The new Samsung Galaxy M42 is the first smartphone in the M series to get the much-awaited 5G treatment. Despite packing a host of features like the Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G, Bigger Battery and an AMOLED Display the device stays true to its segment pricing. The device starts at Rs. 21,999 for the base variant of 6GB+128GB while the 8GB+128GB variant costs Rs. 23,999. While one might think Samsung has got a winner in its hand, one must take a look at the cost-cutting tricks underneath. So let’s find out
Design
The design of the M42 bears some resemblance to the Galaxy A42 launched earlier with its dewdrop notch and slim bezels all around. The device offers a polycarbonate back with a glossy finish that Samsung calls “Glasstic”. This glossy finish is rather interesting but a fingerprint magnet nonetheless.
The proportions of the M42 is decent given its 8.6mm thickness and weight just under 200gms. These dimensions give the device an agile feel when you start using it in day to day tasks. There is also an in-display fingerprint sensor that is conveniently placed to allow one-handed use. The sim tray is located on the left of the plastic frame while the USB Type C and Speaker grill sit at the bottom.
Display
The major downside to this seemingly perfect setup comes from the 6.6-inch HD+ resolution AMOLED display. This low-resolution display is utterly disappointing in a day and age where Samsung sells smartphones like Galaxy M21 with FHD+ resolution under 15k.
Nevertheless, the display quality and colour accuracy punch well above their weight when it comes to the viewing experience. Watching shows or playing games on this device is a delightful experience once you get used to the low PPI count. Outdoor visibility is very good as we could easily read text or cycle through some social media apps under harsh lighting conditions. Though the device packs an in-display fingerprint sensor we sincerely hoped Samsung would have decided to go for a side-mounted fingerprint sensor and an FHD+ display instead.
Processor
While the display was a huge letdown, Samsung hasn’t compromised on the performance as the device packs the latest Snapdragon 750G processor on the inside. This processor works exceptionally well in handling all day to day tasks from running demanding titles to multitasking through 5-6 social media apps simultaneously. The performance was consistent and jitter-free which made the overall experience quite enticing. The device scored a respectable 357,821 points in AnTuTu while it scored 651/ 1822 in the Geekbench single/multicore test.
The operating system is yet another department where the M42 shines with its OneUI 3.1 system that runs on top of Android 11. The performance is fluid and lags free as the device manages multitasking with ease. The OS also includes a whole lot of features to keep the user happy and excited. While we did observe some bloatware lying in the apps drawer, all could be easily removed within seconds.
Camera
The Galaxy M42 packs a quad-camera setup comprising of a 48-megapixel primary camera, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, a 5-megapixel depth sensor, and a 5-megapixel macro camera. In regards to clicking selfies, it packs a 20-megapixel shooter in the dewdrop shaped notch upfront. This setup lends the much-needed support to click some good looking shots.
Images taken in daylight come out to be perfectly saturated and highly colour accurate in itself. There is no amount of post-processing that was required once we fiddled around the setting to find that perfect shot. The camera app opens up quickly to ensure you don’t miss out on your perfect moment.
The ultra-wide lens takes passable images with its low resolution and loses out on fine details present in the subject. There was a visible distortion that took place around the sides which made the image a lot poorer.
Night-time photography too was average as the details weren’t as crisp as we hope to achieve. Portraits on the other hand come out to be great as the device benefits from good edge detection and also allows the user to adjust the level of a blur as per the requirement.
Video recording peaks out at 4K 30fps for the primary camera which is a great feature. Stabilization is a bit poor as the shots suffered from minor shakes and the focus hunting means the subject was never crisp as we expected them to be.
Selfie 
Bokeh 
Beauty 
Ultra Wide 
Battery
The Samsung Galaxy M42 5G benefits from its heavily optimised user interface to allow a battery life that is more than adequate to handle two days’ worth of moderate usage. The 5,000mAh battery supports 15W fast charging which takes about 2-3 hours to recharge the device back to 100%. The only downside to this setup comes from the low spec 15W charger as the competition is offering well over 25W for prices lower than this device.
Gizmo Verdict
The Galaxy M42 5G is one of the most affordable 5G smartphones from Samsung that packs a capable processor, great user interface and a decent camera setup. However, Samsung’s decision to downgrade the display quality has caused us to rethink the smartphone’s credibility. If you don’t have any major concerns regarding the display then Galaxy M42 5G is definitely a good smartphone to buy.
