Samsung Galaxy A34 5G review: Same phone as the A54, but cheaper

The A34 is a great device that also supports 5G, and if you do not want to spend between KES 15K-20K more for the A54, the A34 is a perfect buy that should meet your phone needs for the next couple of years.
Samsung Galaxy A34
Samsung Galaxy A34 5G


Samsung has released a number of phones in 2023. I have had the chance to use a couple of them, including the S23 series released earlier this year, the A54, the A34 (the A-series for 2023), and hopefully soon, one of its latest bending phones (the Flip5 and Fold5). However, amid the excitement of using these handhelds, I have come to appreciate what Samsung is doing for the industry.

Samsung AD

READ MORE: SAMSUNG GALAXY A54 REVIEW

While you can say its devices have peaked in terms of design and overall software experience, there is still a lot that can be done because innovation comes in different forms. A case in point is Samsung’s software update policy that extends up to five years, an industry first. Samsung is also sharing its premium design features with mid-range smartphones, as evident from the 2023 releases. For instance, the A34, the star of this assessment, looks just like the A54, which in turn resembles the S23 or S23+, with only some insignificant cosmetic differences. This, to me, is a good thing, and I would love to see this approach replicated in the future.

To be honest, I had middling expectations when the A34 arrived at my desk. I wasn’t expecting it to wow me (especially since it arrived alongside other heavy hitters such as the Redmi 12 Pro+ and the Camon 20 Premier). However, that changed as soon as I used it for a couple of days, and it ended up being my daily driver for three weeks. My initial concerns were about performance and a screen with a notch, which made it look outdated as most phone makers have moved away from using notches. However, I got over it and came to appreciate what I love about Samsung devices, including a superior software experience and access to my backups from five years ago.

The design is safe but functional

If you have used the S23 or the A54, then the A34 is basically the same device, albeit with toned-down specs. It looks the same as the two, has the same floating camera design on the back, and has similarly placed hardware buttons. Its screen is slightly bigger at 6.5” (the A54 has a 6.4” display), refreshes at 120 Hz, is bright and excellent outdoors, and is ideally modern – save for the notch.

The A34 also includes an IP rating, meaning it can survive a dunk in water. That is a rare feature in a phone that costs under KES 50,000, and I am glad it is here. There is nothing to fault with the A34 in terms of design, and while some might call it boring or ‘careful,’ I still like it because it works for me. It is also worth noting that rivals are much more interesting: the Camon 20 Premier, for instance, has a unique camera island design and a grippier back than the A54’s plastic backplate.

The speakers sound glorious


The A34 has punchy stereo speakers with a satisfying amount of bass, even at high volume. These speakers make me wish that all phones shipped with a stereo setup. At the risk of making this sound like a comparison, the speakers are much better than the pair in the Camon 20 Premier and the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ (I mentioned these devices because they cost nearly the same amount of money). If you don’t believe me, try listening to them side by side – it’s an easy win for the A34.

I didn’t see the need to use my Bluetooth earbuds when watching YouTube clips. I also felt that the speakers were actually bigger physically, considering the A34 is a chunky phone and wider than its rivals due to its different aspect ratio. Bigger and well-tuned speakers are always better.

It is worth noting that if you are selling an upper-midrange phone, ensure it has excellent speakers (I am looking at the vivo V27 – although its successor, the V29, seems to have fixed that issue).

Performance is the same as the A54

You may have noticed that I have not mentioned the specs packed in the A34, and there is a good reason for that. Modern phones have improved in terms of performance and stability. Specs are important, but they don’t always translate to real-life user experience. I could tell you about a phone with great hardware on paper but performs dismally in real life, but that is a story for another day. My point is that you do not need to invest too much in specs, provided your phone is silky smooth and executes other phone functions just fine.

Now, the A34 ships with a Dimensity 1080 chip, with 6 GB or 8 GB of RAM. The A54 has the same RAM options but comes with an Exynos 1380. These two chips have almost the same benchmark numbers, and real-life performance is identical. I was actually surprised because I had expected inferior performance compared to the A54. In other words, the A34 is a speedy phone. It loads apps quickly, runs through the UI smoothly, and doesn’t get bogged down by multiple apps running in the background. The only difference between it and the A54 is that it has a notched screen, and the cameras are slightly inferior, but in terms of performance, they are the same. And that is a good thing.

Missteps and conclusion

Please, Samsung, kindly let go of notched displays. It makes the A34 look like a phone from four years ago, which is not a good thing to say about a device costing nearly KES 50,000.

The software could also be improved, especially the Quick Settings panel. It looks outdated compared to the competition, which has improved this feature to match modern times.

I also don’t like the idea that the phone ships with only a USB cable, and the user has to spend more money for a charger. That is not cool at all. What’s worse is that the A34 is stuck on 25W charging, which is just too slow compared to the competition. For instance, the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ ships with a 120W power brick that tops up the device in about 20 minutes. There is no excuse for Samsung’s aging and slow charging bricks and speeds; we hope this will be addressed too.

Nonetheless, the A34 is a great device that also supports 5G, and if you do not want to spend between KES 15K-20K more for the A54, the A34 is a perfect buy that should meet your phone needs for the next couple of years.

Cheers!

Telegram Ad
Total
0
Shares
Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Previous Post
DStv Stream

MultiChoice brings DStv Stream to Kenya

Next Post
Eliud Owalo

ODPC expands regional reach to Mombasa

Related Posts