Samsung Galaxy M30s Review: A Worthy Upgrade?

 

Samsung Galaxy M30s Design: Compact Form Factor

The Samsung Galaxy M30s doesn't bring any noticeable changes in terms of design compared to its predecessor - the Galaxy M30. It sports a big 6.2-inch display but has a compact form factor.

The device is crafted out of polycarbonate material which is of good quality. It offers a gradient rear panel and you will be able to see the fingerprints almost instantly after picking it up.

But, you can avoid the rear panel getting dirty by using a good quality case. It is worth noting that the retail box doesn't ship with any mobile case, so you will have to shell out extra bucks.

At the rear, the triple-lens camera setup is aligned vertically on the top-left corner. A fingerprint scanner is also placed at the rear (center-top) and has an ideal positioning. The Samsung branding is inscribed just below the fingerprint scanner.

The right panel of the device houses the volume rockers and the power key, while the left panel has a dedicated SIM card tray. At the bottom, the USB Type-C port is sandwiched between the 3.5mm audio jack and the speaker grille.

The Galaxy M30s might not have anything new to offer in terms of design, but the quality of material used and a compact form factor is what cracks the deal.

Using the device with a single hand is suitable when you are performing basic tasks like texting, web surfing, and making/answering calls. Reaching the corners might be difficult at times and you will need to reposition it in your palm.

But, this is limited to extensive tasks like gaming. Overall, the Galaxy M30s is a premium looking handset you can buy under Rs. 15,000.

Samsung Galaxy M30s Display: Super AMOLED Display Is A Visual Treat

Samsung has been at the forefront when it comes to smartphone displays. Even the budget devices by the company that offers an HD+ resolution delivers a good viewing experience.

The Galaxy M30s is no different and it flaunts a high-resolution Super AMOLED panel measuring 6.4-inches. The display offers a 1080 x 2340 pixels FHD+ resolution and a waterdrop notch on top.

The display is neutral in the default settings and you don't get the options to toggle between the cool and warm display temperatures. However, you can select Natural or Vivid Screen Mode where the latter enhances the colors.

The viewing angles are good and so is the sunlight visibility. The display doesn't get dark under direct sunlight and you will see fewer reflections. So watching videos and reading texts is not an unpleasant experience outdoors.

The display on the Galaxy M30s comes with a dedicated Night mode and Blue light filter mode which reduces strain on the eyes during the night.

It performs well on streaming platforms as well and I bet you will binge-watch your favorite shows or movies on the streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Videos, and YouTube. I would like to add that the device can easily render 1080p videos on these streaming platforms.

Samsung Galaxy M30s: Hardware And Battery Performance

The Samsung Galaxy M30s makes use of the in-house Exynos 9611 chipset clubbed with Mali-G72 MP3 GPU. The device is launched in two RAM and storage configuration - 4GB RAM+ 64GB storage and 6GB RAM+ 128GB storage.

The dedicated microSD slot supports up to 512GB card. So, storage is not going to be an issue, specifically if you go for the top-end variant.

The Exynos 9611 is a capable mid-range chipset by Samsung which allows the Galaxy M30s to perform day-to-tasks smoothly. The handset can take on multitasking with ease and I didn't notice any lags in the performance.

Even with multiple apps running in the background, you will not experience any delays in app launches and will also be able to play high-end games like Mortal Combat 5, PUBG, and Asphalt 9.

PUBG mobile game has no doubt a strong fan base and the smartphone manufacturers are releasing devices that allow users to play such games without any hiccups.

As for the Galaxy M30s, you need to play PUBG in the medium settings to avoid any frame drops or lags. What I liked here is that there were hardly any heating issues with continuous gaming or HD video playback on loop.

The Galaxy M30s is backed by a mammoth 6,000 mAh battery and is the first of its kind to offer this big setup. The battery comes with a 15W fast charging support. So, you not only get a capacious battery but also fast charging support for a quick refuel.

As for the charging time, the battery refuels from zero to 100 percent within two hours. The big battery allows the device to give a backup of more than a day with basic usage.

Samsung Galaxy M30s Software And Benchmark

The Samsung Galaxy M30s comes pre-loaded with Android 9 Pie OS and offers a proprietary One UI skin on top. We have seen this UI on some of the recently launched Samsung smartphones such as the Galaxy A50s and the Galaxy M10s.

The UI is neat and easy to use, thanks to the large icons in the default mode. The handset also has some bloatware pre-installed such as Netflix, Amazon, and Facebook. You can uninstall them manually if not in use to free up some extra space.

There is a storage booster option in the Settings tab which clears up extra space by removing unnecessary files. It also has the Digital Wellbeing feature which allows you to keep a tab on smartphone usage effectively.

We ran some benchmark tests on the handset including AnTuTu and Geekbench. The handset logged 258 points in the single-core and 1,118 points in the multi-core tests on Geekbench.

It scored 175,853 points on AnTuTu Benchmark. In the PC Mark Work 2.0 Performnce test, it scored 5701 points.

Samsung Galaxy M30s Cameras: 48MP Triple-Lens Setup Does A Decent Job

The Samsung Galaxy M30s sports a triple-lens setup at the rear that houses a 48MP primary sensor with an f/2.0 aperture. Aiding the primary lens is an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens with an f/2.2 aperture and a 5MP depth sensor with an f/2.2 aperture.

To capture selfies and to make/receive video calls, the waterdrop notch houses a 16MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture.

The rear camera offers features such as Live Focus, Slow-Motion, Super Slow Motion videos, Panorama, and Pro mode. There is a dedicated Night Mode as well to capture low light shots.

In terms of performance, the rear camera does a good job and with the 48MP primary sensor, it captures some good quality shots in daylight. The images captured in broad daylight have good detailing, balanced colors and the images don't look artificial.

The dynamic range is good, so is the edge-to-edge detection. The rear cameras capture 12MP images in the default settings. To capture 48MP shots, you can make the changes in the camera settings.

The camera app is also easy to use and you can toggle between different modes easily from the home screen of the camera app.

At the top, you get modes like AR Emoji, camera settings, Flash on/off, timer, aspect ratio, and filters. The remaining features at the bottom include the Pro, Live, Slow-Motion, and Super Slow-Motion.

The bokeh shots look natural and the background blur doesn't appear artificial. You can set adjust the blur intensity before clicking an image.

Images clicked in low-light situations are average and the camera lacks in capturing details. The dedicated Night Mode does enhance the images but you will be able to see noise in the images.

As for the selfies, the 16MP camera does a decent job of capturing images. You get the option to click Live Focus selfies which appears good in our testing. The images clicked by the front camera are suitable for social media uploads.

Overall, the Galaxy M30s is equipped with a good camera setup both at the rear and the front to please the shutterbug in you.

Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy M30s comes as a good upgrade over the standard Galaxy M30. The primary difference in both the handset is in terms of processor and the rear cameras. While the standard Galaxy M30 runs on an Exynos 7904 chipset, the Galaxy M30s uses an upgraded Exynos 9611 chipset.

The camera on the latter is equipped with a bigger 48MP primary camera sensor which enhances the overall imaging capabilities. Moreover, the device is equipped with a gigantic 6,000 mAh battery, so you need to plug the charger only once a day.

This is a capable mid-range smartphone that takes care of your day-to-day tasks and performs swiftly even graphic-intensive tasks. I would recommend this device if you don't want to go for a Chinese brand and yet get a feature-packed device under Rs. 15,000.