Samsung Galaxy M30 review: Super amoled screen, triple rear camera are worth the asking price
Image quality is above average but in low light the detail takes a big hit.
By Karan Bajaj, ET Bureau |
Agencies
Price: Rs 14,990
Rating: ***1/2
Specifications: 6.4-inch super amoled, 2340 x 1080 pixels, octa-core Exynos 7904 processor, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage, dedicated microSD slot, dual SIM, USB Type-C, triple rear camera: 13MP f1.9 + 5MP f2.2 depth + 5MP f2.2 ultrawide, 16MP front camera, Dolby Atmos, WiFi ac, Bluetooth 5.0, 4G, VoLTE, 5,000mAh battery, Android 8.1
Pros: Sleek design, large battery without the bulk, bright amoled display, good performance, triple camera on a budget, good selfie camera, excellent battery life, fast charge support
Cons: Glossy plastic back is a smudge magnet, camera performance is average, fingerprint scanner placement is not comfortable, sub-par fingerprint recognition, runs older Android 8.1
Samsung has been getting aggressive with the Galaxy M series. The M30 is most premium of the M series and offers a number of features usually not available in this price bracket including a super amoled screen, USB Type-C port and triple camera setup with wide angle lens.
In case you missed our reviews of the M10 and M20, one of the best things about both was the high quality display (despite both of them having LCD panels). With the Galaxy M30, the company is taking things up a notch with a super amoled panel. The phone has a 6.4-inch Infinity U display with a resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels. And since we know that Samsung makes really amazing amoled screens, we were not surprised at all with the gorgeous, deep blacks, vibrant colours and excellent viewing angles. It also has very slim bezels for this price class.
When you first pick it up, it’s hard to believe that this phone has a 5,000mAh battery inside. It has a plastic body to keep the weight down but doesn’t fall short on looks. The glossy back panel has a gradient colour scheme. As usual though, it tends to attract smudges immediately. The curved edges make it comfortable to use the phone and special mention to the camera module that sits flush with the rest of the body. One issue we have with the design is regarding the placement of the rear fingerprint scanner — it is too high for our liking which makes it inconvenient to use.
Hardware is similar to the Galaxy M20: an octa-core Exynos 7904 processor but with option of 4/6GB RAM and 64/128GB storage. Performance is also about the same. PUBG runs on medium graphics but with random frame-drops while you wont see any issue using the phone for daily tasks of calling, social media and multimedia usage. Battery life is the star here with the 5,000mAh battery giving you nearly two full days. Even with heavy usage, we ended up with 20-25% battery spare. This is one of the few phones in this segment with a USB Type-C port and to use the full potential, Samsung bundles a fast charger in the box. We were able to go from 10 to 100% charge in less than 2 hours which is great.
The triple rear camera is another new feature in this mid-range segment. The M30 has a 13MP f1.9 primary camera coupled with a 5MP depth sensor and 5MP ultrawide sensor. The camera interface is zippy and fast to lock focus and shoot. Image quality is above average but in low light the detail takes a big hit.
Rating: ***1/2
Specifications: 6.4-inch super amoled, 2340 x 1080 pixels, octa-core Exynos 7904 processor, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage, dedicated microSD slot, dual SIM, USB Type-C, triple rear camera: 13MP f1.9 + 5MP f2.2 depth + 5MP f2.2 ultrawide, 16MP front camera, Dolby Atmos, WiFi ac, Bluetooth 5.0, 4G, VoLTE, 5,000mAh battery, Android 8.1
Pros: Sleek design, large battery without the bulk, bright amoled display, good performance, triple camera on a budget, good selfie camera, excellent battery life, fast charge support
Cons: Glossy plastic back is a smudge magnet, camera performance is average, fingerprint scanner placement is not comfortable, sub-par fingerprint recognition, runs older Android 8.1
Samsung has been getting aggressive with the Galaxy M series. The M30 is most premium of the M series and offers a number of features usually not available in this price bracket including a super amoled screen, USB Type-C port and triple camera setup with wide angle lens.
In case you missed our reviews of the M10 and M20, one of the best things about both was the high quality display (despite both of them having LCD panels). With the Galaxy M30, the company is taking things up a notch with a super amoled panel. The phone has a 6.4-inch Infinity U display with a resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels. And since we know that Samsung makes really amazing amoled screens, we were not surprised at all with the gorgeous, deep blacks, vibrant colours and excellent viewing angles. It also has very slim bezels for this price class.
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When you first pick it up, it’s hard to believe that this phone has a 5,000mAh battery inside. It has a plastic body to keep the weight down but doesn’t fall short on looks. The glossy back panel has a gradient colour scheme. As usual though, it tends to attract smudges immediately. The curved edges make it comfortable to use the phone and special mention to the camera module that sits flush with the rest of the body. One issue we have with the design is regarding the placement of the rear fingerprint scanner — it is too high for our liking which makes it inconvenient to use.
Hardware is similar to the Galaxy M20: an octa-core Exynos 7904 processor but with option of 4/6GB RAM and 64/128GB storage. Performance is also about the same. PUBG runs on medium graphics but with random frame-drops while you wont see any issue using the phone for daily tasks of calling, social media and multimedia usage. Battery life is the star here with the 5,000mAh battery giving you nearly two full days. Even with heavy usage, we ended up with 20-25% battery spare. This is one of the few phones in this segment with a USB Type-C port and to use the full potential, Samsung bundles a fast charger in the box. We were able to go from 10 to 100% charge in less than 2 hours which is great.
The triple rear camera is another new feature in this mid-range segment. The M30 has a 13MP f1.9 primary camera coupled with a 5MP depth sensor and 5MP ultrawide sensor. The camera interface is zippy and fast to lock focus and shoot. Image quality is above average but in low light the detail takes a big hit.
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Trouble is that the photos usually have muted colours and it sometimes boosts the reds too much (colour accuracy suffers). These issues can be controlled somewhat using manual mode but since most users prefer to use the auto shoot mode, we’re hoping Samsung fixes this with updates. Video recording is good quality but its limited to 1080p resolution only.Download
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