Samsung Galaxy M33 5G review
Samsung Galaxy M33 5G review 7/10
Indian consumers often form an opinion about a phone with the kind of specifications it offers on paper. Samsung probably understands that and introduced its Galaxy M series, back in 2019, with exactly the same strategy in mind. To offer the best possible specifications at the best possible price.
Ever since the Galaxy M series was introduced in India, we have seen a number of models across various price segments, from Rs 10,000 to Rs 30,000. One of the latest offerings in the lineup is the Galaxy M33 5G which also comes with support for 5G. This one succeeds the Galaxy M32 5G from last year, which is still one of the best phones available under the price of Rs 20,000.
The Samsung Galaxy M33 5G starts at Rs 18,999 for the base 6GB+128GB variant and goes up to Rs 20,499 for the top-end 8GB+128GB storage model. For early buyers, the smartphone manufacturer is offering the phone starting at Rs 17,999. Additionally, there are some bank offers available to make it a much more tempting deal. Buy Now
I have been using the Samsung Galaxy M33 5G for nearly 10 days now and the question now is: is it one of the best phones available under Rs 20,000? Second, should the Galaxy M32 5G users upgrade? Let’s find out answers to all these queries in the review.
Design, build
The Samsung Galaxy M33 5G looks good and clean but is not very unique. It offers a regular square-shaped camera module at the back and a waterdrop notch on the front. The overall design is inspired by the Galaxy M32. The phone comes in blue and green.
Even though the design is kind of a little boring, I like how the glossy back panel doesn’t register fingerprints even when my hand was sweaty, thanks to the humidity in Noida. Click Here
The form factor is quite good, in my opinion. It is convenient to play games, watch videos, type messages, or write emails on this one. But I feel the weight could have been slightly more balanced. There’s a bigger battery inside that adds to the weight but this isn’t the first Samsung phone with a 6000mAh battery. There are models with such a big battery setup and yet very well balanced.
One drawback though is the plastic panel at the back. Most brands at this price segment offer a glass back, so not having that in the Galaxy M33 5G is disappointing. But the good thing is, the plastic panel doesn’t look cheap. The polish on the top not only helps with fingerprint smudges but also makes the phone look stylish and pricier at the same time. Even the frames I wish were metallic and not plastic.
While the design is a mixed bag, the Galaxy M33 5G offers a superb build. It is one solid phone and feels sturdy in the hands. I used the phone without a cover and it was able to handle the rough handling. Not many scratches on the screen or the back panel registered even after 10 days of rigorously using the device.
Display
Even though the Samsung Galaxy M33 5G doesn’t offer an AMOLED panel, the screen gets quite bright under the blazing sun. It features a 6.6-inch Full HD+ display with a 120Hz refresh rate, and Corning Gorilla Glass protection on the top. There’s a waterdrop notch at the top, bezels are also pretty slim on the sides.
I do not personally like my phone/laptop’s screen to be too bright, so 60 per cent brightness level was apt for me during the morning time. However, around 1PM, under the bright sunlight, the screen brightness had to be at maximum to be clearly visible.
The Galaxy M33 5G offers a decent multimedia experience. Whether it is for watching YouTube videos or shows on Netflix or even browning Instagram or Twitter, the screen was bright enough at 60 per cent and the colours looked punchy. The viewing angles were also quite decent.
It is good to see Samsung offering a 120hz screen refresh rate at this price segment. It looks good on paper but doesn’t show significant differences in real-life usage.
Performance
Samsung Galaxy M33 5G is powered by Exynos 1280 SoC and supports 12 5G Bands. It comes bundled with up to 8GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage. There’s expandable RAM support up to 16GB. It also includes Power Cool Technology to control heat dissipation.
In my 10 days with the phone, it offered decent performance and was able to handle basic daily tasks like browsing the internet, sending emails and messages, clicking photos and more easily. But when it comes to multitasking, and constantly switching between apps, the smartphone lagged in many situations. The tough response and scrolling also felt laggy sometimes. The good bit is, despite running up to 15 apps in the background the phone didn’t heat up much.
On the software front, the Galaxy M33 5G ships with Android-based OneUI 4.1 out of the box. Just as expensive Samsung phones, the M33 5G also offers clean software with very minimal preinstalled apps, which can be deleted when required.
Camera
The camera department is where the Galaxy M33 5G does a pretty good job, especially for the price it comes for. On the rear panel, the smartphone includes four cameras including a 50-megapixel primary sensor, a 2-megapixel macro sensor, a 20-megapixel depth sensor and a 5-megapixel ultra-wide lens.
The primary lens was able to click pretty good photos in day and low lighting situations. The photos captured pretty good details and the colors also looked quite real. The good bit is, that the photos never looked too punchy or saturated. The low-light camera performance was also quite impressive in the price segment. There’s a night mode that optimizes a photo clicked in less light. Overall, if you love posting photos on Instagram and Facebook, the Galaxy M33 5G appears to be a pretty good option in the price segment.
The portrait shots also look quite impressive, with the background properly blurred out and distinct edges. The macro performance, however, could have been better in my opinion. In most macro shots, the details are often seen missing. The colours look good in this one too. The ultra-wide lens also often misses out on details, which is again slightly disappointing.
Even the front camera performance, I believe, could have been better. The Galaxy M33 5G includes an 8-megapixel sensor on the front that sits inside the waterdrop notch. The selfies miss on details and colours look off. Same with the portrait selfie mode, where the background looks properly blurred but the edges are not so distinct. Selfies in low-light also could have been better, in my opinion.
Battery
This is one of the best aspects of the Samsung Galaxy M33 5G. The smartphone lasts one full day of heavy usage easily. Moderate usage can extend the battery life to 1.5 days very easily, on a single charge. It supports 25W fast charging but there’s no charging brick in the box. The box just includes the USB Type C port.
Samsung Galaxy M33 5G: Should you buy?
The Samsung Galaxy M33 5G is a pretty decent option to consider if you are looking for a phone under Rs 20,000. It looks decent with the great build quality. The design, however, I believe could have been slightly unique but it is still not that bad, just boring. The performance is another area where I feel the device can be a letdown, but departments like battery, display and camera are quite good. Though, macro and selfies could have been slightly improved.
Overall, if you are a Samsung fan and looking to buy a phone at an affordable price that offers a clean user experience and a great battery life, the Galaxy M33 5G is a good option to consider. If performance and camera are what matters there are phones like Redmi Note 11 Pro, Realme 9, and more. Consumers who have the Galaxy M32 can wait for the M33 5G successor. Click Here TO BUY NOW