Samsung Galaxy A51, review with opinion and specifications

When we received the Samsung Galaxy A51 to make the review The first thing that came to mind is what we liked in general terms its predecessor. We were curious if the aesthetic changes were going to be the only thing that we found new in this new Samsung or if, on the contrary, there would be something else. Well then, if you keep reading we'll tell you.

It seems that Samsung has finally realized that to be the best, not only do you have to take care of high-end users, but those who opt for a mid-range terminal also have much to say in the smartphone world.

Samsung Galaxy A51, data sheet

The specifications of the Galaxy A51 are very similar to those of its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy A50, as we can see in the smartphone's technical data sheet:

Screen: Super AMOLED, 6.5 inches, 2,400 x 1,080 pixel resolution, Gorilla Glass 3 and 405 ppi.
Processor: Exynos 9611 8-core.
RAM memory: 4 GB.
Internal storage: 128 GB expandable by microSD.
Rear camera: quadruple 48 MP f/2.0 + 12 MP f/2.2 + 5 MP f/2.4 + 5 MP f/2.2.
Front camera: 32 MP f/2.2.
Connectivity: 4G LTE, WiFi ac, NFC and Bluetooth 5.0.
Ports and sensors: fingerprint, facial recognition, USB Type C and 3.5 mm jack.
Battery: 4,000 mAh with 15W fast charge.
Operating system: Android 10 + One UI 2.0.
Price: 340 euros approximately.

Design is its great asset

Samsung Galaxy A51, review with opinion and specifications alt=

Omitting the module where the cameras go, the reflections and the shiny effect of the back cover of the Samsung Galaxy A51 are the most striking of the mobile. Although many people might think that the casing is made of some noble material, nothing could be further from the truth. The material chosen by Samsung is plastic, but with this finish the perceived quality is much higher.

Another advantage in the design of the Galaxy A51 is how compact it is despite having a 6.5-inch screen. In this sense, Samsung has done a great job, achieving more than satisfactory dimensions and thickness (158.5 x 73.6 x 7.9 mm).

The level of finishes is good, we have a great sensation of resistance and being compact, It fits well in the hand, despite being a phone that is quite slippery.

The camera module on the back is nice, in our opinion, although it protrudes slightly from the body of the Galaxy A51. It's not too much, but it can cause unexpected chafing in the long run.

On the right side we have the buttons dedicated to volume and on/off of the terminal.

Samsung Galaxy A51, review with opinion and specifications

On the left side is the slot for SIM and microSD cards.

Above we just have the noise canceling microphone.

At the bottom are the 3.5mm jack for headphones, the connector USB Type-C, the multimedia microphone and speaker.

The front is occupied, almost entirely, by the screen, except for a hole in which the selfie camera is housed.

Good screen, disappointing sound

As we told you a few lines above, the screen of the Samsung Galaxy A51 is 6.5 inches, type Super AMOLED with FullHD+ resolution(2,400 x 1,080 pixels) and a density of 405 pixels per inch, in addition to the aforementioned hole in the screen.

It is a screen in which we liked the color treatment, the contrast and the detail a lot. Regarding brightness, it has enough power to go outside and see the screen with some ease.

The viewing angles are quite well achieved, although the typical color reflections of this type of screen still appear, but not nothing to worry about.

The sound comes out only through the multimedia speaker at the bottom and it shows. The audio is not too good, we find it modest in clarity and treble, which makes it not a mobile to enjoy the best of sounds.

The volume of the Samsung Galaxy A51 is correct except that, when raising it to high levels, a lot of distortion appears and it is better not to exceed more than approximately 70%, which will be low power depending on the situation.

When connecting headphones, either via Bluetooth or via the 3.5 mm jack, the listening experience is much better and clearer, although we miss a little more body in the sound.

Performance similar to its predecessor

Inside the Samsung Galaxy A51 we have the following hardware:

Exynos 9611 Eight-core (quad 2.3 GHz + quad 1.7 GHz) as processor.
Mali-G72 MP3 of graphics card.
4 GB RAM memory.
128 GB internal storage, expandable via microSD card.

We might think that 4 GB of RAM memory is not enough, given what the competition of the Samsung Galaxy A51 is already putting together, but the truth is that we don't miss more memory because weMove everything with a certain ease.

Yes it is true that the loading of certain powerful games (Call Of Duty or Asph alt 9) is not the fastest possible and that at certain times there is a slight delay in multitasking, but otherwise it is a well-behaved terminal.

It's a smartphone that, when you push it, heats up very easily, although it's nothing excessive or dangerous.

The Galaxy A51 comes with Android 10 under the One UI 2.0 customization layer. This layer adds the occasional pre-installed app such as the Galaxy Store or Bixby (Samsung's own) or Netflix.

It is a layer that allows us some other customization tweaks, such as keeping or deleting the application drawer, changing the start buttons to modify them (even replacing them with touch gestures), or modifying the font, the shape and placement of the icons.

We also have a section of Digital He alth where it shows us the usage time of the Samsung Galaxy A51, being able to assign moments of inactivity or timers of applications.

In general, One UI is a layer that allows you to make a lot of customization settings, although Its weak point is still fluidity, since it still suffers from some lag (slowdowns) and sometimes it costs it a bit to move certain transitions.

Unlock upgradeable

When unlocking the Galaxy A51 we have, in addition to the classic PIN or password, facial recognition and the fingerprint reader.

To unlock through our face it needs good light, otherwise it sometimes fails and has a hard time recognizing our expensive. We have realized that it is convenient, if we wear glasses, to add recognition with them and without them so that it costs less to identify the face.

The fingerprint reader, located under the screen, can be greatly improved, including moments in which we have decided to unlock using a PIN since by the footprint we were incapable. Hopefully Samsung improves this system by software in future updates.

In terms of connectivity we find everything you need: WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, satellite positioning (GPS, Glonass, Galileo and BDS), NFC connectivity and FM radio, in addition to being a 4G LTE terminal.

Not bad cameras, but we expected more

In the photographic section of the Samsung Galaxy A51 we have four rear sensors, distributed as follows:

Main sensor: 48 megapixels, 2.0 focal aperture, PDAF focus and 0.8 µm pixel.
Wide-angle sensor: 12 megapixels and 2.2 focal aperture.
Macro: 5 megapixels and 2.4 focal aperture.
Depth sensor: 5 megapixels, 2.0 focal aperture and 1.12 µm pixel.

This is a camera highly dependent on good lighting. We expected more from this Samsung Galaxy A51 as far as the photographic section is concerned.

As we mentioned, if the light is good we achieve good detail with a slight oversaturation of the colors and a problem in the area of the photos where there are shadows, since it doesn't quite manage them well.

Photos with the wide-angle sensor are of considerably less quality than those we took with the main sensor.

In indoor photos, quality suffers from a interpretation of colors that tends to reddish tones.

The bokeh effect, once we managed to adjust it well (which is sometimes difficult), it didn't just do it badly, with a correct crop and a blur quite well got.

The night mode gains light in the photos, but that allows you to see more clearly the deficiencies of the camera in these types of photographs.

The front camera is 32 megapixels, focal aperture 2.2 and 0.8 µm.

The same thing happens to this front camera as to the rear ones, it is very dependent on light. The sharpness and contrast are usually at a good level, not the white balance, which in this front sensor has not convinced us.

This camera takes photos where our face is too flat, without relief and without the imperfections typical of each face, since the beauty mode is active by default in the Galaxy A51. We recommend turning it off for less "wax doll" looking selfies.

As for video, it is capable of recording at 2160p at 30 fps or at 1080p, choosing between 30 fps or 60 fps.

Mean autonomy

The battery of the Samsung Galaxy A51 is 4,000 mAh with 15 W fast charging.

In our tests, where the brightness was at 60% and the mobile was simply used for undemanding daily tasks (browsing, messaging, some video and email) the duration of the screen was in about 8 hours and a half autonomy.

When the tests have been more demanding, with video streaming continuously and playing, the battery stays between 6 hours and 6 and a half hours.

This means that in either of the two situations the Samsung Galaxy A51 will have to be charged at the end of the day because, even if it arrives charged, it will not be enough to start the next day with guarantees.

The mobile can be charge from 0 to 100% in approximately 1 hour and 55 minutes, having half the charge at the 48-50 minutes.

And now we will include everything we have told you, knowing the price of this Samsung Galaxy A51, which you can buy for around 340 euros.

It is a terminal that, once seen the new design, finish and good aesthetic work that Samsung had done, we expected a jump in the rest of the sections and, as we have told you, unfortunately not It has been like this.

The Samsung Galaxy A51 has improved compared to its predecessor in several sections, but it has not taken as significant a leap as its design could have hinted at.