Using the example of the Samsung Galaxy A32 smartphone, I propose to meet a new representative of the middle class. It replaces the Galaxy A31, which went on sale last spring.
I must say right away that this is not a full-fledged review, but rather the collected impressions after several days of using the device. I got a smartphone with a non-final firmware, it is not entirely correct to evaluate it in this mode.
Also note that Samsung has a Galaxy A32 5G model, which looks similar in appearance, but differs significantly in characteristics. Taking into account the fact that in Russia there is still no sense from 5G, the model “without 5G” looks much more interesting in its capabilities.
Samsung introduced the mid-budget Galaxy A32 5G
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Updated design
The appearance of the phone has changed markedly compared to last year’s models. I liked how Samsung beat the camera area of the Galaxy A32: instead of a single platform, there are now several protruding points on the body.
The design of the front panel is familiar: rather thin frames, a small cutout in the center of the display for the front camera. In my opinion, a hole in the spirit of Galaxy A would have looked more interesting, but, apparently, it is too expensive and unprofitable for such a phone.
The smartphone received a plastic body: the gloss gets dirty easily, and the area around the protruding lenses collects dust, as is usually the case. The dimensions compared to the Galaxy A31 have hardly changed: the body has become two tenths of a millimeter thinner and one gram lighter, but this is noticeable only when comparing the characteristics in detail.
There will be three colors to choose from: black, purple and blue. Moreover, the official names for the shades sound funny: Awesome Black, Awesome Violet, and so on. Awesome can be translated as “awesome” or “awesome” depending on the context, but most likely Samsung had a positive attitude when they came up with the name for the shade.
Juicy and bright screen
In terms of screen characteristics, everything is excellent. For the phone, they chose Super AMOLED with a 6.4-inch diagonal and Full-HD resolution. The display is bright, juicy, colorful, and if you don’t like the default profile, then you can change it to calmer tones.
There is no indicator light in the phone, but notifications can be seen on the standby screen using Always On mode.
An important difference from the Galaxy A31 is support for 90 Hz: now the interface works smoother, and if you want to save a little battery power, the function can be turned off in the settings. Also, the stock in brightness has increased from 600 to 800 nits, it is especially useful on fine sunny days.
Of the subtle differences, we can also mention the transition to a more durable protective glass Gorilla Glass 5 instead of Asahi Dragontrail Pro, which was used in the Galaxy A31.
Sub-screen scanner
As usual, face unlocking via the front camera and a fingerprint scanner helps protect data. I like the option with a camera because of its speed, it will work very quickly, but not as reliable as a fingerprint scanner.
The fingerprint sensor is built into the screen, it works quite quickly, though not lightning fast. You need to put your finger on for a second or two, unlocking is not instantaneous, but there are usually no errors in its work. It is better to wipe your hands dry before picking up the phone, otherwise a wet finger will not be recognized.
Some tests
According to the tests, the phone is very stable under load and the cycle of several throttling tests passed without much stress. At the same time, the menu itself does not work very quickly – I think the whole problem is in the non-final software and there should be no questions after the release of the final OS. At least the Galaxy A31 was fine with that.
In terms of filling, there are also changes: now the MediaTek Helio G80 processor is used, the memory capacity is 64 or 128 GB, depending on the version, the operational will be 4 GB. In my opinion, 6 GB could have been added – after all, the phone is from the 2021 model year. If desired, you can use a memory card up to 1 TB, the predecessor’s volume was limited to 512 GB.
Camera family
In general, the characteristics of the modules remained the same: 8 megapixel ultra-wide angle, 5 megapixel frame depth, 5 megapixel macro camera, but the main resolution increased from 48 megapixels to 64 megapixels. Front camera, as before, at 20 megapixels.
An example of a photo taken with the main camera under artificial lighting:
The same conditions, but for an ultra wide-angle camera:
Dim museum lighting:
Bright sunny day and ultra wide angle optics:
The same conditions, but with the main lens:
In my opinion, the cameras are exactly the same as in the Galaxy A31, that is, normal by the standards of the middle class.
Testing autonomy
One charge is always enough for a day and a half, when the total is about 5.5 hours of active screen. Taking into account my mode of using the phone, I was pleased with its autonomy.
The set includes a 15 W charger, the cable is connected via a USB Type-C connector.
Useful features
It’s nice that the universal card tray has been preserved, so you can immediately use a memory card paired with two nanoSIMs.
The usual 3.5 mm headphone jack at the bottom has been preserved. Perhaps not everyone needs it, after all, the era of wireless headphones is in the yard, but suddenly someone will come in handy. The mono speaker on the bottom end plays loudly, the alarm melody or the incoming call is heard very well.
To pay for purchases from the phone, an NFC chip is useful, it is also in place.
Price
The start of sales of Samsung Galaxy A32 is scheduled for March, the phone will be sold for 19,990 rubles with 64 GB of memory and for 21,990 rubles with 128 GB.
For comparison, the Galaxy A31 at the time of its appearance cost 17,990 rubles, but here we can only blame the exchange rate fluctuations:
