The cheapest 5G phone of any given maker is something of a hot topic lately. Sadly making an affordable 5G device means having to cut more corners elsewhere, making most of these cheapest 5G phones flawed in enough ways to warrant forgoing the advanced network speed for a cheaper and better LTE phone.
This is especially true in the case of the Galaxy A32 5G, which we have today. We recently reviewed its LTE counterpart and at that point it seemed easy to recommend over this 5G model. With the 5G version that we have now change our minds?
Let’s start with an unboxing – the Galaxy A32 5G comes with a USB cable and a 15W charger.
The initial impression that Samsung Galaxy A32 5G makes is a good one. It runs smooth, thanks to MediaTek’s Dimensity 720 chipset, the 48MP main camera should perform well and the 5,000mAh battery, which got us 119 hours on the 4G Galaxy A32, should last a couple of days.
But the display is a sub-1080p TFT with a standard 60Hz refresh rate, not the 90Hz Super AMOLED of the 4G model. Then there’s the price, the Galaxy A32 5G is currently more expensive than the 4G model – €240, compared to €215 – not a huge difference, but significant in these segments.
Then there are the just-announced Galaxy A22 and A22 5G, Samsung’s latest cheapest entry into 5G, both of which outclass the Galaxy A32 5G – both have 90Hz displays, match the 5,000mAh battery and the 48MP camera. And at €230 starting price, the Galaxy A22 makes a better proposition than the Galaxy A32 5G.
Still, we don’t want to write off the Galaxy A32 5G before the full review is complete. A phone is more than the sum of its parts and it may still excel somewhere and prove its worth. Stay tuned!