Samsung Galaxy A51 review - successor to 2019's best-selling Android smartphone

Specifications

Platform	Android 10, firmware One UI 2.1
Display	6.5 inches, 2,400 x 1,080 pixels, Super AMOLED, 60 Hz, 405 PPI, Always on Display
Chipset	Exynos 9611, video accelerator Mali-G72 MP3
Memory	RAM - 4 GB, ROM - 64 GB, support for microSD memory cards
Cameras	Primary: 48 MP, 1/2 ″, f / 2, 0.26 mm, PDAF; 12 MP, f / 2, 2, 123 degrees (wide angle); macro camera - 5 megapixels; depth sensor - 5 Mp. Front: 32 MP, 1/2, 8 ″, f / 2, 2, 26 mm
Connection	2 × nanoSIM, Wi-Fi 5, GPS, GLONASS, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, GSM / GPRS / EDGE / LTE
Battery	4000 mAh, charging - 15 W
Dimensions (edit)	158.5 × 73.6 × 7.9 mm
The weight	172 grams

Design and ergonomics

Galaxy A51 is an inexpensive smartphone, which affected its appearance. The body is entirely made of plastic, which mimics glass and metal. The back side received a geometric ornament that distinguishes the device from competitors. The model is available in red, black and white.

Despite the abundance of plastic, the smartphone doesn't seem cheap. The build is no worse than Samsung's flagship models, and there are similarities in design. The design of the cameras is almost the same as that of the Galaxy S20.

The front side is covered with Gorilla Glass 3 with curved edges and an oleophobic coating. A black plastic edging runs between it and the body, smoothing the joints.

The indents around the screen are small, so the front camera had to be taken out into a special hole. Also, an optical fingerprint scanner is built into the display, which is triggered in a fraction of a second.

Thanks to the rounded corners, the device fits comfortably in the hand, and the plastic backrest does not slip. Unlike its glass-metal competitors, this smartphone can be carried without a case. In addition, the case is not very easily soiled.

On the right side are the volume rocker and the power button. Below is a multimedia speaker, USB Type-C and 3.5mm audio jack. On the left side there is a slot for two SIM cards and microSD.

Screen

Samsung is a pioneer in the creation of AMOLED-matrices, so it is not surprising that the smartphone received a screen made using this technology. Its diagonal is 6.5 inches, and the resolution is 2,400 × 1,080 pixels.

With these characteristics, the pixel density is 405 PPI. The small print shows a slight graininess caused by the structure of the Diamond pixels (there are twice as many green diodes as red and blue). However, this is the only drawback of the display.

The screen pleases with accurate color reproduction in Natural Colors mode, infinite contrast levels and wide viewing angles. The only thing in which it is still inferior to the flagship matrices in the Galaxy S20 is the brightness margin. Nevertheless, it is sufficient for comfortable outdoor use.

Samsung Galaxy A51: Screen in Natural Color Mode

There is a blue light filter in the settings, but there is no PWM flicker suppression here. This can cause eye strain for some users.

Software and performance

The Galaxy A51 runs Android 10 with the proprietary One UI 2.1. Samsung replaced system apps with its own counterparts, redesigned the settings panel and gesture control. However, the basic Android logic has remained intact, so it won't be difficult to navigate the proprietary firmware.

The hardware platform is the Exynos 9611 chipset, made using a 10-nanometer process technology. It includes four high-performance Cortex ‑ A73 cores (2.3 GHz) and four energy efficient Cortex ‑ A53 (1.7 GHz), as well as the Mali ‑ G72 MP3 graphics accelerator.

The smartphone has 4 GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 64 GB of UFS 2.0 permanent memory. The system interface works smoothly, although the programs do not start very quickly.

World of Tanks: Blitz on medium settings has significant drawdowns in battle scenes. We have to reduce the quality of the picture to the minimum values so that the frequency does not fall below 30 FPS. In casual time killers like Doodle Jump, there are no problems.

Sound and vibration

The multimedia speakers in the Galaxy A51 have clearly been saved. There is no stereo sound, the speaker at the bottom end works in mono mode and is overloaded at maximum volume - the sound becomes harsh and unpleasant.

The presence of a 3.5 mm audio jack is good, but the sound quality in wired headphones is not at all impressive. In conjunction with the Beyerdynamic DT 1350, there is a lack of bass and distortion at high frequencies. It's better to get wireless headphones and not rely on the audio path built into your smartphone.

The vibration motor is quite good by the standards of the budget segment. The response is clear and strong, which is much better than the indistinct rattling of many competitors. The desire to turn off vibration immediately does not arise, and this already says a lot.

Camera

The Galaxy A51 has four rear-facing cameras: a standard 48MP, a wide-angle 12MP, a 5MP macro lens and a depth sensor. Front camera resolution is 32 megapixels.

During the day, the smartphone takes decent photos, but as soon as the lighting gets worse, noise appears. Also, the color rendition is clearly oversaturated. On the one hand, this makes the photos more attractive, and on the other hand, it complicates their processing.

Standard camera

Wide-angle camera

Macro camera

Standard camera

Selfie

The video is recorded in 4K resolution with a frame rate of 30 FPS. There is no stabilization, the soundtrack is stereophonic.

Autonomy

The Galaxy A51 has a 4000 mAh battery inside. The smartphone is enough for a day of surfing the web, watching videos and taking photos, and for an hour of playing World of Tanks: Blitz, the charge sank by 15%. The included 15W adapter charges the battery in 100 minutes.

Outcomes

Samsung Galaxy A51 has an important mission: to consolidate the company's position in the mid-price segment. The smartphone offers a striking design, a high-quality screen and a perfectly passable camera, which will be enough for most consumers. However, the performance of the device remained on par with the Galaxy A50. And if a year ago this was enough to compete with Redmi and Honor, now the success of the Galaxy A51 is in question.