Review – Samsung Galaxy A32 5G

The Samsung Galaxy A32 is the most affordable device that Samsung has to offer in the A-series. While plenty of people on the Internet would suggest splurging on flagship devices or low priced devices with flagship components but with software compromises. The truth is, not everyone is trying to impress their peers with a spanking new flagship smartphone nor sacrificing the software usability for that high-end SoC. What they really need is a smartphone that can cater to their everyday needs.

5G vs LTE

Let’s keep this in mind, Samsung actually has two different variants of the A32 – 5G and LTE. There are a couple of differences between the two versions, namely the SoC, Camera and Display.

In order to support 5G, Samsung has to opt for a more expensive and newer SoC. That means they will have to cut down on other components to bring the cost down. In this case, they went for a lower resolution main camera and a lower-resolution display. Unless you really need 5G connectivity, else the A32 LTE is a much superior choice between the two.

Display

Before I looked into the specifications, when I first turn on the A32 5G, I thought the screen was fine. The colours are looking pretty decent albeit not super vibrant. That is an obvious sign for a standard LCD panel. What really surprises me is, despite having a 720p resolution, it is not looking all that bad. I’ve even shown this phone to my colleagues whereby they also stated the screen is pretty decent for everyday use. So if you’re not spec-junkie, this screen should serve you without any problems.

If we take a look at the bigger picture, since the LTE variant comes with a 1080p Super AMOLED 90Hz screen, I can’t help but say, “man, that’s a huge sacrifice we made for 5G.”

Camera

The camera shouldn’t be any huge difference between the 48MP and 64MP models. Frankly speaking, they are small sensors and most of the time you’re relying on the SoC’s Image Signal Processor (ISP) to translate the sensor signal into a photo. The newer MT6853 Dimensity 720 should have a better ISP but hey we can only speculate since we only got the A32 5G with us.

Nonetheless, I think the camera is good for everyday use. The primary 48MP sensor has an f/1.8 lens while the ultra-wide camera has an 8MP sensor with an f/2.2 lens. The other two cameras – 5 MP macro and 5MP depth sensor,  are more like for filler purposes so that it sounds good on paper as a Quad Camera setup. Still, if you need macro functionality as well as shooting bokeh portrait photos then you’ll find those additional assist cameras to be useful.

The primary camera autofocus is fast and given if the photo is shot in a decently bright environment, you should expect a good result from there. The same goes for the ultra-wide camera.

Performance & Battery Life

Don’t expect the MediaTek MT6853 Dimensity 720 to perform miracles for its lower price point. It is a decent mid-range chip that should be able to cope with most of your daily usage on social media and Internet content consumption.  Occasionally you might encounter some stuttering when the app takes up most of the CPU’s processing power. Generally, as long as you don’t use it for intensive 3D gaming then it should work out fine. If you were to compare this to the Helio G80, the newer MT6853 is generally 30% faster.

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Besides, the use of an efficient Soc alongside a massive 5000mAh battery means this phone can easily go for one or two full days of use. Just YouTube video streaming alone at 50% screen brightness, this phone survived for 11 hours! I almost gave up the test when it is half way through.

Software

Then comes the key reason why you should buy a Samsung given the same budget range might bag you a China phone with high-end components – Software. While you can easily get a Xiaomi device with high-end specs for cheap, you’ll end up with an OS with pre-loaded ads. If you’re fine with ads in your notifications shade or settings menu, then go for it. What OneUI has to offer is a smooth user experience with lots of optimisation when it comes to actual features. In fact, the A32 5G actually supports SamsungPay which is extremely useful as cashless payments take off in Malaysia.

Conclusion

Love it or hate it, while there are plenty of haters on the Internet saying how the Samsung Galaxy A series is not as good as any other China smartphones, let’s face it, you get what you pay for. If you’re getting a super high-end CPU and internal components for cheap, there must be other factors that are paying for what it is worth, for example, ads embedded deeply in the OS. From the business owner’s perspective, it is a brilliant idea albeit unethical at best.

Now, back to Samsung Galaxy A32 5G, it is a decent phone for the price if the A32 LTE doesn’t exist. Telling the truth, 5G is still at its infancy stage in Malaysia. Basically, you’re paying RM100 premium and sacrifice the Super AMOLED screen for 720p LCD to get a 5G phone without any 5G network available to use. Of course, we cannot deny the fact that the MT6853 Dimensity 720 is a way newer chip and performs better than the aged Helio G80, however, I don’t really see the reason for us to buy any 5G smartphones within these 2 years until 5G is properly setup by the telcos in Malaysia.

If you have an RM1000 budget trying to get a phone that can give you the best user experience, you should really consider getting the Samsung Galaxy A32 LTE. Meanwhile, if you insist on getting a 5G phone thinking you might hold on to the phone for another few years after 5G is well established in Malaysia, then go on with the Galaxy A32 5G with a modern and efficient chip.