Samsung Galaxy M52 5G first impressions: Watch out Xiaomi, Realme

Samsung brings the Galaxy M52 5G with the popular Snapdragon 778G chip in the sub- ₹30,000 segment, replacing its old M51. The looks aren't enticing but Samsung hasn’t spared the essentials. Starting at ₹25,999, it looks quite tempting in comparison to the Realme GT Master Edition, iQOO Z5, and Xiaomi 11 Lite NE 5G.

Has Samsung pulled off a hit recipe with the Galaxy M52 5G? We spent a few hours with it and here are our initial impressions.

Samsung Galaxy M52 5G Design first impressions

The Galaxy M52 5G is Samsung’s idea of a cut-price Galaxy A52s 5G and hence, the design department’s hands were possibly tied to save costs. It is a familiar Samsung design but in the dullest choices of materials and colours. The stripe pattern looks out of place on a sub- ₹30,000 smartphone and on our “Blazing Black”, it does little to spice up.

That said, the overall form is handsome,  with its tall and slim design. In fact, the 173 grams of weight makes it highly comfortable to use despite its large 6.6-inch display. The weight distribution is perfect for such a large phone. The feedback from the keys could have been better though.

I wish Samsung managed to bring the bold and pretty Galaxy A52-inspired design on the M52.

Samsung Galaxy M52 5G Features at a glance

While the design seems dull, the rest of the feature set on the Galaxy M52 5G is tempting. You get a large 6.6-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 120Hz. As expected, this is a lively and bright display, with the 120Hz refresh rate enhancing the scrolling experience. In fact, after using the Xiaomi 11 Lite NE and Realme GT ME, I can vouch for this to be the best display you can find in a phone at ₹26,000.

Samsung phones on Qualcomm chips are fast and the Galaxy M52 5G feels no different initially. With Samsung’s beautifully crafted One UI 3.1 experience based on Android 11, this is one of the most polished software experiences I have seen in this segment. That said, there are ads as well as lots of pre-installed third-party apps. It remains to be seen whether it holds up its performance in our review.

The 7000mAh battery from the Galaxy M51 is scrapped and in comes a moderate 5000mAh capacity battery. No idea why Samsung did that but I expect the Galaxy M52 5G to last easily on a full day. You get a slow 15W charger in the box but the phone supports the 25W faster charging (better to invest in that).

The Galaxy M52 5G's 64MP main camera is similar to the A52s but it lacks the OIS system. The other two include a 12MP ultra-wide and a 5MP macro camera. Some quick sample photos around my house reveals highly potent camera system, with superb dynamic range and white balance. More on the camera in our full review.

Samsung Galaxy M52 5G first impressions

After a brief moment with the Galaxy M52 5G, it seems that Samsung got the formula right again this year. The generic user experience is pleasant; fast performance, an impressive camera system, a superb display and a very comfortable form factor. I am not a fan of the design and colour choices but the rest of the package has the potential to earn our top recommendation in this segment. Over the next few days, we will test out the Galaxy M52 5G and deliver a verdict in our full review. Meanwhile, you can check out our review of the Xiaomi 11 Lite NE 5G which also starts at ₹26,999.