Galaxy A34 vs Redmi Note 12 Pro: affordable 5G intermediary, Samsung or Xiaomi? | Comparative

The Galaxy A34 and the Redmi Note 12 Pro have a similar proposal, prioritizing the consumer who wants an intermediate cell phone with a good cost-benefit ratio. That is, with a satisfactory set, but without charging so much.

In this dispute between Samsung and Xiaomi, which manufacturer has the best smartphone in the category? You can check the answer in detail now, here in Comparativo at TechSmart.

• design
• Multimedia and resources
• Performance
• Battery
• Camera
• Price
• Conclusion

Samsung Galaxy A34

Starting with the design, we see two models with very different looks. The Galaxy comes with the rear cameras individually distributed on the back, in addition to the drop-shaped notch. The Redmi, on the other hand, has the lenses in a rectangular jump block and already has a notch in the center of the display.

Both have a plastic body, but the Note 12 Pro has a glass back, which makes the construction more premium than the rival. The A34 responds with an IP67 certification, to guarantee greater protection against dust and water than the IP53 present in its competitor.

Redmi Note 12 Pro

The Korean still contains a fingerprint reader under the screen, against a biometric sensor integrated into the power button in the Chinese, which provides a thinner and lighter body than the opponent.

Only Samsung offers a microSD slot in its hybrid drawer for storage expansion. It also supports Bluetooth 5.3, which is more advanced than the rival’s 5.2 version. Xiaomi is the only one of the duo with sixth generation Wi-Fi. At least, the NFC appears in the pair, for approximation payments.

With a balance of benefits, we start with one point for each.

Screen

On both sides, we have an AMOLED panel with a size in the range of 6.6 inches. Both one and the other deliver a Full HD + resolution, in addition to a correct contrast, a wide viewing angle and a great level of brightness, which guarantees good visibility on sunny days.

The duo supports HDR10+ technology, but only Redmi is compatible with Dolby Vision, which further improves playback in streaming, not to mention the reproduction of more colors. They also feature Gorilla Glass 5 for added scratch protection.

These panels provide a refresh rate of 120 Hz, which allows for high fluidity in animations and games. Only the Chinese model contains a touch sensor that responds to 240 Hz, for lower latency in games.

With more differentials, Xiaomi notes the point in this regard.

Sound

These devices do not disappoint in terms of audio and offer a stereo system, with the call speaker as a secondary channel. But the Note 12 Pro has a third sound output at the top for a superior three-dimensional user experience.

The sound power pleases both, although it is still far from perfect. Cell phones have a good balance between bass, mids and highs, with a slight advantage in quality for Redmi.

Only the Chinese company kept the standard headphone jack, but none of the manufacturers sends an accessory in its box.

With higher quality and more immersion, Redmi stays with the point.

System

The Note 12 Pro still comes with Android 12 natively, while the A34 already has version 13 of the “little robot” from the factory. Samsung’s biggest update policy with years more than the competitor also allows for greater longevity than Xiaomi delivers.

The fluidity of the system will not be a problem in these devices, due to the presence of a high rate of their panel. The internet is another positive point here, due to the duo’s support for 5G technology, for an always fast mobile network.

The two interfaces here have a number of customization options and features. The highlights are the Always-on Display and the shortcuts on the side, either called Edge Screen in One UI, or called Sidebar in MIUI.

With good functionality and smoothness on both sides, the Korean’s longer lifespan gives it the point.

These are two smartphones equipped with the same Dimensity 1080 mobile platform, from MediaTek, in addition to the presence of 6 GB of RAM in these variants that we tested. Does this mean having the same performance? It’s not like that. Samsung’s software handles background apps better, which allows it to hold longer than Xiaomi’s phone. Therefore, the Galaxy was almost 20 seconds faster.

Even in the benchmarks, Korean scores slightly higher than Chinese in both Geekbench and AnTuTu. In games, both achieve good performance and run even the heaviest titles in high graphic quality.

For the most optimized multitasking, the A34 scores the point.

Moving on to the battery, these devices are powered by one with the same capacity of 5,000 mAh. Here the Redmi software was the most optimized, as our standardized tests indicate. It recorded more than 31 hours of autonomy, with about four and a half hours above the Galaxy.

When we go to recharge, the situation is not reversed. The 67W adapter sent by Xiaomi takes less than an hour to complete the process. Half the time of the almost two hours that the Samsung model takes, with its 15 W power accessory.

This is an easy point for the Note 12 Pro.

The duo offers a triple set of rear cameras. The Galaxy’s main 48 MP and Redmi’s 50 MP take good pictures during the day, with satisfactory levels of sharpness and colors. However, the Korean hits HDR better, without leaving the background blown in some scenarios, in addition to having a more efficient night mode than the Chinese one.

Their ultrawide has a resolution well below the main one, but at least it records images with good colors. At night, the noises become more apparent. Finally, the macro lens completes the trio in them. The A34 has a better definition, which ensures higher quality images. Too bad they both lack autofocus.

Samsung provides a higher quality than Xiaomi overall. Therefore, she takes the point.

Photos taken with the Samsung Galaxy A34

Their camcorder supports videos in 4K resolution at 30 fps. The quality of both pleases, both in images and in sound capture, but Galaxy still has an advantage over Redmi. At least there’s snappy focus on them, plus optical image stabilization to better handle blur.

In details, Samsung scores once again.

Photos taken with the Redmi Note 12 Pro

The front camera of the two takes selfies with correct skin tone and a good contrast, but the A34 registers a higher level of sharpness, both during the day and at night. Their portrait mode does a good job of cropping, without making the background blow out. For head-on shooting, only Korean supports 4K recording at 30 fps.

With the highest quality in the records, it is another point for Samsung.

The two smartphones officially arrived in Europe. The Galaxy A34 was available for a suggested price of BRL 2,600, well below the BRL 3,400 charged at the launch of the Redmi Note 12 Pro. In current retail, the difference is smaller between them, but the Korean can still be found cheaper, around R$ 1,300, while the Chinese has not dropped from R$ 1,600 so far.

Therefore, Samsung closes the Comparison with the last point.

In this duel between the Korean and the Chinese, Samsung won against Xiaomi in a comfortable score. The Galaxy A34 proved to be more complete, with a tougher design, greater system longevity and the fastest multitasking performance. It still has the highest quality set of cameras overall, not to mention its availability at a lower price in Europe.

The Redmi Note 12 Pro ends up being the option that focuses more on multimedia and battery. That’s because it offers the highest quality screen, the most immersive sound, the best autonomy and the shortest recharge time. Not to mention its more modern design. However, it does not reach the same amount of benefits as its competitor.

RESULT

Samsung Galaxy A34: 7 POINTS

• sturdier design
• bigger screen
• Longer lasting system
• Better multitasking performance
• Rear cameras with higher quality in HDR and macros
• higher quality videos
• Front camera with sharper selfies and filming in 4K
• Lowest price in the current Europeian market

Redmi Note 12 Pro: 4 POINTS

• More modern design and premium construction
• Bigger screen with more colors and Dolby Vision support
• More balanced and immersive sound
• Longer battery life and shorter charging time

Which device is the best in the aspect that you prioritize the most? Between Galaxy and Redmi, which one would you choose when buying? Comment everything in the space below.

• The Samsung Galaxy A34 is available from Girafa for BRL 1,299 and in Magazine Luiza by BRL 1,439. The cost-benefit is good and this is the best model in this price range.
• The Redmi Note 12 Pro is available from SuperDig for BRL 1,647 and on Amazon for BRL 1,849. The cost-benefit is average but this is the best model in this price range.