Samsung Galaxy A32 5G review

Competition

The Samsung Galaxy A32 5G can currently be had for a bit under €250, which is about as much, or just slightly more than the vanilla Galaxy A32. And, in fact, the vanilla is a viable option if you don't particularly care about 5G and would much rather get the much better 90Hz Super AMOLED panel and slightly better cameras. Though, with video capture capped at 1080p. Otherwise, you would still be getting the same in-depth and feature-rich Samsung One UI experience, as well as the Korean giant's newfound promise for longer software support.

The Samsung Galaxy M42 5G also should not be glanced over, but unfortunately, it has limited availability. Otherwise, it successfully patches up the single biggest issue on the A32 5G - the display - by offering an HD Super AMOLED panel.

It is hardly surprising that Xiaomi has plenty of competing offers to pit against the Galaxy A32 5G. The Redmi Note 10 series instantly springs to mind. The clear direct competitor has to be the Redmi Note 10 5G. It is based on a very similar Dimensity 700 chipset, which brings the 5G connectivity to the table. It is also priced nearly identically to the A32 5G. Its main camera is also a quite similar 48MP Quad-Bayer one, but you will be losing an ultrawide going for the Xiaomi. On the flip side - the Redmi Note 10 5G has a noticeably better 90Hz IPS display. Honestly, however, Xiaomi had to downgrade strategically to fit 5G into that phone. Not unlike Samsung. If you don't particularly care about 5G, you can get a lot more value for a significantly lower price with the vanilla Redmi Note 10. This includes a jump to a Super AMOLED display and a stereo speaker setup. Also, an official IP53 rating.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 • Xiaomi Poco M3 Pro 5G • Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro • Realme 8

Then there is also Xiaomi's Poco line. It is truly hard to beat its value propositions. The Poco M3 Pro 5G is a great all-around competitor to the Galaxy A32 5G. It is essentially the same phone as the Redmi Note 10 5G we mentioned earlier while managing to cost less on many markets. A no-brainer, really. If you would rather substitute 5G for a larger still 6,000 mAh battery and a stereo speaker setup, then the vanilla Poco M3 is worth considering. It gets totally upstaged by the Poco X3 Pro, though. No 5G on this one either, but what you do get at a shockingly low price includes a 120Hz, HDR10, IPS display, stereo speakers, IP53 and definitely not least - a powerful Snapdragon 860 chipset that almost seems unattainable in this price bracket. Looking for a great budget gaming experience - look no further.

Realme currently has a pretty strong budget lineup as well. The Realme 8, in particular, will set you back a bit less than the Galaxy A32 and yet brings a great Super AMOLED, HDR10 display to the table and an otherwise quite comparable set of other specs. Minus 5G, that is. If the latter is particularly important to you, you might also be interested in the OnePlus Nord N10 5G.

Verdict

There is a lot to love about Samsung's current Galaxy A family. The "Awesome is for everyone" marketing slogan actually fits the bill quite well. The value proposition is quite strong, especially for devices like the Galaxy A52 and vanilla A32. The design is fresh and trendy, the hardware is mostly on point, and the added-value features in One UI 3.1 are better than ever. Now with the added benefit of longer software support. A lot of that has rubbed off on the Galaxy A32 5G as well. There is plenty to love about it. And it has great battery life even if charging is a bit slow. The camera setup holds up surprisingly well too.

However, the A32 5G biggest folly is that Samsung went about creating it by taking its good-value sibling and cramming 5G into the mix, without really inflating the budget price point. This has resulted in a phone with an unfortunately-downgraded LCD display, in particular, among other things. It is the single biggest gripe we have with the Galaxy A32 5G, since it just fails to live up to current market standards. It's as simple as that.

All things considered, the Galaxy A32 5G is currently one of the cheapest Samsung phones with 5G on offer. Until the Galaxy A22 5G becomes a thing. If it is absolutely imperative for you to get a budget 5G Samsung, in particular, today, then the A32 5G is the way to go. Otherwise, we would probably hold off a bit or consider alternatives for better value.

Pros

• Excellent battery life.
• Latest Android and One UI, bright software future.
• The MediaTek 720 is a modern, efficient and well-equipped chipset, with decent performance for the price.
• Decent all-round camera performance, including useful Night mode and 4K@30fps video capture with the main cam.

Cons

• Body feels a bit hollow and there is no ingress protection.
• Disappointing LCD display, just HD resolution, inaccurate colors and slow pixel response times.
• Just a single loudspeaker with underwhelming performance.
• Ultrawide lacks 4K video recording and its 1080p video stabilization is poor.