Samsung Galaxy M31 review: a balanced smartphone
It is one of the mid-range devices that I have most appreciated. This is not to say that it is free from defects, but the compromises are easily acceptable considering the price range in which it fits. In short, it is a product that could meet the needs of a large slice of users. All this without forgetting, however, the tough competition it will have to face, among all Poco X3 NFC that we got to appreciate in our review.
The autonomy and display shine
Galaxy M31 vi will make you forget where you have stored the charger. In fact, the great strength is the autonomy guaranteed by the 6,000 mAh battery. With intense use, it is possible to cover two full days while still having a little remaining charge. With more moderate use, you will be able to stay away from the electrical outlet for even three days, as you can see from the screenshots below.Even more surprising numbers if we consider that the battery must power a large 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display with Full-HD + resolution (1080 x 2340 pixels) protected by Gorilla Glass 3. The panel offers a quality of high standard and a very satisfying viewing experience. Excellent viewing angles and colors are vivid. I particularly appreciated the very high brightness of the screen, which does not create any visibility problems even on very sunny days. In short, we are talking about a display that is not easy to find in this segment.
The oleophobic treatment of the front glass is also good, which does not hold fingerprints very much. The same cannot be said instead of the rear body, made of polycarbonate, which tends to get dirty very easily. The color in our possession is the black one, but Galaxy M31 is also available in the Blue and Red color variants.
Also on the back we find the photographic module, whose protrusion is irrelevant, and the biometric sensor for the recognition of Fingerprints. Samsung, therefore, has decided not to insert it under the screen despite having used an AMOLED panel. Personally, I didn't find it very accurate. I often found myself having to enter the PIN code to unlock the device. Finally, there is also the possibility of exploiting the face recognition entrusted to the 32 Megapixel front camera, whose operation is average.
On the right edge, there are the volume rocker and the power button ( perfectly reachable); while the 3.5 mm audio jack (always very popular), the single speaker (which reproduces an average sound) and the Type-C port for charging have been inserted on the lower one. The dimensions are not properly contained, but still similar to many other smartphones available. Specifically, Galaxy M31 has dimensions of 159.2 x 75.1 x 8.9 mm for a weight of 191 grams. In general, you can handle it without any particular problems.
Performance and camera satisfy
Galaxy M31 is equipped with the Exynos 9611 processor, the same as the previous M30s. In this case, however, it is combined with 6 Gigabytes of RAM and 64 Gigabytes of expandable internal memory. A configuration that all in all manages to give satisfaction. It is certainly not a splinter, but I have never encountered particular blocks or slowdowns. The experience of daily use was satisfying. In short, it is a smartphone that manages to carry out daily activities serenely. Heat dissipation is also very good.Complete connectivity: Dual-SIM support (with the possibility of using the microSD at the same time), NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, Type-C port for charging and 3-inch audio jack , 5 mm. The software part is entrusted to Android 10 with customization of the One UI 2.0 graphic interface, with all the solutions that the Seoul giant has accustomed us to. There is also the Always-On-Display but there is the impossibility of using Samsung Pay (a real shame).
Finally, we come to the photographic sector. Galaxy M31 has four rear cameras. The main 64 Megapixel (f / 1.8) sensor is paired with an 8 Megapixel (f / 2.2) wide angle sensor, a 5 Megapixel (f / 2.4) sensor for macros and a 5 Megapixel (f / 2.2) last one. to collect depth of field information. A versatile and fun configuration that managed to achieve excellent results.
I must admit that I didn't have great expectations from a photographic point of view, but I changed my mind. We are certainly far from the levels that reach the top of the range, but we must not forget that we are talking about a decidedly cheaper product. Daytime images appear in bright colors and with a good level of detail. The colors appear quite natural, without losing intensity.
The wide-angle sensor is also satisfactory, which can be useful on several occasions. On the other hand, macro shots and those with bokeh effect (blurred background) are average. The latter manages to delineate the contours quite well.
The photos taken in low light are appreciable. There is the usual decline in quality in the absence of light, but the shots are always usable. Then there is the special night mode which in different situations can really improve the scene, without causing an excessive alteration of reality. Videos can be recorded up to 4K resolution. The quality remains average, but the lack of optical stabilization makes itself felt a lot.
The same goes for the 32 Megapixel (f / 2.0) front camera that manages to pull off some nice selfies, both in daylight and at night, with a good level of detail that will delight self-portrait lovers. There is also the possibility of being able to shoot with a closer or distant shot, the latter is very useful for group photos and with a background panorama.
Conclusions
Galaxy M31 is a balanced smartphone, as mentioned at the beginning. It offers excellent autonomy thanks to the 6,000 mAh battery, a quality Super AMOLED display that makes viewing multimedia content enjoyable. The photographic sector does not disappoint at all considering the price range to which it belongs. The 279.99 euros requested from the price list represent an adequate figure for what is offered. Too bad for the presence of a not very recent processor which still ensures good performance. With this line of devices, Samsung can also conquer the mid and low end of the market, now dominated by Chinese brands.It is precisely the competition of the latter that Galaxy M31 will have to face. We think of Xiaomi who will soon present a 5G smartphone in the same price range. On the other hand, however, the Seoul giant can count on the loyalty to the brand of a large number of users. From this point of view, Galaxy M31 becomes the ideal choice for all lovers of the South Korean manufacturer who want a smartphone that is both complete and less expensive than the high-end proposals.
