Samsung relies on the tried and trusted masala magic that made Galaxy M31 (review) and M31s (review) runaway successes. This masala mix includes a peppy AMOLED display, a big battery, reliable software, and a versatile camera system that works. Apart from the usual ingredients, there is no underwhelming Exynos to be wary of. Samsung makes some tactical readjustments and employs Snapdragon 730, which remains a relevant SoC in 2020 and should help it compete against the likes of Vivo V20 (review), OnePlus Nord, and Oppo F17 Pro (review). So is Samsung all set to rule the under Rs 25,000 segment? After extensive usage, we have gathered our thoughts in our Galaxy M51 review. Contents
Samsung Galaxy M51 SpecificationsSamsung Galaxy M51 UnboxingSamsung Galaxy M51 Review – Design and BuildSamsung Galaxy M51 Review – Display Samsung Galaxy M51 Review – Software and PerformanceSamsung Galaxy M51 Camera ReviewSamsung Galaxy M51 Review – Battery and ChargingSamsung Galaxy M51 Review Verdict, Pros, Cons
Samsung Galaxy M51 Specifications
ALSO READ: Samsung Galaxy M51 versus OnePlus Nord – Which one is a better buy under Rs 25,000?
Samsung Galaxy M51 Unboxing
Samsung once again skips the TPU case in the Galaxy M51 box. Well, it’s a deliberate move as Samsung hopes to sell its M series mascot ‘Mobi’ inspired cases. The brand also broke away from convention by not offering a pre-applied screen protector on the phone. The Galaxy M51 box contents include:
Galaxy M51 handset25W wall chargerUSB Type-C to Type-C charging cableInstruction manualWarranty cardSIM ejector tool
With the bundled Type-C to Type-C cable, the 7,000mAh battery on the phone can be used to refill your secondary device or other accessories like TWS earphones. ALSO READ: Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 Review
Samsung Galaxy M51 Review: Design and Build
Let’s address the elephant in the room first – Is the Galaxy M51 a bulky phone? Well, yes and no. If you just look at the numbers, it’s 9.3 mm thick and weighs 213g – which positions it on the bulkier side of the spectrum. However, we wouldn’t say the Galaxy M51 is a bulky phone. Within a 9.3mm clamshell, Samsung managed to fit in a monstrous 7000mAh battery AND that is a huge achievement. Honestly, we didn’t expect it to be handy at all, but it is. If the idea of an anxiety-free 7000mAh battery fascinates you, rest assured this convenience doesn’t come at that hefty a price. To put the dimensions into a better perspective, Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro packs a 5020mAh battery in an 8.8mm thick body and weighs 209 grams. The Galaxy M31s with 6000mAh battery measures the same in thickness and weighs just 10 grams less. In a quick glance, one can easily get confused between the Galaxy M51 and M31s. The exterior of the phone has the same eye-catching iridescent shade and 3D Glasstic design. It comes in Black and Dark Blue shades which are elegant and appealing. Like most Samsung phones this year, the Galaxy M51 has a rectangular quad-camera array on the rear and a centrally aligned selfie camera that resides within a punch hole. The rear camera module sits flush with the back and there is a raised lip around the periphery to protect it from scratches. Speaking of which, the glossy plastic back isn’t as resistant to daily wear and tear. You will need a case to preserve that shine. Bezels around the Infinity-O display are uniformly slim – which is not something we usually see on affordable and mid-range phones where the bottom bezels are almost always noticeably thicker. On the right edge, it accommodates a volume rocker and a capacitive fingerprint scanner embedded power button. The audio jack, USB Type-C port, and the mono speaker are positioned at the bottom. ALSO READ: Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G Review (Indian Exynos variant)
Samsung Galaxy M51 Review: Display
The Galaxy M51 has a 6.7-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED Plus Infinity-O Display. Samsung says its new Super AMOLED Plus displays have been specially developed for such big battery phones and are thinner, lighter, and more energy-efficient compared to existing AMOLEDs. To be more precise, Samsung’s AMOLED Plus panel is up to 13 percent slimmer than a conventional panel and also weighs up to 12 percent less, (as per Samsung internal test data). In comparison to an IPS LCD screen, the AMOLED Plus is up to 43 percent slimmer and 28% lighter, claims Samsung. As far as we can tell, Shaving of panel thickness and heft hasn’t had any impact and the picture quality. This is a great screen for consuming multimedia content, one of the very bests in the under 30K price segment. Having said that, It’s still missing high-refresh-rate and associated fluidity – something that OnePlus Nord delivers in the same budget. Whether or not this is a dealbreaker should be subjective to individual taste. At this point in time, we’d say that to settle for a 60Hz screen is an acceptable compromise. Galaxy M51 supports HD streaming across popular apps like Netflix, Prime Videos Disney+ Hotstar etc. It also has HDR 10 support but currently it is only limited to Youtube. The peak brightness of 420 Nits is enough to read outdoors but certainly not the brightest in the segment. ALSO READ: Realme 7 Pro Review
Samsung Galaxy M51 Review: Software and Performance
The Galaxy M51 ships with Samsung One UI 2.1-based on Android 10. Not much has changed between the Galaxy M31s and M51 in terms of software. Like most Samsung phones launched in 2020 it comes fully loaded. It has a system-wide dark mode, themes store, a gesture-based navigation system, customization options, Game Booster, built-in screen recorder, Edge screen, Phone Companion for PC integration, dual Messenger, Always On Display and lot more. On top of that, users also get Knox Security assurance. Like all previous M-series phones, there are several bloatware apps pre-installed on the Galaxy M51 including Chingari, DailyHunt and a few others, but most of these can be uninstalled. Once again, Samsung has integrated Glance Lock Screen Stories, which pushes photos and stories on the lock screen. Users can disable Lock Screen poster if they wish. Some of the Samsung apps hog precious notification space and we ended up turning their notifications off. Where Samsung takes a leap is switching to a competent Snapdragon processor. Samsung has sourced a Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G chipset for the Galaxy M51, which in spite of being a year old chip addresses our biggest M-series peeve point. Well, I managed to play graphics-intensive games like Call of Duty with very high graphics and very high frame rates setting without many hiccups. Since PUGB Mobile is no longer available on Google Playstore in India we decided to test Life is Strange game on the Galaxy M51. As expected, the Snapdragon 730G managed to perform well. Our day-to-day usage experience also has been smooth thus far. Overall, we are quite content with the Galaxy M51 performance. The Snapdragon 730G is a gaming-centric chipset fabricated on a power-efficient 8nm node process. The 2.2Ghz octa-core processor includes Kryo 470 cores, Adreno 618 GPU, and Snapdragon Elite gaming Suite. Our Galaxy M51 unit comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage but there’s also a 6GB RAM variant announced by Samsung. How does it perform?
Samsung Galaxy M51 Camera Review
The Samsung Galaxy M51 packs a quad-camera setup similar to one we saw on the Galaxy M31s. The quad-camera system at the back consisting of a 64MP f1.8 primary camera, a 12MP f2.2 ultrawide, a 5MP f2.5 macro, and a 5MP depth sensor. On the front, there’s a 32MP selfie shooter that can shoot 4k Videos and slowfies. Samsung has packed a number of engagements within the camera app – there’s Intelli Cam: Single Take, Super Steady, Night Hyperlapse, Super Slow Motion, AR Emoji, AR Sticker & Stamp to name a few. Since the Galaxy M51 is my daily driver now, I have been extensively testing its camera in different lighting conditions. The main Sony IMX 682 64MP camera combines four pixels to one to deliver 16MP images. In our testing, we found that the Galaxy M51 manages to capture crips images with good dynamic range in daylight. Samsung has made a few adjustments in its algorithms to tone down post-processing a bit. This resulted in improved color accuracy. Still, the Galaxy M51 tends to deliver saturated images with a bit of over-sharpening. The low light images have good details and do not try to suppress noise grains. There’s night mode which takes multiple exposure shots and uses algorithms to deliver an improved low light image. The 12MP ultra-wide camera is by far the best in the segment. In the past we have complained about the lack of details and crispness in ultra-wide shots in M-series phones, well thankfully Samsung managed to address those with the Galaxy M51. The ultra-wide sensor here captures a good amount of details and an improved dynamic range. There are also a 5MP depth and macro cameras which are fun to play with but nothing substantial. For selfies, there’s a 32MP camera on the front that does a good job offering above-average detail and fairly accurate skin tones. There is 4K at 30fps support for both front and back cameras. The Super Steady recording mode is also present for the rear-camera but you can only use it to record videos in full HD resolution. To achieve stable videos in Super Steady mode, Samsung uses the Galaxy M51 ultra-wide camera and crops part of the frame to deliver smooth video.
Samsung Galaxy M51 Review: Battery and charging
Li-ion batteries and fast charging have progressed a great deal, but most people these days do a lot on their phones and have multiple wireless gadgets to deal with. Battery anxiety is pretty much a thing, and the Galaxy M51 is as battery-anxiety free as it gets. The 7000mAh battery on the phone can conveniently last for more than 2 days and with enough to spare, you can directly reverse charge accessories using the bundled Type-C to Type-C cable. Samsung bundles a 25W USB PD fast charger in the box and the same can refill the tank in 140 minutes. Living with live a 7000mAh battery phone does make life easy. You won’t have the battery anxiety anymore. ALSO READ: Sony WF-1000XM3 Review
Samsung Galaxy M51 Review Verdict
At the time of penning down this, we have spent around 10 days with the Galaxy M51. During this period, it has proven to be an admirable all-rounder. For a change, the best of Samsung expertise is combined with a competent Qualcomm’s 7-series chipset, resulting in a very meaningful and distinct experience – and that too at a competitive price. Everything seems to align well for Samsung this time around. Is the Galaxy M51 most powerful phone in the segment? Hell no, Realme X3 and OnePlus Nord boast of better chipset but their advantage end there. The Snapdragon 730G backed Galaxy M51 offers an eye-pleasing screen, reliable performance, good cameras, user-friendly software, and crazy long battery life -and these strengths tilt our option in its favor. Pros
Excellent Super AMOLED Plus displayExcellent battery lifeVersatile camerasGood software
Cons
No High refresh rate for displayNo bundled case and pre-applied screen protection
Question: Does Samsung Galaxy M51 support HD streaming on Netflix and Prime Videos? Answer: Yes, the Galaxy M51 supports up to Full HD streaming resolution on Netflix and Prime Videos. HDR streaming is only via official Youtube app. Question: Does Samsung Galaxy M51 support Wi-Fi calling and dual-band Wi-Fi? Answer: Yes, it does. Question: Does Samsung Galaxy M51 has Konx security? Answer: Yes, the Galaxy 51 is Knox secured.
Samsung Galaxy M51 unboxing(in Hindi)
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