Samsung Galaxy M34 review: A practical mid-ranger that beats the low-battery anxiety

And this is where the new Galaxy M34 stands out, with its massive 6,000 mAh battery. Can this phone finally solve my battery life anxiety? I have been using the Samsung Galaxy M34 for over two weeks, and here is my take on the device.

Samsung’s Galaxy M34 looks just like the company’s more premium S23 series with a triple camera array at the back (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

Design: Follows the trend

Setting up the Galaxy M34 was fairly simple, at least for those who already use a Samsung smartphone. I was able to copy and set up the device using the Samsung Smart Switch app, which copied everything, including apps, settings, and media content.

I have a mixed opinion about the looks of this smartphone. While it looks premium from a distance with its glossy back panel, especially with Samsung’s iconic three-camera array, which is reminiscent of the company’s flagship S23 series. It’s also a fingerprint magnet, and the back panel is made from plastic.

Samsung has retained the 3.5mm headphone jack (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

If we can overlook these things, the Galaxy M34 is a clean-looking device that’s highly practical with its 3.5mm headphone jack and dual nano SIM card slots with support for 5G network. However, unlike most Samsung phones in this price range, you neither get a charger nor a case in the box.

Despite dated looks, the display on the Galaxy M34 works great (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

Display: Treat for the eyes

Coming from a flagship phone, the thick bottom bezel and the dated Infinity-U notch at the top were definitely a bit distracting. However, they took a back seat once I started using the device. The phone offers a bright and vibrant 120Hz Super AMOLED screen, and it’s clearly one of the best display experiences on a phone of this class.

It does miss out on an in-display fingerprint sensor. However, the side-mounted fingerprint sensor is really fast and accurate, and even under direct sunlight, the display gets adequately bright. The display does elevate the overall content consumption experience, and the phone even supports HD streaming on all the major platforms with its Widevine L1 certification.

The device has a 50 MP primary camera with OIS (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

Cameras: Takes social media-ready pictures

Technologies like optical image stabilisation (OIS) are usually limited to expensive smartphones, and the Galaxy M34, despite being an affordable offering, has an optically stabilised 50 MP primary camera, 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 2MP macro lens. As one can expect, the primary camera does most of the heavy lifting and takes some striking shots in almost every lighting condition.

The device also has a 13 MP selfie camera, which is also on par with the competition. Interestingly, the primary camera can also shoot up to 4K 30fps videos. However, if you choose the super steady mode, it will limit the resolution to FHD 30fps.

Take a look at some of the unedited camera samples from the Samsung Galaxy M34.

Samsung Galaxy M34 camera sample 1 (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

Samsung Galaxy M34 camera sample 2 (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

Samsung Galaxy M34 camera sample 3 (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

Samsung Galaxy M34 camera sample 4 (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

Samsung Galaxy M34 camera sample 5 (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

Samsung Galaxy M34 camera sample 6 (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

Samsung Galaxy M34 camera sample 7 (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

When it comes to performance, there is definitely a bit of a letdown (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

Performance and software: Old wine in a new bottle

The Samsung Galaxy M34 is based on the in-house Exynos 1280 SoC, the same chip that also powers its predecessor, the Galaxy M33. During normal usage, the processor can handle most tasks without any issues. This includes browsing social media platforms, video streaming, and even light gaming.

However, when it comes to heavy computing tasks like gaming, the device struggles a bit and also gets hot, especially while playing games like BGMI. On AnTuTu version 10, the device posted 4,58,789 points, which is similar to devices like the OnePlus Nord CE 3 and the iQOO Z7.

The OneUI 5.1 software based on the Android 13 OS is well-optimised. Besides, Samsung has also promised to deliver four years of major updates, hence, the smartphone will receive updates up to Android 17, which will keep the device up-to-date.

The device can easily last over a day even for a heavy user (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

Battery life: Stellar long-lasting smartphone

The Samsung Galaxy M34 can easily last for over two days for most users. In my usage, the device lasted for over a day, despite heavy use that included streaming videos on YouTube, downloading online content, and playing games. The device was connected to the Jio 5G network at all times.

The smartphone supports up to 25W fast charging, and it takes over 1.5 hours to fully charge the battery when you use a 25W fast charger, making it one of the slowest charging smartphones around the Rs 20,000 price range.

However, for a smartphone that can easily last all day and more, I mostly ended up charging the phone during the night; hence, for the majority of users, one might not have to worry about the charging speeds.

A versatile mid-range 5G phone (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

Verdict: A complete budget package

If you are looking for a performance-oriented smartphone, then there are definitely better options in the market. However, if you want a practical device from a brand like Samsung, the Galaxy M34 is an easy recommendation.

The Galaxy M34 is one such device that can put an end to battery anxiety. Overall, at Rs 18,999, which comes down to Rs 16,999 post-bank discounts, it is a stellar mid-range 5G smartphone under the Rs 20,000 price mark to consider in 2023.