The change in strategy in the last two years is clearly perceivable. Earlier, Samsung was known to pack in every possible feature into its phones irrespective of customer wants. The journey from being all-about-specs to offering memorable experiences is not only helping Samsung’s bottom line but it’s forcing competition to give their line-ups more than a dekko.
If the company’s recent flagship launches — the Galaxy S10e, S10 and S10+ — have been all about beautiful all-screen design, top-of-line imaging, wireless charging with power sharing and ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, the South Korean tech giant hasn’t been a miser while designing the recent additions to its revamped Galaxy A series — the A30 and A50. Of course, you may ask how these phones are different from, say, the Galaxy M30, which is focussed on millennials.
The Galaxy A series reboot is for the TikTok generation... Generation Z, members of which celebrate untraditional views and are diverse. Technically, these are people born mid-1990s and the late 2000s. They grew up with social media, devices and apps to the point that they are constantly online.
What Samsung has done is power the Galaxy A30 and A50 with all the specs required to fulfil the always-connected needs of a generation while, at the same time, introducing them to a few aspirational flagship-level features which will make them loyal to the brand.
t2 has been using the two phones simultaneously for two weeks and here are the results.
The design
At a glance, there is no difference at all until you turn the phone around to find three shooters on the A50 to the dual set-up on the A30. It’s a big 6.4-inch full HD+ sAMOLED display (with perfect screen-to-body ratio) that’s perfect for streaming films — the colours pack a punch — as well as playing games. The design’s mild curvature makes it absolutely brilliant to hold. No, the Infinity U cut on the top is not a bother at all. And videos recorded using the A50 appear steady.
The first big feature that can be enjoyed on the A50 is the in-screen fingerprint scanner, which, of course, is in the flagship S10. It works right off the bat once the set-up is complete (which did take a couple of minutes). The A30 skips the in-screen fingerprint scanner for one which is on the rear. And the difference is acceptable because of the price points.
The camera
This is where Samsung scores a few brownie points. While the A50 has a triple camera set-up on the rear — 25MP (f/1.7) plus 5MP (f/2.2) + 8MP (123-degree ultra-wide lens; f/2.2), the A30 has 16MP (f/1.7) plus 5MP (ultra-wide angle sensor; f/2.2). On the front of the A50 is a 25MP shooter while the A30 has a 16MP version.
Daylight or in well-lit situations, all the details get picked up, with an accurate colour palette. Night photography also doesn’t present a challenge (it’s Instagram-worthy) except for some grains on the wide-angle camera (under very low-light conditions). But this is just finding faults for the sake of it. It’s great that a wide-angle camera has been provided on both models.
Performance
The A30 is powered by the Exynos 7904 (octa-core) while the A50 has the Exynos 9610 (octa-core) at its heart. The difference can only be felt if you switch from the higher-end to the lower model. PUBG runs smoothly and it does justice to Alto’s Adventure, which has some breathtaking mountain scenery and day-to-night transitions. The transition between apps is smooth. In way of sound, no complains with the A50. A quibble: The sound on the A30 could have been louder.
Verdict
You can’t go wrong with the A30 or the A50 because of its great battery life (easily lasting at least a day), top-notch cameras and sleek design. Compare it with the Poco F1 if you must but the A50 gets a few extra points because of its design, sharp shooters and battery life.
Should you wait for the next new models in the Galaxy A series? What Samsung is creating with the revamped series is a range of devices across price points. One can always wait but it’s about what your needs are. If photography, gaming and streaming are your demands, the A50 checks all the boxes. This is a phone for the practical individual, one who wants maximum features on a limited budget.
At a glance
Galaxy A50
Display: 6.4” FHD+ Super AMOLED Infinity-U
Camera: Rear — 25MP, f/1.7; 8MP, f/2.2; 5MP, f/2.2. Front — 25MP, f/2.0
Battery: 4,000mAh (15W fast charging)
Memory: 4GB with 64GB and 6GB with 64GB (expandable up to 512GB)
Processor: Exynos 9610
Price: Rs 19,990 and Rs 22,990
Galaxy A30
Display: 6.4” FHD+ Super AMOLED Infinity-U
Camera: Rear — 16MP, f/1.7; 5MP, f/2.2. Front — 16MP, f/2.0
Battery: 4,000mAh (15W fast charging)
Memory: 4GB with 64GB (expandable up to 512GB)
Processor: Exynos 7904
Price: Rs 16,990
Meanwhile...
Samsung India has partnered with Indus App Bazaar to allow its users to discover and access mobile applications in 12 Indian languages. With smartphone use increasing in tier-2 and tier-3 markets, the move will help the company. “We studied this trend in key markets to address the growing demand for vernacular applications,” said Sanjay Razdan, senior director (services management), Samsung India. The ‘Make for India’ offering will allow millions of Indians navigate a catalogue of apps in English and Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, Odia, Assamese, Punjabi, Kannada, Gujarati, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali and Marathi.
