Samsung’s cornered the budget- and mid-range markets with its Samsung Galaxy A series, with the most recent including the super-budget Galaxy A14 5G and its slightly pricier sibling, the Galaxy A34 5G.
The question is, what’s the difference between the two budget options and can you save yourself a bit of extra cash by opting for the entry-level Galaxy A14 5G?
While we’re yet to fully review the Samsung Galaxy A34 5G, we have gone hands-on, and we’ve spent plenty of time with the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G. That said, here are some of the key differences between the two to help you decide which Samsung smartphone is best for your needs.
The Samsung Galaxy A34 5G has better water resistance
If you’re worried about water damage bringing your phone to its knees, the Samsung Galaxy A34 5G is probably the one to go for, with the more premium model offering IP67 dust and water resistance.
That’s not quite the IP68 we see on flagship-level smartphones, but it should be more than enough to survive a quick dunk in a sink or any other water-based accident.
That’s because the cheaper Galaxy A14 5G doesn’t offer any kind of water or dust resistance at all, meaning you’ll have to be very careful with it at the beach, pool or even in the rain as droplets could get into the phone and cause significant, warranty-voiding damage.
The Samsung Galaxy A34 5G has more cameras
The camera department is another area where the Samsung Galaxy A34 5G pulls away from its cheaper sibling.
Though it might not seem like it on paper, with the A14 5G sporting a slightly higher-res 50MP primary camera compared to the A34 5G’s 48MP offering, but the latter sports handy additions like optical image stabilisation to help reduce blur in both photos and videos.
It also comes with an 8MP ultrawide to give you a more expansive angle when taking photos and a 2MP macro lens for those extreme close-ups.
Aside from the A14 5G’s main 48MP sensor, there’s very little to get excited about, lacking an ultrawide and instead sporting dual 2MP macro and depth sensors that are essentially just there to bump up the rear camera count – a trick we often see at the cheap end of the smartphone market.
That said, we found the main sensor of the A14 5G to be a pretty decent one even without OIS, delivering well-balanced shots in well-lit environments with decent detail and accurate skin tone reproduction, so it’s far from a bad camera experience.
The Samsung Galaxy A34 5G has a better display
Considering its proper budget price tag, the Galaxy A14 5G’s display is respectable. It’s a 6.4-inch LCD display with a smooth 90Hz refresh rate and an FHD+ resolution that we found to be fine in everyday use, though it’s not the brightest around.
However, there’s quite a step up with the Galaxy A34 5G despite it not costing that much more. It measures in at the same 6.4 inches but with slimmer bezels and, most importantly, an upgraded FHD+ Super AMOLED display with an even smoother 120Hz refresh rate – the same as the top-end Galaxy A54 5G.
That should deliver crisp, vibrant visuals with much deeper blacks than those produced by the A14 5G’s LCD display.
Though we’ve not tested the Galaxy A34 5G’s Super AMOLED panel just yet, we were impressed by the experience on offer from its identical sibling, the Galaxy A54 5G, so we’re expecting much the same here.
The Samsung Galaxy A14 5G is much cheaper
It seems that the Samsung Galaxy A34 5G has more capable hardware, but that’s not exactly surprising given just how affordable the Galaxy A14 5G is.
More specifically, you can pick up the Galaxy A14 5G for just £219/$199, while the Galaxy A34 5G will set you back £349/$249, £130/$50 more. However, whether the upgrades are worth the additional cost is down to you and your personal requirements.
If you are tempted by either, both the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G and Samsung Galaxy A34 5G are readily available to buy in the UK & US following release earlier this year.
