Skip to main content

Samsung just launched a $400 phone in the U.S., and it looks great

A render of the Samsung Galaxy A35.
Digital Trends

A little over a month ago, Samsung announced two new entries in its Galaxy A family — the Galaxy A55 and Galaxy A35. Both phones made their way to the U.K. and Europe, but we’ve been left waiting for a U.S. release. Thankfully, that waiting has now come to an end.

As of April 18, the Galaxy A35 is now available for purchase in the U.S. from Samsung.com, Samsung’s retail stores, and at “major carriers and retailers.” Regardless of where you buy the phone, it’s available in your choice of two colors: Awesome Navy and Awesome Lilac. The starting price is a penny shy of $400, putting it well below the Galaxy S24 that launched earlier this year. Interestingly, the Galaxy A55 is not coming to the U.S. at this time.

So, what do you get from a $400 Samsung phone in 2024? As it turns out, quite a lot, actually.

A render of the Samsung Galaxy A35.
Samsung

On the front of the Galaxy A35 is a 6.6-inch Super AMOLED panel with a Full HD+ resolution and up to a 120Hz refresh rate. Around the back is a trio of cameras — including a 50-megapixel main camera, an 8MP ultrawide camera, and a 5MP macro camera. For all of your selfie duties, you get a 13MP front camera.

What about the internal specs? There’s an Exynos 1380 chipset (the same one used in the Galaxy A54), 6GB RAM, 128GB of storage (expandable up to 1TB), and a 5,000 mAh battery with up to 25-watt wired charging. There’s also an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance, Android 14 is available out of the box, and Samsung promises four major Android updates, plus five years of security updates. For a $400 smartphone, that’s a pretty solid package.

At $400, the Galaxy A35 is a bit cheaper than some of our other favorite budget phones available today — such as the $500 OnePlus 12R and Google Pixel 7a (which will soon be replaced by the Google Pixel 8a). It’s nice to have an even cheaper option to consider, and although we still need to test the A35 for ourselves, the spec sheet sounds promising.

A render of the Samsung Galaxy A35.
Digital Trends

If you’re interested in picking up the Galaxy A35 for yourself, Samsung has a couple of promos to make the phone even more affordable. For a “limited time,” buying the Galaxy A35 will give you a 30% discount on the Galaxy Buds FE. Alternatively, you can trade in your current phone for up to a $150 credit toward your A35 purchase.

Editors' Recommendations

Joe Maring
Joe Maring is the Section Editor for Digital Trends' Mobile team, leading the site's coverage for all things smartphones…
5 phones you should buy instead of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus
A Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus laying on concrete.

Looking to upgrade your phone this year? You may be considering Samsung’s new Galaxy S24 Plus, which is the middle child of the S24 lineup. Given how solid the S24 Plus is, that's not a bad idea at all.

But is the Galaxy S24 Plus the best phone you can get? Maybe not, as there are plenty of other great choices that you can choose from as well. Here are some of the best alternatives to the Galaxy S24 Plus that you should take a look at before spending your hard-earned dollars.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Read more
5 ways the Samsung Galaxy S24 beats the Google Pixel 8
Samsung Galaxy S24 (left) and Google Pixel 8 in hand.

If you’re in the market for a new Android phone, you have many options to consider. Google's Pixel phones are in better shape than ever, Samsung's Galaxy S range is killing it, OnePlus is on a tear, and Motorola has some very strong options, too.

Out of all the Android phones you have to choose from, there's a strong chance you're thinking about going with either the Google Pixel 8 or the Samsung Galaxy S24. If you're looking at both phones and are unsure which is the best overall pick, here are a few reasons we think you should opt for the Samsung handset.
A lighter and more compact design

Read more
Something odd is happening with Samsung’s two new budget phones
A person holding the Samsung Galaxy A35 and Galaxy A55.

The Samsung Galaxy A35 (left) and Galaxy A55 Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

I’ve been using the Samsung Galaxy A55 for almost two weeks and have now swapped my SIM card over to the Samsung Galaxy A35. These are the latest entries in Samsung's budget-minded Galaxy-A series. In all honestly, I can barely tell the difference between them.

Read more