Samsung Galaxy M01 smartphone review: Korea vs China

Until now, the Samsung Galaxy line is associated by many with high-class quality, profitability and advanced technology. Of course, the brand has not stopped releasing smartphones that will give odds to any Chinese novelty, but since the beginning of 2024, manufacturers are seriously bogged down in nostalgia and they will have to look for an approach to these changes.

From this article you will learn:

• Can Samsung and cheap tech exist in the same universe?
• Which is better to choose: Xiaomi or Samsung?
• Why is the M01 version better than the A01?
• Who is this smartphone suitable for 100%?

Appearance and ergonomics

Externally, the Samsung Galaxy M01 model is identical to the January release - Galaxy A01. According to a preliminary announcement, the dimensions of the smartphone are 146.2 x 70.9 x 8.3 mm. In comparison with other gadgets, it is in no way inferior either in aesthetic terms or in convenience. There are no kinks in length or width, the phone looks large enough from a distance.

Amazing! Even a thin black "bezel" on the screen, smoothly flowing into a heavy "chin", does not spoil the first impression of the device.

For this smartphone, manufacturers have selected a number of the most budgetary materials. So, for example, the body and the side edges are made of ordinary plastic (fortunately, the texture is matte and there should be no problems with excessive soiling). The battery in Galaxy M01 is non-removable, so there are no cheap squeaks or backlashes. The fingerprint sensor remains in the same place - the left side edge, next to the unlock button and volume swing.

The main camera unit is represented by two lenses and a flash, designed in a neat oval cutout. The loudspeaker is located in the lower part of the case, as in the 2015-2017 devices.

The front part is glazed, however, due to the fact that the screen protrudes a few millimeters forward, a protective glass will be required. The front camera was designed as a drop. In general, the details are harmoniously combined with each other. There is no exaggeration in design, and from afar, the Galaxy M01 smartphone can be easily confused with a gadget from the middle price category.

Lack of imagination and colors of the new model

During the development of this line of phones, Samsung decided to completely turn off fantasy. The box contains only the essentials:

• Warranty card, certificates;
• Clip for the SIM card slot;
• USB cable (2.0);
• Charging adapter.

The developers again left their loyal fans without a generous promotion of Chinese brands - putting a transparent case in the kit. The story is slightly better with the variation of colors. The palette was made up of basic colors: black, blue and red. We can only hope that the Korean brand is seriously carried away by minimalism, and did not create a smartphone "from what it was."

Specifications

Screen and authoring

The review moves us smoothly towards a detailed inspection of all characteristics. Needless to say, despite some screen improvements in the Samsung Galaxy M01, the overall impression is not getting any brighter?

The diagonal of the screen was 5.3 inches (even less than in the A01). The screen occupied only 66% of the total area. By comparison, most displays in the 2019-2020 models account for at least 80%. The screen resolution is 720 x 1520 pixels. At the same time, the screen quality has increased, the pixel ratio has increased from 301ppi to 320ppi. Now you can watch videos in Full HD quality (1080p at 30fps).

In budget gadgets, even such changes are of great weight!

As a basis, the brand chose the PLS matrix (its own development). It is an alternative version of the more famous IPS, while it is almost in no way inferior to it, and even superior. For example, the pixel density has been increased, which, in fact, is equal to a more saturated and high-quality image.

Besides:

• The developers have minimized the PWM effect (screen flickering), which provokes dry eye syndrome.
• Improved screen responsiveness. Within the walls of the Samsung laboratory, the screen response time was 4 milliseconds!
• Really bright screen (compared to IPS, PLS screens are 100 nits brighter).

The large number of advantages, of course, does not imply weak screen protection. After the purchase, you should purchase a cover and protective glass so that the phone will last a long time.

operating system

Immediately after the publication of the alleged characteristics of the Samsung Galaxy M01, Internet users immediately noticed that the smartphone turned out to be practically the twin brother of the Xiaomi Redmi 7A model, released a year ago.

However, the M01 has received an update to Android 10. This is a huge advantage for such a budget phone. Applications are quickly optimized, there are almost no crashes and overload of the task manager. New features: gesture function, improved customization (dark theme, new widgets), prediction system based on neural networks.

One UI 2.0 shell has become a great addition. She contributed to the improvement of the camera, the addition of new modes (including professional ones). Also, the screen recording on the M01 is played back in 1080p quality.

The most anticipated update for gamers! Now, if someone calls you during the game, the smartphone does not go into call mode. Buttons "accept" or "reject" a call appear in the notification shade, allowing you to speak and play at the same time.

Performance, memory, what does Xiaomi have to do with it?

Like Xiaomi Redmi7A, the Galaxy M01 model received the 4th generation Qualcomm chipset as an engine. The Snapdragon 439 was released in 2019, which means it can handle both daily tasks and heavy programs just fine. Of course, it cannot be compared with the 7th generation, let alone the 8th, but the 12-nanometer process technology suggests otherwise.

At the disposal of users will be 8 productive cores, with a clock frequency of up to 2 GHz. They are evenly divided into two clusters. The first with a frequency of 1.95 GHz copes with 3D games and powerful applications (eliminates overheating), and the second (with a frequency of 1.45 GHz) quickly optimizes the system as a whole.

Experts gave this chip a “neutral” rating, since they could not classify it as either a failure or a successful development. Snapdragon 439 is frozen in the middle, satisfying the needs of both unpretentious gamers and social media lovers.

Testing

In the course of comparing the two smartphones, it became clear that the new Samsung has advantages over the Chinese smartphone in appearance.For example, the M01 is much thinner, the image is sharper and the resolution is higher (Full HD). Most importantly, the camera is several times better!

As for performance and tests, here the Xiaomi 7A smartphone showed excellent results: fast charging is available, additional options (gyroscope, compass), the screen size is larger (5.7 vs 5.3 inches).

This confrontation is too much like the struggle between Apple and Samsung, where many choose based only on their own preferences, and not the quality of smartphones.

The RAM in the smartphone was only 3 GB, with an external memory of 32 GB (twice as much as in the A01 and Redmi 7A).

Battery autonomy

The battery capacity has increased by 1000 mAh to 4000 mAh. Having reached the world standard, the new Samsung will last 24 hours without charging, and up to 72 hours in standby mode. Unfortunately, there is no Quick Charge option and the phone will charge up to 100% in about 2-2.5 hours.

Camera

The front and rear cameras of the Samsung Galaxy M01 are far from the ultimate dream. The first 13 megapixel sensor takes pictures in, to put it mildly, mediocre quality and the f / 2.2 aperture only contributes to this. The phone is not at all adapted for night shooting. In the photo, pixels are visible with the naked eye, and the rich gamut also fades if the day is sunny.

The second 2MP lens was added rather for quick setting of modes. However, the question remains, why do we need square, bokeh, landscape and self-adjustment mode if the quality of the camera does not allow you to create a truly good shot?

The selfie camera received only 5 MP. The image comes out indistinct and faded. Also, when using the camera on Instagram, TikTok or other applications with masks, you need to be prepared for constant freezes and ragged video shooting.

This should be taken into account, first of all, if a powerful camera is an important option for you!

Advantages and disadvantages

• Beautiful appearance;
• Not easily soiled materials;
• Bright and high quality screen;
• Latest Android version (10);
• Increased battery capacity;
• Good processor performance;
• FullHD video playback;
• Extremely low price.

• No additional protection;
• Weak camera;
• Uninteresting design;
• There is no Quick Charge option;
• Not suitable for heavy games (WoT or Pubg9).

Outcome

It can be assumed that by releasing the second smartphone with such unusual characteristics for the king of Samsung (!), The brand is trying to suspend its Chinese counterparts, as if to say that it can easily go down to the level of Xiaomi, Oppo, Huawei and even in such conditions sell much more goods.

Where will this confrontation lead? Only time will tell, suddenly Samsung got tired of resisting Apple and switched to younger companies ... This novelty, however, is 100% suitable for older people. They are unpretentious when choosing applications, 13 MP is certainly enough for them (especially since the older generation is more likely to be committed to cameras) and they will discharge 4000 mAh longer than usual. Is it suitable for active youth? It is unlikely, because you will have to carry a power-bank everywhere, especially since the appearance of a smartphone is very important for the new generation, and for this sometimes you have to pay extra.

The price of Samsung Galaxy M01 is rumored to be $ 100-110 or 8,000 rubles.