Samsung has recently launched its latest smartphone under the Galaxy M Series, the Samsung Galaxy M52 5G is the successor to the last year’s Samsung Galaxy M51. The Galaxy M52 5G offers a wide range of features, packs a 5,000 mAh in a slim design, equips a 120 Hz Super AMOLED Plus screen, and is powered by a Snapdragon 778G SoC. Here’s what our review says about the Samsung Galaxy M52 5G smartphone.
Samsung Galaxy M52 5G Specifications
- Display: 6.7-inch Fluid AMOLED display, 120 Hz refresh rate, Full HD+ resolution (2400 x 1080 pixels), 20:9 aspect ratio
- Software: One UI 3.1, Android 11
- CPU: 6nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G octa-core SoC, up to 2.4 GHz frequency
- GPU: Adreno 642L Graphics
- Memory: 6 GB OR 8 GB RAM
- Storage: 128 GB on-board, microSD card support on SIM2 slot
- Main Camera: Triple Cameras (64 MP f/1.8 primary + 12 MP f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle + 5 MP f/2.4 macro lens), dual-tone LED flash
- Selfie Camera: 32 MP f/2.2
- Connectivity: USB Type-C, 3.5 mm port (via adapter), Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, GPS
- Security: Fingerprint scanner (side-mounted), Face unlock
- Cellular: 5G Network (11 global 5G bands), dual nano SIMs, microSD card on SIM2 slot
- Battery: 5,000 mAh
- Charging: 25W fast charging
- Price: ₹24,999 (6 GB RAM), ₹26,999 (8 GB RAM) [Introductory Price]
- Availability: 3rd October 2021 onwards, Amazon India, Samsung.com, and selected retail stores
Design, Display, & Build
Speaking about the highlights of the Samsung Galaxy M52 5G, it has a total of 11 5G bands support, has one of the best displays in its class – 120 Hz Super AMOLED Plus screen, a super-slim 7.4 mm design that packs a 5,000 mAh battery inside, a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G SoC for faster performance, and 64 MP triple cameras.
What’s interesting about its design is its slim profile, the smartphone has a 7.4 mm thin design, there aren’t many smartphones that offer a slimmer package, a few rivals such as Xiaomi 11 Lite NE 5G (6.8 mm) is the primary competitor in terms of design. The Samsung Galaxy M52 5G feels light and compact and easy to carry in the hands.
The backside with glossy finish surface that attracts fingerprints, the side frames are plastic so as the back, it’s not glass, a glass back and metallic frames would offer a far more premium experience. The backside also holds triple cameras with an odd LED flash placement, and a Samsung logo at the bottom.
Moving to the front, the Samsung Galaxy M52 5G equips a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED Plus display with Full HD+ resolution and 120 Hz refresh rate. The display looks amazing, the Blacks are deep, the colors are bright and vivid, the thin bezels give you a full-screen experience.
The bottom side has a USB Type-C port which doubles as the audio output, however, no 3.5 mm converter is provided in the box, you will end up buying a Type-C to 3.5 mm converter separately or wireless earbuds. The bottom side also holds a microphone and bottom-firing speakers, no stereo speakers were found on the phone. The second microphone is at the top.
The right side has a power button that embeds a fingerprint scanner for securing the phone, and volume control just above the power key. The fingerprint scanner is physical, unlike the one we see beneath the display, however, it would be great if the scanner is under the display since the phone uses an AMOLED screen.
For the SIM, you will find a hybrid tray on the left side that carries dual SIM slots with 5G functionality, and dual standby, the microSD card slot is on the SIM2 which means you will have to remove the second SIM in order to use the microSD card. The phone supports 11 5G bands globally.
Here’s our unboxing, first impressions, and features overview of the Samsung Galaxy M52 5G smartphone on our YouTube channel.
Software, User Interface, & Features
Samsung Galaxy M52 5G runs on the homegrown OS, it has the latest One UI 3.1 Samsung’s user interface based on the Android 11 out-of-the-box. As you can see, the Samsung Galaxy M52 5G has Android 11 with a security patch of 1st September 2021 and appears to be getting updates in the future for the upcoming Android 12 in the Samsung’s One UI.
For the user interface, you can clearly see the design changes in the new OneUI 3.1 if you have been using Samsung phones in the past. The interface looks refreshing and appears to be light-weighted, it has also been optimized for a smoother experience. Thanks to its 120 Hz display, our initial use has no lag issues while using the phone, the UI feels super smooth and quite responsive.
The UI has a lot to offer when it comes to the features, aside from the native Android 11 features, the One UI gives you additional features such as the Always-On display, Dark mode, Knox Security, Edge Panels, Smart View, Ultra Data Saving, Dolby Atmos, Focus mode, Dual Messenger, Game Launcher, Screen Recorder, Blue light filter, and so on. Features like Edge Lighting, which you see on Samsung’s curved display smartphones, aren’t available on the phone.
You will find a chunk of bloatware on the phone that can be removed if not required. Apps such as ShareChat, Josh, Dailyhunt, BYJU’S, Amazon, Prime Video, Facebook, Netflix, PhonePe, OneDrive, and more come pre-installed on the phone and you will have to remove them if you aren’t going to use them.
Hardware, Performance, & Gaming
Samsung has chosen the midrange Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G SoC that runs at 2.4 GHz speed manufactured in 6nm process The CPU is coupled with 6 GB RAM or 8 GB RAM and is available in 128 GB storage variant. The storage can be upgraded via a microSD card but on the SIM2 slot, the phone offers a hybrid SIM tray.
The base variant starts at 6 GB RAM with 128 GB storage and is priced at Rs 24,999 and the top variant has 8 GB RAM with the same storage priced at Rs 26,999, both inclusive of offers.
The performance of the Snapdragon 778G performs far better than the Snapdragon 765G and also gives you a faster graphics performance as well. Gaming on the phone can be great, you can play games in medium to high graphics, the Snapdragon 778G consists of an Adreno 642L for graphics-intensive tasks and you won’t regret choosing the Samsung Galaxy M52 5G for gaming, you will be able to play almost all games without any visible lags.
Cameras
On the camera’s front, the Samsung Galaxy M52 5G equips a triple-camera setup on its back and a single selfie camera. The quad-camera consists of a 64 MP f/1.8 primary camera, 12 MP f/2.2 wide-angle camera, 5 MP f/2.4 macro camera. The selfie camera is 32 MP with an f/2.2 aperture.
The camera interface is similar as seen on the OneUI 3.1, the Galaxy M52 offers Single Take, Photo mode, video mode, and a More section where all the other camera features lie. The features include Fun, AR Doodle, Pro, Panorama, Food, Night, Portrait, Wide-Angle, Macro, Pro Video, Super Slow-Mo, HyperLapse, and more.
The camera can shoot 4K videos at 30 fps, and not 60 fps, while you can shoot at Full HD at 60 fps. The super slow-motion feature lets you shoot videos at 480 fps at 720p resolution. Aside from this, you have Pro video feature for manual settings while recording.
We took some shots to see how good is the camera, and it turns out that the camera performs great, the image quality is highly satisfying. The 64 MP camera takes amazing shots, so as does the wide-angle camera and the macro cameras. The macro camera appears to be of good quality, not just for the camera number. Unlike some smartphones that offer cameras just for the number, the Samsung Galaxy M52 5G has proved that it has commendable cameras.
Samsung Galaxy M52 5G Camera Samples
Battery Runtime & Charging
For its battery, the Samsung Galaxy M52 5G packs a 5,000 mAh battery which seems to be a decent battery capacity. The size of the battery has been shrunk if we compare it to its predecessor, it’s 7,000 mAh versus 5.000 mAh and it’s definitely going to be a difference in the battery life. But then, the design is also slimmer much slimmer than you think, it’s 7.4 mm which is by far one of the slimmest smartphones in its class.
Well, a 5,000 mAh battery is still way better for its design, smartphones such as realme GT Master Edition which is also among the competitors offer a 4,300 mAh battery on an 8.0 mm design. Now, speaking of its battery life, you can expect the battery to run up to 2 days on a single charge on moderate usage.
Fast charging has not been changed from its predecessor, you will get 25W fast charging that takes less than 1.5 hours for charging it fully while a quick-30 minute charge can charge as much as 45%.
Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy M52 5G takes on the midrange competition, it offers an impressive 7.4 mm design, 120 Hz Super AMOLED Plus display, has deserving cameras, we got some great shots from its 64 MP camera, the macro camera offers excellent performance, and a faster Snapdragon 778G that performs well.
The Samsung Galaxy M52 5G comes with support for 11 global 5G bands, Knox Security, and decent battery life. The Samsung Galaxy M52 5G is currently available for Rs 24,999 (6 GB RAM) which is a steal, it’s also one of the best non-Chinese smartphones available in India.
Strength
- Super Slim Design (7.4 mm)
- Bright Super AMOLED Plus Display
- Smooth 120 Hz Refresh Rate
- Exceptional Camera Quality
- Good Performance (Snapdragon 778G)
- Reliable 5,000 mAh Battery Performance
- 11 Global 5G Bands Support
- microSD Card Support
Weakness
- No 3.5 mm Port
- Hybrid SIM Tray
