If 2019 has taught us anything, it’s that Samsung’s A-series covers almost every feature set and price range that falls short of a real flagship.
The business started the 2020 lineup, which is still in the process of taking shape, by adding a 1 to the names of mid-tier products, giving rise to the Galaxy A51.
When you compare the A51 and A50 side by side, that 1 represents a lot.
The new model has one additional camera, a 5MP close-focus type, as a start.
The A51’s Exynos 9611 processor, as compared to the 9610 in the previous year’s phone, is also “1” superior. And after that, a 0.1-inch increase in screen diagonal carries on the trend, albeit at a somewhat lesser level.
Let’s set aside our feeble attempts at numerology and talk about the additional improvements the Galaxy A51 delivers, which are nearly entirely to the camera system.
The 25MP conventional module of the A50 has been replaced with a 48MP Quad Bayer primary unit, while the extreme wide-angle camera’s sensor has increased in pixel count from 8MP to 12MP while maintaining 123-degree coverage.
You decide if this is an improvement, but unlike the A50, which had a notch, the selfie camera is now located in a cutout at the top centre of the display.
Infinity-U is changed to Infinity-O. The camera itself should be considered an improvement as it replaces the 25MP Quad Bayer camera found in the A50 with a 32MP one.
Price of Samsung A51 in Nigeria
The Samsung A51 price in Nigeria starts at NGN120,000 Naira to NGN130,000 Naira depending on the model and the vendor you’re buying from.
Price of Samsung A51 on Jumia, Nigeria
The Samsung a51 price in Nigeria on Jumia starts at NGN175,000 Naira to NGN179,000 Naira depending on the model and the vendor you’re buying from.
Price of Samsung A51 in Konga, Nigeria
The Samsung a51 price in Nigeria on Konga starts at NGN175,000 Naira to NGN180,000 Naira depending on the model and the vendor you’re buying from.
Price of Samsung A51 in Slot, Nigeria
The Samsung a51 price in Nigeria on Konga starts at NGN121,000 Naira to NGN170,000 Naira depending on the model and the vendor you’re buying from.
Unboxing of a Samsung Galaxy A5
When it comes to the A-series presentation, there is no “New Year, New Me,” and the Galaxy A51 comes in a recognizable white box with a glossy print of the phone on top and a cutout with the model numbers to help you recognize what’s inside.
And sure enough, the Galaxy A51 is inside. Along with the phone, you’ll also receive a 15W power supply, the tried-and-true Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging unit based on QC2.0, and a USB-A-to-C cable to complete the connection.
Other manufacturers take the exact other routes, and we’d definitely choose a case instead of a headset, but to each their own.
A simple set of earphones is also included in the package, but there is no protective cover.
Read Also: Samsung S9 Price in Nigeria: How Much is Samsung S9 in Nigeria (UK Used & Slot)
Design
The Galaxy A51 and A71, which were unveiled at the beginning of the year, include Samsung’s new design language for the back camera.
Whether you like it or not, the company’s phones will adjust to the constantly expanding number of modules with big rectangular clusters in the upper left corner that gather all shooters under one roof.
Four cameras are in total on the rear of the Galaxy A51 that we are looking at right now.
If you’re worried about swaying, the assembly is lifted by around a millimetre, but it doesn’t make it particularly prone to wobbling.
Since there isn’t a fingerprint reader on the rear, the camera bump is the only element that disrupts the continuity of the back panel.
The flash also found space alongside the cameras.
Samsung’s designers decided that an accent was necessary and added a very distinctive finish to liven things up.
A finely striped bottom section and a solid top are divided by an apparent random diagonal line, while the back is divided into a darker and lighter section by another diagonal line.
The two diagonals come together to form an ‘X’ shape with four distinct quadrants.
Before the phone ever begins to manipulate light, that is. If you look at our Prism Crush Black review unit from the appropriate angle, a whole rainbow of colours bursts forth.
No matter the colourway, according to the official renderings, we can glimpse a sliver of that rainbow.
Although if it were up to us, we’d choose one of the brighter colours, we do enjoy the style.
Although the Galaxy A51 has a beautiful rear panel, it is composed of plastic, which makes us doubt how durable it will be.
A piece of Gorilla Glass would have given us a little more confidence.
At least your display should be safer because Corning’s third-generation glass is used in part on the front.
The front of the A51 has an Infinity-O panel, which results in a large bezel- and notch-free display with a small circular cutout for the selfie camera.
We are familiar with this aesthetic from the Note10s of the globe, and for the time being, it appears to be another one of the company’s defining features.
The A51’s bezels are noticeably better than the A50’s, and its chin is considerably smaller today.
Even though they are the same thickness, the top and sides are even smaller, which should satisfy those of you who pay attention to the little things.
The Galaxy A51 features an earphone slot etched into the top of the glass, much like the A50 did.
The phone’s frame is plastic, the same as last year, and like the A50, the physical buttons on the A51 are all on the right.
What was the purpose of Note 10’s transition to buttons on the left? Although the buttons themselves have reasonable travel, pressing them slightly off-centre results in a less pleasing click.
The card tray is located on the left side of the phone, at the top.
You won’t have to choose between additional storage and an additional SIM because our multi-SIM review unit can accommodate two nano SIMs and a microSD card simultaneously.
The central USB-C port is located at the bottom.
On one side is a headphone jack, while on the other are the speakers and the main microphone.
There is just one additional mic, which is located at the top.
The Galaxy A51 is one of the most portable options in the class with dimensions of 158.5×73.6×7.9mm and a weight of 172g.
In comparison to the Realme X2 and rival Xiaomi models (including, but not limited to, the Mi 9T and Redmi Note 8 Pro), it is lighter and slimmer.
It also has a 4,000mAh battery. In actuality, it feels remarkably light and thin in the hand.
Display
The 6.5-inch Full HD+ Infinity-O Super AMOLED screen of the Galaxy A51 has a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels.
Samsung is renowned for producing high-quality screens, and the Galaxy A51 is no exception. The clarity and colour rendition of the display is excellent.
The colours are vivid and saturated, and if you don’t like rich colours, you may adjust them in the display options.
Outside, it may become rather light, and there are fantastic viewing angles as well.
You cannot playback HDR videos because the display does not comply with HDR standards.
However, it has Widevine L1 certification, and Netflix and Amazon Prime both provide 1080p FULL HD video.
There is no mention of glass protection, but overall, the Samsung Galaxy A51’s display quality is excellent and there are no issues.
Apps, UI, and software
With the introduction of One UI, Samsung has reduced the amount of bloatware and made its Android skin lighter.
Over the course of the year, Samsung’s Android skin has improved.
The Android 10-based One UI 2.0 that powers the Galaxy A51 has the February 2020 security patch.
There is enough room for your programs, games, etc. thanks to the phone’s 128GB internal storage (eMMC 5.1).
Samsung Pay is supported and functions as anticipated. One UI 2.0 includes slick features and is clear, straightforward, and minimalistic.
It also supports Dark Mode.
Although it is commendable that Samsung releases security updates on time, we had mixed feelings about the Galaxy A51’s user interface, and we’ll have more to say about it in the performance section.
Battery life of the Samsung Galaxy A51
The battery inside the Galaxy A51 is 4,000mAh, the same size as the model it replaces and quite standard for the market.
Despite having the same processor, the A51 has a little larger display and a different operating system, so we anticipated at least some variation in battery life, which is exactly what we found.
We spent 13 and a half hours online on Wi-Fi, one hour more than the A50 could.
However, the video playback time has decreased by an hour and a half to 14:22h, which is still a decent time.
Though not exceptional, the 22-hour call time will do. The total Endurance rating for the Galaxy A51 comes to 86 hours.
Sound Quality
The audio jack’s output quality will next be evaluated.
With an active external amplifier, the Samsung Galaxy A51 delivered a strong performance, earning high grades while sustaining incredibly loud volume.
With headphones, the volume stayed high and we experienced some additional distortion as well as a considerable degree of stereo crosstalk.
However, taking everything into account, the mid-ranger did really well.
Performance and Software
One of the first Samsung smartphones to come pre-installed with Android 10 and the newest One UI 2.0 is the Galaxy A51.
It’s good to see that new models are being released with updated software rather than having to wait for an OTA update.
The 10/2.0 combination has previously been seen on a number of flagship Galaxies, where it was included as an upgrade.
Aside from the new approach to gesture navigation, the second iteration of One UI isn’t all that different from the first.
However, the A51’s construction has a little bonus: an Edge screen.
The Edge screen set of features, which were previously exclusive to the flagships where they would pair with curved edge screens, have now been added to the mostly flat-screen Galaxy A51.
With a single swipe from the side, edge panels are a well-known and established feature that provides you rapid access to applications, tasks, tools, etc.
The handle’s placement on the phone’s edge may be changed, as well as which side it is on.
Edge lighting is a function that may illuminate various forms of peripheral glow for alerts, and as you can think, there are a ton of settings and styles to select from.
It can be found under the Edge screen sub-menu.
You may choose between using the One UI 2 set of actions or reverting to the One UI 1 method of gesture navigation.
The former uses a swipe-in from the sides for “Back” and a swipe-up from the bottom for “Home” or the task switcher, similar to the current native Android 10 method.
Swiping up from three different locations on the bottom that perform the same functions as the on-screen buttons preceding them was the previous method. The standard onscreen nav bar is still an option if you’re not interested in gestures.
Dark mode and other fascinating current innovations have found their way to the A51.
It activates the dark modes of compatible applications, which include internal ones and the Google suite, and skins the UI components in black and dark grey (not Maps, though, not yet).
The Galaxy A51 has rudimentary camera-only facial detection and an optical fingerprint reader for biometrics.
The fingerprint scanner experience is trouble-free; the typical multi-step setup is a little time-consuming but worthwhile in the long run for accuracy.
The reader is basically a useful reader that doesn’t get in the way, even if it isn’t the quickest and seems more like Samsung’s ultra-sonic readers in the flagships than a decent, practically immediate optical one.
The lagging animation also doesn’t help with perceived speed.
The Galaxy A51’s UI is One UI, which we have grown to love, except for that.
We like the iconography as well as how the actionable UI components have been moved to the bottom for easy access.
Artificial Benchmarks
The Exynos 9611 chipset from Samsung, which powers the Galaxy A51, is a slight upgrade over the 9610 present in the model from a year ago and merely improves high-res camera functionality.
In fact, we saw an improvement in performance on the M30s, which also employs the 9611, indicating that there is definitely more to the spec sheets than first appears.
Anyhow, this specific Exynos is made using a 10nm manufacturing process and features an octa-core CPU in the traditional 2×4 layout, consisting of 4×2.3GHz Cortex-A73 and 4×1.7GHz Cortex-A53.
It has a Mali-G72 MP3 GPU.
There are three RAM/storage configurations available: 4/64GB, 4/128GB, and 6/128GB; our review unit is the mid-spec model.
The Galaxy A51 demonstrated during our benchmarking session that it falls short of the bar set by rivals in its price range.
All programs, whether CPU- or GPU-intensive, benefit greatly from the Snapdragon 730 found in the Realme X2 and Xiaomi Mi 9T.
The Huawei Nova 5T, which uses the once-top Kirin 980 SoC, is unique in its class and nevertheless affordable.
In terms of CPU speed, the A51 is comparable to the Nokia 7.2, while the 7.2’s outdated Snapdragon 660 still outperforms the Galaxy in terms of graphics.
Actual Camera Improvements
The camera setup on the Galaxy A51 is quite impressive.
It begins with a 48MP Quad Bayer main unit, which can be found on roughly nine out of ten modern midranges.
A 12MP ultra wide-angle camera is also included, which is an improvement above the 8MP ultra wides that Samsung has been including on all models other than flagships.
The A51 also boasts a 5MP macro camera, which is notable because most other smartphones choose to use a far more basic 2MP camera for close-up shots.
With an equivalent focal length of 25mm, the A51’s lens is longer than the current ultra-wide macro devices, reducing the amount of time you need to insert the phone into your subject.
In order to increase the number of cameras in press materials and act as a depth sensor, there is an additional 5MP camera on the rear.
A 32MP Quad Bayer selfie camera can be seen peeking out of the punch hole on the front.
The camera app is the same as what you’d find on any Samsung device, with the exception of a few small design changes made possible by One UI 2.0, such as a bigger font for the modes and an outline rather than a solid bubble to indicate the selected mode.
It functions largely the same as any other camera app available.
All of the various modes may be switched between by swiping left and right, and there is also a choice to rearrange or delete some of the modes from the viewfinder.
Swiping in any direction will switch between the front and rear cameras.
You can fine-tune the cameras using the settings icon, which is in the upper left corner of the screen.
There, you can find the standard information like video resolution, gridlines, location information, etc.
The Scene Optimizer can also be turned on and off, and the HDR can be set to automatic or manual.
You have an aspect ratio selector right in the viewfinder, which you can use to switch between the 12MP 4:3 non-H and 48MP 4:3H modes.
There is a Pro mode as well, but it’s not quite as Pro as we’ve come to expect from the company’s midranges.
Only ISO (in the 100–800 range), exposure correction (in 0.1EV steps from –2 to +2 EV), and white balance are available (by light temperature).
Both manual focus and a shutter speed option are absent.
Picture Calibre
Although the Galaxy A51’s photos are passable, they don’t particularly impress us. It does have a strong dynamic range, and it handled our scenarios with intense lighting nicely.
Straight lines, for instance, are clearly defined in images, but we’re not huge fans of how the phone depicts sporadic little details like grass or delicate tree branches.
Additionally, noise is eliminated skillfully.
Overall, the colours seem excellent, and the saturation on the phone is well-balanced.
If you really insist on acquiring extremely huge files with no practical advantage, the 48MP setting is available.
Going that way could provide greater detail, but you’d be sacrificing dynamic range in the process.
The extremely wide-angle camera is a huge improvement over the one on the A50 and provides sharper, more detailed images.
In terms of intermediate cameras, the dynamic range has also significantly improved, making for an all-around rather good ultra-wide camera.
The Galaxy A51’s images taken in low light aren’t very good.
The output from the primary camera is faint and noisy, and the colours are mostly desaturated.
For what it’s worth, dynamic range is respectable.
Unsurprisingly, the extreme wide-angle camera does much worse on the majority of these fronts, though one might argue that it does a better job of maintaining colour.
The A51’s night mode improves low-light shooting, but it has its own drawbacks, including a substantial cut and 8MP image output.
Though we can’t say there are benefits in terms of colour, primary camera images are now clearer and have improved clarity in the shadows.
The output of the ultra wide-angle camera can also benefit slightly from night mode since it considerably enhances the noise performance. On the other hand, pictures are also a little bit softer.
Portraits
The Galaxy A51 produces pretty nice portraits.
Excellent subject separation and detection and the default 5/7 blur setting look perfect (which you can adjust pre- or post-shot).
The Live Focus option, which isn’t standard for all phone portrait settings, also offers HDR. It also functions effectively in experiments with animals.
Close-ups
The dedicated “macro” camera on the Galaxy A51 outperforms the majority of other smartphone “macro” cameras now on the market.
It provides more information and a comparatively more practical working distance (3-5cm the viewfinder says).
However, because it has a fixed focus, you must have stable hands and subjects or you risk getting a fuzzy photo because you didn’t keep the distance in the ideal range.
After finishing the real-world examples, use our Photo comparison tool to compare the Samsung Galaxy A51 to the alternatives.
Selfie lens
For some reason, the A51’s selfies produce 12MP images rather than the 8MP that a 4-to-1 conversion would provide, as we’ve come to anticipate from Quad Bayers.
It’s not a novel strategy; we’ve seen it before on the main rear camera of the Galaxy A60 and on the front and back of the Galaxy A70.
To make the figure sound better, we’d say the phone upscales from 8MP to 12MP after binning from 32MP to 8MP.
There is also a 32MP option, however, it lacks HDR, so we wouldn’t recommend using it.
The final results show decent photos with good colours and a broad dynamic range.
In terms of selfie cameras, the detail is also fairly good.
The portrait mode’s subject-to-background separation skills may not quite equal those of the rear multi-cam arrangement.
Even yet, it functions rather well; there were no processing errors (chopped ears are our faves), and HDR is supported, so we’d be happy to utilize it.
Video
All of the standalone cameras on the Galaxy A51, including the primary camera, the ultra-wide camera on the rear, and the selfie camera, can record video at up to 4K30 resolution.
Strangely, it can’t achieve 1080p at 60 frames per second.
The bit rates for 2160p and 1080p videos are the same for both cameras, with 2160p receiving roughly 48Mbps and 1080p receiving about 17Mbps.
Stereo audio is captured at 256 kbps.
Although adequate for a midrange phone, the video quality won’t blow you away.
The main camera’s footage boasts a high dynamic range, realistic colours, and strong contrast.
When you zoom in closer, the 4K does appear overprocessed and isn’t really impressive pixel for pixel.
On the other hand, 1080p is pretty likeable and has a more restrained level of sharpening.
When compared to the main shooter, the extreme wide-angle camera’s video has somewhat washed-out colours and poorer contrast, although neither of these flaws is very noticeable.
As far as these cameras go, it does have a decent dynamic range, and they handled a very demanding scene with ease.
While the A51 will stabilize 1080p footage from both of its back cameras, stabilization is not accessible in 4K.
No matter if you’re moving or pointing steadily in one direction, videos taken with the ultra-wide-angle camera appear to be highly steady and smooth.
As you walk, the main camera may have the propensity to seek focus, which has the unpleasant consequence of destroying the sense of steadiness.
Pans are quite smooth, so as long as you keep it oriented in a specific direction, it’s good.
Compared to the usually stabilized footage from the super wide-angle camera, the Super steady mode seemed, well, less steady and clocked at 25.5 frames per second as opposed to a stable 30 frames per second.