Samsung Galaxy A34 5G review: Good value

The Samsung Galaxy A34 5G is a slightly inferior version of the Galaxy A54 5G. Some features are a bit worse-off. For instance, the cameras have fewer megapixels, or a smaller sensor. But the overall performance is similar enough that less-fussy users wouldn't be able to tell the difference. In fact, they might even prefer the A34 because it's cheaper.

Quick specs

6.6-inch Super AMOLED display (2,340 x 1,080 pixels, 120Hz)
Mediatek Dimensity 1080 chip with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage
48MP main camera, 8MP ultra-wide, 5MP macro, and 13MP front
5,000mAh battery (with 25W fast charging)

The A34 looks almost identical to the A54. Both phones largely use the same design as Samsung's flagship S23 series. But the glass back that gives the A54 a more premium feel is not present in the A34. I don't mind that — removing the glass probably reduced the weight. The A34 weighs less than the A54, despite the A34 having a slightly larger 6.6-inch screen than the A54's 6.4 inches. There are other small details that make the A34 feel less premium. For example, the A34's teardrop notch selfie camera is more noticeable than the pinhole version on the A54. The A34's haptic feedback was also inferior, with more “buzzy” and less-focused vibrations. But the key features are identical for both phones. Like the A54, the A34 has IP67 water and dust resistance. They also have similar 120Hz Super AMOLED screens that are bright enough to use under direct sunlight.

More importantly, the A34 performs about as fast as the A54 for day-to-day tasks. Apps take a fraction longer to load, the onscreen keyboard takes an extra millisecond to appear, the in-display fingerprint sensor takes a tad longer to unlock the phone, you get what I mean. Both are mid-range phones, after all. In fact, the A34, which uses MediaTek's Dimensity 1080 chip produces near-identical single-core scores in Geekbench 5 (771) as the A54's Exynos 1380 (773). However, the A54 did perform better in multi-core performance (2,713) than the A34 (2,281). The A34 was also very stable in 3DMark's Wild Life Extreme Stress Test with peak temperatures at a cool 33 degrees Celsius. Battery life for the A34 (with a 5,000mAh battery) was great at 16hr 25min in a video playback test, though it wasn't as amazing as the A54's 20hr 18min.

On paper, the A34's triple rear cameras are slightly less capable than the ones in the A54. The good news is that this 48MP main camera still has optical image stabilisation (OIS), which isn't that common in mid-range phones. This means that photos turn out pretty nice with good dynamic range. Colours also pop sufficiently that the images should appear attractive to most users. Low-light photos have quite a bit of noise, though colours and brightness levels are decent. They are usable if you don't zoom into the details.

The Samsung Galaxy A34 5G (around S$450) comes close in performance and features to the more expensive A54 (S$588). It also offers features (IP67, OIS) that are often omitted in mid-range models. Samsung upped its software support for its smartphones last year, and this also applies to the A34, which will get up to four years of OS updates and five years of security patches. All things considered, the A34 is a good value-for-money phone in the mid-range category. Get it now from Lazada, Shopee, and Amazon SG.

Note: Review unit provided by Samsung.

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