BeignTech - Tech That Matters

I clearly remember that I had a Samsung Galaxy S2 when I was in college. It was a flagship smartphone which I liked but I disliked its user interface. The Galaxy S2 marked the end of my relationship with the South Korean brand but it was recently when I tried out the Galaxy A34 that my interest in Samsung phones was rekindled. I have to admit that Samsung smartphones look and feel a lot different these days. Even though the Galaxy A34 is a mid-range smartphone, the device offers excellent day-to-day performance and has great cameras.

I spent a few weeks with the Galaxy A34 as my daily driver, and here's my review.

Design and aesthetics

At first glance, the Galaxy A34 looks identical to the company's latest flagship, the Galaxy S23. It has three minimal camera cutouts, which look very clean, unlike other phones with large camera islands.

I received the color 'Awesome Lime' for review, which is basically a light green. The phone shines in direct sunlight and looks premium. However, for reasons unknown, Samsung has opted for a plastic back. This could be a deal-breaker for some people as it also makes the phone slippery. The boxy frame provides some degree of grip. During my use, I noticed that the phone was prone to scratches, which suggests that a protective cover may be a good investment soon after purchase.

Like most Samsung devices, the volume and power buttons are on the right side. I have medium-sized hands, and I find that the power button on most phones is a bit on the upper half, which can be uncomfortable for one-handed use. Although the Galaxy A34 has a 6.6-inch screen, Samsung has placed the power button slightly lower than other phones, which makes it more ergonomic than devices with similar screen sizes. One standout feature is the IP67 certification, so you won't have to worry about your phone getting wet even during heavy rains.

what about a display?

When it comes to the screen, the 120Hz AMOLED panel is exceptionally bright and crisp, which is in line with other phones in this price segment. Out of the box, the colors lean towards the warm side, but they can be easily adjusted. It is perfectly usable even on sunny days.

While this is a great device for content consumption, other phones in the same price range can also claim the same. My only complaint with the display is the teardrop notch; It feels a bit dated and its large size can be distracting when watching videos or even holding the phone.

User interface and performance

Powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 1080 chipset, the Samsung Galaxy A34 might not be the fastest phone under Rs 30,000, but the One UI compensates well. The phone froze a few times, possibly because I was using an app while playing a game in the background. Still, it handles everyday tasks swiftly and runs smoothly even with multiple apps open.

For people new to One UI like me, the user interface can be a bit confusing at first. However, those already using Samsung phones will feel right at home. Compared to other Android OEM skins, One UI 5 looks refined. Animations are smooth, and the UI is feature-rich. It took me about a week to explore each and every available option, as there are so many of them.

Some of the most useful features include the ability to create iOS-like widget stacks and the handy sidebar that allows apps to quickly open in small windows by just dragging an icon. The phone comes with some bloatware, but these can be easily uninstalled. One thing that bothered me was the horizontal app drawer, which I could change using the GoodLock module. But then a list of 'priority apps' started appearing in the top half of the app drawer that can't be disabled.

One of the major advantages of the Galaxy A34 over its competitors is its long battery life. The phone will get four years of Android updates and five years of security updates, while other phones in the same price segment usually get a maximum of 3 years of OS updates.

How good is the gaming performance?

While the Galaxy A34 isn't specifically a gaming device, I did test a number of games on it. Graphic-intensive titles like PUBG and Genshin Impact ran smoothly at low to medium settings. You might experience frame drops if you set the graphics to the highest level, but this is common with all mid-range devices. Also, the phone does heat up a bit during prolonged gaming sessions, but the temperature always stays below 45 degrees Celsius. My review unit came with 128GB of storage, which quickly filled up after I installed a few games. Thankfully, the phone includes a memory card slot for storage expansion.

Bettery and audio

The Galaxy A34 comes equipped with a 5,000mAh battery that can easily last a day or two with moderate usage. My typical day starts at 8 am and involves using the phone to listen to music, watch videos, make calls, browse the internet, chat and take some pictures. If you're like me and rely heavily on mobile data, your phone can easily take up a whole day. Like other mid-range Samsung devices, the charging speed is capped at 25W, which means it takes around 90 minutes for a full charge.

The phone has two speakers: one on the bottom and the other on the earpiece. If you listen to music outside, the sound will be heard, but don't expect it to be particularly loud.

Camera

The Galaxy A34 sports a triple camera setup, which houses a 48MP primary camera, an 8MP ultra-wide sensor, and a 5MP telephoto lens. The 48MP lens delivers excellent performance; Pictures come out clear and detailed. If you prefer saturated colors, make sure to enable 'Scene Optimizer' and 'Auto HDR' in the app settings.

When you switch to the 8MP ultra-wide shooter, you’ll notice that although the photos come out crisp, the saturation and contrast are on the higher side. However, the images are detailed and don’t appear soft. Also, the 5MP macro sensor is more than usable, unlike some of the 2MP gimmicky lenses that phone manufacturers often include these days. The focus appears to be fixed at 4cm, which might take some time to get used to, but once you do, images from the macro sensor come out detailed with a nice natural blur.

As far as videos are concerned, optical stabilization works as advertised. I attended a classical dance show where the lighting was not good. But the camera still managed to capture details and the phone didn't overexpose the videos even with rapid fluctuations in lighting. The phone can capture FullHD videos at 60fps, but drops it to 40fps when switching to a higher resolution, like all other mid-range devices.

Samsung Galaxy A34 review: A sturdy mid-range device that ticks all the boxes