Samsung Galaxy M51 Review Part 2 - Design

There is a very popular quote in the smartphone world - "A smartphone that looks good does good." Now you must not have heard it because I just made it up (nevermind). Coming back to today's topic, that is design. It pretty much covers a range to subheads - the materials used in a phone, the ergonomics, single or double hand usability, placement of buttons and the overall feel of the device. When all these checkboxes are ticked, we get a well-designed phone.

Let's start by looking at the device

Bezels

Right in front of your eyes is the marvellous 6.7" display, which looks pretty amazing. While the top three bezels are just fine, I am really impressed with the thin chin at the bottom. When compared with other smartphones in this price range, it sets a new standard.

Camera Mount

The front camera is situated right at the centre of the screen, below the edge-earpiece. As it turns out, the hole does not bother me in my day-to-day usage. If you crop in while watching some content on YouTube on Netflix, it is only then when you would notice it. However, it is not a problem!

Holding the device with one hand?

Since the chassis houses a massive 7000mAh battery, the device is bound to be hefty. But in my usage, it felt comfortable. I use both the hands while holding my device, especially when chatting on WhatsApp or watching some video on YouTube. Opening the notification panel with one hand, not possible!

Weight

Coming to the weight - it measures 213 grams. Coming from a 180 grams device, I would say I did not feel much of a difference. A word of appreciation for the excellent weight balance done by Samsung; the device does not top or bottom heavy. In fact, I can balance it on my finger (its fun, but do it over a soft surface).

Fun Fact: The larger screen facilitates for a larger keyboard while typing on the screen, making it comfortable!

Frame

The frame has been made out of plastic. And at this price point, that might be a problem for some potential users out there. Do note that the device feels robust, and there is no fluff in the rear body (not to mention - Galaxy Note 20, a $1000 has got a back panel fluff). The front glass attaches to the display very elegantly.

Side-Mounted Fingerprint Scanner

One major concern for me is the side-mounted fingerprint scanner. Now, don't take me wrong, but I feel that having a fingerprint scanner on a button that we press around 100 - 200 times a day is not a good idea. There have been cases in the past where-in the scanner stops working after a few months. Nevertheless, it is placed in a perfect position. While holding the device, my thumb naturally falls on the scanner. Thumbs up for that!

Volume rockers are a bit too high

Next up, the volume rockers are situated above the fingerprint scanner. Given the size of the phone, I have to shuffle the device to reach to them or use the other hand. On top of the device, you have a secondary noise cancellation microphone. Whereas the left side is completely clean.

Bottom panel

The four main things - speaker, USB-C port, primary microphone, and everyone's headphone jack; are situated at the bottom of the smartphone. Overall, the device feels comfortable in my hands, thanks to the curve rear body. Surprisingly, the rear-camera does not have a bump at all.

Thickness

Talking about the thickness of the phone - 9.5mm. Most of you might think that it is way too thick. But hello? Samsung did not market this to be a slim and thin product? And the fact that they have managed to squeeze in a 7000mAh battery (industry-leading) says it all. I did not find it to be a reason to not admire the smartphone.

In-Hand Feel

Overall, the device feels solid in hand. You would not feel that you are holding a cheap phone. The screen quality, size, and thin bezels make it look like a flagship from Samsung. In my opinion, that is one of the good things.

Shikhar's Rating for Samsung Galaxy M51's design - 8/10 (loses for the thickness, which again is not an issue for me but might be for some people, and a combined mark for volume rockers and single hand usability).

So that is the Samsung Galaxy M51 for you, in terms of design. My personal choice was the Celestial Black model. Check it out here on Amazon! See you around.

P.S. - the device does not have stereo speakers, but the bottom-firing mono speaker has a rich sound signature!