A few days ago, I shared with you my first impression of my brand new Samsung Galaxy A32 5G. This budget-friendly device is currently the cheapest 5G-capable smartphone from Samsung. If you want an affordable (RM1,199 only) smartphone that is 5G-ready, long battery life, and can take decent photos as well as videos, then this is the smartphone that you should get.

Samsung Galaxy A32 5G: My In-depth Review

Like I have aforementioned, the Samsung Galaxy A32 5G is a no-frill no-nonsense smartphone that can easily fit into anyone's budget. Despite its cheap price tag, you will be astounded to know that it boasts 5G connectivity and at the same time still have great hardware (8GB RAM + 128GB Storage) to back it up. The best part is, you will love its decent quad cameras that will give you more than what you have bargained for.

4G LTE or 5G Variant?

In our Malaysian market, Samsung Galaxy A32 has been officially released in 2 different variants namely the 4G LTE model and the one that I am currently using-the 5G model. So what is the difference(s)? Obviously, the latter supports 5G connectivity so you can enjoy blazing-fast Internet once 5G becomes available in Malaysia. However, in terms of display, the 4G LTE model has the upper hand thanks to its 90Hz AMOLED screen while the 5G variant only has an LCD display to show. Other than that, both the models appear to be carbon copies of each other.

Elegant Design

Though Galaxy A32 5G is just a budget smartphone, the company ensures that it looks good as well. The back cover appears to be adorned with glossy plastic which exudes quite a lot of charm similar to the more expensive real glass. This new design also allows the cameras-bump to be slightly less conspicuous both visually and physically which is really a bonus. I also like how the fingerprint sensor has been moved to the side which makes it easier for me to unlock the device. The only downside is its thickness that some might not like.

Side fingerprint sensor (bottom)

Display-A Compromise

I wish that the display of the Samsung Galaxy A32 5G could have been better. However, it is a pale comparison when you put it side by side with its 4G LTE sibling. I am slightly disappointed to know that the 6.5-inch Infinity-V display of A32 5G comes with 720x1600 pixel screen which has a refresh rate of 60Hz. You will not be getting any AMOLED display and instead, you will have to make do with the IPS  LCD display.

Having said so, the display of Samsung Galaxy A32 5G is capable of hitting a peak of 557 nits which is really good. That means you can still enjoy any content on your smartphone under broad daylight easily thanks to its excellent brightness without squinting your eyes. In terms of colours, they are quite punchy and vivid as well for my liking. I believe that an LCD screen is used to save cost and battery at the same time. So it is a compromise.

Cameras-Surprisingly Decent

Shutterbugs will be happy to know that Samsung Galaxy A32 5G is actually a pretty decent smartphone for you to capture beautiful photos and videos for your social media feeds. Get ready to snap away with the great quad-camera setup. To recap, you will get a 48MP f/1.8 main shooter, 8MP f/2.2 Ultra-wide angle lens, 5MP f/2.4 Macro camera and last but not least a 2MP f/2.4 depth sensor. On paper, these cameras sound pretty good especially when you can shoot 4K quality videos!

Initially, I did not expect to snap great photos with the Galaxy A32 since it is not a flagship device. Though it lacks optical stabilization, the photos captured look surprisingly good especially when lighting is not an issue. Colours reproduced are richer with vibrant hues popping up thanks to the considerably lower noise. Overall, the cameras have performed well if you do not use too much digital zoom.

Normal outdoor shot

Using the Wide-Angle Lens

Normal photo mode

When I use the 10X digital zoom... 😂

10X Digital Zoom

Since optical zoom is not possible, you still have 10X of digital zoom at your disposal but then again this is not recommended. In my opinion, the more you zoom (digitally), the more "stretched" the image appeared to be, rendering it to look more like a painting instead of a real-life photo. Still, it is good if you were to add filters before posting them on your social media accounts. It might turn out to be abstract photos. LOL 😁

Excellent Portraits

Now let us talk about the Portrait Mode of Galaxy A32 5G, shall we? If you post a lot of photos on Instagram and Facebook like me, you will know how vital portrait mode is for us. Luckily, Samsung has ensured that they (attempt to) excel in this department. Though not the best, I would say that most of the portraits have been pretty spot on. You could see that the background(s) have been nicely blurred to give more focus on the subject(s). So it is a tick for the Portrait Mode!

Beautiful Macro Shots

Colour reproduction and dynamic range are quite good as well when it comes to the Ultra-Wide lens of the Galaxy A32 5G. Though upon closer inspection a lot of details are missing, still, shots taken using this mode are really good. How about the Macro Camera? With adequate lighting, my close-up photos using the Macro lens were really beautiful masterpieces. In fact, I could barely distinguish the difference when I compare it to the macro shots taken using my Galaxy Note.

Low Light Performance

I do notice that the low light performance of the Galaxy A32 5G cameras leaves something to be desired. In other words, when you are trying to take photos in a poorly lit place, do expect noise to creep in, making your shots a bit grainy. Fortunately, you can rely on the Night Mode to be your saving grace when capturing photos in dimly lit places. I kinda like using Night Mode a lot too.

Let's take selfies

Selfie in Portrait Mode

Selfie in a dimly lit room

Front-Facing Camera

The 13MP front-facing camera does an amazing job taking all my selfies and of course making me look really good in virtual meetings. I am honestly impressed with the selfie camera especially when I use it outdoor in broad daylight. Just like the rear quad-cameras, colours reproduction is decent and you will be happy with the sharpness of your shots. Again, the front-facing camera struggles when being used in low light conditions. All in all, in terms of photography, Samsung Galaxy A32 5G performed impressively amazing given its price tag.

Great Performance For Mid-Range Smartphone

Under the hood, Samsung Galaxy A32 5G is powered by Mediatek Octa-core Dimensity 720 processor complemented by 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The storage is expandable up to 1TB via MicroSD card. Though not flagship-level hardware, it still performs really well with no noticeable stutter whatsoever. In fact, everything is buttery smooth and snappy thanks to the 8GB of RAM which is more than sufficient for my daily normal usage.

Playing Mobile Legends on Galaxy A32 5G is a breeze

If you are a casual gamer like me, you will be delighted to know that I can play games such as Mobile Legends, Clash of Clans and Clash Royale without any hiccups. I am impressed by how responsive Galaxy A32 5G is while I am gaming. Then again, I have yet to try playing any graphic-intensive games. Likewise, my movie-watching and documents-editing sessions have been no-frills as well. Multi-tasking is also a joy as I could seamless open 2 tabs at the same time to be *a~hem* productive.

Unbelievable Battery Life

I did not expect the battery life of Samsung Galaxy A32 5G to be this good! It is mind-blowing to know that on a single charge, this smartphone can outlast my Galaxy Note 10 for more than 1 extra day. Yes! Its huge 5,000mAh battery can last you for 2 days for all your normal usages. After watching a few videos for around 5 hours on Youtube, I still have 55% of battery which is crazy. I guess this is achieved thanks to the 720p display which consumes less power.

Which will you choose? An AMOLED display (Galaxy A32 4G) or excellent battery life (Galaxy A32 5G) for your smartphone? I will of course choose the latter as I do not want to be plugged into the wall all the time. Charging speed is decent too thanks to the 15-watt adaptive fast charging via USB-C. After testing extensively, I must say that its battery performance alone outshines most of the flagships from Samsung.

VERDICT

So is Samsung Galaxy A32 5G worth it? The answer is a resounding YES! Besides 5G connectivity, you will also be getting expandable storage of up to 1TB and even a 3.5mm headphone jack! These two features are like must-have for me. On top of the huge 5,000mAh battery, you can also enjoy buttery smooth One UI 3.0 from Samsung. Of course, the icing on the cake has got to be the impressive cameras which have exceeded my expectations. If you are looking for a smartphone with long-lasting battery life, decent cameras and 5G connectivity, then you will really need to buy Samsung Galaxy A32 5G! With a price tag of only RM1,199, it is a steal! For more information, head over to Samsung's official website.