Samsung Galaxy M34 v/s Realme Narzo 60: Mid-range smartphones compared
The Samsung Galaxy M34 and Realme Narzo 60 are the latest entrants in India's sub-Rs. 20,000 segment. Currently up for pre-bookings against a token amount of Rs. 999, the devices will go on sale starting July 15. Both phones offer 5G connectivity, an AMOLED screen, a high-resolution main camera, and several run-of-the-mill specifications. Here, we compare them to find out which one is better.
The Realme Narzo 60 has an in-display fingerprint reader
The Samsung Galaxy M34 has a waterdrop notch up front and a side-facing fingerprint sensor. At the back, it follows Samsung's design philosophy, featuring vertically-stacked triple cameras. The Realme Narzo 60 has a left-aligned punch-hole, and an in-display biometric reader. It offers a raised, circular rear camera island. The Realme model is slimmer (7.93mm v/s 9.0mm) and lighter (182g v/s 208g) than Galaxy M34.
The Samsung Galaxy M34 packs a 120Hz AMOLED screen
The Samsung Galaxy M34 gets a 6.5-inch Full-HD+ (1080x2340 pixels) sAMOLED screen, with a 120Hz refresh rate. The Realme Narzo 60 packs a 6.43-inch Full-HD+ (1080x2400 pixels) Super AMOLED display, with a 90Hz refresh rate. The front panel is protected by Corning's Gorilla Glass 5 on both handsets. The devices come with 1,000-nits of peak brightness, for handling tasks under direct sunlight.
Galaxy M34 has an optically stabilized main camera
The Samsung Galaxy M34 5G offers 50MP (f/1.8, OIS) main, 8MP (f/2.2) ultra-wide, and 2MP (f/2.4) macro cameras. The Realme Narzo 60 equips 64MP (f/1.79) primary and 2MP (f/2.4) macro snapper. For selfies, they house 13MP (f/2.0) and 16MP (f/2.45) cameras, respectively. The Samsung counterpart gets a range of shooting abilities including Nightography and Monster Shot 2.0 (for multiple shots on the go).
Both devices offer 1TB of expandable storage
The Samsung Galaxy M34 uses a 5nm-based Exynos 1280 processor, with 6GB/8GB RAM and 128GB storage. In contrast, the Realme Narzo 60 houses a 7nm-based Dimensity 6020 chipset, with 8GB RAM and 128GB/256GB storage. Both phones support up to 1TB of expandable storage. On the software front, they are powered by Android 13 with One UI 5.1 and Realme UI 4.0 custom skins, respectively.
They have a headphone jack at the bottom
The Samsung Galaxy M34 packs a bigger battery (6,000mAh v/s 5,000mAh) compared to Realme Narzo 60. However, it has marginally slower charging (25W v/s 33W). The handsets offer a bottom-firing speaker. Also, they are equipped with a 3.5mm headphone jack for connecting wired earphones. They support 8GB of virtual RAM. The Samsung model will get four Android upgrades and five years of security updates.
How much do they cost?
The Samsung Galaxy M34 5G costs Rs. 18,999 for its 6GB/128GB variant. Its upper-end 8GB/128GB trim is priced at Rs. 20,999. Samsung is offering a 25W charging adapter for free on pre-orders. The Realme Narzo 60 is offered in 8GB/128GB and 8GB/256GB configurations, which will set you back by Rs. 17,999 and Rs. 19,999, respectively. The devices will go on sale starting July 15.
Which one is better?
Samsung Galaxy M34 appears to be a better pick over the Realme Narzo 60. It offers a higher refresh rate screen, a more sensible camera setup, a larger battery pack, and the convenience of Samsung-exclusive features such as Samsung Wallet, Voice focus (for clear calls), and Knox Security. Additionally, the promise of four major OS updates, makes it worth considering over the Realme counterpart.
