Samsung Galaxy A34

At Rs. 116,999, the Samsung Galaxy A34 is good value for buyers who want a reliable Samsung that lasts, rather than the most powerful phone for the money.

• Strengths: excellent battery life, a bright 120Hz Super AMOLED screen, IP67 water and dust resistance, steady gaming performance, microSD support, and long software support with no annoying ads.
• Weaknesses: a dated waterdrop notch, plastic back, average ultrawide camera, no stabilisation in 4K video, buzzy haptics, no HDR and no charger in the box.

If you buy it, pick the 8GB RAM version for smoother multitasking. The newer Samsung Galaxy A56 costs Rs. 129,999 and brings a more premium build, faster charging and longer update support, so it is worth considering if your budget stretches. Otherwise, the A34 is a sensible, low-risk choice for everyday use.

The 6.6-inch Super AMOLED panel has a 1080 x 2340 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate, up from 90 Hertz on the Galaxy A33. It is bright, colours and contrast look great, viewing angles are wide, and scrolling feels smooth without lag. High brightness mode reaches 1000 nits, and GSMArena rated outdoor brightness in auto mode as very good.

There are a few limits:

• No HDR support, but Widevine L1 lets Netflix and similar apps stream in full HD.
• The refresh rate does not switch automatically; it stays at the setting you choose, even during video.
• The waterdrop notch looks dated next to punch-hole screens.

Gorilla Glass 5 protects the front, and the always-on display can be scheduled. The optical in-display fingerprint reader is fast and reliable.

The MediaTek Dimensity 1080 (6 nm) handles daily apps, social media and multitasking smoothly, and One UI is well optimised for it. GSMArena praised its thermal behaviour, so it stays cool under load.

Gaming is a strength for this class:

• Genshin Impact at medium settings holds 30 FPS with about 96% stability.
• PUBG Mobile runs at 60fps with smooth graphics and extreme frame rate, or HDR graphics at ultra frame rate.

Reports differ on how it compares with the Galaxy A54: it delivers steadier frame rates in games, while GSMArena found the A54's Exynos 1380 slightly faster in benchmarks. Choose the 8GB RAM version for heavier multitasking.

The 48 MP main camera with optical stabilisation takes pleasing photos with good dynamic range, balanced colours and shadows, and consistent results in both daylight and night shots. Portraits are good enough for social media, though they can lean a little warm.

• Ultrawide: the 8 MP ultrawide is average, with softer detail and a visible colour shift from the main camera.
• Macro: a 5 MP macro camera handles close-ups.
• Selfies: the 13 MP front camera gives natural skin tones and good colour, and can record 4K at 30fps, rare in this class.
• Video: the rear camera records good-quality 4K at 30fps with little cropping, but without stabilisation. At 1080p, optical stabilisation works, and Super Steady mode adds extra smoothing.

Super slow motion, portrait mode on both cameras and a Fun mode with filters round out the camera app.

The 5000 mAh battery is the Galaxy A34's standout feature. Normal use gives over 7 hours with the screen on, and heavier days with gaming and camera use still reach about 6 hours, ahead of the Galaxy A54. GSMArena gave it a 133-hour endurance rating and called it stellar.

Charging is slower. The phone supports 25W wired charging, but there is no charger in the box, only a USB-C cable. With Samsung's 25W adapter it reaches about half in 30 minutes and a full charge in about 1 hour 25 minutes. There is no wireless charging.

The Galaxy A34 launched with Android 13 and One UI 5.1. Samsung promised four Android upgrades and five years of security updates. WhatMobile reported that it received Android 16 with One UI 8 in October 2025, and Android 17 with One UI 9 is expected to be its final major upgrade.

One UI is polished and full-featured, close to Samsung's flagships in settings and options:

• No annoying ads and little bloatware.
• Secure Folder for private apps and files.
• A schedulable always-on display and a well-optimised dark mode.

The main software drawback is that major upgrades are nearing their end, so buyers who keep phones for many years should weigh that against newer Galaxy A models.