I have been using the Samsung Galaxy M33 5G as my daily driver for more than a week now. I am not an extreme smartphone user but I have tried my best to cover every aspect of this phone. In this Samsung Galaxy M33 5G Review, I will be discussing my experience of using the Samsung Galaxy M33 5G along with its pros and cons.
The handset has been launched in Nepal in two memory configurations: 6/128GB and 8/128GB. The 6/128GB model is priced at NPR 33,999 and the 8/128GB variant is available at NPR 35,999. It will be competing against the recently launched Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G (NPR 2,000 Expensive). Now, let’s jump into our review of the Samsung Galaxy M33 5G.
Samsung Galaxy M33 5G Specifications:
| Body | 165.4 x 76.9 x 9.4 mm, 215g Plastic Back Plastic Frame |
| Display | 6.6-inch TFT LCD display |
| Resolution | Full HD+ (2408 x 1080 pixels), 20:9 aspect ratio, ~400 PPI density |
| Refresh Rate | 120Hz |
| Glass Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Processor | Exynos 1280 (5nm) |
| CPU | Octa-core (2x 2.4Ghz Cortex-A78 & 6x 2.0Ghz Cortex-A55) |
| GPU | Mali-G68 |
| RAM | 6/8GB (RAM Plus Features Available) |
| Storage | 128GB (expandable via dedicated slot) |
| OS & UI | Android 12, One UI 4.1 |
| Rear Camera | Quad-Camera Primary: 50MP with f/1.8, PDAF Ultrawide: 5MP with f/2.2, 123-degree FOV Depth: 2MP with f/2.4 Macro: 2MP with f/2.4 |
| Front Camera | 8MP with f/2.2 |
| Video | Rear: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps Front: 1080p@30fps |
| Audio | 3.5mm headphone jack, Loudspeaker |
| Security | Fingerprint (Side-Mounted) & Face Unlock (Software-Based) |
| Connectivity | 5G, 4G LTE, (2.4/5Ghz) Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS (A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS), NFC, USB Type-C 2.0 port, dual-SIM (nano) |
| Battery | 6000mAh |
| Charging | Wired: 25W (Ships without Charging Adapter Inside the box) Reverse Charging (Wired): Available |
| IP Certification | Not Available |
| Colors | Green, Blue, Brown |
| Price in Nepal | NPR 33,999 (6/128GB) | NPR 36,999 (8/128GB) |
Samsung Galaxy M33 5G Review:
Samsung Galaxy M33 5G is the successor to the Galaxy M32 launched last year in Nepal. Samsung was able to achieve a good sales number of the Galaxy M32 in Nepal and will be hoping to do the same with its successor. However, the base variant of the Samsung Galaxy M32 was priced under NPR 25,000 while M33 5G starts at NPR 33,999.
Design and Build Quality
- 165.4 x 76.9 x 9.4 mm, 215g
- Plastic Back, Plastic Frame
As I mentioned above, Samsung Galaxy M33 5G comes with a plastic back as well as a plastic frame. It has a squarish camera module at the top left corner which is almost perfectly aligned with the back panel. Likewise, it has a LED flash just below the camera island and typical “Samsung” branding at the bottom.
At the right frame, you get volume rockers and the power button. The power button also acts as a fingerprint scanner like most of the other mid-range smartphones. Similarly, it has a secondary mic at the top frame and a triple card slot at the left frame. At last, there is a 3.5mm headphone jack, the primary mic, a Type-C port, and a single bottom-firing speaker at the bottom frame.
Although the phone has a plastic frame and a plastic frame, it doesn’t feel ordinary as other plastic-built smartphones. That doesn’t mean it feels premium but doesn’t feel cheap either. The buttons are well placed and easily reachable for one like me with big hands.
Like most of the M-series devices, it also feels bulky in the hand as it is 9.4mm thick and weighs around 215g. Its back panel easily catches fingerprints as it has a glossy finish. Also, the device was slipping from my hand while using it lying in the bed. Likewise, the fingerprint scanner was quite responsive and reliable.
Upfront, Samsung Galaxy M33 5G has huge bezels around the display. Especially, its chin looks so awful as it is very thick as compared to its competitors. In 2022, Samsung is still shipping its midrange smartphone with a waterdrop notch. Even some smartphones costing under 25000 in Nepal as punch-hole designs these days.
Performance and Software
- Exynos 1280 (5nm)
- 6/8GB LPDDR4X RAM, 128GB Storage (Expandable up to 1TB)
- Android 12, One UI 4.1
Samsung Galaxy M33 5G is powered by Samsung’s in-house-built Exynos 1280 chipset. Without talking about the technical specifications, let’s talk about its real-world performance.
The variant I used during my review period had 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. I didn’t face any major performance issues during my normal usage. There were no lags and the device was responding quite well. Also, its RAM management was impressive for the price. However, the phone feels laggy while using the camera app mainly while clicking the shutter button. That being said, social media apps and normal day-to-day apps run without any problems.
I am not a guy who plays a lot of games. But I have tried a few games like PUBG Mobile and Call of Duty. Samsung Galaxy M33 5G can run PUBG Mobile at 30fps while you can go up to 60fps on Call of Duty. I was getting consistent 30fps on PUBG mobile and 60fps on Call of Duty. We found some minor lags and shutters while playing the PUBG mobile while Call of Duty ran without any problems. Likewise, the phone started heating within a few minutes of gaming. In short, I wouldn’t recommend this phone for gaming.
Samsung Galaxy M33 5G was impressive with its benchmark scores. It scored 426405 in AnTuTu Benchmark v9.3.4 which is more than that of Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G which scored 386625 during our testing. Likewise, Galaxy M33 5G achieved 636 single-core Score and 1916 Multi-Core socre in Geekbench 5.
On the software side, the device runs on One UI 4.1 based on Android 12 out of the box. Its UI is clean and doesn’t have much bloatware as other Chinese smartphones. Samsung has also promised 3 years of major Android updates and 4 years of security updates in the Galaxy M33 5G.
Display
- 6.6-inch TFT LCD display
- Full HD+, 120Hz
Samsung Galaxy M33 5G has a 6.6-inch TFT display with a Full HD+ resolution. It supports up to 120Hz refresh rate and flaunts a waterdrop notch at the top for a selfie camera.
Since it’s a TFT panel, it doesn’t produce punchy colors as the AMOLED display. Considering the price, Samsung should have gone with the AMOLED display. Even its predecessor whose price starts at NPR 24,999 has an AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate. That being said, Samsung Galaxy M33 5G’s display is not too bad either. Its brightness is sufficient in normal conditions. I also tried using it with direct sunlight and it did a decent job there too.
We shouldn’t forget about its 120Hz refresh rate as well. It fell so smooth while scrolling through the social media app and other apps too. Similarly, you can enjoy the content at Full HD+ resolution in different OTT apps like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and so on. Although the display is protected by Gorilla Glass 5, it got some minor scratches during my normal usage.
Camera
- Rear: 50MP (Primary), 5MP (Ultrawide), 2MP (Depth), 2MP (Macro)
- Front: 8MP
Samsung Galaxy M33 5G flaunts a quad-camera setup at the back. There is a 50MP primary camera, 5MP ultrawide lens, and a pair of 2MP depth and macro cameras. Upfront, it is equipped with an 8MP selfie shooter.
The primary rear camera produces decent images during sufficient daylighting. It captures photos with good colors and well as good details. Things got worst while they using it in the nighttime. It has a dedicated Night mode which produces photos with no details and doesn’t have much difference from the normal shot.
Ultrawide lens is there only for fun. Even in good lighting conditions, it has no details, and the photo looks washed out. Same story with the macro lens as well. The 2MP macro camera is fun to use but doesn’t bring out usable images. Note that, the portrait mode on this phone was not working from the rear camera.
Upfront, it has an 8MP selfie camera inside the notch. It captures good images in good lighting conditions while lacking details as it has a low-resolution sensor.
Talking about videography, you can record up to 4k videos at 30fps which most of the competitors miss out on. It can also record 1080p@60fps but you have to switch to 1080p@30fps to use the EIS feature. Its footage is fine with insufficient light and might be the best among its competitors.
Battery and Audio
- 6000mAh, 25W Fast Charging
- 3.5mm Headphone Jack, Mono Speaker
Samsung Galaxy M33 5G packs a massive 6000mAh battery and supports 25W fast charging. It ships without a charger inside the box. On a full charge, it lasted a full day on heavy usage. Similarly, I also used it while being at the office and it lasted more than 2 days there.
Although you get a mono speaker on this phone, it’s not so disappointing. It produces a loud sound which is fine in normal room conditions. I also tried it in a noisy area where I struggled to hear the sound. Moreover, it also has a 3.5mm headphone jack at the bottom frame.
Final Thoughts
Samsung Galaxy M33 5G is not a phone that Samsung fans were waiting for. Its predecessor (Galaxy M32) was a better value and packs some serious specs at NPR 24,999. After increasing the price to NPR 33,999, we are expecting at least an AMOLED display and stereo speaker setup. In conclusion, Samsung Galaxy M33 5G is a phone for someone who is looking for a phone with a user-friendly UI, a big battery, and a good camera. For gaming, there are better options available in the market.
- Also, watch our video on Samsung Galaxy M33 5G Short Review / Initial Impressions
