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[i2pc pros_icon=”icon icon-thumbs-up” cons_icon=”icon icon-thumbs-down” show_title=”false” title=”Pros & Cons” show_button=”false” pros_title=”Pros” cons_title=”Cons” ][i2pros]Simple design
Strong battery life
Solid main camera[/i2pros][i2cons]Only IPS display with HD resolution!
Plastic frame & back
Long loading time
Weak reception[/i2cons][/i2pc]
Samsung enters the 5G middle class and relies on the Dimensity 720 processor: The new Samsung Galaxy A32 5G should cost 27,000 Tk and initially represents the entry into the 5G network in the Samsung range. Otherwise, the equipment includes a 5000mAh battery and a quad camera with a 48MP main sensor. On the other hand, savings were made on the display: a 6.5-inch LCD with only HD+ resolution. The Samsung Galaxy A32 5G was allowed to accompany me as my main device for a good two weeks and left a mixed impression. In this test, you can find out all the advantages and disadvantages of the Samsung Galaxy A32.
While the competition from Xiaomi, Redmi, and Realme has already started the price war in the 5G mid-range, Samsung is (typically) quite high with the Samsung Galaxy A32 5G. But even so, the Samsung Galaxy A32 5G does not have it easy because the Samsung A42 5G, which already offers a Snapdragon 750G and AMOLED, comes in its own range for less than 1,000 Tk extra (and also with 128GB of memory). But the price of the Samsung Galaxy A32 5G is likely to fall fairly quickly.
The design of the new Samsung Galaxy A32 attracted attention right from the launch: away from colorful backs and large camera modules. The Samsung Galaxy A32 5G keeps things simple and looks snazzy too. The colors black, white, purple, and blue are available. Our black variant is grayer and has a matte hue without reflections on the glossy plastic back.
The Samsung Galaxy A32 5G, with its 6.5-inch display on the front and 5000mAh battery under the hood, is not a small representative, but rather typical of the current middle class: It measures 164.2 x 76.1 x 9.1 millimeters and weighs 205 grams on the scales. Except for the glass front and camera sensors, Samsung’s 5G entry is completely covered in plastic. Unfortunately, the back is a magnet for fingerprints and prone to scratches; a protective cover is highly recommended.
The speaker, microphone, and the combination of USB-C port and 3.5mm jack are located on the frame. The volume rocker and the power button combined with the fingerprint sensor are on the right side. The SIM slot (hybrid) is on the left, and a second microphone is on top. The cutout for the ear speaker is just a narrow slit and hardly visible—but it does its job for phone calls. With the Samsung Galaxy A32 5G, there is no way to display notifications visually: no notification LED or always-on display (AOD).
Processing defects can only be found on closer inspection. The 5MP macro sensor on the back is not in the middle, and the coating over the plastic frame bulges slightly around the USB-C and 3.5mm jack connections. On the hand, this is not particularly noticeable; however, “premium” feelings do not arise either. The Samsung Galaxy A32 5G is one of the simpler smartphones: plastic frame and back, thick bars around the display, and everything is designed fairly flat without complex curves. The design is completely simple and reduced to the essentials; that’s definitely something to like in a cell phone market full of elaborate camera modules and dazzling backs.
The box of the Samsung Galaxy A32 5G is reduced to the essentials. The smartphone comes without an applied screen protector, and a simple silicone case is not included either. In addition to the leaflet and SIM pin, only the 15-watt charging adapter and USB-A to USB-C cable are included in the scope of delivery.
The built-in display is probably one of the components in the Samsung Galaxy A32 5G that is the worst-or to put it another way, the one where you could really push the price down! Only an LCD panel with a diagonal of 6.5 inches in 20:9 format is used. The distances between the display and the frame are quite generous with 3mm left, right, and above, and at the chin with 7mm. The waterdrop notch at the top for the front camera also protrudes 7mm into the display and is approximately 11mm wide. At the very least, our Samsung Galaxy A32 5G’s glass has not yet been scratched.
The LCD display of the Samsung Galaxy A32 5G reaches 425 lux in manual and automatic mode and quickly reaches its limits in the sunshine. The display isn’t particularly colorful either: the colorful One UI from Samsung adjusts well here, but it gets a bit pale outdoors.
In terms of customization options, the Samsung Galaxy A32 5G offers a blue light filter that can be turned off, eight different font sizes, five display sizes, light, and dark modes; the latter would make more sense with an AMOLED display. Also on board is the “side panel,” on which app shortcuts can be stored.
The typical Android on-screen buttons are available for operation, with interchangeable back and multitasking buttons, as well as swipe and swipe gestures: Here you have the choice between three lines below for the actions, or swiping from below and the side. They can be adjusted in the “gesture sensitivity” and are relatively easy to handle.
To put it bluntly: You always look at the display when the mobile phone is in operation. If you are used to bettering things, you should avoid the Samsung Galaxy A32 5G! You can get by with the HD+ resolution, but the 60 Hertz in particular feels even more jerky on this LCD panel than on other “non-flagships”. Especially since you quickly reach the limits of what is visible with the display brightness outdoors. Such a display has lost nothing in this price range. Point!
As the name suggests, the focus of the Samsung Galaxy A32 5G is on the new network standard, and the choice of processor is therefore quite clear in the selected price range. The Dimensity 720 from MediaTek is used in the Samsung Galaxy A32 5G: The new Dimensity chips offer 5G, are inexpensive, and, thanks to the 7nm manufacturing process, are now also significantly more efficient. The Dimensity 720 consists of four Cortex-A76 cores at 2.0 GHz and four Cortex-A55 cores at 2.0 GHz, together with the Mali-G57 MP3 as the GPU.
Compared to the Dimensity 800/800U, the Dimensity 720 is clocked slower and the GPU offers fewer cores. This is also noticeable in the benchmarks: With 244,000 points in the Antutu benchmark, the Samsung Galaxy A32 5G is doing well, but the Realme 7 5G, with a score of 333,000, is clearly ahead and is both in terms of CPU and GPU performance better.
The Samsung A32 does almost perfectly in the throttling test: even after 30 minutes of stress testing, there are still no significant drops in performance. In the end, we are at about 32° CPU temperature and 90% of the total computing power.
There is always only 4GB of RAM – in this price range, 6GB of RAM is actually normal. However, multitasking with a few apps is not a problem, and the RAM is fast at 24GB/s. Depending on the variant, the Samsung Galaxy A32 5G comes with 64GB or 128GB of storage space. The memory achieves very good data rates of 849MB/s read and 378MB/s write speed . In our 64GB version, almost 52GB are still available after setup. The storage space can be expanded by up to 1 TB via a microSD card. But you have to do without dual SIM (hybrid slot).
Overall, the Samsung A32 would be better off with a little more system performance, even if the HD+ resolution works against it (lower resolution = less computing power required). Now and then a second to remember when carrying out normal tasks is part of it, but you can play any current 3D game from the Google Play Store with the Dimensity 720.
Android 11 with One-UI Version 3.1 is currently used on the Samsung Galaxy A32 5G. At the time of testing, the security patch was in January 2021.
Samsung’s One UI is one of the heavily modified Android launchers and requires some familiarization work for newcomers. Samsung’s own software range is sometimes overwhelmed, but the many features make up for it. Incidentally, Bixby is now history at Samsung and is no longer annoying ex-work. On the left, next to the home screen, you can also have the Google feed if you wish.
If you use a Samsung smartphone and are satisfied with the One UI, please skip the next section. Because Samsung’s launcher can also be fun and work well in everyday life, in my opinion, it needs more training, adjustment, and optimization work. Some of Samsung’s own services (in a network) also have their advantages. The Note 20 has recently served me well here.
The camera setup is similar to that of the Samsung Galaxy A42 5G that we previously tested. Only the bokeh sensor is a bit weaker at 2MP, but that doesn’t matter. The front camera on the Samsung Galaxy A32 5G only has a resolution of 13MP instead of 20MP. The following camera sensors are installed:
Otherwise, the image processing is almost identical to the Samsung A42 5G. The colors are very strong in Samsung’s mid-range, but they also show a good contrast in many details and thus compensate for the rather weak camera sensor. Except for the bug with the other camera modes and a short waiting time when starting the camera software, the Samsung Galaxy A32 5G shoots well off the wrist and the software works solidly.
In standard mode, the Galaxy A32 12MP snaps images at 4000 x 3000 pixels through pixel binning with the 48MP sensor. The middle class has reached a very high level in good lighting conditions, i.e., daylight and preferably nice weather. The Samsung Galaxy A32 5G can also shine here and offers many image details with strong image dynamics. This is achieved with very high contrast and almost exaggerated colors. This is, of course, not very realistic, but of course, it looks good depending on the viewer. The sharpness falls off a bit towards the corners but is good in the middle for close-up objects.
The Samsung Galaxy A32 5G also has a macro sensor on board, which delivers 5MP images with a resolution of 2576 x 1932 pixels. You actually always get better shots with the main camera here. Especially since the focus is very difficult to hit with the macro mode.
The camera has a resolution of 8MP and delivers images with 3264 x 2448 pixels. The recordings are okay for the price range, but other mid-range smartphones offer something better here. The contrast is also very high here, albeit not as strong as it is on the main camera. You already know it: The outer area is much coarser-grained.
Although it is only a 2MP sensor, it is completely sufficient for determining the depth information. Portraits are flawless on the Samsung Galaxy A32 5G and the software only makes errors if there are protruding objects, such as a few hairs. very nice The blurring effect can be adjusted to be stronger or weaker both during the recording and afterward. The sharpness of the details is also optimal.
There are also other filters/face enhancements/prettifiers to choose from, but even without them, the Samsung A32 draws faces too softly.
Like the A42 5G, the Galaxy A32 is limited to 30 FPS, but EIS is always used for image stabilization, but only up to 1080p. The video quality is sufficient, but the colors are less dynamic and strong than in normal daylight images. With a higher resolution of 4K/30 FPS, the video quality gets better, but then the electronic stabilization is missing. The front camera also records stabilized videos at 1080p/30 FPS with solid quality.
Night shots are not the strong point of the Samsung Galaxy A32 5G, and the sensor has a hard time imaging anything at all, especially in low light. The sensor performs better with strongly lit subjects: Apart from the visible ISO noise, a large part of the subject is captured properly. The night mode hardly brought any added value in the test and provided more of a red cast than more brightness in the test photos.
In the Samsung A42 5G, the main camera sensor actually does a good deal better!
Front camera/selfies The front camera delivers the best shots of the Samsung Galaxy A32 5G with the 13MP sensor in the waterdrop notch. You have a fixed focus, so you have to get used to the right distance first, but then the image sharpness is right and the colors and contrast are very good. But it is also noticeable that even with the right focus, blurred areas creep in.
With the Samsung Galaxy A32 5G, you also have the option of switching to “wide angle”, although there is only one sensor on board. The standard selfie has a resolution of 3408 x 2556 pixels and a full resolution of 4128 x 3096 pixels for a wide angle. The wide selfies are also the best.
However, the front camera can be dazzled by a backlight, e.g., sunshine. A portrait mode is also available for the front camera and provides a decent separation between the person and the background.
The focus is on entering the 5G network, and that is what the Samsung Galaxy A32 5G offers! The SIM slot is a hybrid slot. Here you have the choice between dual SIM operation or use with a (nano) SIM card and microSD card for memory expansion (up to 1 TB). Samsung specifies the SAR value as 0.333 W/kg head and 1.081 W/kg body. The Samsung Galaxy A32 5G supports the following frequencies:
In practice, there were no reception problems, but the transmission power was weaker than with other smartphones, and the data rates were about 15% slower in the speed test (LTE network with average reception). Depending on the location and network coverage, the Samsung Galaxy A32 5G can tear up its hooves faster.
The poorer reception is then also evident when making calls, so it gets a bit tinny when the network is bad. There are no problems with VoLTE or VoWiFi and the voice quality is at a good level. However, the ear speaker is not designed for high volume, so it becomes a bit difficult in noisy environments. Unfortunately, we did not install any stereo speakers in the Samsung Galaxy A32 5G.
The single one on the bottom is at most suitable for one or two videos in between. There is not much sound around. Otherwise, you get sound via the 3.5mm jack connection or the USB-C 2.0 connection. It works wirelessly via Bluetooth 5.0, without AptX, but Samsung’s own equalizer/sound enhancer.
The connection to local networks works via dual-band WiFi in the ac standard. There is no problem with the data rate close to the router, but if you move away, for example, outside the four walls, the connection breaks down quickly and the data throughput is no longer high. For me, it was 50 Mbit/s (50,000 DSL line) and then only 10 to 15 Mbit/s in the garden.
The Samsung Galaxy A32 5G is navigated via GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, and Galileo, while an electronic compass helps to find the direction. In the test with Android Auto, there were no abnormalities in the navigation, and Google Maps could be used as usual.
An FM radio app is also on board, but headphones must be connected via a 3.5mm jack, as well as NFC, which is suitable for mobile payments.
Either the fingerprint sensor or the front camera with face unlock is available for biometric unlocking. The fingerprint reader is combined with the power button and also unlocks the Galaxy A32 from standby. In practice, the unlocking accuracy is around 90% and takes just under a second.
The battery life of the Samsung Galaxy A32 5G is one of the positive aspects of the test: With the 5000mAh battery, it is not oversized in comparison, but the new MediaTek Dimensity processors work efficiently, and the display with only HD+ resolution needs less power. In practice, this means that you can easily get by for two days without replenishing energy. Over two days, 10 hours of display time (active usage time) can be achieved. The Samsung A32 5G uses an 8% battery per hour during video streaming via YouTube, with speakers and display brightness at 200 cd/m².
In the PC Mark Battery benchmark, the Samsung A32 5G achieves a very good 15 hours and 23 minutes (at a display brightness of 200 cd/m²). The Samsung A42 5G can get 17.5 hours out of this with the AMOLED display and the slightly more efficient Snapdragon processor.
The supplied charger has a maximum output of 15 watts—9 V/1.67A—which means that the charging of the 5000mAh takes a little longer. From 0 to 10% in 10 minutes, after 21 minutes it’s 20%, to 60%, it’s already 70 minutes, and the complete charging process takes almost exactly two hours.
When charging via Power Delivery, it varies between 8.6 V/1.3A & 1.4A-11 & 12-watt charging power. The Samsung Galaxy A32 5G cannot be persuaded to do more with power delivery, and so the charging process takes a correspondingly long time. To be precise, it’s 30 minutes to 25%, after an hour the 5000mAh battery is half full, and 2:20 for 100%. Wireless charging is not possible with the Samsung Galaxy A32 5G.
Samsung can build smartphones. The success is understandable in higher-price regions, but please don’t tell me that they can also justify the price in the middle class with their premium claim and the software. First of all, the good sides of the Samsung Galaxy A32 5G: I really liked the simple design, and the battery life was excellent. The camera also delivers quite respectable results with simple sensors. But for the price range of almost 27,000 Tk, none of this is a highlight.
The Dimensity 720 isn’t a bad chip but would be more at home in a lower price range. The “One UI” software works as an Android launcher but shows its weaknesses in practical use: Samsung’s own solution besieges you in so many ways. The advertising (bloatware and notifications) is annoying, and bugs are common in the middle-class Agenda.
And then the red pencil begins: The reception could be better, the quad-cam hardly lives up to its name, and that also applies to “quick charging”.
