Samsung Galaxy M52 5G review: Reliable, but looks boring

Name: Galaxy M52 5G
Item: Galaxy M52 5G
Author: Amritanshu Mukherjee

The Samsung Galaxy M52 5G is a very reliable Android phone in the sub- ₹30,000 space. Leaving aside its boring looks, this is a solid phone to consider in this price bracket.

By: AMRITANSHU MUKHERJEE
| Updated on: Aug 21 2022, 21:01 IST

The Samsung Galaxy M52 5G has an introductory starting price of ₹24,999 for the 6GB RAM version. (Amritanshu / HT Tech)

The Galaxy M52 5G marks the most upmarket phone Samsung has has ever given the M series to-date. As a result, it feels more like the refined Galaxy A52s 5G to live with but loses out on fancy looks to achieve a lower price. Starting at ₹24,999, it fares out better than most of its rivals, including the Xiaomi 11 Lite NE 5G, iQOO Z5, and the Realme GT Master Edition.

After using the Galaxy M52 5G for almost a week, here's what we think about it. Note that we have used the 8GB RAM variant for this review.

Samsung Galaxy M52 5G Design

image caption — Galaxy M52 5G (Amritanshu / HT Tech)

Samsung has given the market some pretty midrange phones in the Galaxy A series phones this year. Hence, it is sad to see Samsung settling for a boring design and a questionable build quality. Unlike most phones in its class, the Galaxy M52 has an uninspiring plastic construction bathed in boring colours and a tacky pattern design.

Cost cutting also involves losing the headphone jack and just a single loudspeaker. However, it keeps the weight manageable at 173 grams and its slim form factor makes it comfortable to use.

Samsung Galaxy M52 5G Display

This is where Samsung comes into its own. The 6.7-inch AMOLED display is the finest mobile display I have seen at this price range, offering lively colours, high contrasts, and ample brightness levels; all under 120Hz of refresh rate. If you love watching movies or web series on OTT apps, this display alone gives you the reason to buy Galaxy M52 5G.

Samsung Galaxy M52 5G Performance

Similar to most phones at this price, the Galaxy M52 5G relies on the powerful Snapdragon 778G chip. Samsung has optimised it well for the OneUI 3.1, which has ensured a smooth experience so far. The animations are fluid, apps load fast, no noticeable lags -- it feels fast. OneUI 3.1 is as always pleasant to use, with colourful icons and elements. You get bucket loads of features and customisation options to play with. Do note that Samsung preloads a bunch of 3rd party apps, most of which can be deleted.

Gaming on the Galaxy M52 5G is a pleasant experience too. Games like Call of Duty: Mobile and BGMI are best enjoyed in the Medium graphics with High frame rates. The phone warms up around the cameras while gaming for long hours but it never gets uncomfortable.

Network performance has been good so far; the phone stayed connected on the call even in my basement parking. Audio quality through the earpiece is clear and loud. Jio users can also do carrier video calling while there's the option to record calls as well (non-Google dialler recorder). The presence of 11 5G bands is promising for whenever 5G comes to India.

Samsung Galaxy M52 5G Cameras

The Galaxy M52 5G has one of the most well-balanced cameras in its price range. The main camera gets the colour tones and white balance right, but boost the saturation slightly for an interesting look. Details are fine in daylight but low light photos suffer from the lack of it. Night mode returns some usable photos.

The 12MP ultrawide camera performs nicely, rendering almost the same colour science as the main camera with adequate details but suffers with noise in low light situations. The 5MP macro camera is fine but lacks the crisp details Xiaomi's 5MP macro mode offers. Video performance remains similar in terms of colours and exposures but the lack of OIS hinders stability in 4K resolution.

The 32MP selfie camera is easily the best in this segment, taking rich self-portraits with vibrant colours, accurate skin tones, and great subject separation in portrait mode photos.

Samsung Galaxy M52 5G Battery

With a 5000mAh capacity battery at the helm, the Galaxy M52 5G is easily an all-day phone, and then spares some for the next day. Under moderate use scenarios involving audio calls, texting, light gaming, and casual social media browsing, the phone was usually ending the day at 50 percent. Adding an hour of gaming and 2 hours of video watching activities still reserves around 25-30 percent charge.

The 15W charger is extremely slow to fill up and I recommend having a faster 25W charger, which does a full refill in 1.5 hours.

Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy M52 5G has left us impressed with its solid user experience. A pleasant OneUI experience, a lively display, fast daily performance, and a reliable battery life make it the easiest phone to recommend around the ₹25,000-mark.

That said, the design is boring and Samsung could have provided a better build quality, considering its rival, the Xiaomi 11 Lite NE, offers a glass rear. The lack of a stereo speaker and a headphone jack are notable compromises too, especially when the iQOO Z5 offers both at a cheaper price.

Overall, the Samsung Galaxy M52 5G is an easy recommendation for someone seeking a reliable Android phone around ₹25,000. If you can live with its boring design, the rest of the phone is pleasant to use.

Rating

4 out of 5

Price

INR 24,999/-

Product Name

Galaxy M52 5G

Brand Name

Samsung

Pros