introduction
The Galaxy A34 is here and doing its best to continue building on its successful value formula. The A34 isn’t that different from the A33 5G before it, but there are a few differences worth noting.
A34 has grown significantly. It’s now 6.6 inches in diameter, up from 6.4 inches in last year’s model, and it now has a larger, heavier body. This means that the A34 is now even bigger than the current Galaxy A54.
The new A34’s screen is not only bigger but is now faster with a 120Hz refresh rate. It’s also shorter and wider with an aspect ratio of 19.5:9 with smaller bezels.
Another noticeable change is the slides. Instead of relying on the in-house Exynos chipset like last year, Samsung has opted for the MediaTek Dimensity 1080 chip this time around. This is an interesting development, given that the Galaxy A54 already got the new Samsung Exynos 1380 chip.
A glimpse of the Samsung Galaxy A34 specifications:
- body: 161.3 x 78.1 x 8.2mm, 199g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), plastic frame, plastic back; IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1 meter for 30 minutes).
- an offer: 6.60 “Super AMOLED, 120 Hz, resolution 1080 x 2340 pixels, aspect ratio 19.5: 9, 390 ppi.
- Slices: Mediatek MT6877V Dimensity 1080 (6 nm): Octa-core (2 x 2.6 GHz Cortex-A78 & 6 x 2.0 GHz Cortex-A55); Mali-G68 MC4.
- memory: 128 GB 6 GB RAM, 128 GB 8 GB RAM, 256 GB 8 GB RAM; microSDXC (uses a shared SIM slot).
- Operating system / software: Android 13, One UI 5.1.
- back camera: wide (main): 48 MP, f/1.8, 26mm, 1/2.0″, 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS; Ultra wide angle: 8 MP, f/2.2, 123°, 1/4.0″, 1.12µm; precise: 5 MP, f/2.4.
- front camera: 13 MP, f/2.2, (wide), 1/3.1″, 1.12µm.
- Video capture: back camera: 4K @ 30fps, 1080p @ 30 / 60fps, 720p @ 480fps; front camera: 4K @ 30fps, 1080p @ 30fps.
- battery: 5000 mAh; 25 watts wired.
- Miscellaneous: fingerprint reader (under display, optical); Stereo speakers virtual proximity sensor.
Apart from these changes, the Galaxy A54 makes sure to stick closely to the already established formula without major deviations. Still some of the notable features in the specs include an IP67 ingress protection rating and a stereo speaker setup. The Galaxy A54 also packs a large 5,000mAh battery with 25W fast charging. Its camera looks mostly unchanged from last year, with a 48MP main camera, an 8MP ultrawide camera, a 5MP macro camera, and a 13MP selfie snapper. There is no depth sensor this time.
So here’s the Galaxy A34 in a nutshell. The question now is whether it’s as good as its predecessor and generally a good value. Join us on the following pages as we try to find out.
Ejection from the box
Like its predecessor, the Galaxy A34 comes in a thin two-piece cardboard box.
Samsung does not include a charger with the A34. This isn’t an entirely new development, but one that’s still worth mentioning, especially in the mid-range.
You still get a USB Type-C to Type-C cable in the box inside the paper-thin compartment. The cable is compatible with Samsung’s 25W fast charging, so that part is covered.