Overview of the Samsung Galaxy M31 smartphone with key features

The presentation of the Samsung Galaxy M31 took place on February 25 in India. The official date of the start of sales is still unknown, but it is expected that the novelty will appear in Russia at the end of March. It is expected that the M 31 is an improved version of the previous smartphone with an optimized performance of the main camera (from 48 megapixels to 64) and an additional macro lens.

Main characteristics

Design

No frills, simple and minimalist. Almost identical to the M30s model. The same large 6.4-inch display with a U-shaped notch for the selfie camera, the so-called Water Drop Notch. Slim black bezel, rounded corners and plastic body. The narrowed "chin" at the bottom does not irritate and does not interfere with the review. Gorilla Glass 3 generation from Corning is resistant to mechanical damage and scratches.

The quality of the rear panel plastic cannot boast of excellent characteristics. Still, the Galaxy M 31 is declared as a budget smartphone. The plastic is uneven - this is especially striking when exposed to light. The only joy is the color gradient (stated in the description on the official website), which, by the way, is almost invisible. Among the shortcomings is the average build quality (uneven joints, the module with cameras protrudes above the surface), which, however, does not affect functionality in any way. Another disadvantage is that the glossy plastic “collects” fingerprints and scratches easily, so you can’t do without additional protection.

The physical control buttons are located on the right side (the volume control is above the power button, which is not very convenient), at the bottom there is a charging and headphone jack. On the left side there are 2 slots, one of which is for SIM-cards, the second - for a microSD memory card.This is very convenient, you do not have to choose between another SIM card or installing a microSD.

Important: there is a headphone jack, but there are no headphones themselves, only a USB-C cable and a 15 W charger are included, instead of the standard 10, which is not bad.

There is a fingerprint scanner on the rear panel - an easy way to protect user data and a simple screen unlock. The manufacturer took into account its own mistakes and, unlike its predecessor M30s, the scanner is triggered by a light touch.

Display

Super AMOLED with high resolution (2340 x 1080 pixels) at 6.4 inches, so that in terms of color reproduction, the new model is in no way inferior to smartphones in the premium segment. A wide viewing angle and brightness will allow you to view the image on the screen even in sunny weather.

Comes with Vivid pre-installed - bright, juicy, but eyes get tired quickly. You can change the sharpness and brightness mode manually or change it in the settings to a comfortable level.

The display of the M31 is claimed to be HDR, but this is not entirely true - there is not enough brightness or color range. When watching videos on YouTube, the function turns on automatically, and for example, the Netflix application does not recognize the HDR device at all.

Otherwise, everything is fine, considering that the budget gadget is equipped with AMOLED, instead of the standard LCD display for this price segment.

Battery

Deserves special attention. The device received a 6000 mAh battery, so it will quietly “live” for a couple of days without recharging, even with active use. And to "plant" the battery, if you use the gadget only for calls, is not at all realistic. No wonder the Galaxy M 31 received the title of monster in absentia.

By the way, the M31 is still the leader in terms of battery capacity in its class.Charging is not fast (even at 15W), taking about 3 hours on average. Fast charging mode can be turned off if you are not in a hurry to reduce the load on the battery.

Performance and Software

The Galaxy M31 runs on Exynos 9611 (the chipset that was used on the Galaxy M30, Galaxy A50-51), so there's nothing new here. Plus 6 GB of RAM easily handles even demanding games, even at default settings. No stuttering when scrolling through apps or watching videos. The only drawback is that it can freeze when loading or when switching applications. It is also possible to experience performance degradation when the battery is low and using AR filters on Instagram, for example. Also, the smartphone will take a little longer to install downloaded applications.

Performance is directly related to battery life. The lower it is, the slower applications load, because the power saver mode is turned on.
Software - Android 10 with One UI 2.0 add-on. The latter provides a simple and intuitive interface and new management options. As for the design, here, in fact, nothing has changed.

Applications

Smartphones come preloaded with Google, Netflix, Facebook, Candy Crush Saga, and Samsung Max apps. Plus My Galaxy (sends notifications throughout the day, which gets annoying over time) and Samsung Shop. Setting permissions or blocking is not so easy. For example Facebook is supplemented with 3 more applications. To find them and disable (delete), you have to delve into the settings.
In general, users who used the gadget in test mode noted that advertising applications really turned out to be too much.

By the way: pre-installed applications may vary depending on the country. In this particular case, we are talking about Pakistan and India.

As for advertising content, Samsung applications can be disabled by checking the appropriate checkboxes in the permission settings.

Sound

Despite the presence of one speaker, the sound is not bad, although music lovers most likely will not have enough volume.
The M 31 features Dolby Atmos, which transforms stereo into 3D surround sound. But, the phone itself does not support the Dolby Atmos codec. When you try to view files with a similar audio track, a system error message will appear on the display and there will be no sound at all.

Camera

The main one consists of 4 modules: a 64MP quad camera, an 8MP wide-angle sensor (can work standalone), plus a macro lens and a 5MP depth sensor each. The quad camera takes 16-megapixel pictures by default (you can switch to full resolution in the settings).

The Galaxy M31's camera performs well in bright light (focuses and recognizes objects). When zoomed in, the image remains sharp. For example, if you take a photo of a page with text, the quality will not be lost when you zoom in.
Night mode produces mediocre results. Firstly, the photos are cropped for some reason, and secondly, the frames are blurry and more like watercolor painting, without clear contours. From HDR, which in this case turns on automatically, there is little sense.

When shooting with a wide-angle camera, objects may be distorted at the edges of the picture. This is especially noticeable if objects with clear geometric lines fall into the lens, for example, the facades of houses - the image is curved.

Selfies are quite good, clear and require almost no processing thanks to the front 32 megapixel camera. The camera separates the background from the object well and, by the way, the smartphone automatically turns on HDR, which allows you to convey the slightest nuances, color transitions. By default, the user receives 8-megapixel photos, but the function of switching modes is available.

With video, the situation is worse. There is practically no stabilization. The “picture” twitches, and in low light, the videos do not look at all, to put it mildly. Although the 4K resolution and 30 frames per second are impressive.

Macro photography is possible, but from a distance of up to 10 cm from the subject, the photo quality will be very, very mediocre. The only way out is to shoot objects exclusively in nature and in good lighting. Indoors, a shadow will inevitably fall on the object, and if you try to photograph glossy surfaces, you will additionally be able to shoot your own reflection. Moreover, such a problem will remain regardless of the angle at which the camera is tilted. In general, the idea with a separate macro camera, if not a failure, then requires serious improvement.

Additional sensors

In addition to the fingerprint sensor, the gadget has a proximity sensor, a gyroscope (captures small movements of the display), an accelerometer. As well as virtual light sensor - a virtual light sensor.

Advantages and disadvantages

• Bright screen;
• Capacious 6000 mAh battery;
• Modern OS;
• Photomodule.

• Long charging time, even fast.

In general, the Samsung Galaxy M31 is a great option for those who value reliability. Powerful battery, Super AMOLED wide-angle display and good camera performance. M 31 will appeal to fans of online games and selfies.In general, the updated line will most likely be in demand, given the budget cost - it is assumed that the price of a smartphone will not exceed 17,000 rubles.