Samsung Galaxy A34 review

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Introduction

The Galaxy A34 is here and is doing its best to continue building on top of a successful value formula. The A34 is not unlike the A33 5G before it, but there are a few noteworthy differences.

The A34 has grown noticeably. It now has a 6.6-inch diagonal, up from 6.4 inches in last year's model, and it's now got a larger and heavier body. This means the A34 is now bigger even than the current Galaxy A54.

The display on the new A34 is not only bigger but is now also faster at a 120Hz refresh rate. It is also shorter and wider at a 19.5:9 aspect ratio with smaller bezels.

Another notable change is the chipset. Instead of relying on an in-house Exynos chipset like last year, Samsung went for a MediaTek Dimensity 1080 chip this time. That's one interesting development, given that the Galaxy A54 did get a new Samsung Exynos 1380 chip.

Samsung Galaxy A34 specs at a glance:

• Body: 161.3x78.1x8.2mm, 199g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), plastic frame, plastic back; IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 min).
• Display: 6.60" Super AMOLED, 120Hz, 1080x2340px resolution, 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 390ppi.
• Chipset: Mediatek MT6877V Dimensity 1080 (6 nm): Octa-core (2x2.6 GHz Cortex-A78 & 6x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55); Mali-G68 MC4.
• Memory: 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM; microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot).
• OS/Software: Android 13, One UI 5.1.
• Rear 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-degree, 1/4.0", 1.12µm; Macro: 5 MP, f/2.4.
• Front camera: 13 MP, f/2.2, (wide), 1/3.1", 1.12µm.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps, 720p@480fps; Front camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps.
• Battery: 5000mAh; 25W wired.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); stereo speakers; Virtual proximity sensing.

Aside from these changes, the Galaxy A34 makes sure to stick closely to an already-established formula without major deviations. Some important specs highlights still include an IP67 ingress protection rating and a stereo speaker setup. The Galaxy A34 also retains its large 5,000 mAh battery with 25W fast charging. Its camera looks mostly unchanged from last year, with a 48MP main camera, 8MP ultrawide, a 5MP macro cam and a 13MP selfie. No depth sensor this time around, though.

So, that's the Galaxy A34 in a nutshell. The question now is whether it is as good as its predecessor and good value in general. Join us on the following pages as we try to find that out.

Unboxing

The Galaxy A34 comes in a thin two-piece cardboard box like its predecessor.

Samsung does not include a charger with the A34. That's not exactly a new development, but one that still deserves mention, especially in the midrange.

You do still get a USB Type-C to Type-C cable in the box inside the thin paper compartment. The cable is compatible with Samsung's 25W fast charging, so that bit is covered.