Samsung Galaxy A32 5G Review

September 2 • 8:45 pm

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Take a look at Samsung's Galaxy A32 5G and its unique camera design - PhoneArena

PROS

Handsome design
Durable Gorilla Glass 5 display
5G with C-band
Capable cameras (48/8/5/2/13MP)
Long battery life (48 hours)
Impressive performance
Excellent software upgrade policy
-90 hz refresh rate

CONS

Low-resolution display (1,600 by 720 p)
Mediocre speaker
Backplate scratches easily

SAMSUNG GALAXY A32 5G SPECS

Operating System	Android 11
CPU	MediaTek Dimensity 720 5G
Dimensions	6.5 by 3.0 by 0.4 inches
Screen Size	6.5 inches
Screen Resolution	1,600 by 720 pixels
Camera Resolution (Rear; Front-Facing)	48MP. 8MP, 5MP, 2MP; 13MP
Battery Life (As Tested)	16 hours, 1 minute

If you’re in the market for an inexpensive Android phone with 5G, Samsung has your back with the Galaxy A32 5G ($279.99). Excellent battery life, solid performance, and years of promised Android upgrades and security updates mean this inexpensive phone should keep you happy for a long time. A low-resolution display aside, there’s very little to dislike about the Galaxy A32 5G; it’s an excellent value and a winner of our Editors’ Choice award for budget-friendly 5G phones.

Low-Res Never Looked So Good

The Galaxy A32 5G is a handsome phone. It has a plastic backplate and chassis, but it doesn’t look like the cheap budget phones of yesteryear. In the US, the phone has a glossy gray finish. Unfortunately, it quickly collected fingerprints and hairline scratches in testing.

The phone measures 6.5 by 3.0 by 0.4 inches and weighs 7 ounces. That’s a typical weight for a handset with a 6.5-inch display, but the Galaxy A32 5G’s slippery finish makes it more susceptible to accidental drops than models with textured backs. The phone slid out of my hands on a few occasions while I was testing it. Fortunately, its plastic body and Gorilla Glass 5 display withstood these fumbles.

Unboxing - Samsung Galaxy A32 5G (2021)

The front of the Galaxy A32 5G is dominated by a 6.5-inch LCD with a teardrop notch and slight bezels. The resolution clocks in at 1,600 by 720 pixels, for 270 pixels per inch and -90 HZ. The display is bright and vivid, and you’ll be hard-pressed to notice any pixelation without close examination.

Instead of the protruding camera module you see on most Samsung phones, the Galaxy A32 5G has three discrete sensor bumps vertically stacked in the upper left corner of the backplate. To their right is another sensor that’s flush with the phone, along with the flash. A Samsung logo and microscopic regulatory information are located on the bottom third of the backplate.

Samsung Galaxy A32 5G: One of the few alternatives with an LCD panel - NotebookCheck.net Reviews

The top of the phone is bare, and the USB-C charging port, 3.5mm headphone jack, and speaker grille fill the bottom of the chassis. On the left side, you’ll find the SIM/microSD slot. The right side is home to the volume rocker and a power button with an integrated fingerprint sensor. The sensor is fast and accurate, and the buttons provide a satisfying tactile feedback when tapped. The volume rocker is difficult to reach if you have small hands.

Durability is a mixed bag. The Galaxy A32 5G lacks an IP rating, and I couldn’t find any mention of water resistance on Samsung’s website. I did wind up outside in a heavy storm while using the phone and didn’t notice any damage to it, but if you drop it in a pool, all bets are off.

Good 5G Today, Better 5G Coming Soon

Samsung sells the Galaxy A32 5G both online and through all the major US carriers. It has extensive LTE and sub-6GHz 5G band support. There’s even C-band support, which should give a healthy boost to 5G speeds on AT&T and Verizon in the near future.

I tested the phone on T-Mobile’s 5G network in Chicago and recorded impressive results. Speeds averaged 141.9Mbps down and 42.8Mbps up. Those numbers slightly trail the Nord N200 5G’s average speeds of 154.2Mbps down and 46Mbps up, but there are dozens of variables that could account for the difference. These numbers don’t compare with the super-fast speeds you’ll get on a flagship phone with mmWave connectivity, but they’re brisk for a budget phone.

Samsung Galaxy A32 5G Review: Ένα Οικονομικό 5G Κινητό | PCsteps.gr

Call quality is super. The earpiece’s 86dB maximum volume is loud enough to hear on busy streets. Test calls were clear and noise cancellation worked perfectly.

The single, bottom-firing speaker fails to impress. At its peak volume of 92dB, there’s noticeable static. Lower volumes are tolerable, but the mids are brassy and lows are nonexistent. Unless you’re planning to use the speaker for a quick call, we recommend a good pair of headphones.

Dual-band Wi-Fi is on board, though Wi-Fi 6 is not. There’s also Bluetooth 5.0 for wearable connectivity and NFC for mobile payments.

Battery Life for Days

The Galaxy A32 5G is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 720 5G chipset along with 4/6/8GB of RAM. There’s 64/128GB of storage, with about 46/110GB available out of the box; if that’s not enough, you can add up to an additional terabyte of external storage with a microSD card.

Overall performance is good. Apps open quickly and there’s almost zero lag with screen transitions. Multitasking doesn’t slow the phone down either. The initial boot-up process takes a beat longer than it does on the Nord N200 5G, but the difference is hard to notice unless you’re paying close attention.

Upgrades for Years to Come

The Galaxy A32 5G ships with Android 11 along with One UI 3.1. Samsung’s custom skin continues to improve with each update, and its latest brings deep integration with Microsoft Office as well as an updated camera app, an improved Eye Comfort Shield mode that automatically adjusts the screen’s display throughout the day, and the option to switch out Samsung Daily on the home screen with Google Discover.

Samsung Galaxy A32 5G Review - PhoneArena

In addition to all of One UI’s customization features, Samsung includes a suite of productivity apps. For the most part, these apps are extraneous, since similar options are already baked into Android, but if you use Office 365 or just want to avoid Google apps, you’ll appreciate the Samsung options.

If you purchase an unlocked version of the Galaxy A32 5G, you’ll find it ships without bloatware. Carrier versions are a different story. Our T-Mobile review unit shipped with Spotify and a handful of T-Mobile apps. AT&T adds dozens of extra apps to the mix. Fortunately, most of these bonus apps can be uninstalled.

Samsung’s upgrade policy is what sets the Galaxy A32 5G apart from the Nord N200 5G and most budget phones on the market. The Galaxy A32 5G will get two years of OS upgrades, three years of monthly security updates, and one additional year of regular security upgrades. The Nord N200 5G will only get an upgrade to Android 12 and regular security updates for two years.

Excellent 5G Value With One Compromise

For its price, the Samsung Galaxy A32 5G checks off nearly all the boxes for what we want in a budget phone. It handles all basic tasks with ease, has excellent battery life, will receive multiple Android upgrades, and has a decent camera stack. Its performance is almost at the level of the much more expensive Galaxy A52 5G. Its only real weak point is its low-resolution display, but unless you’re a gamer or planning to use your phone for Netflix binges, that likely won’t bother you. The screen is vivid and bright, and you won’t notice any pixelation unless your nose is up against it.

If you’re looking for a budget phone with a higher-resolution display, the OnePlus Nord N200 5G is a great choice, though its camera isn’t as capable as the Galaxy A32 5G’s, and it will only get one Android upgrade. That means you won’t find a better sub-$300 5G phone than the Galaxy A32 5G.