Samsung Galaxy M31s Review: Best Non-Chinese Phone Under ₹20000?

Samsung's Galaxy M series has always been known for having massive battery capacity and the Samsung Galaxy M31s is no exception. Let’s go into details on our Galaxy M31s review below, starting with some background information.

The Samsung Galaxy M31s was launched in India in July 2020 for a starting price of Rs. 19,499. The handset is competing with POCO X3, Realme 7 Pro, Redmi Note 9 Pro Max, among others. The highlights of this phone include attractive design, massive battery, AMOLED display, and 64MP quad cameras.

Samsung Galaxy M31s: Design

First of all, in terms of design, the Galaxy M31s has a "glasstic" back - meaning the build material is plastic but giving a feeling that the device is completed with beautiful glass, bringing a sense of luxury. The back of the Galaxy M31s is shiny and sparkling in the sun, but the downside is that it is prone to sweat and fingerprints.

The version we used for this review is the Galaxy M31s Mirage Blue, with a black-blue gradient. Look good right? If you take a good look, you will find it looks like a waterfall flowing down the lake very vividly.

And yet, the side edges of this phone are smooth and the slightly curved corners look quite nice as well. Despite the massive 6,000mAh battery, the handset is not too thick, so you can easily keep it in your pocket.

Samsung Galaxy M31s: Display

Many smartphone manufacturers have already switched to a punch-hole design style. Samsung has also used the design on the Galaxy M31s and done a good job at keeping the punch-hole cutout very small. Not only that, but the company also optimized the size bezels to help the screen ratio increase significantly. Galaxy M31s is equipped with a 6.5-inch panel with a resolution of 1,080 x 2,400 pixels that provides a great visual and immersive experience.

At the same time, being equipped with a Super AMOLED screen is another highlight of the M31s, with the ability to deliver high-contrast, deep blacks. Galaxy M31s allows you to customize the screen color to your liking. The Super AMOLED display is clearly better than an IPS LCD panel.

Samsung Galaxy M31s: Performance

With the Exynos 9611 processor, Galaxy M31s does not deliver the powerful performance we expected, but this chipset is still enough to provide a smooth experience with normal tasks. But what is the actual performance of the Exynos 9611 chip in the game?

When testing games like Asphalt 9: Legends, Call of Duty: Mobile, PUBG Mobile, it is clear that the Galaxy M31s is not a smartphone dedicated to gaming. Not only glitches and lag, but you'll feel the device heat up on medium or high graphics settings. If playing continuously for 45 minutes at medium - high settings, the lag will occur more so it is recommended that you don’t use it for gaming too often.

Talking about the speakers, the sound from the Galaxy M31s is quite loud, clear and enough to hear it clearly even in crowded places. Maybe the speakerphone for us is not important, but when you buy and use it, you will see the importance of a good speakerphone.

Samsung Galaxy M31s: Camera

Not only possessing a beautiful design, but the Galaxy M31s is also upgraded in terms of camera. Galaxy M31s has a 64 MP camera that delivers warm tones and high detail, whether you're taking pictures in bright or low-light conditions. In low light situations, the shot looks a bit grainy but overall still acceptable.

The device has night photography mode, which isn’t that good. The image quality is average with an average level of detail, dark colors, and especially some areas of the image such as trees, walls, ... are grainy. 

When taking photos in night mode, 64 MP photography cannot be used as you can only shoot in Auto mode. Switching to the 12 MP ultra-wide camera, the results are blurred, dark, and lack detail.

However, these things only happen when you are taking photos in low light. And when you shoot in bright enough conditions, the image is not only beautiful but also gives high detail. The most impressive is the 5 MP macro camera. All you need to do is placing the camera 4 cm - 5 cm from the subject, the rest is left to the Galaxy M31s to take care of.

Samsung Galaxy M31s: Battery

One of the great things about the Galaxy M series line is the battery life, which continues on the Galaxy M31s. Fortunately, the device has a 6,000 mAh battery that certainly brings a solid battery life. If you do not play games, you can use up to 2 days without having to recharge. And yet, Galaxy M31s is also equipped with 25W fast charging, which allows the phone to fully charge its 6,000 mAh battery in just about an hour and a half.

Samsung Galaxy M31s: Verdict

With a selling price of Rs 19,499, Galaxy M31s can compete with other mid-range products with its 6,000mAh battery, great cameras as well as an attractive and solid body. However, if all you care about its performance, the Galaxy M31s is inferior to its Realme and Xiaomi counterparts.