Samsung Galaxy A34 5G (SM-A346) Price, Review And Specifications.

Samsung Galaxy A34 5G (SM-A346) Quick Specs:

Display: 6.6" Full-HD+ (2340×1080) 120hz Infinity-U Super AMOLED Panel.

Software: Android 13 OS, Samsung One UI 5.1 Skin.

CPU: MediaTek Dimensity 1080.

RAM: 6GB/8GB (Plus up to 8GB of Virtual RAM).

Storage: 128GB/256GB (expandable to 1TB).

Rear Camera: Triple-lens (48MP+8MP+5MP).

Front Camera: Single-lens (13MP).

Security: Optical Under-display fingerprint reader, Face Unlock.

Port: USB Type-C.

Network: 5G.

Battery: 5,000mAh.

Charging Speed: 25W.

Starting Price:

₦255,000, GH₵ 3,460, EGP 10,849, R 6,499, KSh 40,999, UGX 990,000, $ 249, £ 349, € 329.

Though, unlike most of the competitions, Samsung Galaxy A34 5G (SM-A346) doesn't wear an appealing sleek looks, yet it has a better build quality than most of them. Photos taken with the phone are also more true-to-life. And its AMOLED display is more brighter.

Galaxy A34 also moves faster than most of its contenders. Even, in spite of its lower RAM and lower storage space, the base variant of the phone still delivered a better performance than the competitions. Also, there is an assurance of up to four years of OS update for the Galaxy A34.

At a glance, Samsung Galaxy A34 and the last year's Samsung Galaxy A33 5G (SM-A336) look almost identical, however, the latest phone sports a few modifications; which make it to look more prettier.

Firstly, Galaxy A34 sports a thinner chin (or bottom bezel). And there is no camera bump on the back of the phone. The number of rear cameras, which was four on the earlier phone, has also been reduced to three.

Galaxy A34 also comes in a bigger form factor, and has a slightly bigger display of 6.6-inch (compared to the 6.4-inch of the earlier model). The screen of the latest model also features an higher (120hz) refresh rate. And it's more brighter too.

In addition to those ones, the Samsung's in-house Exynos 1280 CPU that came with the Galaxy A33 5G has also been replaced with MediaTek Dimensity 1080. Also while the base variant of the earlier phone was fitted with 4GB of RAM, the base variant of the Galaxy A34 comes with 6GB of RAM.

Nonetheless, the other RAM option and storage configurations still remain as those of the earlier model. The camera sensors and their megapixels also remain the same (despite that the latest phone has a lower number of rear cameras). Other major attributes such as stereo speakers, battery capacity and charging speed also remain the same.

Meanwhile, although Samsung Galaxy A34 doesn't wear an attractive sleek looks like the competitions, by virtue of its U-shaped notched display, slim chin and flat back cover, the phone still looks classy and feel more premium. Even, as i mentioned before, the build quality of the phone is more better than those of the competitions. For instance, while most of others, at this price point, are either IP54 or IP53 (splash and dust resistance) certified, Galaxy A34 is IP67 (water and dust resistance) certified. And like that of its predecessor, the front of the phone is also protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 5.

Also despite that the 6.6-inch display of the Galaxy A34 is slightly smaller, compared to what many others at this price point are offering, the phone has a wider aspect ratio. In other words, it has a better screen real-estate than them.

And, despite that the screen is also an AMOLED panel and features 1080p resolution like those of the competitions, it's more brighter and renders a more accurate colours.

Samsung Galaxy A34 has a 13-megapixel camera on its front and a 50-megapixel triple camera on its back. Photos taken with these cameras are vivid, detailed and true-to-life. Though there are few others, in this segment, who were able to capture a slightly more detailed photos than the Galaxy A34, but when it comes to colour accuracy, HDR and skin tone, it's hard for them to beat Galaxy A34.  

Under the hood, Samsung Galaxy A34 was pre-installed with the latest version of Samsung One UI. And the phone is running the custom UI on top of the Android 13 OS. In addition to the 6GB of RAM variant, the phone is also available in 8GB of RAM variant. But while the 6GB of RAM variant is paired with 128GB internal storage space, the 8GB of RAM variant is either paired with 128GB or 256GB storage.

In the performance tests, the MediaTek Dimensity 1080 CPU that powered Galaxy A34 outshined Exynos 1280 CPU (that's inside A33) a little. And the phone was able to maintain the better performance in real life, or day to day usage. Also, the phone was able to handle demanding tasks and move faster than most of the competitions, especially the ones with similar processing powers.

Furthermore, and despite that the phone was fitted with a 5,000mAh battery like its predecessor, Galaxy A34 still last longer than that the earlier phone on a single charge. And it also last longer than most of the competitions that feature the same battery capacity.

Unfortunately, Galaxy A34 retain the 25W fast charging of its predecessor, while most of the competitions are offering a much faster charging speeds. Most of these phones also have adapters (chargers) inside their boxes, but you have to buy charger separately for your new Samsung Galaxy A34. This phone also lacks the traditional (3.5mm) audio jack.

Price And Design Colour:

Samsung Galaxy A34 is available in different colours options of Awesome Graphite, Awesome Lime, Awesome Silver, and Awesome Violet. And currently, the price of the base variant (6GB/128GB) is around 255,000 Naira.

Verdict & Other Contenders In This Segment:

Though compared to the competitions, Samsung Galaxy A34 looks a little less appealing, and it's of slightly smaller size, but the phone's camera is one of the best in this segment, if not the best. It also has a better build quality and its AMOLED display is more vibrant and brighter. And for four years to come, the phone will be getting Android OS and security updates consistently. Galaxy A34 also comes with a capable 5G chipset, and it's more power efficient than most of its contenders.

Tecno Camon 20 Pro 5G also features a 120hz 1080p AMOLED display and has an optical under-display fingerprint reader like the Galaxy A34. Even, the Tecno phone wear a more attractive looks and comes in a slightly bigger size. In addition, Camon 20 Pro 5G is powered by a slightly better Dimensity 1050 CPU and it's fitted with an higher megapixels cameras (than the Galaxy A34). Although the shots from the phone looks a little more vibrant and have a slightly saturated colours, the photos are not as true-to-life, neither as detailed, as the ones taken with the Galaxy A34. Also despite that the Tecno phone, which is IP53 certified, also has a good build quality, yet, it's still not as solidly built as the IP67 certified Galaxy A34.

Like the Tecno phone, Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G sports an attractive design and it also comes in a similar bigger size. The phone also features a 120hz AMOLED display like the Samsung and Tecno phones. Even, unlike those of the two phones, the AMOLED display of the Note 12 Pro 5G features HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. Nonetheless, the phone doesn't feature Under-display fingerprint reader. Also unlike the two phones, Note 12 Pro 5G lacks microSD card slot (for storage expansion). But, the phone still features Dimensity 1050 CPU like the Tecno phone. Even, the shots from the Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G look more life-like than those of the Camon 20 Pro 5G. In fact, the shots from the Redmi phone look almost like those of the Galaxy A34.

But, while the Galaxy A34 and Camon 20 Pro 5G are pre-loaded with Android 13 OS, the Redmi phone comes with Android 12 OS pre-installed. Fortunately, the OS can be upgraded to Android 13 and Android 14 (probably the one after too).

Xiaomi Poco X5 Pro 5G is another contender. The X5 Pro 5G shares screen attributes and some other features with the Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G. The Poco phone has an identical 6.7-inch 120hz HDR10+ AMOLED display as the Note 12 Pro. And the screen also lacks Under-display fingerprint reader. The X5 Pro 5G is also pre-installed with Android 12 OS; which is also upgradable to the newer version like the one on the Note 12 Pro 5G. The MicroSD card slot is also missing in this phone too.

However, compared to the Dimensity 1050 that's inside Note 12 Pro 5G (and Camon 20 Pro 5G), Poco X5 Pro 5G is equipped with a more powerful Qualcomm SD778G CPU. Also the phone was able to take a more life-like photos than the Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G. Even, the shots from this Poco phone rivals the ones from the Galaxy A34.

Same Design, Sleeker Looks:

Though as a result of an identical Infnity-U display, Galaxy A34 basically looks like the Galaxy A33, yet apart from the fact that the latest phone's chin (bottom bezel) is thinner, the phone also looks more like the rest of this year's A×× Series. Like the Samsung Galaxy A24 4G (SM-A245F) and Galaxy A54, for instance, Galaxy A34 has a slightly curved frame and flat back cover. The phone also lack rear camera bump, and its three rear cameras are arranged in a manner (vertical) that's similar to those of its siblings. The camera sensors also protrude from the back of the phone (which also implies that the phone can't completely lie flat on its back).

It should be noted that the display of the Galaxy A54 sports a camera cut-out unlike those of the other two (Galaxy A24 and Galaxy A34) that have U-shaped notches. The back cover of the better equipped variant is also made of glass.

Still, Galaxy A34 is the biggest of all of this year's A Series. Yet, in spite of its big size, it's sizable. Furthermore, as i mentioned earlier, the front of the Galaxy A34 is protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 5, but the frame and back cover are made of plastics (though the frames of the Galaxy A54, Galaxy A24, and virtually all other phones in this segments, are also made of plastics).

Galaxy A34 has a weight of 199g; which means it's not only heavier than the 186g Galaxy A33, it's also one of the heaviest phones in this segment. Also, the phone doesn't seem to be solidly built like the earlier model. However, it is more firmly put together than most of the competitions. In defense of that, and while most of others at this price point are either IP54 or IP53 (splash and dust) certified, Galaxy A34 is IP67 (water and dust resistant) certified. Meaning; it can withstand submersion inside water of up to 1 metre deep, for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, the arrangement of ports and buttons are still similar to those of the earlier Galaxy A33. For instance, there's nothing on the left edge of the Galaxy A34 because its single, or dual, Nano SIM+microSD card slot (and tray) are placed on the top edge. Also located on the top edge is the secondary microphone. The primary microphone is placed on the bottom edge, alongside USB Type-C port and first speaker. The second speaker is embedded inside the top bezel of the phone, right above the camera bump. On the right edge is the volume keys and power button. Also like its predecessor, Samsung Galaxy A34 features Optical Under-display fingerprint reader.

Also compared to that of the Galaxy A33, the back cover of the A34 sports a more attractive semi-glossy finish. However, despite that the back cover attracts smudges and fingerprint easily, it's neither as reflective, nor as fingerprints magnet, as that of the Galaxy A24. The frame of the Galaxy A34 is also coated with a more premium looking material, compared to those of the Galaxy A24 and Galaxy A33.

Unrivaled Photography:

Like its predecessor, photography is the major area in which Galaxy A34 really outshines its contenders.

Same as its predecessor, Samsung Galaxy A34 has a 48-megapixel main sensor, an 8-megapixel Ultra-Wide sensor (for taking wider shots or capturing more of what's in front of you without moving backwards), and a 5-megapixel Macro sensor (for taking detailed pictures of close-up objects). In other words, and except for the lack of Depth sensor, Galaxy A34 retain the camera set-up of its predecessor.

As a result of the same camera system, Galaxy A34 was able to maintain the impressively detailed and life-like photos of the earlier Galaxy A33. Even, compared to those of the earlier phone, photos from the A34 looks a little more cleaner (maybe this is due to its better white balance or improved software) and colours are slightly brighter. Yet, despite being a little brighter, colours are not over processed, the photos also have better contrast than the ones from the A33.

And compared to those of others in this segment, photos from the Galaxy A34 are more clearer and detailed (especially the shots taken in 48-megapixel mode because the phone shoots primarily in 12-megapixel mode). Colours also look more accurate and true-to-life. There is an optimum balance between contrast and brightness level too. As a result, Dynamic Range looks much better.

Also in spite of its lack of Depth sensor, the phone was able to take a better-looking portrait shots than most of the competitions that come with dedicated Depth sensors. And subject separations look much better on the Samsung phone.

Whether in normal mode or Night Mode, photos taken at night, or in low light conditions, with Galaxy A34 are also more detailed and clearer. Photos have low noise, and brightly lit areas are not over exposed. HDR also looks impressive.

Photos taken with the phone's Ultra-wide camera are also remarkably clear and detailed. It also has good contrast and appealing colour representation. Also, the Night Mode shots are clear and bright. And HDR also looks decent.

The Macro lens on the Galaxy A34 also did a nice job. As expected, the micro shots are detailed and clear. Colours look vibrant, yet accurate.

Selfies from the Galaxy A34 front-facing camera also look quite impressive. They are surprisingly detailed and clear. And skin tone look really good.

And because the front-facing camera was able to maintain good contrast and brightness level, like the main rear sensor, Dynamic Range is also on point.

By the way, the main rear sensor, the Ultra-wide sensor, and the selfie lens of the Galaxy A34 can shoot videos up to 4k at 30fps (frame per second). And there is Super-steady video recording or video stabilization. Though the video stabilization is Electronics (EIS), not Optical (OIS), and it can only be used in 1080p resolution, yet, the stabilization is good.

Bright And Vivid Display:

Although the slightly bigger 6.6 display of the Samsung Galaxy A34 still has an AMOLED panel and features 1080p resolution like that of the Galaxy A33, but, because the screen has a wider or 19.5:9 aspect ratio (compared to the 20:9 aspect ratio of the earlier one), it has a slightly different 1080p resolution of 2340x1080 (or different pixel density of 390ppi).

Even despite that the two phones AMOLED displays look almost the same when placed side by side, still, the one on the Galaxy A34 is more brighter and has a better contrast. Yet, the latest screen didn't lose the impressive colour accuracy of the earlier one.

Although, there are few others, in this segment, whose AMOLED displays were able to render such colour accuracy and nice contrast, colours still appear a little more accurate on the Galaxy A34 screen. And the screen is also more vivid and a little more brighter. Which makes it to be more usable under direct sunlight.

The peak brightness of this screen is almost 500nit in manual mode, and over 1000nit in auto or adaptive. Unfortunately, unlike that of the Galaxy A54, the screen of the A34 doesn't support HDR10, in spite of its high brightness level.

Nonetheless, Galaxy A34 screen is Widevine L1 DRM certified. Meaning you can watch videos in "High Definitions" on media streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime.

And if you'd still prefer a screen that features HDR10, the 6.67-inch Xiaomi Poco X5 Pro is worth considering. As said earlier, The Poco X5 Pro display supports HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. So also the one on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G.

Like most of the others, the screen of the Galaxy A34 features 120hz screen refresh; an upgrad from the earlier phone's 90hz refresh rate. However, unlike those of other phones, the screen lack adaptive or automatic refresh mode. You either set it to High (120hz) refresh rate or Standard (60hz) refresh rate.

Upgraded CPU and Recent Software:

Out-of-the-box, Galaxy A34 is pre-installed with the latest Samsung One UI 5.1. Skin; running on top of the Android 13 OS. And there's an assurance of up to four years of OS updates (and five years of security patches) for the Galaxy A34.

Though Galaxy A34 retain the 6GB and 8GB of RAM of its predecessor, but in comparison to the Exynos 1280 that's inside the earlier phone, the MediaTek Dimensity 1080 that powered the latest phone is more of an upgrade. Because as i mentioned earlier, and despite that the new phone is bundled with the latest software, it still scored a little higher marks (in performance tests) than its predecessor. Though the gaps in their performances and processing speeds are not that wide, nonetheless, Galaxy A34 moves a little faster and handle demanding tasks better than its predecessor.

Also, despite the fact that the MediaTek CPU that's inside Galaxy A34 is a 6nm chipset, compared to the A33's 5nm CPU, the latest phone is a little more power efficient than the earlier one.

Even with screen refresh rate setting to 120hz, and games' Graphics and Frame Rates on the high side, Samsung Galaxy A34 was able to handle most of the popular graphics demanding games more effortlessly and smoother than its predecessor and most of the competitions.

And to ensure a consistent smooth performance, Samsung Galaxy A34 features RAM Plus (or RAM Virtualization), like most of other recent entry-level and mid-range phones. RAM Plus enables you to covert up to 8GB, out of the phone's inbuilt storage, to virtual RAM.

Also whether you go for 128GB or 256GB internal storage option, the inbuilt storage capacity of the Galaxy A34 can still be expanded, via microSD card, up to 1TB (One Terabyte).

Remarkable Battery Life:

The Samsung Galaxy A34 has an impressive battery life. As i said earlier, and in spite of its bigger display and slightly bigger 6nm chipset, the latest phone has a better battery life than the earlier Galaxy A33 (which also features the same 5,000mAh battery).

Although, apart from that of its predecessor, the battery life of the A34 is also more better than those of the competitions, However, as i said before, the phone features a lower (25W) fast charging rate (compared to those of the competitions). Also you need buy charger separately for this phone. Because like its predecessor, it doesn't come with a charger.

And as a result of the same 25W fast charging, the charging time remain as that of the earlier model. With a proprietary (Samsung) 25W charger, it'll take you about an hour thirty two minutes to fully charged Samsung Galaxy A34 battery from zero percent.

Full Specifications Of The Samsung Galaxy A34 5G (SM-A346):

GENERAL

Maker: Samsung Mobile.

Name: Galaxy A34 (SM-A3460/SM-A346E/ SM-A346B).

Year Released: May, 2023.

Dimensions: 161.3x78.1x8.2mm

Weight: 199g (7.02 oz).

Protection: IP67 (Water and Dust) Resistance Certified.

Colour: Awesome Graphite, Awesome Lime, Awesome Silver & Awesome Violet.

DISPLAY
Screen Type: Super AMOLED Capacitive Touch-screen.

Size and Resolution: 6.6-inch, Full-HD+, 2340-by-1080 pixels, 120Hz (high) Refresh Rate.

Aspect ratio & Pixel Densities: 19.5:9, 390PPI.

Glass Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass 5 (Front)

PORTS:

3.5mm Audio Jack: No.

USB Type-C Port: Yes.

MicroUSB port: No.

Lightning Connector: No.

Google Assistant Button: No.

PERFORMANCE

Chipset: MediaTek (MT6877V) Dimensity 1080 6nm Octa-core Processor, 2.6GHz.

GPU: Mali-G68 MC4.

RAM: 6GB/8GB (With up to 8GB of Virtual RAM).

Operating System: Android 13, One UI 5.1 Samsung custom Skin.

STORAGE

Internal Storage: 128GB/256GB.

Micro-SD card slot: Yes, up to 1TB (One Terabyte).

SIM AND NETWORK

SIM: Nano, Dual SIM slots.

Network:  GSM, HSPA+, LTE, & 5G.

CAMERA

Rear camera: Triple-lens; 48MP (Wide)+8MP (Ultra-Wide)+5MP (Macro), Quad-Flash.

Front camera: Single-lens, 13MP+ Dual Front Flash.

VIDEO RECORDING:

Rear Cameras: 720p, 1080p, 4K @ 30 fps.

Front Camera: 720p, 1080p, 4K @ 30 fps.

CONNECTIVITY:

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3, HotSpots, USB-OTG, NFC (depends on region).

BIOMETRIC, SENSORS & LOCATION: 

Security: Face Unlock, Optical Under-display Fingerprint Reader.

Sensors: Ambient light, Virtual Proximity, G-sensor, Accelerometer And

Barometer.

Others: GPS, Location (Geo, Glonass), BDS, QZSS.

BATTERY

Battery Capacity: 5,000mAh.

Qi Wireless-Charging: N/a.

Fast Charging: 25W (Wired).