If you can’t recommend a phone to your loved ones, it’s not a device worth looking at. After five days of use, what Samsung’s Galaxy M31s highlighted is purposefulness... and in heaps to make one’s eyes twinkle. It comes at a time when competition is high but competition can be a very good thing, good enough to make the South Korean company come up with a clever phone.

A display that dazzles

The numbers game just doesn’t always work. A company can pack in this and that processor, some extra RAM but it’s about how specs combine to offer an experience. What we have at hand is a Rs 19,499 device, which is a few thousands lower than the OnePlus Nord. In the mid-tier category every thousand bucks matter. So let’s start with the processor. Under the hood is the Exynos 9611 (up to 2.3GHz octa core processor). In the case of Nord it’s Snapdragon 765G. If gaming is a concern, obviously a more powerful processor would be on your list. Wouldn’t playing Fortnite in extreme graphics mode be a better experience on a flagship processor? Second, 5G. By the time 5G arrives in India, a phone company’s product cycle would be over and people would buy a completely new device. This makes M31s a practical choice, a pocket-friendly choice.

What most people look for is a good screen. And Samsung hasn’t compromised on that front. There is a gorgeous 6.5-inch 1080 x 2400 (FHD+) Super AMOLED smacked on the device, which is bright enough to stream movies, edit videos and for hours of reading. Yes, the refresh rate on the device is 60Hz but the screen dazzles to take the number one spot in the mid-tier category, perhaps even higher.
Even on the design front there is nothing to complain about. Light to hold and comfortable in the palm, the camera module is a nice rectangle on the rear. The back panel has a plastic-y material with glass-like finish, which could be a fingerprint magnet but then, most would use a cover to protect the phone. Speaking of fingerprint, Samsung decided to keep the scanner on the power button, which is a good choice. A lot of people don’t like the screen glowing up when using the under-the-screen fingerprint scanner. By the way, the scanner is quite fast and reliable.

Camera set-up for all seasons

Camera is obviously a critical aspect and Samsung has managed to get a good combination going. On the rear is a 64MP shooter (F1.8) with Sony IMX682 sensor and keeping it company is a 12MP sensor, a 5MP macro lens and a 5MP depth sensor. It’s a big step up from 48MP but, of course, megapixel is a different game. Like with 48MP phones, pixel binning produces 12MP shots, that is, four pixels are grouped together. So with 64MP one will get 16MP shots, with more light overall. Daytime shots come out vibrant but what we wanted to see are difficult night snaps, like the colour panel on a window or food pictures. Shifting to night mode, we got some awesome clicks. Equally Instagram-mable are the ultra-wide-angle shots. As for macro, it’s not something one gets easily excited by. I mean, how many more close-up shots one can take after staying locked up for months?! The 32MP selfie camera is more than enough for videoconferencing. Even videos appear decent as the rear shooter allows UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) at 30fps.

Low-light photography is not a problem on the Galaxy M31s The Telegraph

Is it for you?

Packed with a 6,000mAh battery, the phone almost lasts a couple of days. That’s a big winning ticket. Throw the apps that you use day-to-day and the work will get done without any lag. Expensive phones — like food — are great. But when an affordable eatery amazes you to come back again, you know the chef has hit the right spot. And that’s what Samsung has done — the Galaxy M31s hits the right spot with its solid all-round performance.

At a glance

Device: Samsung Galaxy M31s

• Processor: Exynos 9611
• Display: 6.5-inch, 1080 x 2400 (FHD+) Super AMOLED
• Camera: Rear — 64MP + 12MP + 5MP + 5MP, front — 32.0 MP
• Memory: 6GB+128GB (microSD up to 512GB)
• Battery: 6,000mAh
• Price: Upwards of Rs 19,499