When it comes to budget phones, I keep my expectations realistic. The manufacturers have no option but to cut a few corners to keep their product’s price under Rs 10,000. But somehow Xiaomi always manages to set the benchmark incredibly high in the budget segment. It is no surprise then, the online shoppers in India…
When it comes to budget phones, I keep my expectations realistic. The manufacturers have no option but to cut a few corners to keep their product’s price under Rs 10,000. But somehow Xiaomi always manages to set the benchmark incredibly high in the budget segment. It is no surprise then, the online shoppers in India are obsessed with Xiaomi. And the Chinese company was helped by the fact that Samsung showed no interest in this segment so far. But, now that Xiaomi’s success in the sub 10k category has enabled it to dethrone Samsung in India, the Koreans have finally decided to enter the game with its Galaxy M10. Despite being inactive in this price range, Samsung commands impeccable consumer trust in the country. The company has been consecutively named the most trusted tech brand in India. But, will this sentiment be enough for Samsung to beat Xiaomi in its own game? Let’s find out:
These days, most phones under 10k feature a metal build. But Samsung has decided to go with the plastic. Although the Galaxy M10 feels solid in hand, it is entirely made of plastic. It doesn’t even have a metal frame to add rigidity to its structure. The Realme 3 has proved that plastic phones can look exciting. Unfortunately, Samsung doesn’t have that knack. I can’t think of any sub 10k phone that looks as dull as the Galaxy M10.
The dullest shade of blue doesn’t help either. The biggest eyesore however is the speaker grille at the rear, which takes you back to 2014. Another issue is that the speaker gets muffled if you place the phone on the table.
Sure, the plastic body is less susceptible to damage compared to the glass back. But the type of plastic used for the M10 has a tendency to highlight every minor scratch.
Things get much better on the front, as the Galaxy M10 features a thin-bezel display. It has a neat waterdrop notch, which is less obtrusive than what we get on the Zenfone Max M2 or Redmi Note 6 Pro. The phone’s chin is slightly thicker than the rest of the bezels, but that’s fine for a budget device.
The Galaxy M10 features a 6.22-inch PLS (Plane to Line Switching) screen. It is very similar to the popular IPS (In Plane Switching) technology. You get all the goodness of IPS panels such as rich colors and wide viewing angles. The M10’s screen gets pretty bright too. With the resolution of 720 x 1520, it is not the most pixel-packed display in its segment, but good enough for most users. A minor annoyance is that the phone’s screen does not adjust brightness on its own due to the lack an ambient light sensor.
