The Galaxy M31 is a midrange phone that promises improvements in key aspects of the specification compared to the predecessor Galaxy M30. Launched in India at the end of February, the smartphone offers a giant 6,000 mAh battery, quad camera, and promise of improved performance. See, below, everything that changes in the new generation of smartphones.
Galaxy M30 vs Galaxy M31 Features
| Galaxy M30 | Galaxy M31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Launch | April 2019 | February 2020 |
| Price | 11,999 rupees (around $160) | 15,999 rupees (about $210) |
| Screen | 6.4 inches | 6.4 inches |
| Screen resolution | Full HD + (2340 x 1080 pixels) | Full HD + (2340 x 1080 pixels) |
| Processor | octa-core up to 1.8 GHz | octa-core up to 2.3 GHz |
| RAM | 4 GB | 6 GB |
| Storage | 64 GB | 64 GB or 128 GB |
| Memory card | yes, microSD | Not disclosed |
| Main camera | triple, 13, 5, and 5 megapixels | quad, 64, 8, 5, and 5 megapixels |
| Front Camera | 16 megapixels | 32 megapixels |
| Operating system | Android 8 (Oreo) | Android 10 |
| Battery | 5,000 mAh | 6,000 mAh |
| Dimensions and weight | 159 x 75.1 x 8.5 mm; 174 grams | 8.9 mm thick; 191 grams |
| Colors | black or blue | black or blue |
Screen and Design
There’s practically no visual change on Galaxy M31. The Super AMOLED screen continues with the same 6.4 inches and Full HD+ resolution, plus the notch that houses the front camera. Despite the larger battery, there is no relevant change in thickness, which increases only 0.4 mm; and in weight, which grows only 17 grams.
The biggest difference in the design of the phone is in the back, where the row of cameras is replaced with a rectangular black area where all the photographic sensors are. Everything else remains almost the same, including the lack of advanced resistance to water and dust and the plastic color in black or blue.
Cameras
Samsung’s launch goes from a triple to a quad-camera. The new camera is a 5 MP macro camera, specializing in capturing objects very close to the lens. The depth camera for Portrait Mode has been maintained, while the others have been improved.
The main one, for everyday photos, jumps from 13 MP with f/1.9 aperture to 64 MP with f/1.8, a change that should provide greater richness of detail during the day and better color photos in low-light places. The more powerful component also enables digital zoom with less distortion.
The ultra-wide camera switches from 5 MP to 8 MP, which should ensure better quality photos and videos with a more open angle. The front one gains twice as many pixels: from 16 MP in the previous generation, it changes to 32 MP.
Performance and Storage
In hardware, the new 2.3 GHz Exynos 9611 processor is expected to improve performance in heavier gaming and applications and lower power consumption than the M30’s 1.8 GHz chip. However, the biggest difference in everyday life should be provided by the increase in RAM from 4 GB to 6 GB and should be able to keep apps in the background longer, speeding up usability.
The mobile has a storage of 64 GB or 128 GB. The Galaxy M30 is currently sold with 64 GB of internal space. MicroSD card support is retained.
Battery
The Galaxy M30’s 5,000 mAh battery was already big but is even bigger in the new generation. With 6,000 mAh of capacity, the component should allow longer use of the phone. ROG Phone 2, is one of the phones in the market that currently offers a battery of this size. However, as the Asus smartphone is much more powerful and tends to consume more energy, the Galaxy M31 could also become the king of autonomy in the market.
According to Samsung, the phone can make calls for up to 48 hours before it runs out of power, against 31 hours from its predecessor. The weak point can be in the charger, which maintains the power of 15 W – the manufacturer does not report the charging time.
Android version and additional features
Samsung launches the Galaxy M31 with Android 10, a system version that has recently begun to be released for the Galaxy M30. This means that the software experience is the same on both phones: the same pre-installed applications and the same unique features as Safe Folder. The newer phone, however, may still receive at least one more update, something that cannot be said of its predecessor.
In terms of connectivity, the Galaxy M31 retains features like 4G, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, plus USB-C headset ports on standard P2 (3.5 mm). Samsung does not detail whether the launch continues without offering NFC, also absent in the previous version.
Price
The Galaxy M31 arrived in March in India for 15,999 rupees (about $210) in the 64 GB version and 16,999 rupees (about $225) with 128 GB of internal space. The Galaxy M30 is available with an initial price of 11,999 rupees (around $160).
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