Samsung’s recently affordable Galaxy M35 5G has an in-house Exynos SoC, a flat AMOLED display, a large battery, and more. The smartphone rivals the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G, which happens to fall in the same sub-Rs 25,000 bracket. But, which one is better? In this article, we’ll compare them side by side across several key aspects, including performance, cameras, and more to find out.
Samsung Galaxy M35 5G vs OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G: Specs at Glance
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4.2 ★
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4.2 ★
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₹ 18,440
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₹ 19,999
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| Processor | Samsung Exynos 1380 | Snapdragon 695 |
| Display | 6.6″ (16.76 cm) 120Hz Display | 6.67″ (16.94 cm) 120Hz Display |
| Rear Camera | 50+8+2 MP Rear | 50+2 MP Rear |
| Front Camera | 13 MP Front | 16 MP Front |
| RAM & Storage | 6 GB RAM 128 GB Storage | 8 GB RAM 128 GB Storage |
| Battery | 6000 mAh 25W Charging | 5500 mAh 80W Charging |
| OS | Android v14 | Android v14 |
Samsung Galaxy M35 5G vs OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G: Price in India
| Smartphone | Configuration | Price |
|
Samsung Galaxy M35 5G |
6GB+128GB | Rs 19,999 |
| 8GB+128GB | Rs 21,499 | |
| 8GB+256GB | Rs 24,499 | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G | 8GB+128GB | Rs 19,999 |
| 8GB+256GB | Rs 22,999 |
The Samsung Galaxy M35 5G and OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G are available at a starting price of Rs 19,999. However, the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G has more RAM for the base variant and stays below Rs 23,000. The Galaxy M35’s top variant is slightly expensive but is offered in more RAM/Storage variants. However, it doesn’t come with an in-box charger, so the Nord CE 4 Lite is a much cheaper option to go for.
Both Samsung and OnePlus offer an instant bank discount of Rs 2,000 on leading bank credit and debit card transactions.
Samsung Galaxy M35 5G vs OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G: Design
| Samsung Galaxy M35 5G | OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G | |
| Dimensions | 162.3 x 78.6 x 9.1mm | 162.9 × 75.6 × 8.1mm |
| Weight | 222 grams | 191 grams |
| IP Rating | NA | IP54 |
The Samsung Galaxy M35 5G is slightly heavier as it comes with a large 6,000mAh battery and is uncomfortable to hold for longer durations. Samsung has opted for a simple design language it has been going for a while. We got it in the Light Blue shade, which attracts smudges and fingerprints when used without a case.
The OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G is lighter and thinner, offering better in-hand comfort for longer durations, and gets a convenient in-display fingerprint scanner. We got the Mega Blue colourway for testing, which sports a vibrant shade. OnePlus has managed to keep a slim profile for the smartphone despite packing a large battery. The company uses a pill-shaped camera module. The smartphone was intact without any cracks despite being accidentally dropped twice.
Both phones follow a minimal design approach but we prefer the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G over the Samsung Galaxy M35 5G for the lightweight. However, the overall winner in the segment depends on personal design preferences.
Samsung Galaxy M35 5G vs OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G: Display
| Samsung Galaxy M35 5G | OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G | |
| Display | 6.6-inch Super AMOLED | 6.67-inch AMOLED |
| Resolution | 2340 x 1080 pixels | 2400 x 1080 pixels |
| Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 120Hz |
| Peak Brightness | 1000 nits | 2100 nits |
| Display Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
The Samsung Galaxy M35 5G flaunts a flat Super AMOLED display with a centred punch hole cutout and thick bezels on the sides. The thick bezels may hinder the multimedia experience if you are coming from a phone with thin bezels. The Galaxy M35 5G offers smooth scrolling with a 120Hz refresh rate without any stutters.
The Super AMOLED display on the smartphone sports Widevine L1 certification. We watched multiple videos on YouTube where the device produced vibrant and punchy colours. The stereo speakers on the smartphone offer a distorted voice occasionally impacting the audio performance.
The OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G also has a flat AMOLED display with a similar resolution and refresh rate. The Nord CE 4 Lite 5G works without stutters, with the 120Hz refresh rate offering smooth visuals without any lags. The smartphone lacks HDR capabilities similar to the Galaxy M35 5G on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and more.
The OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G is sufficiently brighter under indoor conditions and struggles under sunlight. We also managed to secure only 849 nits of brightness in our testing, which is less than half of the claimed brightness. It offers decent audio experiences with up to 80% volume but this becomes quite harsh after 80% and in Ultra Volume mode. The vibrations from the speakers can be felt on the rear panel of the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G, which hinders the user experience.
Both smartphones perform identically with the flat AMOLED display and stereo speakers. But the Samsung Galaxy M35 5G is a winner here as it supports Widevine L1 and has a Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ protection.
Samsung Galaxy M35 5G vs Samsung Galaxy M35 5G: Cameras
| Samsung Galaxy M35 5G | OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G | |
| Primary Camera | 50MP primary camera with OIS and f/1.8 aperture | 50MP Sony LYT 600 primary camera with OIS and f/1.8 aperture |
| Ultrawide Camera | 8MP ultrawide camera with f/2.2 aperture and field of view of 112˚ | NIL |
| Tertiary Camera | 2MP macro camera with f/2.2 aperture | 2MP depth macro with f/2.4 aperture |
| Front Camera | 13MP selfie camera with f/2.2 aperture | 16MP snapper with f/2.4 aperture |
The Samsung Galaxy M35 5G has an advantage on paper as it includes an ultrawide camera, which is missing from most smartphones in the segment. The Galaxy M35 5G captures vibrant images in daylight and produces a social media-ready photo. We noticed occasional white balance issues with the primary camera on the Samsung smartphone.
The ultrawide camera performance of the smartphone isn’t satisfactory, and the Galaxy M35 5G captures images with graininess around the edges despite shooting in daylight. In low light conditions, the quality degrades as there is visible noise in the pictures especially when exposed to direct light sources.
Samsung gets the tuning right with the portrait mode as it captures impressive portrait shots with excellent background blur. The 13MP selfie snapper on the smartphone captures natural-looking images, which has managed to maintain pores and blemishes in the output.
The OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G, on the other hand, captures excellent images with accurate colours and balanced dynamic range in most conditions. The phone also got the white balance right in most images. However, the smartphone smoothens skin tones and overbrightens colours under bright sunlight, which can be avoided by changing the shooting position.
The Portrait Mode captures images with excellent edge detection and slightly smoothened skin textures in daylight. The colours are mostly on point and this is true for the selfies too. In low-light conditions, the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G captures images, which produce significant noise and grain in normal mode. However, switching to Night Mode improves the image quality, which reduces the amount of noise in the images.
To conclude, we prefer the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G is the better choice for the cameras but if you want an ultra-wide lens, the Galaxy M35 can be chosen.
Samsung Galaxy M35 5G vs OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G: Performance
| Samsung Galaxy M35 5G | OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G | |
| Processor | Exynos 1380 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 |
| Graphics | Mali G68 MP5 | Adreno 619 |
| RAM | 6GB / 8GB LPDDR4X RAM | 8GB LPDDR4X RAM |
| Storage | 256GB UFS 2.2 | 128GB / 256GB UFS 2.2 |
| Manhattan Test | 2,841 frames (46 fps) | 1,852 frames (30 fps) |
As you can see above, the Exynos 1380 SoC on the Samsung Galaxy M35 5G has scored higher in all benchmarking platforms, which includes AnTuTu V10 Geekbench and Manhattan tests. In the Manhattan tests, the Galaxy M35 5G secured over 50% more frames than the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G.
For those unaware, the Manhattan test evaluates the graphic performance of smartphones by running specific tasks. However, the Samsung Galaxy M35 5G could maintain 69% of its maximum performance in the CPU throttling test. In contrast, the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G managed 89% of its maximum performance in the tests.
We also tested the smartphones in the 3D Mark and Car Chase tests, where the superior GPU on the Exynos 1380 5G SoC displays its strength. In our practical tests, the Galaxy M35 5G and the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G offer smooth performance with respect to everyday tasks.
We tested the Samsung Galaxy M35 5G with Call of Duty: Mobile, where there were lag and stutters in High+ Very High Settings. The smartphone also started heating extensively. The OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G also lagged while gaming but produced less heat.
Our tests indicate that the Samsung Galaxy M35 G is recommended for users who prefer normal usage and don’t play heavy games or are hardcore gamers. In contrast, the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G is recommended for gamers as it did not heat up a lot.
Samsung Galaxy M35 5G vs OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G: Software
| Samsung Galaxy M35 5G | OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G | |
| Software | OneUI 6.1 based on Android 14 | Oxygen OS 14 based on Android 14 |
| OS Updates | 4 years of OS updates | 2 years of OS updates |
| Security Updates | Five years of Security updates | Three years of Security updates |
The Samsung Galaxy M35 5G has an advantage in terms of a longer Android update and security patch update policy. Samsung has included some pre-installed apps Snapchat, PhonePe, Amazon, Spotify, and Netflix, which can come handy for many.
Samsung has also included the smartphone with Bixby, a side button to launch apps, a multi-window, labs, and more. The OneUI 6.1 on the Galaxy M35 5G offers a smooth experience despite not being the cleanest UI. The brand also pushes updates on time, which makes it futureproof in the sub-Rs 20,000 segment.
On the contrary, the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G comes with OxygenOS 14, which also sports multiple features, including Smart Suggestions, Split View, Smart Sidebar, and more. OnePlus has also included several pre-installed apps that can be uninstalled, similar to its competitors.
To conclude, the Samsung Galaxy M35 5G has an advantage as it has a longer software update policy.
Samsung Galaxy M35 5G vs OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G: Battery and Charging
| Samsung Galaxy M35 5G | OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G | |
| Battery | 6,000mAh | 5,500mAh |
| Charging | 25W | 80W SuperVOOC |
| Charging Time | 1 Hour 54 Minutes | 1 Hour 11 Minutes |
As you can see from the above table, the Samsung Galaxy M35 5G boasts an incredible battery, which was expected to last over a day of heavy usage. However, in the PCMark Battery Test, the smartphone lasted 14 hours and 56 minutes, which is less than what we expected.
For comparison, the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G with a smaller 5,500mAh battery lasted 19 hours and 9 minutes. In our practical tests, the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G lasted more than a day with light to moderate usage. The 80W SuperVOOC charger took the device from 0 to 45% in 45 minutes and 0 to 100% in 1 hour and 11 minutes.
The Samsung Galaxy M35 5G provided a similar battery backup. We used a 68W PD charger, which took the device to charge from 0 to 100% in around 2 hours, which feels disappointing in 2024. Plus, there’s no charger in the box. So, here, the OnePlus Nord CE Lite 5G wins.
Samsung Galaxy M35 5G vs OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G: Verdict
The OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite can be considered a good choice as it offers a lightweight design, impressive camera performance, and a reliable battery. Plus, there’s a charger in the box and its price is relatively lower. And this is what you are looking for, the Nord CE 4 Lite should make it to your shopping bag.
However, the Galaxy M35 5G offers a much better display, a solid performance, and a larger battery. It also does a fair job of taking daylight shots and has an ultra-wide camera. So, if this is what you want, the phone is apt for under Rs 20,000.
