Its foldable offerings might be making more headlines of late but Samsung has not taken its eye off other segments. They may not be getting as much attention, but Samsung has been pushing its mid-segment devices in the market and the latest one to join the Samsung army is the Galaxy M34. The M series has caused quite a stir in the budget segment ever since it was introduced and the Galaxy M34 has the potential to carry on this tradition.
Samsung Galaxy M34 Price, Specifications
The smartphone brings along some really impressive specs and numbers, for its starting price of Rs 16,999.
The Samsung Galaxy M34 comes with a brilliant 6.5-inch full-HD+ Super AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate to the table. This being a Samsung device, you can expect the display to be vibrant and punchy. The phone is powered by Samsung's in-house Exynos 1280 processor which is comparable to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 695 chipset. This is paired with 6GB/8GB RAM variants with the option to expand storage to a whopping 1TB — a combo which should be more than capable of handling your everyday needs. One of the biggest highlights of the device has to be its main camera. The phone comes with a 50-megapixel main sensor with OIS which is rare in this segment. This main sensor is backed by an 8-megapixel ultrawide and a 2-megapixel sensor. There is also a 13-megapixel selfie camera on the front.
The device features a massive 6,000mAh battery, although it comes with a relatively slow 25W charging support, which means it would take a fair bit of time to get charged. There are also stereo speakers on board which combined with that battery and display, are going to satisfy your entertainment hunger pangs with ease. The phone runs on Android 13 out of the box and is topped with Samsung’s OneUI 5.1. Going by Samsung’s software update track record of the recent past, we are sure, the Galaxy M34 will be receiving updates for a while.
All this, however, lies within a design that looks a little basic and could get lost in the sea of smartphones available in the price segment at the moment. In that sea, here are the five phones that prove to be sharks for the newly launched Samsung Galaxy M34:
OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite: Sub-Rs 20,000 Megapixel Monster
Price: Rs 19,999
OnePlus launched the Nord series to make a presence in the mid-segment and then introduced CE and Lite variants to get into even more affordable segments. The Nord CE 3 Lite is the brand’s latest offering and if you are impressed by the 50-megapixel sensor on the Galaxy M34, you are likely to have your mind blown by the 108-megapixel main sensor on the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite. This megapixel monster is backed by two tiny 2-megapixel depth and macro sensors that are not of much use, to be honest. But that 108-megapixel main sensor is strong enough to carry the smartphone’s photography performance on its own shoulders with ease. There is no OIS here but the selfie camera here also has a megapixel edge at 16 megapixels.
The phone comes with a slightly taller 6.72-inch IPS LCD display with 120Hz refresh rate. This is unlikely to be at the same level as the Galaxy M34’s AMOLED display but that 120 Hz refresh rate will keep things at par here. The phone runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 processor which is quite close to the Exynos 1280 on the Galaxy M34 and comes with only 8GB RAM variants, which should make it a multi-tasking master. It comes with a smaller 5,000mAh battery in comparison to the Galaxy M34, but brings a much faster 67 W fast charging support, which means it will get charged way faster, which in our opinion is a better option.
It also runs on Android 13 and comes with OnePlus’ famous OxygenOS on top which promises to deliver a very clean and clutter-free UI experience. The phone does have a higher price but it brings some big numbers right upfront too.
iQoo Z7: A Power-Packed Option
Price: Rs 18,999
If you have power on your mind and the processor on the Galaxy M34 does not feel punchy enough, you can consider the iQoo Z7 in a similar price range. The phone is powered by MediaTek Dimensity 920 processor which is paired with 6GB/8GB RAM variants. This enables it to not only handle all your everyday chores with ease but also makes it much more capable of handling high-end games and other power-hungry tasks than the Galaxy M34.
The phone also has an upper hand in the main camera department as it comes with a 64-megapixel sensor with OIS but it is accompanied by a rather nominal 2-megapixel camera. The front also boasts a 16-megapixel selfie snapper, which is a bit higher in megapixel count than the one on the Galaxy M34. The device is powered by Android 13 out of the box which is topped with FunTouchOS 13. This may feel slightly cluttered to some but it is a feature-rich UI nonetheless.
The iQoo Z7 does feature a smaller 6.38-inch AMOLED display with 90Hz refresh rate and a smaller 4,800 mAh battery but the compact form factor can prove to be a plus point in the right hands. The phone also comes with 44W fast charging support which is significantly better than the Galaxy M34.
Redmi Note 12: A Note-Worthy Opponent
Price: Rs 16,999
Whenever any phone is launched in the mid-segment, it inevitably has to face a Redmi device. After all, the Redmis have ruled the segment for quite some time. The Galaxy M34 is no exception. The phone faces competition from the Redmi Note 12, which is part of the iconic Note series. The Note 12 comes with a bigger 6.7-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 processor, which is not as powerful as the Exynos 1280 on the Galaxy M34, but is an efficient performer. This is paired with 4 GB and 6 GB RAM options.
There is a triple camera set up on the back of the device with a 48-megapixel sensor leading the pack while an 8-megapixel ultrawide and a 2-megapixel sensor are its followers. There is no OIS here, though. For selfies, there is a 13-megapixel sensor just like the one on the Galaxy M34. The phone still runs on Android 12 out of the box which is a major letdown, although MIUI 13 on top does add some very useful features to it and the phone is expected to get an update soon. The Note 12 also features a smaller battery of 5,000mAh as compared to the Galaxy M34 but it comes with slightly faster 33W charging support.
Poco X5: Matching Those Spec Steps
Price: Rs 16,999
Another formidable competitor to the Galaxy M34 which more than matches its specs steps in this smartphone ball is the Poco X5. The phone comes with a slightly bigger 6.67-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate. It is backed by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 processor which (as we mentioned earlier) is quite close to the Exynos 1280 powering the Galaxy M34.
The Poco X5 comes with 6GB/ 8GB RAM options and storage that can be expanded up to 1TB just like the Galaxy M34. The triple camera setup on the Poco X5 is slightly behind the one on the Galaxy M34. It comprises a 48-megapixel main sensor, an 8-megapixel ultrawide sensor and a 2-megapixel macro lens. The lack of OIS does make a difference here, putting the X5 on a backfoot.
That said, it also has a 13-megapixel front camera sensor. Android 12 on the phone along with a smaller 5,000 mAh battery might bother many but MIUI 13 on top adds a lot more functionality to the phone and 33W fast charging is better than the 25W charging support on the Galaxy M34. The fact that the spec sheets of the two phones are so similarly specced means that their performances are likely to be very similar as well, but the Poco X5 is more likely to stand out in a crowd with its design, especially if you get the bright yellow variant.
Realme Narzo 60: 'Look At Me'
Price: Rs 19,999
The phones in the list so far have mainly fought on specs and numbers. But if you are looking for a device that stands out of the sub-Rs 20,000 crowd without too much effort, the recently launched Realme Narzo 60 would be the phone to go for. The huge round camera unit with chrome highlights and the vegan leather back will get anyone’s attention even if the room is full of high-end smartphones. But a distinct design is not the only ace up the Narzo 60’s sleeve. The phone comes with a 6.43-inch AMOLED display with 90Hz refresh rate.
It runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 6020 chipset which is backed by 8GB RAM. There are two storage variants (128GB and 256GB), and storage can be expanded up to 1TB here as well. The processor might not be as powerful as the Exynos 1280, but the Narzo 60 is specced to get through your everyday tasks with ease.
There is a dual camera set up on the back, and the main sensor on the Narzo 60 has more megapixels at 64 megapixels than on the Galaxy M34 but has no OIS. The secondary camera, however, is only a 2-megapixel one, so is likely to be of limited use.
A 16-megapixel selfie sensor brings its megapixel count up again though. The phone runs on Android 13 out of the box and is topped with Realme UI 4.0 which some might find a bit overwhelming.
There is also a comparatively smaller 5,000mAh battery on the Narzo 60 but the phone comes with 33W fast charging which is a step up from the 25W charging support on the Galaxy M34. This is the Realme for those who want folks to go 'look at me' — something that is unlikely to happen with the relatively routine Galaxy M34.