Wouldn’t it be cool if you could get a phone with an Awesome Screen, Awesome Camera and long-lasting battery life at an affordable price? In other words, a flagship phone without breaking the bank? A few weeks back, Samsung Mobile South Africa launched the latest in the Galaxy A range, the Samsung Galaxy A51. I received the device at the launch in Johannesburg and I have spent some time testing out the phone.
For a while now, I have had flagship devices. I have been using the Samsung Galaxy S10+ since its launch last year and I wanted to see if I would be happy to switch to a non-flagship phone. Let’s find out more about the A51 and if this is possible!
The Unboxing:
The Galaxy A51 is packaged in a box similar to other Samsung devices. The box is white and clean with minimum branding.
Removing the top half of the box, you are greeted by the A51 with all the essential accessories neatly packed away in their own compartments.
What is in the box:
- Samsung Galaxy A51
- Fast Charger
- Type-C Cable
- Earphones
- See-through cover
- Quick start guide and warranty card
- Sim tray ejector
Body:
Picking up the Galaxy A51, it is clear that Samsung has made this device similar to what we can expect from the to be launched Galaxy S20 Series. The device is sleek in the hand thanks to its round edges.
The front of the device features Corning’s 3rd-gen glass, which is very durable while the back is made of plastic with a really cool back design. There are diagonal lines separating the top and the bottom as well as vertical lines. This is covered with a gloss finish.
The sides of the A51 are made of plastic, unlike the flagship devices which are made of aluminum.
At the back you find the camera cluster positioned at the top left and in the front, a camera in the top centre of the display.
All the buttons (lock/unlock button and volume rocker) are located on the right side of the device. On the left, you get the sim/memory card slot. At the bottom of the A51, you get a USB Type-C port, a speaker and believe it or not, a headphone port!
The A51 comes in three pastel shades: Prism Crush Black, White, Blue and Pink. The Prism Crush Black, which I received, allows light to reflect off the back creating a rainbow effect:
Here is some footage of the rainbow effect in action:
Overall, I think the Galaxy A51 looks and feels great, just like a flagship device.
Display:
The Samsung Galaxy A51 may not be a flagship device but it comes with an Awesome screen, which is a 6.5-inch Infinity-O FHD Display. Thanks to the Super AMOLED technology, the display produces a rich and vibrant image with just the right brightness for all conditions. The bezels are also pretty thin, maximizing the amount of usable screen space!
Processor/Ram:
The Galaxy A51 comes packed with a 2.3 GHz Octa-core processor and 4GB of RAM, perfect for someone living an Awesome Life. The device is ready to handle multitasking and thanks to the Game Booster mode, you can game at your best thanks to its ability to optimize battery, temperature, and memory according to your usage.
Camera:
If photography is your game, the Galaxy A51 has a Quad Cam setup! You get 4 cameras (48MP main, 12MP Ultra-wide, 5MP Macro & 5MP Depth cam) at the rear and a single 32MP selfie camera.
48 Main Camera: The main camera captures sharp images with great dynamic range and colours.
12 Ultra-Wide Camera: The Ultra-Wide Camera allows you to get more in the frame thanks to the 123-degree field of view.
Night Mode: The A51 comes with night mode, which tweaks the settings of the lens to brighten up darker parts of an image. In the below, you can see Night Mode in action, which does a good job at fixing up dark areas.
Macro Camera: The Macro lens lets you get up close to objects and shoot clear and quality images capturing the ultra-fine details. There are bokeh settings to tweak your image further.
Depth Camera: The Depth Camera lets you adjust the depth of field to create photos with the subject in focus and the background blurred out. This is the Live Focus feature we have seen on the S10+.
Selfie camera: The selfie camera lets you take sharp and clear selfies. The selfie focus feature helps keep the focus on you by blurring the background.
Video: You can shoot videos in up to UHD at 3840 x 2160 resolution. The video is clear and vibrant.
If you want a stable video, simply turn on the Super Steady mode to make your shaky videos, smooth!
Security:
To keep you secure, the Galaxy A51 also comes with Samsung Knox, which protects your phone from the moment you turn it on. This protection takes place at multiple levels, so your info is protected from unwanted eyes. You are also defended against malware and malicious threats.
When the Galaxy A51 is not in your hands, you can use a range of biometric authentication methods such as your face or fingerprint to unlock the phone. The fingerprint sensor is located under the screen for easy accessibility. You can also use patterns, pins, and passwords to lock the A51.
Storage:
With 128GB of internal storage as well as the support of a microSD card up to 512GB, you are ready to take loads of photos and videos, store your entire music collection as well as store all those funny cat videos your friends send you!
Software:
The Galaxy A51 comes loaded with Android 10 straight out the box. You also get version 2.0 of Samsung’s One UI, which keeps your device not only looking good but easy to use too! One UI is designed to help you focus on what is on your display.
Battery:
Packed with a 4000mAh battery, the A51 is ready to adventure with you. I was able to get about a day + of usage, which involves taking photos, sharing on social, Whatsapping and checking emails! The provided 15W Fast Charger gives about 31% for a 30-minute charge. A full charge will take an hour and 45 minutes.
Smart Assistant:
You also get access to your own personal assistant, Bixby. You can ask Bixby questions, tell it to make calls or even ask Bixby to set a reminder. You can also use Bixby Vision, which works with your camera to identify objects or translate text! Bixby Routines learns your lifestyle and then adapts your phone to suit it, handy for those that are lazy to tweak settings as you need it.
Price:
The Samsung Galaxy A51 Sells for R6999, which means you are getting a lot of tech for your money. I am really impressed that Samsung is able to bring a decent device at a low price.
Verdict:
After spending some time with the Samsung Galaxy A51, it is safe to say that I could switch from the Galaxy S range of Samsung devices to the Galaxy A range. I found the device was able to keep up and perform in all areas. I use my phone camera as my only camera and the A51 has been working for me. Another area is battery life, and I found that the A51 has enough juice to get you throughout the day! I would choose the Prism Crush Black version mainly because of the rear back and how the light plays on it. At R6999, you really can’t go wrong!
