |
| Much larger display (6.7") with considerably thinner bezels | Display is smaller (6.4") and has thicker bezels |
| Display gets brighter and is more visible in highly-lit environments | Display is still plenty visible in normal scenarios but can be difficult to see sometimes |
| Processor is almost twice as powerful and is better at gaming | Processor is powerful enough for regular gaming titles but cannot handle more demanding ones as well |
| Larger battery, potentially resulting in longer battery life | Smaller battery, although not by much |
| Same camera system, but might have improvements to the post-processing | Camera hardware is pretty impressive for this price point |
Table of Contents:
Read more:
- Galaxy S24 Hands-On Preview
- Galaxy S24 FE vs Galaxy S24: You might not have to get the flagship after all
- Galaxy S24 FE vs iPhone 16: Samsung's FE takes aim at Apple's base iPhone
Design and Display Quality
Same look, but better tech and durability
The S24 FE and A35 5G are actually quite similar in terms of their shape and form, but there are small nuances. (Image by PhoneArena)
The S24 FE is larger than its predecessor, measuring 6.38 x 3.04 x 0.31 inches, which makes it slightly taller and wider than the Galaxy A35 5G. The FE is also a bit heavier at 213g vs 209g of the A35, but we barely noticed this when comparing them. We did notice, however, that the S24 FE is slightly slimmer, which made it easier to hold.
The cameras on the S24 FE protrude much more than on those on the A35 5G. (Image by PhoneArena)
Just like the A35 5G, the S24 FE has also adopted the more blocky look with flat sides and slightly curved corners, so the two actually look a lot alike and it might be difficult to tell which one you are looking at if you don't know what details to watch out for.
Materials are also a bit different. While both have glass backs (which is a first for the "a" series), the Galaxy S24 FE comes with an aluminum frame whereas the cheaper A35 5G has a plastic one. Hardly an issue, though, and you probably won't be able to tell much of the difference when holding them.
The Galaxy S24 FE comes in more hues:
- Blue
- Graphite
- Gray
- Mint
- Yellow
The Galaxy A35 5G comes in one less:
- Iceblue
- Lilac
- Navy
- Lemon
The thick bezels of the A35 5G show its cheaper price when placed next to the S24 FE. (Image by PhoneArena)
The Galaxy S24 FE comes with a visibly larger display compared to its predecessor, measuring at 6.7 inches. This makes it just a bit larger than th 6.6-inch one on the Galaxy A35 5G. Samsung has also shrunk the bezels of the Fan Edition this year, which are generally thinner to the ones on the A35 5G, contributing to a more modern look.
Both phones have a display resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels and a 120Hz refresh rate, and they are gorgeous to look at. The contrast levels are just what you would expect, colors are beautiful, albeit a bit overly saturated, and scrolling/swiping is smooth thanks to that high refresh rate.
The moment you step outside in sunny conditions, however, you can immediately tell which phone is which, as the Galaxy S24 FE is able to achieve much higher brightness compared to the A35 5G. The former is usable in extremely bright environments, but the latter is a bit of a struggle.
Something that the A35 has that the S24 FE doesn't, for some unknown reason, is an always-on-display feature. Why Samsung has refrained from adding AOD to its premium mid-ranger is beyond us, but you do get it on the company's entry-level one.
As for protection, both come with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus Plus, which is among the best you can get on a phone nowadays, and arguably the best in this price segment. Actually, it's a bit surprising to see such high-quality glass on a phone of the A35's caliber.
Unsurprisingly, the S24 FE has a brighter display, and that really helped with outdoor visibility when comparing the two. That said, our A35 5G unit showcased better color accuracy.
Performance and Software
An astronomical difference
The S24 FE is a beast when it comes to chip performance! (Image by PhoneArena)
Besides the telephoto camera, the processor of the Galaxy S24 FE is probably the biggest reason to pay extra cash and go for it, instead for the Galaxy A35 5G. Well, that and the higher 8GB of RAM.
This year's Fan Edition phone from Samsung comes with the Exynos 2400e (4 nm), which is a toned down version of what the company's Galaxy S24 series flagships use. This promises great performance, and possibly the biggest jump in power for this Galaxy phone series.
On the other end of the ring we have the Galaxy A35 5G and its Exynos 1380 (5 nm), which is not a bad chip for a mid-range phone that's on the cheaper side, but it probably won't be able to compare to the raw power of the FE. After all, Samsung's Fan Edition aims to deliver a level of performance close to its flagship devices.
We also have the 8GB of RAM on the S24 FE, which enables all of the Galaxy AI features that the flagship Galaxy S24 has to also be available on the FE. Samsung did promise to introduce some Galaxy AI features to the A35 too, but it is yet to do so, and there will likely be just a few.
But artificial intelligence aside, even when it comes to pure performance, the Galaxy S24 FE is leagues ahead of the A35 5G. One very clear example of the FE's superiority in this segment is the fact that it can handle ray-tracing gaming, which is arguably one of the most demanding tasks you can give to your phone.
It's not just words, the numbers show it too!
We are looking at more than double the processing speed when comparing the Exynos 2400e (4 nm) to the Exynos 1380 (5 nm). When it comes to graphical performance, the jump in performance is almost amazing, with the S24 FE giving us almos 5X better results in the 3DMark benchmark.
When it comes to software support, Samsung has added the new Fan Edition to the rest of its phones that get 7 years of Android updates and security patches. This makes it much more future proof compared to the A35 5G, which comes with 4 years of Android updates and 5 years of security patches. The S24 FE is the first Fan Edition to come with 7 years of software support.
Camera
You get what you are paying for
There is a massive difference in the main camera quality between the S24 FE and A35 5G. (Image by PhoneArena)
This is one of the areas where we saw the most substantial difference in performance. While both the S24 FE and the A35 have a 50MP main camera with an f/1.8 aperture, the Fan Edition is superior in terms of image quality.
The third camera is completely different on the A35 5G. You get a 5MP macro snapper that is arguably useless, compared to a very much usable 8MP 3X telephoto on the S24 FE.
Video recording wise, the S24 FE is considerably more capable, able to record 4K footage at 60fps or even 120fps, whereas the A35 can only to 30fps. The Fan Edition is also capable of 8K 30fps video shooting, but that is mostly irrelevant as it isn't exactly usable in terms of quality and file size.
Lastly, you have a 10MP selfie camera on the S24 FE compared to a 13MP on the A35. Frankly, there is a good chance that the cheaper Galaxy A35 5G produces better images here, as its camera is not only higher resolution but also with a slightly wider aperture (f/2.2 vs f/2.4), which helps let in more light.
PhoneArena Camera Score:
Our camera lab tests show us what we already suspected, but the difference between the S24 FE and A35 5G camera systems is still staggering. The main areas where the Fan Edition pulls ahead are with its main camera and, of course, the 3x telephoto. The difference in zoom image quality is to be expected, considering the A35 5G lacks a dedicated telephoto camera.
Main Camera
The two phones seem to have the same type of post-processing, as both create very contrasty images with saturated colors. That said, the S24 FE is sharper at closer inspection. The FE also casts a green tint, while the A35 5G gives more natural colors in this instance.
Zoom Quality
Being a low-end budget phone, the Galaxy A35 5G cannot even come close to the zooming capabilities of the S24 FE. Not only does it not have a dedicated telephoto camera like the 3x one on the FE, but its digital zoom is also not that great.
Ultra-wide Camera
We like the colors from the A35 more, but the S24 FE has brought out a bit more detail from the shadows. The FE also has a wider field of view, which helps the ultra-wide capture more in a single shot.
Selfies
We actually like the selfie snapper on the A35 and the images that come out of it. It offers similar quality to the one from the S24 FE, albeit at the cost of much more post-processing as you can see from the images above.
More Camera Samples
Video Quality
The main crucial difference we saw during video recording was just how mushy and soft the image from the Galaxy A35 5G looks compared to the S24 FE. Besides that, however, we actually like how the A35 5G handled the darker areas more, brightening them up to deliver a more well-exposed recording.
Battery Life and Charging
A similar experience between the two
Considering the difference in performance, the battery life on the S24 FE is impressive. (Image by PhoneArena)
While the Galaxy A35 5G has a somewhat larger 5,000 mAh battery compared to the 4,700 mAh one inside the Galaxy S24 FE, this difference is not enough to make any assumptions. We are looking at two different processors here, so the energy efficiency is also different.
The two performed very similarly to each other in our battery life tests. The same goes for the wired charging, as both come with 25W, although the S24 FE technically takes less time to charge since its battery is slightly smaller.
Sadly, the A35 5G has no wireless charging, so if you want this feature you would have to go for the S24 FE that comes with 15W wireless and even reverse-wireless charging.
PhoneArena Battery and Charging Test Results:
As it turned out during our battery life tests, the Exynos 2400e is power efficient enough to not only compensate for the S24 FE's smaller battery, but even help it last a tad longer than the Galaxy A35. So, no matter which one you pick you will get mostly the same experience when it comes to battery. That also stands true for the charging speeds besides, of course, the wireless charging.
Specs Comparison
There are three major separating factors when comparing the S24 FE and A35 5G spec sheets: the cameras, the chipset, and the RAM/storage options. Jumping to the Fan Edition you have the option to get more internal storage and memory, a considerably faster chipset, and a dedicated telephoto camera. You also have wireless charging with the pricier model, and a much brighter and more usable in daylight display.
Check out our separate detailed page of the Galaxy S24 FE vs Galaxy A35 5G specs comparison for more information.
| Galaxy S24 FE | Galaxy A35 5G | |
|---|---|---|
| Size, weight | 162 x 77.3 x 8 mm, 213 g | 161.7 x 78 x 8.2 mm, 209 g |
| Screen | 6.7" Dynamic AMOLED 2X 120Hz 1080 x 2340 pixels 1900 nits peak brightness | 6.6" Dynamic AMOLED 2X 120Hz 1080 x 2340 pixels 1,000 nits peak brightness |
| Exynos 2400e 4 nm | Exynos 1380 5 nm | |
| RAM, Storage | 8/128GB 8/256GB | 6/128GB - |
| Cameras | 50MP main 12MP ultra 8MP 3X telephoto 10MP front | 50MP main 8MP ultra 5MP macro 13MP front |
| Battery | 4,700 mAh | 5,000 mAh |
| Charging | USB-C 25W wired 15W Qi2 wireless Reverse-wireless charging support | USB-C 25W wired No wireless - |
The Galaxy A35 5G spec sheet is visibly more stripped down in terms of features. It is also visible what Samsung had to tone down in order to achieve the more affordable price of the A35. You get quite a bit more with the S24 FE, mostly when it comes to the camera system and the more powerful chipset, which are arguably the most expensive parts in a phone.
Summary
If you can afford the Fan Edition, it will reward you well for paying the extra buck. (Image by PhoneArena)
Both the Galaxy S24 FE and Galaxy A35 5G offer impressive features and value, but they cater to different needs and preferences.
For power users and mobile photography enthusiasts, the S24 FE excels with its powerful Exynos 2400e processor, ensuring smooth performance for demanding tasks and gaming. Its telephoto camera and superior image quality make it a great choice for those who love using their phone's cameras. Additionally, its brighter display and longer software support make it a future-proof investment.
For power users and mobile photography enthusiasts, the S24 FE excels with its powerful Exynos 2400e processor, ensuring smooth performance for demanding tasks and gaming. Its telephoto camera and superior image quality make it a great choice for those who love using their phone's cameras. Additionally, its brighter display and longer software support make it a future-proof investment.
For budget-conscious and casual smartphone users, the A35 5G offers a more affordable option without compromising on essential features. It boasts a large battery, decent performance, and a great camera system for its price. While it lacks some of the advanced features of the S24 FE, it's a solid choice for those seeking a reliable and budget-friendly smartphone.
Key considerations:
- Performance: If you require top-tier performance and the latest features, the S24 FE is the way to go.
- Camera: The S24 FE's telephoto camera and superior image quality make it a better choice for photography enthusiasts.
- Budget: The A35 5G is a more affordable option, suitable for those on a tighter budget.
- Software support: The S24 FE offers longer software support, making it a more future-proof investment.
Ultimately, the best choice depends on your individual needs and priorities. If you're willing to spend a bit more for a premium experience, the Galaxy S24 FE is a compelling option. However, if you're looking for a solid, budget-friendly smartphone, the Galaxy A35 5G is a worthy contender.
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