Samsung Galaxy A50 review: Worthy mid-range phone competing with Poco F1

Priced at Rs 19,990 (4GB/64GB), the Samsung Galaxy A50 seems to be an identical twin of the Galaxy M30; albeit, with a reflective design, sleek operating system, an in-display fingerprint sensor.

Business Standard : Once a midrange series in the Samsung’s smartphones line-up, the Galaxy A-series has undergone a makeover in 2019 and the new range covers both budget and midrange phones. Leading the charge is Samsung Galaxy A50, which seems to have been built taking cues from the premium S-series and budget M-series.

The Galaxy A50 is Samsung’s first mid-range offering to boast an in-display fingerprint sensor and U-shaped notch screen. The phone also has a triple camera module and gradient reflective design on the back, making it a feature-rich proposition in the entry-level midrange segment.

Samsung Galaxy A50 key specifications:

Display: 6.4-inch super AMOLED of fullHD+ resolution

Rear camera: 25MP wide (f/1.7), 8MP ultra-wide (f/2.2) and 5MP depth lens

Front camera: 25MP of f/2.0

Processor: Exynos 9610

RAM and storage: 4GB/6GB and 64GB

Battery: 4,000 mAh

Design

Premium or budget, gradient reflective design is an emerging trend in smartphone space and the Galaxy A50 showcases its colour reflective properties. The black colour unit I have reviewed has a greyish back panel that reflects rainbow-like colours with a tinge of blue predominantly covering the entire space. In reality, the black colour model does not show any black colour properties. Even the chassis looks blue in colour, making one wonder why the phone colour is marked as black?

The phone has a slim profile with a power button and volume rocker keys on the right side, and dual SIM and microSD card slot on the left of the chassis. The top is left blank with a tiny opening for a secondary microphone. On the bottom, the phone has a 3.5mm audio port, USB type-C port for charging and transfers, primary microphone opening and five-hole speaker grille.

The phone’s front is dominated by a screen with a U-shaped notch on the top, accommodating the front camera. The phone’s earpiece is located in a thin space above the notch and chassis. Though the phone has a thin bezel around the screen, it has a large one at the bottom – something common in most notch screen smartphones.