Mid-range face off: Motorola Edge 50 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy A35

Another difference between the two is that the Edge 50 Pro is IP68 rated, but the Galaxy A35 is IP67 certified. This may not mean much for the average user since both devices can easily be submerged in water, the Edge 50 Pro offers slightly more dust and water resistance compared to the Galaxy A35.

The Edge 50 Pro has a metal frame that feels solid whereas the Galaxy A35 has a plastic frame that is cleverly textured to feel like metal. Both phones offer a solid grip, but the Galaxy A35 (209 grams) is way heavier than the Edge 50 Pro (186 grams). And even though both phones look and feel like flagships, if you are someone who prefers a lightweight device, we recommend going with the Motorola Edge 50 Pro.

The Galaxy A35 may look more appealing, but it is significantly heavier. (Express Photo)

Display

The Motorola Edge 50 Pro has a 6.7-inch 144Hz OLED screen, a display size that has turned into a standard these days. On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy A35 has a slightly smaller 6.6-inch sAMOLED screen with a refresh rate of 120Hz.

While the screen size and the difference between the refresh rate may not be noticeable in day-to-day usage, the brightness sure is. Motorola claims that the Edge 50 Pro has a peak brightness of 2,000 nits, but for reasons unknown, the Galaxy A35 has a peak brightness of just 1,000 nits. Since the Motorola phone is brighter, it will also be easier to use under direct sunlight compared to Samsung’s offering.

The Motorola phone features a curved display whereas Samsung has opted for a flat display with big bezels on either side. If you don’t like curved screens and don’t mind the big bezels, consider the Galaxy A35, but if you want a slightly bigger screen with curves, the Edge 50 Pro is the way to go.

Camera

Motorola Edge 50 Pro packs a 50MP primary camera accompanied by a 13MP ultrawide shooter and a 10MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. And while the Samsung Galaxy A35 also has a triple camera setup that consists of a 50MP primary shooter, an 8MP ultrawide lens and a 5MP macro camera, it misses out on the dedicated telephoto lens, which is something we are seeing these days in phones under Rs 35,000.

In good lighting conditions, the Edge 50 Pro’s camera setup takes detailed photos compared to other Motorola phones, thanks to AI working behind the scenes to enhance the overall image quality. Samsung’s phone is not far behind. The main 50MP shooter captures details and vivid photos with an impressive dynamic range and shadow detail.

However, the story is a bit different at night time. The Motorola phone manages to retain details and colour accuracy, however, the Samsung device falls a bit behind. While both phones are neither impressive nor bad, we recommend going with the Motorola Edge 50 Pro if you want a more capable camera system.

As for selfies, the Edge 50 Pro packs a 50MP shooter with Autofocus whereas the Galaxy A35 has a 13MP sensor. Those who click a lot of selfies should go with the Edge 50 Pro.

The Motorola Edge 50 Pro has a 50MP selfie shooter and clean user interface. (Express Photo)

Performance and software

Motorola Edge 50 Pro is powered by the recently launched Snapdragon 7 Gen 3, a capable chipset that can easily handle multitasking as well as gaming. Compared to this, the Samsung Galaxy A35 packs a much less powerful chip – Exynos 1380, which made its debut on last year’s Galaxy A54. During our review, we found no lags or stutters on the Edge 50 Pro, but the Samsung phone did stutter one or two times when navigating around. However, it is by no means a dealbreaker.

While the performance difference between the two may be huge on paper with the Edge 50 Pro taking the lead, the Galaxy A35 makes up for it when it comes to software. Motorola’s latest phone runs on HelloUI based on Android 14.

The user interface is pretty clean and the closest you get to stock Android. In contrast, Samsung’s One UI 6 is a heavily modified feature-packed interface, which, according to many, is one of the best and most practical Android skins of all time.

Despite the less powerful hardware, Samsung has promised four OS updates and five years of security patches for the Galaxy A35, but Motorola says the Edge 50 Pro will get three OS updates and four years of security patches. While Samsung has a pretty solid track record of updating its devices on time, Motorola has a poor history of updating its phones.

If you prefer a faster phone with a clean near-stock Android-like user interface, the Edge 50 Pro is the clear winner between the two. However, those looking for a phone with a feature-packed UI and will get the latest version of Android for years to come should go with the Galaxy A35.

Battery

Although battery life is subjective, this is one of the few areas where the two phones perform similarly. Both phones will easily last you through a day, but the latter’s charging speed is limited to 25W compared to Motorola’s speedy 125W charging.

One thing to note here is that the base variant of the Motorola Edge 50 Pro, which comes with 8GB RAM comes with a 68W charger whereas the 12GB version ships with a 125W charger out of the box. Similar to pricey Samsung devices, you only get a charging cable with the Galaxy A35, so make sure you have some extra cash in hand in case you don’t have a backup charging brick.

Motorola Edge 50 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy A35: Which phone is worth your hard-earned money?

Neither of these phones is the fastest or the best, since your preference may vary from others. If you want a lightweight phone with a curved screen, telephoto lens, fast charging and clean Android experience, the Motorola Edge 50 Pro (review) is the clear winner between the two.

While the Samsung Galaxy A35 (review) may fall behind in terms of camera, performance and charging speed, if you are looking for a phone that will just work and get the latest Android updates, the Galaxy A35 is an easy recommendation.