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With the launch of the new Moondrop smartphone, the Moondrop MIAD01, a new battle of $400 phones got underway between it and the Samsung A35. Both smartphones promise a unique experience. Moondrop wants to deliver the best aural experience from its smartphone while Samsung strives to provide the ultimate smartphone camera experience. But which is the best $400 phone?
In terms of hardware configuration, the Moondrop MIAD01 5G is the best smartphone. However, if you want a camera-centric smartphone with a good experience, then the Samsung Galaxy A35 is the best. This article explains which is the best $400 phone and for whom.
Note: This article is subjective and solely reflects the writer's opinions.
Moondrop MIAD01 5G vs Samsung A35: Specs
With a special emphasis on audio hardware, Moonphone's new smartphone boasts better specs in that department. Comparatively, Samsung's focus is on camera hardware with the A35, so it has better camera specs. Here are the specs of the Moondrop MIAD01 vs Samsung A35:
Moondrop MIAD01 5G vs Samsung A35: Comparison
Let's compare every aspect of the two smartphones to better judge their worth.
Display
Both the Moondrop MIAD01 and the Samsung A35 have similar OLED/AMOLED display panels with similar sizes. However, the Moondrop phone has 1920 PWM, so the display won't flicker under extremely low brightness, while the Samsung display gets brighter than the Moondrop smartphone when it's under direct sunlight.
Performance and operating system
The Moondrop phone is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7050 5G chipset, which can clock as high as 2.6GHz. On the other hand, the Samsung A35 phone is powered by Samsung's own Exynos 1380 5G chipset having a clock speed of 2.4GHz.
Despite these differences, both chipsets perform decently enough and are neck and neck with each other in terms of real-world performance. Also, the Moondrop MIAD01 phone comes with stock Android and no ads or bloatware. But the Samsung A35 phone features Android 14 + OneUI 6.1 user interface and includes pre-installed third-party apps.
Memory and storage
The MIAD01 5G offers 12GB RAM with 256GB of fast UFS3.1 storage, which is quite generous and will satisfy most users. However, Samsung only provides 6GB RAM with 128GB storage with the base variant of the Galaxy A35, which is half of what Moondrop's phone offers.
To get the better 12GB RAM with 256GB storage version, you will have to shell out extra and buy the higher-priced variant to get more RAM in the smartphone.
Camera performance
While Moondrop packs in a decent 64 + 8MP rear camera configuration, it admits it's not that good but gets the job done. Kudos to Moondrop for being honest! On the other hand, Samsung always puts special emphasis on their smartphone's camera, and it's no different here. The Galaxy A35 does sport a better camera configuration and should produce superior images.
When it comes to the front camera and selfie performance, the MIAD01 has a 32MP sensor and the Galaxy A35 has a 13MP sensor. Samsung A35’s selfie camera takes selfies with a balanced color tone. The higher counts of megapixels in the Moondrop MIAD01’s selfie sensor means it should at least perform on par with the Samsung smartphone.
Audio
Audio is where Moondrop excels. Before Moondrop started making smartphones, it created some of the best IEM earphones and audio DACs and used all this audio prowess on its new smartphone.
The Moondrop phone features dual headphone jacks. There's a 4.4mm balanced and a 3.5mm single-ended regular headphone jack with 6-layer gold sinking circuitry and an independent LDO power supply. Both headphone jacks are hooked to the flagship dual Cirrus Logic MasterHIFI DACs. So, the audio performance will outshine its Samsung counterpart.
Battery, charging, and USB
Both smartphones feature a similar 5000mAh battery capacity, so their real-life battery lives may also be quite similar to each other. However, their recharging speeds are different, and the Moondrop MIAD01 takes the edge here with its 33W charger.
Both smartphones feature USB-C connectivity, but the Moondrop phone's USB-C port is based on the USB 3.1 protocol, so it features up to 5Gbps high-speed wired transfer speeds.
Moondrop MIAD01 5G vs Samsung A35: Which is the best $400 phone?
If you want audio performance, stock Android without bloatware, and a better hardware configuration, then the Moondrop MIAD01 5G is the best $400 smartphone. However, if the camera is your priority and you want the best pictures, the Samsung A35 will be the best $400 smartphone pick for you.
