Budget phones are a dime a dozen at the moment but somehow, only a few get it right. Be it Realme, Redmi or Poco, the performance is almost the same, except in one department — display. That’s one area that belongs to the Samsung. On the newly-announced Galaxy M32, the three big highlights are display, camera and battery, which are departments that interest most smartphone buyers.

When considering the price of the phone, take into account the FHD+ sAMOLED 90Hz 6.4-inch display. It’s big, vibrant and among the best in the category. Chances are you will use the phone to stream OTT programmes one-two hours a day, and this is one screen that won’t let you down. It gets very bright and colour accuracy is better than on most rival phones. Combine this with good-viewing angles and a speaker that’s loud enough. The 3.5mm headphone jack is there in all its glory.

Sample pictures taken using Samsung Galaxy M32 appear crisp and contrast-y minus oversaturation

In way of camera, what you get is a quad set up on the back of the phone. The main 64MP snapper does a surprisingly good job, giving photos that are crisp, slightly contrast-y and the colour is not unnecessarily boosted. Also impressive is the ultra-wide shooter but while switching between cameras there is a slight colour shift. After twilight, the night mode is handy, offering acceptable photographs. The set of cameras deal with skin tones without any issues, even while taking selfies.

Keeping the phone ticking away is a MediaTek Helio G80. It’s a processor that’s fast enough to handle all daily activities and gaming to a respectable level. If gaming is all that interests you, then do explore other options but at a higher price point. We have experienced no lags or crashes while using the phone and it’s best to get the 6GB RAM variant. The 6000mAh battery and the MediaTek processor keep the phone alive for a day and a half… easily.

The area where improvements can be made is bloatware, which is there but most of the unnecessary apps can be uninstalled. And perhaps the striped rear panel can be traded in for something with matte finish.

Otherwise, Samsung Galaxy M32 is one of those phones that will hold you in good stead for a couple of years. There is a microSD slot to handle extra space. This one is a marathon runner with a good set of snappers.

More about the smartphone

Device: Samsung Galaxy M32

Price: Rs 14,999 for 4GB+6GB and Rs 16,999 for 6GB+128GB

Goes on sale: June 28 on Amazon India

High points

• Cameras capture skin tones very well

• Long-lasting battery

• Comes with sAMOLED 90Hz display

• Speaker gets loud enough

Muffled notes

• Bloatware