First impression of the Galaxy M51

Samsung Galaxy M51 launched in India (Express Photo: Anuj Bhatia)

With premium mid-range phones challenging mainstream flagships, the definition of the latter is changing as the smartphone market matures. Samsung’s new Galaxy M51 is the best example of how phones have evolved. Although the Galaxy M51 is marketed as a mid-range phone, the phone is nothing short of a flagship. In fact, the Galaxy M51 is everything you expected to see in a flagship smartphone, and moreover, it is the only phone with a 7,000 mAh battery inside.

A few hours after starting to use the Samsung Galaxy M51, here are my first impressions.

Samsung Galaxy M51 practice: Jumbo size

The Galaxy M51 is big. Its screen measures 6.7 inches diagonally, which is larger than the 6.5-inch screen on the iPhone 11 Pro Max. And the macho appearance of the M51 could put off female users.

While the 6.7-inch screen is large, it’s pretty easy to get used to. Build quality is decent, although the phone is finished in plastic. The edges are curved, the screen has slim bezels, and there’s a familiar Infinity-O perforated camera cutout in the center of the screen.

Samsung Galaxy M51 (left), Apple iPhone 5c (right). (Express photo: Anuj Bhatia)

Despite the giant size, the phone never felt uncomfortable in my little hands or pocket. The size is a direct result of the 7,000 mAh battery, as we know that Samsung can keep it quite slim with a smaller battery like in the M31s. And the phone also weighs more than usual.

Samsung Galaxy M51 hands-on: gorgeous display

The screen is the best part of the Galaxy M51. The phone has a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED Plus screen that looks fantastic. Watching Masaba Masaba on a 6.7 inch screen was a great experience. The M51’s display is very bright with solid colors and deep blacks. The Galaxy M51 is amazing at consuming content.

Samsung Galaxy M51 hands-on: capable performer so far

The Galaxy M51 model I’m currently testing has a Snapdragon 730G processor, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage. Samsung will also sell the M51 with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Performance appears to be snappy. Surfing the web, checking Facebook and Twitter, playing games, and taking photos on the phone felt free of performance issues. All of this indicates that the M51 will be a fast phone, but I want to save the final judgment for later.

The Galaxy M51 has a massive 6.7-inch screen (Photo Express: Anuj Bhatia)

Samsung has been improving the user interface on their phones, and on the M51 we have the OneUI 2.1, which is based on Android 10. It’s the same version that runs on other Samsung phones, including the Galaxy S20 Ultra.

Samsung Galaxy M51 hands-on: lots of battery

The Galaxy M51 has a massive 7000mAh battery, which is the largest ever in a Samsung phone. It was difficult to accurately measure the battery life of the phone, since I started checking the phone a day ago. But I hope that the phone’s 7000 mAh battery can easily last more than a day of use. There is a 25W fast charger included in the box.

The rear camera of the Galaxy M51 seems to be as good as that of the Galaxy M31s (Photo Express: Anuj Bhatia)

Samsung Galaxy M51 hands-on: the rear camera is really good

The rear camera on the Galaxy M51 seems to be as good as the one on the Galaxy M31s (which you can read more about in my M31s review). There are four cameras on the back, consisting of a 64MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide camera, a 5MP macro lens, and a 5MP depth sensor. The 32MP front camera seems fine too.

I’ve taken some really great photos with the M51, which you can see below.

I was only able to take a few photos during my short hands-on time with the Galaxy M51. But I can already see that the 64MP main camera can take some very detailed shots. I was especially impressed with how the depth sensor works. Switching between different camera modes is easy. Autofocus is incredibly fast. You can record in 4K on the Galaxy M51. More details in our full review.

Samsung Galaxy M51 hands-on: first impressions

The Galaxy M51 has a unique position. Starting at Rs 24,999, the Galaxy M51 is exactly on par with a flagship phone, but it costs half the money. I think the Galaxy M51 challenges the status quo of flagships and at the same time creates a new niche of its own in a sea of ​​smartphones. Do you need a flagship phone? Of course, no.

📣 The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay up to date with the latest headlines

For the latest tech news, download the Indian Express app.