Due to its affordable pricing and respectable tech specs, the Galaxy A series is quite popular with Malaysian consumers. This time, we will be taking a look at the Samsung Galaxy A34 5G that was launched here in March. Having used it for two weeks, here are some things that we liked and disliked about the RM1599 phone.
Design - Pretty premium looking for a mid-range
There's nothing special about the Galaxy A34 5G at first glance. But it does have a rare Super AMOLED display that's unusual for the Galaxy A series. Despite that, the rest of the body is made from plastic material. We found the Awesome Lime colour for our review unit quite eye-catching. Also, the plastic body doesn't give a "cheap" feeling, as it comes with a matte finish that we quite like.
The front display and its 13MP front camera at the top centre
The matte finish really made the phone look pretty
The usual power button, volume rockers, USB C 2.0, speaker grills and SIM card tray
Thankfully, the triple rear camera isn't protrusive, giving this phone a minimalistic design. This is good for those who want a simple design, as all the necessary buttons and ports are in their respective place. However, there's no silicone casing in the box, something we found slightly disappointing.
Tech specs and features - Good for productivity
Here are the tech specs of the Samsung Galaxy A34 5G
- MediaTek Dimensity 1080
- 8GB of RAM
- 256GB of storage (expandable up to 1TB via microSD card)
- Measures 161.3 x 78.1 x 8.2mm, weighs 199g
- 6.6-inch Super AMOLED FHD+ 120Hz display
- Triple rear camera - 48MP (main, OIS) + 8MP (ultrawide) + 5MP (macro)
- 13MP front camera
- Features Corning Gorilla Glass 5, IP67 water and dust resistance, Dolby Atmos sound system, virtual RAM expansion, hybrid SIM card slot
- Supports 5G, Bluetooth v5.3, NFC
- One UI 5.1 OS based on Android 13
- 5000mAh battery (25W fast charging)
With the Dimensity 1080 chipset on board, the Galaxy A34 5G is more than capable of daily social usage. If you want more space, you can use a microSD card for that. Also, the Super AMOLED display has a brightness of up to 1000 nits thanks to the Samsung Vision Booster feature. This can be useful if you're the type that likes to read your phone before sleeping.
You can watch some videos under the sun (left), and the under-display fingerprint scanner works well (right)
The Super AMOLED display is protected by Gorilla Glass 5, so you don't need to worry about scratches. But still, we would recommend you slap on a good protective case. Also, while the phone has IP67 water and dust resistance, you shouldn't bring it under the water.
Moving on, the UI for this phone is the One UI 5.1 based on Android 13. Note that Samsung promised four OS upgrades and up to five years of security updates. While that's not unusual for flagship devices, it's not what we often see on mid-range devices like the Galaxy A series. So that's a thumbs up for Samsung.
The camera menu (left) and eye comfort shield in the settings (right)
Performance - Not suitable for long periods of usage
Gaming is fine, but not if it's for long hours
Scores from Geekbench and 3DMark
Since it's a mid-range phone, the Galaxy A34 5G isn't meant to be pushed too much. That's not to say it's incapable of performing, as the phone can do web browsing, videos or social media just fine. Plus, you can add more virtual RAM to keep more apps in the background. However, it's not a device that can handle long hours of mobile gaming.
For instance, when we tried PUBG Mobile and Asphalt 9, the area around the rear camera would get a little hot. Both games can run at the highest graphics setting but would quickly drain the Galaxy A34 5G's battery. Fortunately, using the camera doesn't result in the same level of battery drain.
In terms of camera quality, the colours in the photos taken by the Galaxy A34 5G can be condensed. The night mode images produce minimal noises, so it's recommended for night photos. The camera is as capable with zoom shots, however, as photos would end up looking very blurry. Anyway, you can check out the samples we've taken below.
Standard selfie in day and night
Another one but with portrait mode on
Portrait mode
Macro mode is just average at best
Main camera
Before and after for ultrawide mode
It's hard to tell the difference between Pro (left) and Standard (right) mode
Night mode eliminates most of the noise in the photos
Conclusion – Just good enough for normal usage
Overall, the Samsung Galaxy A34 5G looks premium but has a simple and minimal design. It's also good enough for normal usage and delivers acceptable photo quality. The 4 years of software support is another nice bonus, but you probably shouldn't get this if you're a heavy mobile gamer.
But for RM1599, we think it's a tad expensive. After all, you can find other devices with great features in the same price range. For instance, the POCO X5 Pro 5G offers a Snapdragon 778G chipset, a 108MP camera, and 67W fast charging technology for just RM1099. There's also the Xiaomi 12 Lite, which is also priced at RM1599 but uses the same Snapdragon chipset and camera sensor.
But if software support is important to you, the Samsung Galaxy A34 5G is an option you can consider. Otherwise, it's just a matter of your preference in UI, design, or brand. Anyway, thanks for reading and stay tuned for more tech gadget reviews at TechNave.com.
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