The Samsung Galaxy A32 5G is tailor-made for buyers looking for a cheap phone with decent specifications. But Samsung also released several other budget AX2s in early April, such as the A02, A12, A32 4G and A42 5G.
With so many incremental upgrades to choose from, the A32 5G or 4G will hit that sweet spot with surprisingly good specs at a price most consumers can afford.
For bargain-hunting Samsung fans who don’t want to consider a mid-range option like the Galaxy A72 or a discounted Galaxy S21, the Galaxy A32 5G might be the next best thing. Here’s everything you need to know about this handset, including performance, cameras, and whether or not you should get the 5G version.
Cut to the chase
- What is it? The cheap 5G phone from Samsung
- When did it come out? April 9, 2021; it is now available
- How much is it? $ 279 (around £ 200 / AU $ 365)
Samsung Galaxy A32 5G release date, price and carriers
The Samsung Galaxy A32 5G went on sale on April 9, 2021 for $ 279 (around £ 200 / AU $ 365). You can also buy a non-5G version of the A32 for $ 269 (around £ 195 / AU $ 347).
You cannot purchase an unlocked version; currently the A32 5G is only available for T-Mobile, Sprint or Cricket. T-Mobile currently has an offer where you can trade in your current mobile phone to receive a free Galaxy A32 5G, plus a free upgrade to 5G service.
Design and display
The Samsung Galaxy A32’s design is pretty much what you’d expect from a budget phone. It measures 6.5 x 3 x 0.36 inches (164.2 x 76.1 x 9.1mm) and weighs 7.2oz / 205g, with quite thick bezels and a plastic back with Gorilla Glass protection. It can feel a bit wide and awkward in your hand compared to a curved phone.
The designers have also added a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, a microSD card slot and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
As for the display, you won’t see the OLED panel you’re likely used to on most modern phones. The Galaxy A32 has a 6.5-inch LCD screen with a refresh rate of 60 Hz and a resolution of HD (720 x 1600) pixels. Expect a display that is more functional than beautiful.
Cameras and battery life
Galaxy A32 5G photographers have access to a 48 MP main shooter, with 8 MP ultra-wide, 5 MP macro, 2 MP depth and 13 MP selfie cameras. In comparison, the A12 only has a 16MP main camera, while you have to upgrade to the A52 to get a 64MP main gunner.
The cameras themselves protrude a bit from the phone, with no camera bump to protect them from damage. It is certainly a phone that can use a protective case.
For your all-day photo shoots, you need a long battery life. Fortunately, the Galaxy A32 5G battery has a capacity of 5,000 mAh, which gives you enough energy for a whole day of work or play.
Performance and software
Don’t expect a snapdragon in this price range. The Galaxy A32 5G has a MediaTek Dimensity 720 5G chipset, one of the lighter processors that supports 5G connectivity.
The A32 5G has Android 11 pre-installed, specifically Samsung’s Android skin One UI 3.0. It won’t run as fast as the S21 series, but it should get consistent security updates for years to come.
Samsung Galaxy A32 5G vs 4G LTE
Do you really want a cheap 5G phone, or do you just want the best bang for your buck? For the best price, the Galaxy A32 4G offers a significant upgrade at a similar price. In fact, it’s fair to guess that Samsung downgraded the Galaxy A32 5G in most areas to add 5G support.
The 6.45-inch screen boosts the refresh rate from 60Hz to 90Hz, the resolution from 720p to 1080p, and the pixels per inch from about 270 to over 400. Perhaps most importantly, it used an OLED screen instead of an LCD screen.
It comes with double the standard storage (128 GB vs 64 GB) and comes with One UI 3.1 installed instead of 3.0. The 4G model also has two major camera upgrades: the main camera has 64MP versus 48MP, while the selfie camera has 20MP versus 13MP.
The main advantage of the 5G model is the MediaTek 720 5G chip, which generally outperforms the 4G model’s MediaTek Helio G80 in benchmark tests.