Samsung Galaxy M20 review with pro and cons: should you buy? Smartprix

The year has just started but it’s already quite clear that Samsung is radically changing its smartphone game. For starters, its popular affordable lineup (J-series, On-series) will reportedly be replaced by a new M-series targeted at millennials. (Samsung Galaxy M20 review हिंदी में पढ़िए)

Looks like the South Korean giant is finally pushing itself, and the Galaxy M20 is one of the first phones that abides by the new philosophy. It’s affordable, gets a customized version of Experience UI software, and also a new Exynos chipset. But is it good enough? Can Samsung finally matchup to Chinese competition in terms of value and experience in the affordable segment? Let’s answer all such questions in our detailed Samsung Galaxy M20 review.

Page Contents:

But, before we get to the good stuff, let’s detail the Galaxy M20 specs and price.

Samsung Galaxy M20 Price and Specifications

Model
Samsung Galaxy M20

Display
6.3″ Infinity-V display, 1080 x 2340 pixels

Processor
1.8Ghz Octa-core Exynos 7904 chipset

RAM
3GB/4GB, LPDDR4

Internal Storage
32GB/64GB (expandable up to 512GB)

Dedicated card slot

Software
Android 8.1 Oreo, Experience UI 9.5

Primary Camera
13MP (F1.9) + 5MP (F2.2, Ultra-wide)

Front Camera
8MP

Fingerprint sensor
Yes, rear-mounted

Battery
5000mAh with fast charging

Price
Rs. 10,990- 3GB RAM+ 32GB storage

Rs. 12,990- 4GB RAM+ 64GB storage

Samsung Galaxy M20 Review: Box Content

• Handset
• Fast charger (15W)
• USB Type-C cable
• SIM ejector and documentation

Samsung doesn’t bundle headphones or Galaxy M20 protective case cover in the box.

Samsung Galaxy M20 Review: Design and Build

The biggest change, that was let out early on in teasers, is the water-drop notch or, as Samsung puts it, the Infinity – V display. Why is this is a big deal in 2019? Well, because Samsung was the only big player resisting the abnormally cut displays last year, but has now embraced the trend, rather zealously.

The fascia of the Galaxy M20 is what makes all the difference. The notch on the Galaxy M20 is underlined by smooth curves and has a slick face unlock animation to go with it. The bezels surrounding the display, and also the chin at the bottom, are noticeably smaller than what we usually see on affordable phones.

The glossy polycarbonate back on the rear, however, feels a bit lackluster. And cheap. The Oval fingerprint sensor gives you a more effective scanning area, but it’s positioned a little too close to the top, and it took some getting used to before our index finger hit the right spot instinctively.

Other than that, the Galaxy M20 is solid and reasonably comfortable to handle, especially for a phone that houses a 5000mAh power unit.

• Galaxy M20 looks enchanting from the front but has a simple back panel. The handset feels solid and is comfortable to operate.
• USB Type-C port on an affordable Samsung phone is surely a thing to cherish.
• The Galaxy M20 also has a dedicated card slot.
• The audio jack and speaker grill are present at the bottom.
• You will have to stretch your fingers to hit the fingerprint sensor, but that’s something we got used to. The power button and volume rocker are aptly placed.

ALSO READ: Samsung Galaxy M20 VS Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro – Which One Should You Buy?

Samsung Galaxy M20 Review: Display

Samsung is using a regular TFT LCD panel (not IPS LCD) on the Galaxy M20, but we didn’t find it lacking in terms of quality. Colors are vibrant and pop nicely.

Samsung still doesn’t provide an option to tweak display colors for its LCD display phones, but the default color calibration is fairly good. If you prefer warmer tones, you can also make use of the blue-light filter.

The Infinity-V display at least has some semblance of organization. Clock and app icons are on the left and the system icons on the right of the camera indent (Same as on OnePlus phones). In case you are wondering, there is room for 3 to 4 App icons on the status bar and you can tap on it to see more. Samsung doesn’t add an option to hide the notch, but now that notches are well accepted, this shouldn’t be a peeve point.

Also Check: Samsung Galaxy M10 Review

• The TFT LCD Display is of reasonably good quality. Colors are vibrant and punchy.
• The blue-light filter isn’t a harsh yellow cast and can be kept on if you prefer warmer tones.
• There are no color-presets to choose between. There is no option to hide the notch either.

Samsung Galaxy M20 Review: Performance and Software

Samsung Galaxy M20 is the first phone to be powered by Exynos 7904 octa-core chipset that combines 2x Cortex A-73 cores with 6x Cortex-A53 cores. This is a 14nm chipset, and in spite of the naming, is one rung below the Exynos 7885 that Samsung uses on phones like Galaxy A7 (2018).

The chipset is aided by 4GB RAM, 64GB storage, and a dedicated card slot. That’s once again a configuration we wouldn’t have expected from the old Samsung at this price point

As for real-world performance, the Exynos 7904 falls behind the Snapdragon 660 but is still more powerful than what Samsung offered on the best of J-series and the worst of A-series up until the last year.

We didn’t face any major issue with day-to-day usage, but high-end games like PUBG didn’t run well. Casual games worked fine.

The Fingerprint sensor is fast and efficient and, just as high-end Samsung phones, it can be configured just by swiping (instead of tap, tap, tap). Face Unlock is as fast as what you’d see on best of Samsung phones (which is still slower, but hopefully more secure, that what you get from brands like Oppo, Vivo, etc.).

The software running on the phone is Android 8.1 Oreo-based Experience UI. Samsung has confirmed that Android Pie update will be arriving soon. The Experience UI on M-series phones has been optimized to work smoothly on low-end hardware. The design and iconography are quite similar to One UI. The software is stable, mature and pleasant.

Though there are numerous affordable phones with DRM L1 certificate, most of them still don’t support HD streaming via apps like Netflix and Amazon Prime. The Galaxy M20 supports HD streaming on Prime videos, but not yet on Netflix (we, guess the support will be there in an upcoming update). Oddly, there is no Samsung Pay Mini on the phone.

• The Exynos 7904 octa-core chipset is a significant step up from whatever we saw on J-series phones last year. It’s still a step behind Qualcomm Snapdragon 660.
• The day-to-day usage is fine, but heavy games didn’t run very well.
• Face Unlock and Fingerprint sensor work well. You can swipe and register your fingerprints.
• All customary sensors, like the ambient light sensor and magnetometer, are present on Galaxy M20.
• The new Experience UI borrows a few features and cosmetic changes from One UI. The software is well optimized and well designed.
• The phone has Widevine DRM L1 certificate and also supports HD streaming on Amazon Prime.

 Also Check: Honor 10 Lite Review 

Samsung Galaxy M20 Camera Review

Now let’s talk about the cameras. On the rear, the Galaxy M20 has a 13MP primary camera combined with a 5MP secondary wide-angle shooter. On the front, you get an 8MP selfie camera.

Naturally, competition has better specs to offer, but how about the actual camera performance?

The primary rear camera sensor is a decent performer. We managed to get well-balanced shots in proper lighting, and the Galaxy M20 performed a bit better than Zenfone Max Pro M2 and Realme U1. The Redmi Note 6 still takes the lead.

In low light, the Galaxy M20 can capture fairly good shots at times but the consistency takes a hit.

The selfie camera performance is workable in daylight, but underwhelming indoors and in low light.

Overall, the camera performance is flawed, but since the competition doesn’t fare much better in this regard, the Galaxy M20 rear cameras actually perform better than or are at par with most other popular options.

Samsung Galaxy M20 Review: Battery, Connectivity, and Audio

The Samsung Galaxy M20 has USB Type-C connector and supports fast charging – both of which are still extremely rare on affordable phones. The bundled charger can also fast charge the Galaxy Note 9, which is to say Samsung is really putting its best foot forward here (total charging time is a bit more than 2 hours).

Besides, the 5000mAh capacity ensures you won’t fret losing charge through your day. Simply put, the battery mileage is fantastic.

The Galaxy M20 has the usual set of connectivity options but is missing dual-band Wi-Fi. We didn’t face any issue with calling. The Audio output via the mono loudspeakers at the bottom is decent enough. Audio output via headphones is excellent.

• The handset supports USB Type-C and fast charging. The fast charger is bundled in the box.
• Battery mileage is awesome. Audio output is above average.

ALSO READ: Samsung Galaxy M20 Vs Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 – Which One Should You Buy?

Samsung Galaxy M20 SAR Value

SAR Values of Galaxy M20 and its competitors

Phones
Head
Body

Samsung Galaxy M20
0.25 W/kg
1.59 W/kg

Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2
0.347 W/kg
1.46 W/kg

Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro
0.755 W/kg
1.476 W/kg

Honor 10 Lite
0.6 W/kg
0.55 W/kg

Samsung Galaxy M20 Review Verdict: Should you buy it?

The Samsung Galaxy M20 is a big leap forward as far as affordable Samsung phones go. It has a trendy Infinity-V display, offers solid battery backup, covers basics like Dual VoLTE and HD streaming, is among rare few affordable phones with Type-C port and fast charging support, and has also been competitively priced.

That’s a lot of value for consumers or millennials who’d rather buy from a tier-1 brand. At the same time, It’s not the best camera or gaming phone in its class (the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro should serve better in these regards). The Galaxy M30 that costs just a little more offers an AMOLED screen and gradient design, and the Galax A20 with a better design, One UI software and AMOLED screen is also available in the same budget.

Pros

• Design
• Battery backup
• Dual VoLTE
• Supports HD streaming
• Dedicated card slot
• USB Type-C port and fast charging

Cons

• No notification light
• Selfie camera performance
• Not for heavy gaming
• No dual-band Wi-Fi

Watch Samsung Galaxy M20 Review [Video]