We’re a few days away from the big Samsung flagship unveil (likely to be christened the Samsung Galaxy S20); understandably much of the chatter surrounds the leaks around this device. And then there are Samsung’s diet versions of both the Galaxy S10 and the Note 10 that aim to disrupt the sub Rs 40,000 segment. In the middle of all this buzz, Samsung has also launched the follow up to last year’s A50 and A50S devices; a key device for Samsung in the competitive sub Rs 25,000 price band.
The first thing you’ll notice about the Samsung Galaxy A51 is its teeny pin-hole selfie cam. Along with the Note 10 Lite, it’s the tiniest on any Samsung device. The 6.5-inch Infinity-O, Super AMOLED display (1080 x 2400 pixels) is probably our favourite feature and packs a decent 405 pixels per inch (PPI).
Samsung has added a set of cool wallpapers that play around the small selfie cam cut-out. It’s not just the display, we also dig the chic prism pattern that lends a premium vibe to the plastic back. The device feels quite good in your hand despite the large display and weighs just 172 grams. Like most other devices in this segment, there’s no waterproof form factor or wireless charging.
The Galaxy A51 may not be the first choice for power users in this segment. Samsung sticks with the same Exynos 9611 processor that propelled its predecessor – the A50S. The device gets a slight leg up with Game Booster 2.0 and features 6GB of RAM and 128 GB of Internal memory (in addition to support for Micro SD cards up to 512GB). Our AnTuTu benchmark results didn’t show a huge jump over the A50S – the A51 clocked 155615 (vis-à-vis 150876 on the A50S).
The addition of the Macro Lens is one of the cool enhancements over its predecessors. Samsung has also added the video stabilisation mode that is a handy feature at this price. The 32MP selfie cam produced good results in ambient light but didn’t quite ace it in lowlight. An ultra-wide angle lens has become a bare essential across price points and the 12MP lens on this cam shoots impressive images. A 48MP primary lens, a 5MP depth sensor and a 5MP Macro lens complete the versatile rear camera set-up.
The Galaxy A51 offers a bridge to pricier Samsung devices with a smattering of premium features that include a vibrant display and also a 4000 mAh battery that should last you through the day. We would have liked to see a heavy-duty charger bundled with the box.
The A51 may not have the same firepower as some of its rivals in this segment, but that may not be a deal-breaker for many users who need a good looking device with a dependable camera, a robust battery and a large display that’s geared for Netflix marathons. The A51 should please this user profile.
The Samsung Galaxy A51 is available in Prism White, Prism Blue, and Prism Black at Rs 23,999 on Samsung’s online store.
(Ashwin Rajagopalan writes extensively on Gadgets & Trends, Travel & Lifestyle and Food & Drink. He owns and manages Brand Stories, a creative Content outfit and www.bytesize.in, a premier lifestyle blog with a focus on short-format content. Instagram: ‘ashwinpowers’)