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:

Disclaimer. We can not guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct.

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.

Alternatives

The Galaxy A34 has a pretty reasonable launch MSRP of right around €400/INR 30,999/KRW499,400. That would be for a base 128GB 6GB RAM unit. As you can probably imagine, there is no shortage of competition in this price bracket.

 

 

 

 

An instantly viable option would be to consider an alternative Samsung device. While the Galaxy A52s 5G remains viable and a favorite of ours for its superior chipset, it is getting on in age at this point, and we would rather go for the Galaxy A53 5G instead. But only if you find a good deal on it since it is not decidedly any better specs-wise than the A34. It does offer a higher-resolution camera setup with arguably slightly better EIS, but that’s about it. And on the flip side, you will have to settle for briefer software support since it is a 2022 model.

One line that instantly comes to mind is Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 12. It has become fairly confusing with all of the models being released under it, but that should be okay with potential buyers since there is a lot of value to be had. The vanilla Redmi Note 12 is one option that can save you quite a big chunk of change since it retails for under €300. The Redmi Note 12 Turbo is another very popular device in our database that deserves a mention. It might, however, be harder to find at retailers. Hence, we are going to recommend the Redmi Note 12 Pro, which we have already reviewed. For a little over €300, it delivers features like IP53 ingress protection, Gorilla Glass 5 on the front, stereo speakers, a large 5,000 mAh battery with 67W charging, 6.67-inch, 10-bit, 120Hz, Dolby Vision and HDR10+ certified OLED display and a versatile camera system with a 50MP OIS snapper at the helm.

 

 

Samsung Galaxy A53 5G • Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro • vivo V27 • Google Pixel 6a

 

 

The vivo V27 is another interesting direct competitor to the Galaxy A34. Retailing for about as much, it offers a 10-bit, HDR10+ certified display, a superior Dimensity 7200 chipset with more RAM (8GB) in its base tier and a more versatile camera setup, especially when it comes to video capture, where the V27 has gyro-EIS and 4K@60fps recording. Its 50MP selfie cam also has autofocus and a pair of front-facing LED flash modules, making the V27 a selfie powerhouse. The slightly smaller 4,600 mAh battery on the vivo is also capable of much faster 66W charging. On the flip side, however, you will be giving up on ingress protection by going with the vivo V27.

Why not consider the Google Pixel 6a as well? It offers a premium build with an aluminum frame and Gorilla Glass 3 front, complete with IP67 ingress protection, just like the Galaxy A34. It also comes packing stereo speakers and an HDR OLED panel. Though one that is just 60Hz and notably smaller. While far from a powerhouse, Google’s custom Tensor chipset also offers some nice features like 4K@60fps video capture and Wi-Fi 6e. The main camera on the Pixel 6a also comes with OIS, dual-pixel PDAF and pixel shift technology. It is also backed up by Google’s computational photography algorithms. And last but not least, there is the potential appeal of AOSP software, which is a major draw for many buyers.

The verdict

The Galaxy A34 is a great mid-range device. No question about that. It is not too dissimilar from its predecessor, which is frankly a good thing. Certain staples of the model are here to stay, like the IP67 ingress protection rating, the stereo speakers and the large battery.

 

 

 

 

This year, in particular, the A34 has grown considerably. With a 6.6-inch panel, it is now bigger than both its predecessor and the Galaxy A54. The new display is 120Hz as well, which is a nice little upgrade over last year’s 90Hz. Even though the A34 lacks automatic refresh rate switching, we still appreciate the jump-up in smoothness. Add the excellent maximum brightness to the mix, and the A34 manages to almost match the display of its more-expensive A54 sans the HDR capabilities.

The chipset choice on the Galaxy A34 is also seemingly working in its favor. While the new Samsung Exynos 1380 does manage to offer a bit higher performance on the A54, the Dimensity 1080 inside the Galaxy A34 holds its own. Plus, it offers great power efficiency, contributing towards the excellent battery life of the A34.

The Galaxy A34 doesn’t improve much over its A33 5G predecessor in the camera department, but it offers a very well-rounded mid-range camera experience. The triple main camera setup is versatile, too.

 

 

 

 

Struggling to find any major faults with the Galaxy A34. It is an excellent device that deserves plenty of praise and a hearty recommendation.

Pros

• IP67-rated design, attractive & sturdy design.
• Larger and brighter 120Hz AMOLED screen.
• Excellent battery life.
• Stereo speakers with good quality.
• Latest Android and One UI.
• Good performance for this price range and perfect thermal behavior.
• Great photo and video quality, lossless 2x zoom, great selfie photos&videos.
• 5G, NFC, microSD.

Cons

• No charger in the box.
• No automatic refresh rate switching.
• Video stabilization only available in 1080p.