Samsung Galaxy M52 5G Review | Geek Lifestyle

We recently got to try out the Samsung Galaxy M52 5G, and in our review, we determine if this M-series phone is worth the premium price tag.

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After reviewing the Galaxy M32 back in November, we got our hands on another M-series device from Samsung, and this time it’s the Galaxy M52 5G. While the M32 is an affordable mid-range option, the Galaxy M52 5G is a premium mid-range offering, meaning it is priced similarly to Samsung’s A-series devices.

Given the premium pricing, it should come as no surprise that the M52 5G has a number of higher-end features. Some of these include a Snapdragon 778G processor, a triple rear camera setup with a 12MP ultrawide (typical mid-range ultrawides are only 8MP), a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, and more.

While the specs do seem to justify the phone’s premium price tag, does the Galaxy M52 5G offer enough compelling features to justify getting this over Samsung’s own Galaxy A-series devices? Find out here in our review!

Geek-sthetic

First off, let’s take a look at the phone’s design. From the back, you can see the M52 5G’s triple rear camera setup which has a layout that’s reminiscent of the S20 Fan Edition. Aside from the camera module, the M52 5G has a small Samsung logo near the bottom (which can be a bit tough to see in photos and in certain angles. Plus, the phone also has a subtle vertical line pattern on the back.

As for how it feels in hand, the M52 5G feels solid, but it can feel a bit slippery as the sides and the back have a glossy finish. While I’ve used phones that feel more slippery, it would’ve been nice if the phone had matte sides to make it grippier. On the bright side, even with the glossy finish, it’s not too much of a fingerprint magnet, at least compared to other phones with a mirror-like finish.

At the front, you can see the phones large 6.7-inch display, and it features a small holepunch notch at the top. Personally, I would’ve preferred if the notch was on the left side so that it’s not as distracting. Still, the notch placement on the M52 shouldn’t be distracting for most users.

Binge-watching Factor 

As mentioned in the beginning, the M52 5G has a 6.7-inch FHD+ (1080p) AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. While the refresh rate doesn’t make a difference in binge-watching, the phone’s screen is excellent overall for watching your favorite movies and shows. This is thanks to the vibrant colors, deep blacks, and high brightness of the phone’s AMOLED screen. It also helps that the 1080p resolution is sharp enough for a display of its size — which is already quite large for a smartphone.

For audio, the M52 5G has a single, bottom-firing internal speaker that can get quite loud. Though the quality at max volume isn’t the best, meaning external speakers/headphones are recommended for the best experience. Sadly, the phone doesn’t have a headphone jack, so you’ll need a wireless audio device, or a USB-C dongle for your wired headphones/speakers.

Gaming Prowess

The M52 5G is powered by a Snapdragon 778G processor that’s paired with 8GB of RAM. For comparison, the A52 5G packs a Snapdragon 750G SoC, so it’s quite surprising to see an M-series device to have a slightly more powerful processor.

Being more powerful on paper is one thing, but what about in actual use? For gaming, the M52 does not disappoint.

For popular MOBAs such as League of Legends: Wild Rift, the M52 has more than enough power. In fact, even at the highest custom setting, Wild Rift ran at a smooth 60FPS. This is the same result as with other MOBAs such as Mobile Legends.

Moving on to FPS titles, the M52 5G also ran Call of Duty Mobile smoothly and with no issues, even at the highest graphics settings. Even other hardware-intensive games also ran well on the M52 5G. It also helps that the phone has 5G connectivity, meaning you can download game updates faster, as well as experience lower latency gaming on mobile data.

Finally, the M52 5G shines when playing games which support high refresh rate displays. This is thanks to the 120Hz refresh rate display. And you’ll also have no issues running these kinds of games as the phone’s processor should have enough power to push framerates up to 120FPS (on more modest graphics settings at least).

Geek Photoshoot Capabilities

For its cameras, the M52 5G packs a 64MP f/1.8 wide + 12MP f/2.2 ultrawide + 5MP f/2.4 macro triple rear camera setup, as well as a 32MP selfie shooter.

To start off, the main 64MP shooter takes excellent outdoor daytime photos, with images having lots of detail and vibrant colors. Indoor shots are also of good quality.

At night, the main camera also does not disappoint, at least when you use the Night Mode. While Auto mode photos might not be that sharp, Night Mode photos have good quality and great colors.

Moving on to the ultrawide, the M52 5G’s wide angle shooter takes quality photos, both in daytime and nighttime (when using Night Mode that is). In terms of quality, the ultrawide photos taken by the M52 5G are a step above previous M-series phones thanks to the upgraded camera.

The 5MP macro camera also takes better quality close-up shots compared to other mid-rangers with only 2MP macro shooters. Finally, the 32MP main camera does not disappoint for selfies. Though you may want to play around (or even turn off) the AI beautification mode as I found it a bit too unnatural.

Everyday Reliability

Thanks to the capable Snapdragon 778G processor, the Samsung Galaxy M52 5G performed well for daily use, whether it’s for standard tasks such as browsing, or for work-related tasks such as using Office apps. The phone is also capable of light content creation, including editing photos and videos.

On top of good everyday performance, the fact that the phone features 5G connectivity is a plus, especially as 5G network coverage is ever increasing in the Philippines. Thanks to this, you can enjoy even faster mobile data speed when using the M52 5G with a 5G-compatible SIM.

Before we wrap this review up, let’s talk about battery life. The M52 5G packs a large 5,000mAh battery, and this enables the phone to last for well over a day on a single charge. Even if in times when I used the phone heavily, I still found that I had some charge remaining. In my typical use, the M52 5G can last for two days before needing to charge. And if you do need to top up, the phone supports 25W fast charging. While not the fastest in its price range, the 25W fast charging is still a welcome feature as it won’t take forever to fill up the large battery.

Final Geek Lifestyle Verdict

Overall, the Galaxy M52 5G is a good phone thanks to its quality display, great performance, and excellent battery life. And while the design and speakers are not on par with Samsung’s other premium mid-range devices, the pros still outweigh the cons with this phone.

So, should you get the Samsung Galaxy M52 5G, especially over Samsung’s A-series devices given this phone’s PHP 22,990 price tag? Well, if gaming performance and battery life is your priority, the M52 5G is well worth checking out.

Samsung Galaxy M52 5G specs:

  • Snapdragon 778G 5G Processor
  • Adreno 642L GPU
  • 8GB RAM
  • 6.7-inch Super AMOLED FHD+ (2400 x 1080), 120Hz refresh rate
  • 128GB Storage (expandable via microSD)
  • 64MP f/1.8 wide + 12MP f/2.2 ultrawide + 5MP f/2.4 macro triple rear camera setup
  • 32MP f/2.2 front camera
  • 3G, LTE, 5G, Dual SIM
  • WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, fingerprint scanner (side-mounted), USB Type-C
  • 5000mAh battery with 25W Fast Charging
  • Android 11 with One UI Core 3.1
  • Price: PHP 22,990