Published 11:35 IST, September 20th 2019
Samsung Galaxy M30s first look: 6,000mAh battery, 48MP camera and more
Samsung is really touting the Galaxy M30s’ massive 6,000mAh battery as its main USP – the phone is claimed to offer 29 hours of video playback on single charge.
The Galaxy M30s may be Samsung’s best shot at taking on Xiaomi and Realme in the under Rs 20,000 price segment – even though it also has a very capable Galaxy A30 and Galaxy M40 in this segment. The reason I say this is because while the Galaxy A30 and Galaxy M40, while great value for money phones, try to be excel in just one or two key aspects. The Galaxy M30s also tries to do that, but going by its spec sheet, it instantly becomes clear that Samsung’s looking to offer a more well-rounded package here.
Samsung is really touting the Galaxy M30s’ massive 6,000mAh battery as its main USP – the phone is claimed to offer 29 hours of video playback, 49 hours of voice calls, and over 131 hours of music playback on single charge. There’s also fast charging (fast charger bundled in the box) and USB Type C. But that’s not all that the Galaxy M30s is all about. The Galaxy M30s also brings a large 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display and 48MP triple cameras to the masses. It has capable hardware with good amount of RAM and storage options available. The Galaxy M30s is a jack of all trades – quite literally.
Let’s take a closer look at Samsung’s Galaxy M30s and all that it brings to the table –
-- The Galaxy M30s is an all-plastic phone like its other M-series siblings, but there’s one thing that sets it apart from the rest – rather, there are two things. One is the size itself. Remember, this is a phone that packs a ginormous 6,000mAh battery inside. But it doesn’t feel like it does. It’s rather slim and handy – a tad slippery, but you get used to it eventually. It’s kind of remarkable that the thing weighs just 188 grams.
-- Samsung is using an all-familiar glossy plastic here but the Galaxy M30s brings in new color choices – the phone will be available in Opal Black, Sapphire Blue and Pearl White. Since Samsung is using a unibody design, the phone’s back gradually wraps around the sides in one continuous free-flowing motion. The Galaxy M30s is a good-looking phone.
-- Just like its other Galaxy M-series siblings, the Galaxy M30s also has a fingerprint scanner on the back – that's right, no fancy in-display scanner here. But that’s alright. The Galaxy M30s unlocks fast and the physical reader is accurate – so that’s nice. You also get face unlock, if you’re into that sort of thing.
-- On the front, the Galaxy M30s has a 6.4-inch 1080p+ Super AMOLED display with Samsung’s Infinity U-style notch. In typical Samsung style, it’s bright and colorful - watching content on it is a pleasing experience across the board. The phone has Widevine L1 support which means it can stream HD content from OTT services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video and from YouTube.
-- The Galaxy M30s is powered by Samsung’s in-house Exynos 9611 processor paired with up to 6GB RAM and up to 128GB storage which is also expandable. The Exynos 9611 is a step-up from the Exynos 9610 in terms of efficiency – which means a phone like the Galaxy M30s can run cooler and will supposedly also have better battery life than a phone with Exynos 9610. More on this in our full review.
-- The dual SIM phone runs Android 9 Pie-based One UI.
-- On to the cameras, the Galaxy M30s comes with three rear cameras consisting of one 48MP sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide sensor and a 5MP sensor for depth sensing aka portrait photography. Samsung is using its in-house GM1 sensor here that uses software interpolation to produce 48MP photos as and when required – by default it shoots 12MP photos.
-- On the front, the Galaxy M30s comes with a 16MP camera.
-- Samsung has launched the Galaxy M30s in India at a starting price of Rs 13,999 for the base variant with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage, going all the way to Rs 16,999 for the top-end variant with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. The Galaxy M30s will be available in as many as three colors - Opal Black, Sapphire Blue and Pearl White. Samsung will start selling the Galaxy M30s in India from September 29 from Amazon India and its own online store. Watch this space for our full review of the Samsung Galaxy M30s in the days to come.
(Photos by Saurabh Singh)
Updated 12:06 IST, September 20th 2019