The Samsung Galaxy A51 is a relatively affordable Android phone you might buy if you can’t stretch to the Galaxy S21, or can't pick up a Samsung Galaxy S20 Fan Edition in your region.
A lower price comes with obvious downgrades from Samsung's pricier phones. The back is plastic rather than glass, the cameras aren’t as good (even if there are five of them), the chipset is less powerful, and nice-to-have extras like water resistance are absent.
Classic Samsung traits you do get in the Galaxy A51 include a bold AMOLED screen, and software that looks just like that of the Galaxy S21 series.
At $399 / £329 / AU$599 the Samsung A51 seems a sure-fire hit. However, there are more obvious performance issues here than in alternatives like the Moto G8 Plus and Oppo Reno 2Z. Android moves a little too slowly. Parts of the camera app do too at times. Thankfully, games aren’t affected as badly – PUBG fans, don’t worry.
Don’t expect miracles from the cameras, either. As with many affordable quad-camera phones, this feels more like a dual-lens handset with some half-baked extras, although its tertiary macro camera is better than most in this class and does offer a different way to take photos.
Since we've reviewed this device, Samsung has also introduced a slightly tweaked version called the Galaxy A51 5G. We've yet to test that device properly, but the big difference is that it features a different chipset with additional 5G connectivity.
Samsung Galaxy A51 price and availability
The Samsung Galaxy A51 costs $399 / £329 / AU$599 so it's a fairly affordable phone, and it competes most with the OnePlus Nord at £379 (around $480, AU$680), the Moto G 5G Plus at £299 (about $375, AU$535), the 2020 model iPhone SE at $399 / £419 / AU$749 and the Google Pixel 4a at $349 / £349 / AU$599.
It's worth pointing out the first two of those are 5G phones, while the latter two, and the Galaxy A51, aren't.Well, the model we reviewed isn't, but Samsung subsequently released a 5G version for $500 / £429 (roughy AU$700). While it's pricier than the 4G version, it's not too expensive as 5G phones go.
You can pick up the Samsung Galaxy A51 in most countries Samsung sells phones, although the 5G version isn't available in Australia. This is curious, and we don't know if that's a permanent state of affairs or just temporary.
Design
158.5 x 73.6 x 7.9mm, 172g
Clad in plastic but with a distinctive look
Black, white, blue, and pink finishes
The Samsung Galaxy A51 offers some of the design traits of Samsung's higher-end phones. But there are a few giveaways that it is not part of the pricey Galaxy S series.
Display borders are slim, and the front camera sits in one of Samsung's ‘Infinity O’ punch-holes. However, the back is plastic rather than glass and the front camera does not merge into the front glass anywhere near as well as most.
Sure, the front glass covers the selfie camera. But the layers below are far more reflective, making the Samsung A51's selfie camera stand out like a tiny little monocle.
Side buttons are plastic too. The result? The Samsung Galaxy A51's build is closer to that of a Motorola Moto G8 or Oppo A5 2020 than a high-end Samsung.
It does have a somewhat distinctive back, though. Like other recent A-series phones, the Samsung Galaxy A51 has a finish of intersecting lines, cutting shapes onto the back, each with a slightly different look. The bottom part has a pinstripe texture of thin lines, for example, sitting under the top plastic layer.
This is a relatively subtle look, but when the Samsung Galaxy A51 catches the light you'll see shimmering rainbow tones that tend to pool into laser streaks across the curved edges.
No comments:
Post a Comment