Samsung unveiled a new smartphone in their affordable Galaxy lineup – the M14 5G, which comes in three colours– Icy Silver, Berry Blue and Smoky Teal. I usually have low expectations for entry-level smartphones, but the Galaxy M14 5G exceeded my expectations. The M14 5G delivers a complete smartphone experience, but can it compete with its rivals? Let’s check it out.
Display:
The Samsung Galaxy M14 5G features a 6.6-inch PLS LCD panel with FHD+ resolution, protected by Gorilla Glass 5. The display supports a smooth 90 Hz refresh rate, allowing smooth scrolling between screens. The display is bright, with natural colours and good detail. However, the viewing angles are mediocre, and it doesn’t have HDR certification.
Design:
The Samsung Galaxy M14 5G continues the premium look trend of Samsung smartphones with a teardrop notch and a glossy rear panel finish. The camera module design and the circular ring-like modules for the three rear cameras make it more recognisable as a Samsung device. The phone houses a USB-Type C port, a single speaker, and a 3.5 mm audio jack at the bottom of the phone, while the right side has the SIM tray and power button that doubles as a fingerprint sensor.
Camera:
The Samsung Galaxy M14 5G has a triple camera setup, with a 50MP primary sensor, a 2MP macro sensor, and a 2MP depth sensor. The camera performance is impressive for a budget smartphone, with natural-looking images, good detail, and accurate colour reproduction. The macro sensor does a decent job, but the depth sensor could be better. The front-facing camera is a 13MP sensor that takes decent selfies but struggles in low light.
Performance:
The Samsung Galaxy M14 5G is powered by an Exynos 1330 5 nm SoC, making it an unbelievable performance-oriented beast on paper. It’s one of the few smartphones with 5 nm processors under ₹15K. The phone has One UI 4.0 based on Android 13, a clean and minimalistic UI. The phone has 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage, which can be expanded up to 512GB using a microSD card. The phone is fast and snappy, and it handles day-to-day tasks and multitasking with ease. However, the fingerprint sensor can be quite bothersome, as it doesn’t always read fingerprints accurately.
Battery:
The Samsung Galaxy M14 5G comes with a 6000mAh battery that supports 15W fast charging, lasting a day of moderate use. The phone has a USB Type-C port for charging but doesn’t support wireless charging.
Verdict:
The Samsung Galaxy M14 5G is an affordable smartphone that packs a punch. It has 5G connectivity, a 5 nm processor, a smooth 90 Hz refresh rate, and a triple camera setup, making it an excellent choice for a budget smartphone. The camera output is impressive, and the phone is fast and snappy. Overall, the Samsung Galaxy M14 5G is an impressive smartphone that could revolutionise the sub-₹15,000 smartphone market.
