Samsung Galaxy A34 5g Review

Galaxy A34 5G

               Samsung Galaxy A34 5G Review:

The Samsung Galaxy A34 5G has some value-for-money hardware such as a triple-camera setup, 120Hz AMOLED display, and a design that is synonymous with there flagship. The Samsung Galaxy A34 5G is a modest upgrade over its predecessor, but with superb battery life, a durable build, and a long-term update pledge, you're still getting decent value. The Samsung Galaxy A34 5G takes on the likes of the Nothing Phone (1) (Review), Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G (Review), to name a few.

 Here is our full review to help you find out.

               Samsung Galaxy A34 5G review: At a glance

What is it? The Samsung Galaxy A34 5G is a mid-range Android phone that picks up where the Galaxy A33 5G left off. It offers a MediaTek Dimensity 1080 processor, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of expandable storage, 6.6-inch FHD+ 120Hz OLED screen, and a 5,000mAh battery.

What is the price? The Samsung Galaxy A34 5G has been launched in two storage options in India. The variant that we have features 128GB of storage and is priced at Rs. 30,999. There is also a 256GB storage option priced at Rs. 32,999. Both configurations offer 8GB of RAM as standard.

Where can you buy it? The Galaxy A34 5G is currently available in Africa, Asia, the UK, the rest of Europe, and Latin America. It is not currently available in the US.

How did we test it? I tested the Galaxy A34 5G for two weeks. The review unit was supplied by Samsung South Africa.

Is it worth it? The Samsung Galaxy A34 5G is a modest upgrade over its predecessor, bringing precious few upgrades. But while the performance and design aren't flashy, you're still getting an impressive commitment to updates, great battery life, a durable build, and a nice display but the price is bit of higher side.

                Samsung Galaxy A34 5G design and display

Samsung has been adopting a similar design language for all its smartphones, be it a premium Galaxy S23 Plus or an affordable Galaxy M34.The Samsung Galaxy A34 5G comes in multiple colour options. We have the Awesome Lime colour, which has shades of green and yellow with a frosted finish on the back.I like the Lime colour option, which I like better than the regular dark or blue shades. I feel Samsung could have worked on the thickness of the phone, as the Galaxy A34 measures 8.2mm.The Samsung Galaxy A34 5G's display also offers a 120Hz refresh rate. There is no smart-switch option and you can either set the refresh rate at 60Hz or 120Hz, all the time. There is also an in-display fingerprint scanner, which is fairly quick at authentication. you'll find all the essential features at this price point, including stereo speakers, a SIM card tray at the top, a USB-C port at the bottom, and volume rockers and a power button on the right side. 

                 Samsung Galaxy A34 5G specifications and software

The Samsung Galaxy A34 5G features a MediaTek Dimensity 1080 SoC which we have seen in the Realme 10 Pro+ 5G and Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G. The SoC is paired with 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of UFS 2.2 storage. There is also support for up to 8GB of virtual RAM, which Samsung calls RAM Plus. The device packs a 5,000mAh battery with 25W wired fast charging support. However, you do not get a charger in the box. In terms of software, the Samsung Galaxy A34 5G boots One UI 5.1, which is based on Android 13. One UI has a reputation for being quite smooth and offers a good amount of features. One UI 5.1 offers support for Android's Material You design, which can match the system icon and UI colours to that of the wallpaper. It also gives users the option to adjust the font size and style. The Samsung Galaxy A34 5G comes preinstalled with a bunch of Samsung's native apps and Amazon. You can choose to uninstall the unwanted apps. Also, Glance comes preinstalled by default on the phone, however, this ad-heavy lock screen can be disabled too if needed.

                  Samsung Galaxy A34 5G performance and battery life 

The Samsung Galaxy A34 5G features quite a capable SoC which can handle routine tasks easily. I also played games for about 30 minutes straight and the device did not heat up. Call of Duty: Mobile ran quite well at 'Max' frame rate and with 'Low' graphics quality. There were times when I noticed frame drops at hot-drop spots, so it's not the best for heavy gaming but does not choke when playing less-intensive games. the Samsung Galaxy A34 5G scored 4,72,767 points in AnTuTu. In comparison, the Nothing Phone (1) with a Snapdragon 778G+ SoC scored 6,05,375 points when we reviewed it. The Redmi Note 12 Pro+ and Realme 10 Pro+ scored 4,38,678 and 5,04,626 points, respectively.In Geekbench 6, the Galaxy A34 5G scored 1026 and 2456 points in the single-core and multi-core tests. The Realme 10 Pro+ scored 934 and 2615 points, whereas the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G scored 841 and 2241 points, respectively. 

Coming to the battery, my feelings for mid-budget Samsung phones are always mixed. I truly do not mind Samsung ditching the charger, but the Galaxy phones still lack ultra-fast charging, while the company's Chinese counterparts are touching the 80W charging mark at this price. The good part is that the 5,000mAh battery onboard easily assures a full-day or even one and half day backup. Mind you, this is with the highest settings enabled (always on display, 120Hz refresh rate, 5G, and so on).

                  Samsung Galaxy A34 5G cameras

The Samsung Galaxy A34 5G has a triple-camera setup. It features a 48-megapixel primary camera with support for optical image stabilisation (OIS), an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera and a 5-megapixel macro camera sensor. For selfies, there is a 13-megapixel sensor.I like Samsung's new approach of "less is more" when it comes to cameras. From adding four rear cameras to its older mid-budget devices, the new Galaxy A34 has three sensors on the back and one on the front. The addition of OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation) on the primary camera certainly makes a difference.The primary camera captures good details and well-exposed shots. However, the colours are a bit on the saturated side. If you have a taste for vibrant colours, the Galaxy A34 5G's camera could save you some editing time for your social media posts. Even in low-light situations, the two sensors on the back yield more or less similar results, with the processing unit cleverly enhancing shadows and warmth in the photos. Surprisingly, the 5-megapixel macro camera is also functional, although it requires ample light to perform efficiently. 

 The selfie camera is not as consistent as the rear camera. At times, it gets the skin tone right but on occasion, photos had muted colours. Dynamic range performance is quite good though. In portrait mode, the front camera also blurs out the background quite accurately.

The Samsung Galaxy A34 5G supports up to 4K 30 fps video recording, but its Super Steady mode works only up to 1080p 30fps. The front camera can shoot at 1080p/ 4K 30fps. Video footage from both, the front and rear main camera, produce good details and dynamic range. When there's harsh light in the background, you'll have to compromise on the dynamic range a bit to get a well-exposed subject.

                  Samsung Galaxy A34 5G verdict:

The Samsung Galaxy A34 5G is like any other classic Samsung mid-range phone — not very heavy on specifications, but offers a good experience overall. It even mimics its flagship cousin, the Galaxy S23, in terms of design. The phone also gets an IP67 rating, which is a rarity in sub-Rs. 30,000 smartphone. It also has a good display and performance unit that are capable enough to get most tasks done. Battery life is quite impressive. Colours in photos are often a subjective choice, but the Galaxy A34 5G manages decent performance in general.

The lack of a charger in the box is becoming standard across all Samsung smartphones and the Galaxy A34 5G is no different. While the software is feature-rich, a bit more work seems to be needed in order to make the UI experience more fluid.

If you are a gamer, the Poco F5 could possibly be a better choice around this price thanks to the more powerful SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon  7+ Gen 2. There is also the slightly old but still relevant Nothing Phone (1) and Motorola Edge 40 which offers a unique design, reliable performance, and clean software.

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