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OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite vs Samsung Galaxy A35 5G: Comparing the mid-range Androids
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OnePlus has just launched a new addition to its mid-range series, the Nord CE 4 Lite, which promises to offer flagship-level features and experiences while delivering “exceptional value for money”.
As we haven’t reviewed the Nord CE 4 Lite yet, we’ve compared its specs to Samsung’s own budget friendly smartphone, the Galaxy A35 which we awarded a solid four-star rating.
Keep reading to see the key differences between the two mid-range handsets.
Samsung Galaxy A35 has a stronger IP-rating
TheGalaxy A35boasts impressive durability, thanks to itsIP67rating which means it’s not only dust resistant but it can also withstand submersion in up to one metre of water for up to 30 minutes.
Not only that but the A35’s display is made from Gorilla Glass Victus Plus which promises to be scratch-resistant for extra peace of mind.
Comparatively, the Nord CE 4 Lite has a weakerIP54 ratingwhich is actually fairly low for a modern smartphone, even a budget-offering. An IP54 rating means it is dust-protected but only water resistant against splashes.
Having said that, the display on the Nord CE 3 Lite is equipped with OnePlus’Aqua Touchtechnology which allows you to use the screen even when it’s wet.
OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite has fast charging
With 80WSuperVOOCsupport, the Nord CE 4 Lite boasts impressively speedy charging and promises to take just 50 minutes to reach 100%. The handset will be supported globally by a 5500mAh battery however because of EU regulations, Europe will only receive a 5100mAh cell.
Otherwise, the Galaxy A35 has a 5000mAh battery capacity and although Samsung claims it supports super fast charging, this is only 25W. In our benchmark tests we found that the device took 85 minutes for a full charge.
Samsung Galaxy A35 runs on Samsung’s Exynos 1380
While the Galaxy A35 runs on Samsung’s own Exynos 1380 processor, the Nord CE Lite 4 runs on Qualcomm’sSnapdragon 695 5Gwhich is the same as its predecessor theNord CE 3 Lite. We found in our review of the latter that although it has the power for “a respectably smooth day-to-day experience” the “graphics chipset is not impressive”, so we’d expect this to be similar in the Nord CE Lite 4.
However, the Nord CE 4 Lite also features RAM Vitalisation technology which can be found in the OnePlus 12, allowing for AI-powered RAM acceleration.
TheExynos 1380 processoris found in Samsung’s previous flagship Galaxy S23 series and promises to support AI performance, faster refresh rates and better 5G support than its predecessor. With this in mind, we can expect the A35 to run slightly faster than the Nord CE Lite 4.
Samsung Galaxy A35 has longer upgrade support
Although it’s not as long as theSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultrawhich offers a massive seven years of updates, the Galaxy A35 still promises up to four generations of OS upgrades and up to five years of security updates too.
The Nord CE 4 Lite instead offers just two years of OS upgrades and three years of security updates.
Samsung Galaxy A35 has an ultrawide camera
While both handsets have a main 50MP camera, they differ slightly with the rest of their rear lens offerings. Most notably the Nord CE 4 Lite doesn’t have an ultrawide lens whereas the A35 does, which is 8MP.
Even so, for handsets at this price point you perhaps shouldn’t expect perfect image quality. For example, we found the ultrawide lens of the Galaxy A35 saw a “big drop off in quality” where shots were flatter and dimmer than the main sensor, with “inferior exposure and detail”.
OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite is cheaper
As the best value offering in the Nord lineup, it’s perhaps unsurprising that the Nord CE 4 Lite is incredibly inexpensive, starting at just £299/€399 and will be available from 1st July.
The Galaxy A35 is available now and starts at a slightly dearer £339/€449.
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Jess joined the Trusted Reviews team early in 2024, after working for almost three years in lifestyle and technology PR. Using the skills gained from her previous role, Jess has taken on a new challen…
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Why trust our journalism?
Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
