Samsung A series phones are nothing but Galaxy S Lite in spirit. Over the years, these phones have built a reputation for offering premium-tier features – reminiscent of a Galaxy S— at mid-premium pricing making high-end tech like waterproofing and optically stabilised cameras more affordable so even more people can access it. Lately, these phones have also offered a design scheme that borrows heavily from the significantly more expensive Galaxy S phones. All in all, the value proposition of these – A series— phones is quite literally, awesome, more often than not. Case in point: the new Galaxy A54 5G and Galaxy A34 5G.
The design, itself, is so reminiscent of the Galaxy S23, we had to look twice as soon as we unboxed them, just to be sure. But you can get the A54 and A34 in brighter, bolder, more energetic colours, which isn’t the case with the S23 phones. We feel that’s a pro, really, especially for the young TG that Samsung is probably eyeing with these phones. The A54 is available in lime, graphite, and violet. The A34 in lime, graphite, and silver.
The build materials are a bit different. The A54 is being billed as a slightly more premium phone with a glass back. This is a bit glossy, though not totally mirror-like. Samsung is using Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The A34, on the other hand, uses “glasstic” which is Samsung’s marketing speak for plastic. The finish is matte and it feels really, really nice. Both phones are IP67 rated making them resistant to dust, spills, and splashes. The cameras are “floating” meaning they are stacked individually and aligned vertically. Samsung is using a metal deco around the lenses matching the colour of the devices. The frame, too, uses matching colours, though it’s made of matte plastic.
The A54 and 34 are flat sided and have rounded corners. The A54 naturally weighs slightly more at 202g (versus A34’s 199g) but the A34 is actually the bigger device on paper with a 6.6-inch screen (versus the A54’s 6.4-inch). Both have Super AMOLED panels with 1080p resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. There is Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection, too. The A54 has a hole punch cutout and the A34 a waterdrop-style notch. You get a 32MP selfie camera in the A54 while the A34 has a watered-down 13MP shooter on the front.
Speaking of cameras, the A54 5G gets you a triple camera system on the rear headlined by a 50MP main sensor (f/1.8 OIS). This is mated to a 12MP ultrawide and another 5MP macro. The A34’s triple camera setup is a combination of 48MP main (f/1.8 OIS), 8MP ultrawide, and 5MP macro. So far, their performance has been respectable showing good potential but we’ll need more time to give you a clearer picture.
While we’re on performance, Samsung has chosen to go with the Eynos 1380 in the A54 while the A34 has the MediaTek Dimensity 1080 under the hood. Both devices come with 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage— this is expandable. We’ve found them to be fast and snappy in our limited time. For those seeking some benchmark numbers, the A54 scored 513256 and A34 479244 on AnTuTu. A 15-minute CPU throttling test showed promising results, too. So, fingers crossed.
But perhaps the biggest draw is the underlying software and Samsung’s long-term support commitment. Both A54 and A34 are running the latest One UI 5.1 based on Android 13, same as the Galaxy S23 phones. There’s been a big change in how people buy smartphones post the pandemic with most wanting to stick with theirs for longer, than before, and for that group the A54 and A34 are a no-brainer at their respective price points. There is no other brand that can give you this level of future-proofing in the segment.
The Galaxy A34 5G price in India starts at Rs 30,999 for a version with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. A version with double the storage will set you back by Rs 32,999. The Galaxy A54 5G starts at Rs 38,999 for 8GB/128GB. The 8GB/256GB A54 5G will cost Rs 40,999. General availability is pegged for March 28, 2023.
The Galaxy A54 5G and Galaxy A34 5G have a lot going for themselves, at least on paper. Our first impressions, too, are largely positive. Both phones bring a dash of colour and a dollop of future-proofing at a more affordable price making some— if not all— of the Galaxy S23 series feature set accessible to the masses. That’s a winning combination right there. But be sure to stick around for our full review of the A54 and A34 dropping soon for a more thorough deep-dive into the two devices with pros and cons and detailed verdict.
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