Today we analyze the Samsung Galaxy A51, a mobile with which we have spent a few days as a personal phone to see everything it had to offer us.
Before the arrival of firms such as Xiaomi, Realme, or OPPO, the mid-range in countries like Spain was in the hands of Samsung. Although its market share remains one of the largest, the Korean firm has been forced to compete with competitors who offer large specifications at a fairly low price.
The mid-range devices that it presented during the past 2019 left us good feelings. We were able to analyze the Samsung Galaxy A50 and were satisfied with the peculiarities and originality of the Samsung Galaxy A80. Now, just a few weeks after the beginning of 2020, we have the possibility to analyze one of its novelties.
During the last few days, I have used the new Samsung Galaxy A51 in its version with 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage, specifically in blue. This is all we can tell you about the new mid-range of the Korean firm, the best and the worst of a best-seller candidate during 2020.
Datasheet
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Samsung Galaxy A51 |
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specs |
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| Dimensions | 158.5 x 73.6 x 7.9 mm |
| Screen | 6.5-inch Super AMOLED, Full HD + resolution |
| Processor | Exynos 9611 |
| RAM | 4 GB |
| Operating system | One UI 2.0 Sobre Android 10 |
| Storage | 128GB expandable up to 512GB |
| Cameras | 48 MP main, 12 MP f / 2.2 wide-angle, 5 MP f / 2.4 macro, 5 MP f / 2.2 depth |
| Battery | 4,000 mAh with 15W fast charge |
| Others | On-screen fingerprint reader, USB-C, headphone jack, NFC |
| Price | 369 euros |
The best of the Samsung Galaxy A51
Design and display
As has happened in previous editions, this Samsung Galaxy A51 shares some of the details of its design with the new Galaxy S20. Its rear – which is made of plastic contrary to what it may seem – has rounded edges and a beautiful design. In addition to geometric details, it reflects light as the Samsung Galaxy Note10 + did. The Galaxy A family has traditionally been aimed at the younger audience, and this A51 makes that quite clear.
It is not a small device, but it is comfortable in hand, and both its width and weight contribute to this. In fact, this last data is quite significant, with a height of almost 16 centimeters and a battery that reaches 4,000 mAh; the Samsung terminal only weighs about 170 grams.
One of the first things that catch your eye is its large 6.5-inch AMOLED panel, which occupies most of the front. A hole that houses the front camera could perhaps have been placed somewhat closer to the frame in the upper part. However, and as often happens, you forget about it as soon as you start using it on a day-to-day basis, so you get an almost seamless experience.
There are no surprises on the front of the Korean mid-range; Samsung has us accustomed to quite quality panels, with the characteristics of AMOLED technology. The colors are very vivid, and the blacks are deep and attractive in a well-calibrated panel. In any case, you can configure some of its features thanks to the Advanced Settings in the section Screen. We also find a good brightness level; I have not had problems using its screen in daylight in the middle of the street. It is a panel that you can enjoy a lot.
Battery
Autonomy is another of the virtues of the new Korean mid-range. Its battery enjoys a capacity of 4,000 mAh and fast charging of up to 15W. On practically all occasions, I have reached the end of the day without haste, making a not too intensive use, taking pictures, and using applications such as Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram.
However, I had no problems when the day was more demanding, and I played for a while. In general, it reached 7 hours of screen on average. The speed of the fast charge of the Galaxy A51 is correct, it does not stand out from the rest, but it can reach 50% in 45 minutes. The last section is usually the most complicated; you will have to wait about 2 hours for the Samsung smartphone to go from 0% to 100%.
The not so good of the Samsung Galaxy A51
Performance and experience
The brain of this Galaxy A51 is the Exynos 9611, manufactured by Samsung itself. It is the same chip that its predecessor incorporated, an octa-core with a 10-nanometer structure. It is given life by four Cortex A73 cores that reach 2.3 GHz and another four Cortex A53 cores that reach up to 1.7 GHz. Its GPU is the Mali-G72 MP3. It is accompanied by 4 GB of RAM, a figure that, although it does not reach the impressive numbers that we have seen in other manufacturers, seems enough to me.
Despite all the virtues I have just highlighted in the previous sections, the Galaxy A51 has unfinished business. During the last few days, I have encountered some performance problems, especially in day-to-day tasks, which have clouded my experience. However, these do not seem to be due solely to the Exynos 9611, but the feeling is of a lack of optimization with the operating system.
One UI 2.0 is not a bad layer of customization; it has managed to differentiate itself with recognizable design lines and is a considerable improvement compared to what we found years ago. However, something is not working properly on the Samsung device. I have suffered all kinds of jerks and lags to move between desks or lower the notification curtain. I have also encountered lag when multitasking or exiting an application. If what you wanted was to enter the Bixby feed, the fluency suffered even more.
He has failed to convince me – neither does the rest – partly because of those fluidity problems he mentioned. Its gesture navigation system, which you can replace with the traditional on-screen buttons, is similar to that found in other layers such as MIUI. If you prefer, you will also have the option of using the traditional on-screen buttons.
Do you want to enjoy your panel with games that require power? You can do it, but you are not going to get the best experience. As we always do, we have tested it with titles such as Call of Duty: Mobile or Asphalt 9, and although we sometimes encounter somewhat slow loading times, it can be played normally. By the way, the position of its only speaker makes it very easy to cover it while we play, another reason you should not choose the Samsung terminal if you want to spend many hours playing.
So are the cameras of the Samsung Galaxy A51
The Korean terminal comes with a main sensor signed by Samsung, specifically the S5KGM2 of 48 megapixels and focal length 2.0. Its front camera has the Samsung S5KGD1 sensor, 32 megapixels. It is accompanied by a wide-angle 12 megapixel, a depth 5-megapixel sensor, and a macro sensor, again with 5 megapixels of resolution.
The cameras of the Galaxy A51 have given good results these days. With the optimal conditions, and as we could expect, we obtain bright, colorful photographs with a good level of detail. However, I have missed a step forward compared to its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy A50.
Photography by day and portrait mode
The photographs that I have been able to take with this Samsung Galaxy A51 have been good, and they are very reminiscent of those that we could obtain with the previous edition. The Korean terminal is in line with what other devices of similar price offer, with images that enjoy a good level of detail and waste color and saturation, something that Samsung has us used to.
Its 48-megapixel main sensor is undoubtedly the star, but the macro and depth sensors do a good job too. Portrait mode looks pretty good when light is abundant, with a crop that isn’t perfect but will hit the mark most of the time. You can do it with the macro mode if you get close enough to any object, which has also satisfied me.
The inclusion of the is appreciated wide-angle; we know very well that it can be beneficial in those cases in which we seek to capture the scenes fully. The results are quite good, again with quite powerful colors, but also with a level of detail that remains correct.
Night mode
No manufacturer does not have a night mode today. When the light goes out, most terminals give problems, and these tools are handy to collect a little more detail. The cameras of the A51 comply thanks to Samsung’s night mode; they have a significant amount of light and do not suffer too much with the white balance. Its performance is correct, but without standing out from other manufacturers.
Frontal camera
With the front camera of this Galaxy S51, I have had the same feeling as with the rear ones. The results are good, but maybe I was expecting something more. You will not have problems taking good selfies; we also find an acceptable level of detail, without much noise, in darker scenes.
Samsung Galaxy A51: conclusions and opinion
The Samsung Galaxy A51 is a well-designed smartphone with a plastic back, yes, but it feels good and does not detract from its appeal. Its screen goes practically from corner to corner and is one of the best that you can find in its price range, marked by colors that attract attention. You will not have problems reaching the end of the day thanks to its battery; it does not stand out for having the fastest charge on the market, but it complies, and it will not leave you stranded.
My experience with the cameras on this Galaxy has also been satisfactory. We have a good 48-megapixel main sensor, a portrait mode that meets most of the time, a macro mode that some of you can take advantage of, and a quite useful wide-angle. Daylight You can take eye-catching, colorful photos in, but it doesn’t look like the mid-range a photo enthusiast should buy.
The Samsung-signed Exynos 9611 seems enough to enjoy occasional gaming and shouldn’t be a problem for not too demanding use. On the other hand, its performance is correct, although it cannot boast. Its 4 GB of RAM is far from the large numbers of other terminals, but I think it is a fairly correct figure in the mid-range.
And I have no doubt; the experience should always come first.
However, and as I have pointed out, I have encountered problems on a day-to-day basis during these weeks. The hardware may not be impressive, but these glitches appear to be due to an optimization issue. Could they be solved via software? It is possible, but after the last update, my feelings have not changed. And I have no doubt; the experience should always come first. For the price at which we can find it at the moment, around 315 euros, there are other options that I would recommend in the first place.
Samsung Galaxy A51 price and where to buy
If you want to get the Samsung Galaxy A51, a good option is to do it on Amazon. In the online store, you can find it for a price of around 315 euros in its only version with 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. If you prefer to go to a physical store, you will also find it in MediaMarkt and El Corte Inglés, of course, at a slightly higher price.
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Samsung Galaxy A51, opinion and Andro4all note |
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Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy A51? |
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| In favor |
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| Against |
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| Conclusions | The Samsung Galaxy A51 is not a bad smartphone. Still, its price and especially the experience it provides on a day-to-day basis prevent me from recommending it over other devices. |
| Punctuation | Samsung Galaxy A51
Experience always comes first. |
Sharlene Meriel is an avid gamer with a knack for technology. He has been writing about the latest technologies for the past 5 years. His contribution in technology journalism has been noteworthy. He is also a day trader with interest in the Forex market.
