Samsung Galaxy M52 5G review: Delivers on what matters most

Samsung is rapidly expanding its range of smartphones and the recent addition to its mid-range segment is the all-new Galaxy M52 5G, which upholds the company's commitment to delivering a mix of competitive features at an aggressive price point. Samsung Galaxy M52 5G sits comfortably in the sub-Rs 30K category, taking on the competition like other brands in India.

Samsung Galaxy M52 5G starts at Rs 29,999 for the base model with 6GB+128GB configuration and Rs 31,999 for 8GB+128GB option. Our review unit is the latter variant in Blazing Black shade, but there's also an Icy Blue colour for your liking.

For the price, Samsung Galaxy M52 5G features a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED Plus display with Full HD+ resolution. Following the current trend, the display sports 120Hz refresh rate. The handset is quite handful, but doesn't feel heavy in hand at all and has a sleek form factor - true to the "leanest and meanest device" slogan.

We dive deeper into the Galaxy M52 to find out if the smartphone has what it takes to make it to the customer's wish-list.

Design

Samsung Galaxy M52 has a sleek form-factor and a lightweight design. The phone has a 7.4mm profile and tips the scale at just 173 grams. Although it isn't the leanest and lightest phone in the market (Mi 11X Lite takes that title), it still feels comfortable in hand and it's easy to use.

The smartphone has a Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and a polycarbonate back, which has a glossy finish giving a glass-like finish. The rear panel has a fine striped pattern, which is quite subtle much to our liking. The glossy finish on the back does, however, picks fingerprint smudges - nothing a case wouldn't fix.

The rear camera bump, which has a triple sensor, protrudes off the body. On the right, you get the power button and volume controls. The power button isn't protruding like the volume buttons, but it is by design to house a fingerprint sensor. The left side of the phone has a SIM card tray, which is a dual SIM hybrid model.

At the bottom, the Galaxy M52 has a USB Type-C port and a speaker grille. There's no stereo support, but the best experience is anyways offered through headphones. If you were vouching for a 3.5mm headphone jack, you will be disappointed.

All in all, Samsung Galaxy M52 5G has a premium design and feels great in hand too. The polycarbonate back adds durability, but it won't hurt to have a case to avoid smudges. Losing the 3.5mm jack doesn't feel much of a setback in 2021.

Display

Samsung Galaxy M52 sports a 6.7-inch Full HD+ sAMOLED+ display. The front camera is housed inside a punch-hole instead of a notch, which makes the phone look modern. The notable upgrade is the 120Hz refresh rate, which can be set to 60Hz if you prefer longer battery and stuttering interface.

The display resolution at 1080x2400 pixels is satisfactory. Samsung always offers great displays in its phones and the M52 continues that tradition. The display offers vibrant picture quality with deep blacks and rich colours. Even under direct sunlight, the display was easy on eyes. You can always choose between different display modes like Vivid or Natural.

Everything from consuming multimedia to browsing through social media and gaming, the display is well suited for all tasks. The 120Hz refresh rate sure makes everything smooth and easy on eyes. Even if it takes a toll on battery, it's difficult to back to 60Hz once you see what's at offer.

Camera

Samsung Galaxy M52 features a triple rear camera, which performs well in ideal situations. The primary sensor is a 64MP, which is then paired with a 12MP ultra-wide lens and a 5MP sensor. Our bet is mostly on the main and secondary sensor, leaving out the macro, which could have been better or even swapped for a depth sensor - like on the M51.

The Galaxy M52 produces detailed pictures in broad daylight with good dynamic range, crisp details and natural tones. Even the wide-angle mode captures great deal of details and manages to give a likeable dramatic effect without distorting the edges.

Low-light photos do not match the results produced during the day. The night mode brightens the image, but loses the natural colour form. The 32MP front camera clicks rich selfies, both indoors and in sunlight. The wide-angle mode covers a larger area, making group selfies easy. The macro mode struggles to capture details and focusing speed could've been better. The macro mode was unusable in low-light, whereas it managed to produce good results under sunlight. 

There are other modes as well, like the Fun mode uses Snapchat filters so you can click images for the sake of fun. The Single Take is a useful mode that captures a moment in more than one ways. The Portrait mode does quite the justice, but works best in well-lit settings. The edge detection could have been better.

Below are some of the camera shots straight out of the Galaxy M52 camera roll:

Performance and software

Samsung Galaxy M52 5G is powered by a mid-range Snapdragon 778G processor, its biggest USP being 5G. The performance was consistent and met our expectations. The apps would load just fine, there was no buffering while switching back and forth between apps and streaming on OTT yielded satisfactory experience. We did notice some frames drop while high-graphics gaming, but that doesn't mean the phone isn't capable of some casual gaming sessions.

While many phones these days carry the 5G moniker, Samsung Galaxy M52 seems to be living up to it. Unlike many phones, the M52 offers support for 11 bands of 5G. Some phones go as far as offering just two. When 5G is finally available in India, this feature makes the M52 future-proof.

The fingerprint sensor incorporated inside the power button works efficiently, but when pressed, there's an annoying click sound. It doesn't align with the premium nature of the phone. There's also face unlock, but it struggles in low light and not nearly as secure as the biometric security.

The OneUI 3.1 still comes with bloatware you might not use, but you can always get rid of them. But everything else about the UI is favouring the users, like the clean interface, deep customisations, ample widgets and more.

Battery

Samsung Galaxy M52 has a 5,000mAh battery, which may be huge, but is drastically reduced from the predecessor's 7,000mAh size. However, the sleek design makes the size reduction acceptable.

The Galaxy M52 5G can last long enough between charges, even by 2021 standards. In fact, it comes very close to Samsung's claims.

Our battery life tests were run on 4G+Wi-Fi signals with 120Hz refresh rate and the Galaxy M52 easily got us through the day. With mixed usage, we got one full day's worth of use and still had some juice left at the end of the day. If you're not much of a gamer or movie buff, the smartphone is going to last you two days. As far as battery life is concerned, the Galaxy M52 won't disappoint you.

The smartphone comes with an 18W charger in the box and given the size of the battery, it takes its own sweet time to charge the phone. It charges from 0 to 100 percent in just under two hours, which can be quite a test for your patience. But the bigger question is how important is it for the smartphone to last really long.

Verdict

Samsung Galaxy M52 5G is surely a smartphone that will get you excited. It has a remarkable design and display, cameras are excellent, future-ready 5G bands and the battery life is reliable. The performance of the phone is at par with some rivals, but there are surely better phones out there if you do a lot of gaming.

There are some elements that could've made the Galaxy M52 formidable like the 3.5mm headphone jack, IP rating against dust and water protection, better speakers, and faster charging.

Since there's an active discount on the Galaxy M52 5G, which saves Rs 4,000 on both models, it surely makes sense to take advantage of the offer while it lasts.