Samsung Galaxy M34: A Capable and Pragmatic Smartphone

Anupam Das
September 3, 2024

1. Samsung Galaxy M34: First Impression

While the world takes notice when a flashy, uber-smart, and expensive smartphone comes to the market, budget smartphones serve its market segment with intelligence, integrity, and sincerity. Samsung has carved out a ‘niche’ within the budget smartphone segment and M-series smartphones are some of the most sought-after budget smartphones in the market. One such sought-after smartphone is Samsung Galaxy M34, the predecessor of the newly released Samsung Galaxy M35. Even though the Samsung Galaxy M34 was launched in July 2023 and its successor – Galaxy M35 – has improved immensely, the Samsung Galaxy M34 still remains viable and relevant.

Samsung Galaxy M34 has a typical M-series design and looks. It is a rectangular-shaped smartphone with rounded corners. It feels a bit heavy and thick in the hand. The reason for it being heavy and thick is its big battery. We will talk about the battery in a later segment. It has a plastic frame instead of a metal one. The plastic frame adds some lightness to this already bulky phone. However, the plastic frame is not cheap at all. It is sturdy and provides comprehensive protection. The backside is made of polymer thermoplastic which feels smooth and looks shiny. However, the shiny backside will attract dust and unwanted fingerprint marks. The display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5.

The main cameras are settled in a column on the left side of the back of the phone. The three main camera lenses are surrounded by three ring-shaped protrudes. There is a flash on the right side of these cameras. The selfie camera is a small, round-shape, classic notch camera, located at the top-middle portion of the screen.

The left side of the smartphone has a hybrid SIM tray that can accommodate two nano-SIMs or a nano-SIM and a MicroSD. The right side has a volume button on a slightly raised surface and a fingerprint scanner, which also acts as the power button, on a slightly lower surface. The bottom of the smartphone has a 3.5 mm jack, a microphone, a USB port, and a speaker grille. At the top, there is a noise-canceling microphone that reduces the effects of the surrounding sounds.

2. Samsung Galaxy M34: Measurements, Weight, and Build

Samsung Galaxy M34 has a rectangular shape with a height of 16.17 cm / 6.36 inches and a width of 7.72 cm / 3.03 inches. In terms of thickness, the Samsung Galaxy M34 is actually slimmer than both its predecessor (Samsung Galaxy M33) and its successor (Samsung Galaxy M35). While Samsung Galaxy M33 has a thickness of 0.94 cm / 0.37 inches and Samsung Galaxy M35 has a thickness of 0.91 cm / 0.36, Samsung Galaxy M34 has a thickness of 0.88 cm /0.35 inches.

Samsung Galaxy M34 is heavier than the predecessor Samsung Galaxy M33 but is lighter than the successor Samsung Galaxy M35. While the Samsung Galaxy M33 weighs 198 grams and the Samsung Galaxy M35 weighs 222 grams, the Samsung Galaxy M34 weighs 208 grams. Interestingly all three smartphones have big 6000 mAh batteries which may contribute to the thickness and bulkiness of these smartphones.

As mentioned before, the Samsung Galaxy M34 has a plastic frame. The backside has a shiny polymer thermoplastic cover that reflects a lot of light. However, it is susceptible to dust and fingerprint smudges and smears. The plastic frame is well-built and appears tough. However, users must handle it with care as a drop from a very high elevation may damage the smartphone. The front of the smartphone is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and provides solid shielding. However, the smartphone does not have any IP ratings. It is splash-resistant but is not water-resistant or dust-resistant. Users need to be careful not to drop it into the water.

3. Samsung Galaxy M34: CPU, GPU, and OS

Samsung Galaxy M34 comes with Samsung’s own octa-core Exynos 1280 CPU. Its predecessor Galaxy M33 also uses the same chipset. So there is no improvement for this smartphone in terms of CPU. It has two Cortex-A78 cores with a maximum speed of 2.4 GHz. It also has six Cortex-A55 cores with a maximum speed of 2.0 GHz. The CPU is made by using a 5-nanometer process. The CPU uses Universal Flash Storage version 2.1 with a Read Speed of 500 MB/s and a Write speed of 200 MB/s for a single channel. It also uses LPDDR4x memory type with 2.13 GHz of memory frequency and a maximum bandwidth of 17 Gbits/s.

The CPU also integrates the AI engine with the Neural Processing Unit which can perform 4.3 Trillion Operations per Second (TOPS). The processor comes with an integrated Mali G68 MP4 GPU. The GPU is based on Valhall 2nd Generation architecture and has a frequency of 0.98 GHz. It supports Vulkun, OpenCL, and OpenGL APIs, and DirectX 12. It can perform 490 Billion Floating Points Operations Per Second. Samsung Galaxy M34 comes with Android 13 and One UI 6. It provides 4 OS upgrades.

The CPU and GPU combination of the Samsung Galaxy M34 provides a mediocre performance. The phone is good for normal tasks such as internet browsing, taking images, recording videos, social media browsing, etc. However, this phone can not support heavy-duty tasks such as HD multi-media editing or high-octane gaming. The performance falters while playing HD videos and the refresh rate dips as it does not have a HDR feature. Users may also face heating issues while playing high-intense games for more than 30 minutes. The screen may freeze or lag.

4. Samsung Galaxy M34: Display

Samsung Galaxy M34 has a Super AMOLED display. It has a uniform but relatively thick bezel, especially at the bottom of the phone. Still, the display provides a good viewing area. The display is protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass 5. It is a 6.5-inch or 16.51 cm display with 103.8 square cm or 16.08 square-inch screen area. In terms of both display size and area, Samsung Galaxy M34 has devolved from its predecessor Galaxy M33 which has a 6.6 inch or 16.76 cm display and 104.9 square cm or 16.26 square inch screen area.

Samsung Galaxy M34 also has a lower maximum resolution compared to the Galaxy M33. While the Samsung Galaxy M33 has a maximum resolution of 2408 X 1080 pixels with an aspect ratio of 20:9 and a pixel-per-inch density of 400, the Samsung Galaxy M34 comes with a maximum resolution of 2340 X 1080 with an aspect ratio of 19.5:9 and a pixel per inch density of 396.

The Samsung Galaxy M34 has a refresh rate of 120 Hz. Unfortunately, it does not provide HDR features. Still, the display is decent with good response speed. The speed of opening an app and browsing through it is good. Scrolling the screen is also fast and does not provide any major issues. Browsing the internet, internet browsers, and social media comes with a decent experience. The visibility and the colors are good and the transformation is smooth. The display has the highest 1000 nits. The brightness of the screen is good. It provides a good outdoor viewing experience. However, exposure to direct Sunlight may dull the display.

5. Samsung Galaxy M34: Cameras

Concerning camera design and features, the Galaxy M34 differs significantly from its predecessor – the Galaxy M33. The Samsung Galaxy M33 has four cameras and they are nestled at the top-left corner of the back of the phone. The four cameras are arranged in two columns in a square-shaped space. The Samsung Galaxy M34 has three cameras and they are settled in one column at the top-left corner of the back of the phone.

At the top of the column, there is an 8 MP ultra-wide camera with a view of 123^o. It has a f/2.2 size of aperture. This camera can capture a wide-angle view of the surroundings. The daytime images from this camera look good and crisp and it captures the colors in detail. However, the nighttime images may lack clarity and may appear dull in low light. Due to the smaller aperture size, the camera lens can not capture sufficient light in a dull and dreary environment.

However, the main camera is superlative. It is a 50 MP wide camera with an aperture of f/1.8. The camera works perfectly in both daytime and nighttime. The daytime images are incredible with amazing details and sharpness. The colors come alive in the images with superb contrast and hue. The images capture the variability of the different shades of the colors. The nighttime images are also very good. The clarity and the sharpness are incredible. Due to the relatively large size of the aperture, sufficient light enters the camera lens. Hence, the main camera is very good in a low-light environment. Even in a dusky and gloomy surrounding, the images look vibrant and sublime.

At the bottom of the column, there is a 2 MP macro camera. It has a f/2.4 aperture. This camera is used for close-up photography. Images of small objects can be captured with good focus and sharpness. This camera is good for photography of small living organisms such as insects, flowers, leaves, etc. This macro camera is also suitable for photography of various small but valuable objects such as jewelry, ornaments, precious and semi-precious stones, etc.

The main cameras are also good for taking quality videography in both day and night time. The videos can be recorded at a maximum of 4K quality in 30 frames per second speed. The videos are vibrant, full of details, and smooth. The transition from one frame to another is smooth and effortless. The PDAF and OIS technologies provide stability to the video recording.

Samsung Galaxy M34 has a 13 MP wide selfie camera with f/2.2 size aperture. Although it is not as good as the main 50 MP camera, the selfie camera takes vivid images with striking colors. The selfie images are full of details and, even in Zoom, they retain their quality and features. The daytime images are clear and come with stirring contrast and hue.

Due to the smaller aperture size of the selfie camera, the amount of light that enters the camera lens is relatively less. As a result, the quality of nighttime images can be slightly low. Still, nighttime images by this selfie camera are very good with a lot of vividness and sharpness. The selfie camera can also record videos at 1080P quality with 30 frames per second speed.

6. Samsung Galaxy M34: Battery and Charging

Samsung Galaxy M34 has a non-removable Lithium Polymer battery with a capacity of 6000 mAh. The big-capacity battery is one of the reasons for the bulkiness of this smartphone. This big battery provides a lot of battery life. The battery can give up to 48 hours of backup with normal tasks. For looping videos, it could last around 12-14 hours. this battery will give 7-8 hours of backup for continuous heavy-duty tasks and uninterrupted gaming. However, continuous usage may trigger heating issues and shorten the battery life.

Samsung Galaxy M34 does not provide wireless charging. Instead, it has a wired charging facility. The charging can be done via a USB Type-C 2.0 port. The maximum charging capacity is 25 W. Samsung provides a USB cable but users have to buy their own charging adapter. The smartphones can be charged from 0% to 100% in 80-90 minutes.

7. Samsung Galaxy M34: Variants, Prices, and Connectivity

Samsung Galaxy M34 comes in three color variants – Waterfall Blue, Midnight Blue, and Prism Silver. It has two RAM options – 6 GB and 8 GB. In terms of storage capacity, it has two options – 128 GB and 256 GB. The smartphone comes in three combinations of RAM and storage – 6 GB RAM / 128 GB storage, 8 GB RAM / 128 GB storage, and 8 GB RAM / 256 GB storage. In India, the smartphone will cost around ₹15,000 to ₹21,000. In the US, the smartphone may cost around $170-$250.

Samsung Galaxy M34 has 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G technologies. It can operate at HSPA, LTE, and 5G speeds. It has both wired and wireless connectivity. As mentioned earlier, it has a USB Type-C 2.0 port. It can be used for charging and data transfer. For wireless connectivity, it has both Bluetooth and Wifi. It has 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wifi technologies that can operate at 2.4 GHz to 5 GHz. It also has Bluetooth Version 5.3.

8. Samsung Galaxy M34: Main Specifications, Pros & Cons, and Score

Specifications

Released: July, 2024
Chip: Exynos 1280
GPU: Mali G-68 MP4
Operating System: Android 13
Storage: 128 GB/256 GB
RAM Memory: 6 GB/8 GB
Dimensions: 16.17 X 7.72 X 0.88 cm / 6.36 X 3.03 X 0.35 inches
Weight: 208 grams
Screen Size: 16.51 cm / 6.5 inches
Screen Area: 103.8 cm² / 16.08 inches²
Resolution: 2340 X 1080
Highest Nits: 1000
Main Cameras: 50 MP Wide – f/1.8 8 MP Ultra-Wide – f/2.2 2 MP Macro – f/2.4
Selfie Camera: 13 MP Wide – f/2.2
Battery: 6000 mAh
Charging: 25 W
Battery Life: Up to 48 hours (Normal Usage). 12-14 Hours (Continuous Video Playback). 7-8 hours (Intense Gaming).
Wired Connectivity: USB Type-C 2.0
Wifi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth Version: 5.3

Pros & Cons

Pros

A budget smartphone that provides good value for money
Big 6000 mAh battery that provides good battery backup
Good collection of cameras including a 50 MP main camera
A decent 13 MP selfie camera
Android 13 with 4 OS upgrades
Gorilla Glass protection for display

Cons

Does not come with a HDR feature
The smartphone does not come with any IP rating. Hence it may be vulnerable to dust and water
Samsung Galaxy M34 may experience heating issues while doing high-intense tasks
The display may be hard to see in direct Sunlight

Score

Functions	Score
Performance	6.5/10
Power	6.5/10
Display	6.5/10
Storage	6/10
Battery	8/10
Connectivity	6.5/10
Value for Money	7.5/10
Overall Score	47.5/70

(1 = Lowest. 5 = Highest). (0.5 increments)

Verdict

Samsung Galaxy M34 is a decent budget smartphone that provides good value for money with some decent features. This smartphone is good for communication purposes. It is also good for doing normal tasks such as internet browsing, social media, etc. It also provides good battery backup and the cameras are of good quality. The images taken by the cameras are decent and video recording is also good.

However, it also comes with some drawbacks. It faces a heating issue when executing complicated and high-intensity tasks such as playing HD games continuously. It also does not come with any IP ratings, making it vulnerable to dust and water. The display may not be optimal in direct Sunlight.

The decision to buy this smartphone depends on the priority of the users. A user who is looking for a low-cost smartphone that is optimal for day-to-day simple tasks should go for this. The users who are looking for something premium may not find this smartphone suitable.

*The information in this article may not be 100% accurate and it may change or vary.

**Do not make your decision based solely on the information provided in this article. Do your own research.

***Prices are subject to change.

Samsung Galaxy M34: A Capable and Pragmatic Smartphone

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