SPOT.ph Roadtest: Does This Samsung Phone Live Up to Its Looks?
We put the phone's performance to the test.
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(SPOT.ph) Looks, albeit not everything, give the first impression. Especially when it comes to products—their aesthetics lure you in, make you curious, and urge you to get them off the shelves to examine them more closely... and eventually, buy them. It's exactly what went down when we first laid our eyes on Korean tech giant Samsung's latest Samsung Galaxy A34 model.
Also read: SPOT.ph Roadtest: This Samsung Phone Is Just Right for Daily Use and It’s Under P10,000
Fast facts
Price: Starts at P19,990
Where to buy: Authorized Samsung retailers starting March 31. You can pre-order on Samsung's website or on Lazada.
Colors: Graphite, Violet
Display: 6.6" FHD+ Super AMOLED with Super Smooth 120Hz refresh rate (1080 x 2340)
Battery: 5,000 mAh (25W fast charging)
Charger input: Type-C
Sim type: Dual
Storage: 8+128GB (P19,990) and 8+256GB (P21,990)
First impressions
One would think that this phone belongs in Samsung's flagship phone lineup, the S series—so imagine the look of surprise and amusement when revealed to be one of the brand's mid-range models. One would argue that the look and feel of the Samsung Galaxy A34 5G are much like the S series, with cleaner, sharper edges plus a premium matte finish with three elevated camera lenses. We got our hands on a pretty and poppin' violet color called the Awesome Violet, a shade we're familiar with from the Borahae purple Flip Z and other offerings from Samsung. It is one of the only two color options the phone comes in. The other is a sleek graphite color. The phone is light in this writer's hand, only weighing 199 grams.
Unlike the one we've reviewed before, the Galaxy A04s, the A34 is missing the earphone jack—so you need to have wireless earbuds or headphones to listen to your tunes or watch your shows—with the charging port and the speaker in the same places. On the side are the buttons for volume and power button. On top is the SIM Card slot.
The essential applications like Google apps, Facebook, Spotify, Netflix, and even TikTok and Lazada were already pre-installed on the phone.
Key features, performance
Coming from the A04s—which has its laggy moments a few days of usage after—the A34 is better in terms of navigation and performance courtesy of its octa-core processor and connection in 5G. Fingers easily glide on the screen, making it a lot easier and faster to type in messages on the keyboard. Application transitions and opening are quick and smooth.
The phone has a big (and bright) display with great quality sound that rivals even my sister's mini-speaker on full blast. Consider it the perfect companion for binge-watching your favorite K-Drama series or a fully-immersive gameplay. Speaking of games, I enjoyed playing Genshin Impact on the Galaxy A34s with its great specs and animations. No problems as well with the audio or microphone for calls and even recording. Everyone can hear me loud and clear.
Battery life
You can watch and play for hours without worrying about draining the phone too quickly, thanks to its 5,000mAh battery life. It loads up pretty quickly, too, so you don't have to wait too long to fill up the juice.
Camera
The A34 features three cameras on the back: a 48-megapixel OIS Main (F1.8); 8MP Ultra Wide (F2.2); and 5MP Macro (F2.4). You can fully utilize its camera features—there are the Pro mode, Food mode, Portrait, and Macro—to take premium photos with clear-cut details. There's also Bixby Vision, a Samsung feature that helps the visually impaired by "describing what the camera sees" and the AR Zone. One notable thing is its night mode, which allows you to take good pictures and videos at night. For your front camera, the phone has 13MP (F2.2) for your selfies.
The verdict:
Hardware-wise, it looks like you have an S series phone without breaking the bank. Its performance and features are just right for its affordable price of P19,990. Looks can be deceiving yes, but it looks like it won't be the case for this Samsung A34. You can pre-order online on Samsung's website. If you want to check out other Samsung models, you can also find them on Lazada.
Links are updated regularly and as much as possible but note that products can run out of stock, discounts can expire, and listed prices can change without prior notice.
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