Samsung Galaxy A51 test: our full opinion - Smartphones - Fundroid

The Samsung Galaxy A51 has a nice blow to play in the middle of the range to appear in the eyes of users as a product with the right value for money.Does it happen?This is the question we will try to answer in our full test.

At the start of 2020, it is fashionable not to underestimate the Samsung Galaxy A51.In view of the range it represents and the success of its predecessor, its promises are great.He managed to hold them or the challenge was too much raised for him.Here is our full test.

Samsung Galaxy A51 Technical Sheet

This test was carried out from two models: a Galaxy A51 loaned by Samsung and another bought a few days before on an e-commerce platform.

Samsung Galaxy A51 Video Test

Samsung Galaxy A51Design

The Samsung Galaxy A51 est fidèle à l’ADN de sa famille : sobre, look traditionnel, bien maîtrisé et agréable en main. C’est avec la même recette que le modèle précédent, le Samsung Galaxy A50, avait su séduire son public. En 2020, l’efficacité de cette formule est toujours aussi redoutable, mais elle a été mise à niveau pour rester dans l’air du temps.

Thus, we can say goodbye to the little notch on the front of the smartphone.Instead, the Galaxy A51 has a very small punch to house the front photo sensor.This allows him to enjoy a slightly larger screen without increasing the size of the product which is always a little higher than a S10+.We will still emphasize a thickness (7.9 mm) and a weight (172 grams) a little higher than those of the A50.In return, the new model is a lower chouia (73.6 mm).

Unsurprisingly, there is a flat screen, with clearly visible borders, but not large enough to disturb the user's eye.On the back, plastic tries to imitate the glass effect on hand and it is not too badly done.Let's say that we have already seen devices better getting out of this ceremonial exercise, but we have especially seen worse.In addition, the feeling is pleasant in the hollow of the hand and that's all that matters.Also, we will note the "prismatic" effect - this is the term used by Samsung - on the rear face.To put it simply: these are discreetly printed patterns to give an original look without making tons of them.

The photo module is embedded under a glass plate which, surprisingly, seems less invasive in real life than on the official renderings of the Galaxy A51.Let us get along, the module in question remains clearly visible with its four sensors and its LED flash which obviously require room to be correctly embedded.The camera is thus housed at the top left and the objectives positioned in L. Make appreciable: integration is clean, the smartphone is not wobbly when laid flat despite a very slight protuberance.

I will therefore not criticize the multiplication of photo sensors on this smartphone, because even if some regret this trend, Samsung has managed to ensure that it does not bother the user experience in terms of design and takingMain: it is not ugly, it is well implemented and there is no risk of passing the finger over an objective contrary to what we could see for example on the Xiaomi Mi Note 10 and its five sensors.It remains to be seen now whether the Galaxy A51 really gains in photo versatility, but we will answer this question in the dedicated part.

Jack, nanosim and microSD

Let's repeat it again: the Galaxy A51 has not invented the wheel, but it knows how to roll with it.In addition, note the presence of a jack, as well as two nano sims in addition to a space for the microSD.All the physical buttons are located on the right, at a suitable height for unlocking, while it will be necessary to reach out to reach the key increasing the volume if you handle the terminal with one hand.Finally, do not look for a Bixby button on this product, it almost goes without saying, but it is always good to remember.The optical fingerprint reader is hidden under the screen.

Finally, a final word about global aesthetics, I want to say that this product responds to the expected beauty canons in this price range.

Samsung Galaxy A51 screen

The Samsung Galaxy A51 a droit à un bel écran AMOLED de 6,5 pouces avec une définition de 2400 x 1080 pixels. Confortable et agréable, la dalle montre une nouvelle fois la grande maîtrise en la matière de son constructeur. Les couleurs ressortent bien sans paraître fausses ou exagérées, le contraste est au top tandis que la luminosité maximale ne pose quasi jamais souci à l’usage— malgré l’hiver, nous avons profité de belles journées ensoleillées pour le prouver. À cet égard, je me dois simplement de souligner un léger manque de réactivité de la part du capteur de luminosité ambiante.

In this regard, our probe and the Calman Ultimate software indicate a maximum brightness of 555 cd/m².It's a lot ... but little compared to what we can expect from an Amoled Samsung slab.For example, the Galaxy A50 exceeds 620 CD/m².This result is therefore quite surprising, but it can be explained by a technical hazard.You should know that this display technology only deploys its full potential when it is in automatic mode and subjected to strong light.However, the smallness of the ambient light sensor makes it not very obvious to aim during our lab tests.Above all, remember that you should never encounter any real readability problem.

Colors

On the temperature side, in the default mode, we are around 6660 K, which is a nice result when we know that the ideal is often fixed at 6500 K. The Galaxy A51 thus knows how to keep a good color fidelly while allowingto very slightly seek more lively tones.In return, you have to deal with a fairly poorly covered DCI-P3 space, only 81 %-against 121 % for the SRGB.

You can remedy this by opting for the "lively" display mode which will shoot more on blue, but will offer better management of the DCI-P3 space, up to 135 % (202 % for the SRBG).The right solution therefore seems to be to choose this option, then to manually personalize the white balance by adjusting the cursor to warmer tones in order to find a good compromise between color wide color palette and color fidelity.

Another notable difference between natural mode (default) and lively mode is the average delta e 2000.This measurement makes it possible to assess how the colors displayed on the screen correspond to reality.The larger the index, the less faithful the slab.By default, the Delta E is 4.18 against 5.5 on the VIVE configuration.So we go from "rather correct" to "bof bof".

Finally, note that, in any display mode, the slab offers very deep blacks for a contrast that tends towards infinity.

Samsung Galaxy A51logiel

One UI 2.0 is as pleasant to use as one ui first of the name.In other words: we love the latest version of Samsung's house interface based on Android 10!We had already had the opportunity to take it in hand to discover the (small) novelties.We note in particular that two gesture navigation systems are offered.One is inherent in One UI and replaces support on the reception, return and multitasking keys with shifts up.The other, very soberly entitled "Slipping from the sides at the bottom", proposes to sweep the screen to go back and slide the thumb upwards then maintain to have access to each application in the background.

The dark mode is too, still as deeply black thanks to the extinct pixels of the amoled and even your wallpaper is blackening slightly when this mode is activated.As for parameters, the organization of the menu was treated to a small overhaul.We will especially notice the appearance of a well -highlighted position tab so that you can meticulously check which applications have access to your geolocation data and when they are allowed to use it.This is part of Android 10 news, you can for example indicate that such a service can know where you are only when it is being used and it is a good habit to take.

On a slightly negative point, we will observe some slowness - very rare, but which never really disappear - at the first launch of an application or in terms of animation just after unlocking the screen. It is only very small clashes that never really come to worry daily. We are much more inconvenient by the fingerprint reader under the screen. Admittedly, this one works without problem, at least he never failed in his task. The catch is that he needs eternity multiplied by two to accomplish his work. Yes, I know, I make boxes. Understand that said my frustration: this is an optical sensor supposed to operate more quickly than ultrasonic (by making concessions on reliability). Despite this, fingerprint detection lasts far too long. Note still an improvement compared to the Galaxy A50, where the malfunction of this sensor was frequent.

Aside from that, Bixby routines are always there, you benefit from a digital wellness mode with a "concentration" function that allows you to temporarily deactivate your smartphone applications so as not to be distracted while youWork or want to log out a little.

To continue on this software part, there is no need to make you die for your SVOD applications: the Galaxy A51 takes advantage of DRM Widevine L1 from Google which guarantees access to HD quality of Lues videos on Netflix, MyCanal, Disney+.Finally, it should be noted that the internal storage space is 128 GB and you can extend it with a microSD.

Also note that third -party applications are preinstalled (Microsoft suite, Facebook, Spotify, etc.).Most can be deleted.

Samsung Galaxy A51Son

If there is not much to say about the fairly average smartphone speaker which compresses the sound in a fairly classic way with a little saturation at times, it is interesting to note that the wired sound isNot bad at all.The audio content is rich detailed and I invite you to activate the Dolby Atmos option - not available in Bluetooth - to be entitled to even more details.The bass in particular have more impact with this mode.

The Galaxy A51 thus still gives a small importance to the 3.5 mm jack and this will please users most attached to this component.Understand, however, that you will not be able to play scholarly audiophiles either: we are talking above all about a smartphone that does not offer more than a smartphone can offer.

Samsung Galaxy A51Photo

On l’a bien vu, la tendance est à la multiplication des capteurs photo. The Samsung Galaxy A51 n’échappe pas à cette règle et se dote d’un quadruple appareil photo à l’arrière. Voici la configuration à l’œuvre sur ce smartphone :

Main sensor

Should we remember?Few smartphones do not get out of it properly when the light conditions are perfect.Unsurprisingly, the Samsung Galaxy A51 does not fail here and even does very well.The shots in broad daylight offer a very correct level of detail and the colors stand out very well.We will still note a small inclination for tones warmer than in reality.The rendering is therefore more pleasant to the eye, but sublimates the scene a little bit without distorting it either.In my opinion, this is a fairly good balance.

Note that the Galaxy A51 does not manage the elements located very far from the place where you take the photo, such as the buildings you can see on the horizon, very well.Below, for example, this shot made from the Buttes-Chaumont park in Paris is rather pleasant to look at despite my poor artistic sense.Far in the background, you can see the Montmartre district.

Let us zoom in on the said district.We see that color management is bad, almost giving the impression that this area of the image is in black and white.Also, the different lines making up the scene are quite awkwardly traced.Let us get along, this is a small detail that will not bother many people as we linger on a small part of the photo, nevertheless it is always good to know.

When the brightness drops, the level of details of the photos follows the same trend.We are dealing with a smartphone of less than 400 euros and this behavior is therefore completely normal.Only the UFO that is Google Pixel 3a is able to avoid this kind of pitfall in this price segment.

We therefore have noise quite present in the image, a significantly impacted sharpness and above all strong sources of light sometimes poorly managed, thus creating Lens flare effects here and there.

Do not hesitate to lower the brightness of the image when making the focus.You will immerse certain elements of the scene in the dark, but you will often get a softer and more pleasant atmosphere to watch.It's up to you to find the best balance.

Ultra Grand Angle

The ultra-angle is very pleasant to use as it allows you to widen the field of vision.The Galaxy A51 also manages to limit the distortion of the image on the edges and succeeds in maintaining an appreciable level of detail, even if the loss of information compared to the main sensor is felt.

However, what, among other things, characterizes this ultra-angle is its taste for the saturation of colors in a number of situations.The grass becomes greener, the sky more blue ... It is not a systematic behavior and it is not always too marked when it intervenes.Simply, remember that between remain faithful to reality and enhance the scene, this mode clearly prefers the second option.

At night, we also feel here a number of limits preventing the ultra-angle from providing high quality images.He doesn't do better than what we could expect.So we have images with a lot of noise, while the Lens flare effects are even more frequent.

Macro mode

The macro mode allows you to focus on objects between 3 and 5 cm of the lens.Although it is not necessarily obvious to handle, this feature is quite funny and allows you to obtain quite interesting results and will encourage your creative mind to find the nice little things to capture, but which escape the eye ontraditional shots.To put it very simply, this is an option to test for your Instagram posts, #Labeautesesecachedans the tests.

Take the time to adapt, finding the point with this mode is not necessarily easy.

To take advantage of the macro mode, you have to get it in the "plus" tab of the camera.

Portrait mode

The portrait mode of the Galaxy A51 has been nicely refined from the A50.The contours of the face are well delimited.It's not perfect, but the blurry/net effect really gains in efficiency.Be careful that said, on the clichés on the light, you can see a very light white halo appear around the face.

Good to know: software processing on portrait mode can take a few seconds before being applied.A photo can therefore be burnt for a moment in the overview before taking its final shape.

Selfie

The 32 megapixel front sensor for selfies offers well -neat egoportraits with, in the vast majority of cases, a fine transcription of facial features: it is detailed and clear.Some mini-cares can still take place in the wrong light conditions where you observe a slightly higher blur.

The portrait mode, on the other hand, does the job, but remains limited in terms of precision in the vague-net effect.We feel that everything is treated softly in a somewhat forced manner.But let's go, it's still going.

Video

Finally, it should be noted that for the video, you can save content in 4K definition with the rear module.Also, Samsung offers to save your files in HEVC format, less delicious in storage, but not compatible with all platforms.

Samsung Galaxy A51performances

With a Samsung Exynos 9611 and 4 GB of RAM, the Samsung Galaxy A51 is not intended to be a lightning light.Its purpose is to provide suitable performance to everyday life, and it is very good fortunately.Simply, don't think you can make a game console because it can be overwhelmed.

However, you can take advantage of beautiful parts on PUBG which, by default, pushes the graphics in HD with a number of images per second set on "high".In this configuration, the game is almost no concern for fluidity.You really have to move the camera in all directions aboard a car launched at full swing to see some jerks.

Do not hesitate to try to push the graphics on the HDR mode and to choose "ultra" for the image frequency.The Galaxy A51 is doing with honors, but slowdowns are still frequent.In fact, the latter are not marked enough to be crippling, but are just visible enough to be noticed by a non -expert eye.

On Call of Duty Mobile, the clashes are very rare, but it is not excluded that you are giving a Headshot because of a very slight lack of reactivity of the Galaxy A51.

Benchmarks

In the table above, we can see that the Galaxy A51 does not really dominate its competitors in the matter.It is a shame not to have a little more power on a 2020 smartphone, but again, this is not the primary objective of this smartphone.Positive point: I have never felt the heating terminal.

Samsung Galaxy A51 Battery

The Samsung Galaxy A51 dispose d’une batterie de 4000 mAh. Grâce à elle, il profite d’une belle autonomie. Voilà. Mon commentaire est volontairement très sobre, car je n’ai pas envie de vous mener sur une fausse piste. Ces derniers temps, nous avons vu beaucoup de monstres d’endurance, mais aussi de très mauvais élèves dans ce domaine.

In comparison, our star of the day is in a good average and very easily allows to hold a day and a half, even two days, with a fairly classic use mixing a little web navigation, some YouTube videos and one or two hours of music.Thus, we can say that the Galaxy A51 is a smartphone with good autonomy, no more no less.

On our Custom Test Test Protocol, the smartphone resisted for 11 hours and 26 minutes.This is a very honorable score that corroborates the impressions you have just read.Unlike these august predecessors of a few years ago, he is not really a champion.That said, it is not ashamed at all at its line, simply consumer requirements have constantly revised upwards.

Samsung's Galaxy A51 is therefore aimed at users who attach importance to autonomy without making it an immutable criterion, without compromise.For example, part of PUBG consumes about 7 % battery over 20 minutes of play with the graphics pushed to the maximum.

With its 15W fast charger, you can go from 0 to 100 % battery in a little more than 1:30.It’s not incredible, but it’s not too slow either.

Samsung Galaxy A51 Network and communication

Unlike the Galaxy A50, the Galaxy A51 is compatible with the 700 MHz B28 strip, enough to satisfy Free Mobile customers.For my part, I have never had any concern to capture the Orange network in the Paris region.In addition, telephone calls are very well managed by this smartphone.Despite a very slight compression of the voice, your interlocutors will hear you perfectly, even with an ugly scooter groaning a few steps from you.

Finally, with regard to GPS navigation, the phone is precise overall.

Samsung Galaxy A51Prix and Availability

The Samsung Galaxy A51 est disponible en France au prix conseillé de 379 euros en trois coloris différents : bleu, noir et blanc.

Among the alternatives, we note the Xiaomi Note 8 Pro, the Huawei Nova 5T and the Xiaomi Mi 9T.

We have also published a comparison with the Galaxy A50.