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MagyarSamsung Galaxy M33 5G smartphone review - Is 120 Hz enough in a mid-range phone?
Possible competitors in comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Drive | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 81 % | 07/2022 | Samsung Galaxy M33 5G Exynos 1280, Mali-G68 MP4 | 198 g | 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.60" | 2408x1080 | |
| 78.6 % | 02/2022 | Samsung Galaxy M32 Helio G80, Mali-G52 MP2 | 180 g | 128 GB eMMC Flash | 6.40" | 2400x1080 | |
| 83.2 % | 06/2022 | Samsung Galaxy A33 5G Exynos 1280, Mali-G68 MP4 | 186 g | 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.40" | 2400x1080 | |
| 84.1 % | 03/2022 | OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G Dimensity 900, Mali-G68 MP4 | 173 g | 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.43" | 2400x1080 | |
| 81.7 % | 07/2022 | Motorola Moto G82 5G SD 695 5G, Adreno 619 | 173 g | 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.60" | 2400x1080 |
Case and features - Stable and pretty
Samsung's M series is a bit more discreet this year. Thus, the Galaxy M33 5G comes with a simple, matte-reflective back in rather muted colors like brown, dark blue, and green. The mirror effect is actually quite pretty, but the back almost magically attracts fingerprints.
The stability of the plastic case can hardly be criticized: it is very sturdily built and is difficult to twist. The display is also protected by Gorilla Glass 5. However, the weight of 198 grams is quite high.
In contrast to the predecessor Galaxy M32 there is now finally faster mass storage, and the amount of 128 GB is also good. Samsung wants considerably more money for it than last year with 349 Euros, but the price has already dropped considerably on the Internet, for example at amazon.de at the time of the test.
The microSD slot can also be used with two SIM cards inserted. It is actually on an average speed level, as our tests with the reference card Angelbird V60 show. However, the CPDT benchmark shows clearly fluctuating data rates during sequential reading.
| SD Card Reader - average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A33 5G (Angelbird AV Pro V60) | |
| Samsung Galaxy M32 (Angelbird V60) | |
| Samsung Galaxy M33 5G (Angelbird V60) | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G (Angelbird V60) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (10.9 - 77, n=97, last 2 years) | |
| Motorola Moto G82 5G (Angelbird V60) | |
Cross Platform Disk Test (CPDT)
Communication, software and operation - Samsung's snappy fingerprint sensor
Although there was a Galaxy M32 5G, it never reached us in Europe. We now also get the 5G version of the Galaxy M33. The smartphone will probably not be able to use the 4G and 5G networks everywhere in the world, but the frequency diversity should be sufficient for some destinations.
The Wi-Fi module supports WiFi 5 standard. However, it is a bit weak in the transmission direction in our test with the reference router Asus ROG AXE11000, whereas it can at least keep up with most competing smartphones in the reception direction.
OneUI 4.1 is Samsung's own operating system based on Android 12. It is also preinstalled in the Galaxy M33 and includes quite a few third-party apps that fill the memory and should be uninstalled by the user if he does not like them.
During our test, we received an update of the security patches to July 1, 2022, which is very up-to-date at the time of testing. So far, the phone has received a security update every 2 months, which is supposed to remain the same for at least 4 years from launch according to the manufacturer. There are no reliable statements about the Android updates, but the phone should still get Android 13.
The 120 Hz screen makes the operation very smooth, although permanent 120 Hz is not possible. The screen switches to 60 fps in longer stills or when typing on the keyboard. This works well and reliably, as we find out with the refresh rate display.
A fingerprint sensor is located on the right side of the standby button. It unlocks the phone almost immediately when you press the button or just put your finger on it. Unlocking via facial recognition is also possible, but this is only done in 2D via a software solution and is therefore not quite as secure.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
| Samsung Galaxy M32 | |
| iperf3 receive AX12 | |
| Samsung Galaxy M32 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G82 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A33 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy M33 5G | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy M33 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A33 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G82 5G | |
Cameras - You should not like it too sharp
You have to cope with fewer pixels in the cameras: the fact that there are only 50 megapixels in the main camera, compared to 64 megapixels in the Galaxy M32, should be more tolerable than the drop in the wide-angle lens from 8 to 5 megapixels.
The sensor of the main camera comes from Samsung, it is the ISOCELL JN1 often used in inexpensive mid-range and entry-level phones. It is not exactly known for its sharpness of detail and dynamics, and the Galaxy M33 also has slight weaknesses in these areas. The surrounding image in particular looks very gloomy under cloudy skies and blurry when magnified.
In low light, details are no longer visible in dark areas. In the bright parts of the picture, the camera tries its best, but creates pixel artifacts when refocusing and is otherwise quite blurry.
Videos can even be recorded in 4K with 30 fps with the main camera, but only FullHD recordings with 30 fps can be made with the wide-angle camera. If you expect a hybrid zoom during recording, you will be disappointed. You can only switch between the lenses and the smartphone takes a short pause for that. The brightness adjustment usually works quite quickly, but the autofocus likes to pump when the scenery changes.
The wide-angle camera takes pictures with few details and also relatively low brightening on cloudy days.
On the front, there is an 8-megapixel camera. It still takes decent pictures with passable details even in somewhat darker areas.
Image Comparison
Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.
Main cameraMain cameraLow LightUltra wide-angle
Display - IPS with a bit less luminosity
As already mentioned, the Galaxy M33 only offers an IPS screen with Full HD resolution, but at least 120 Hz refresh rates. Otherwise, an AMOLED screen is often installed in this price range.
That is not a problem, since IPS screens can also deliver great picture quality, and the screen in the Galaxy M33 does not suffer from PWM flickering. However, the black level, brightness, and color reproduction lag behind the competition. The grayscale shows a clear blue cast and the response times might be too slow for gamers.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 92 %
Center on Battery: 545 cd/m²
Contrast: 1090:1 (Black: 0.5 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.02 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 5.8 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
99.8% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.399
| Samsung Galaxy M33 5G IPS, 2408x1080, 6.60 | Samsung Galaxy M32 Super AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.40 | Samsung Galaxy A33 5G Super AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.40 | OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G OLED, 2400x1080, 6.43 | Motorola Moto G82 5G OLED, 2400x1080, 6.60 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Response Times | 59% | 94% | 59% | 42% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 31 ? | 10 ? 68% | 1.303 ? 96% | 6 ? 81% | 13 ? 58% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 16 ? | 8 ? 50% | 1.25 ? 92% | 10 ? 37% | 12 ? 25% |
| PWM Frequency | 362.3 ? | 366.2 | 354.6 | 119.4 | |
| Screen | 39% | 46% | 16% | 17% | |
| Brightness middle | 545 | 712 31% | 693 27% | 601 10% | 635 17% |
| Brightness | 530 | 720 36% | 695 31% | 596 12% | 640 21% |
| Brightness Distribution | 92 | 95 3% | 98 7% | 98 7% | 96 4% |
| Black Level * | 0.5 | ||||
| Contrast | 1090 | ||||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 5.02 | 1.94 61% | 1.3 74% | 3.35 33% | 2.96 41% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 7.9 | 5.81 26% | 3.5 56% | 6.72 15% | 7.63 3% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 5.8 | 1.5 74% | 1.3 78% | 4.6 21% | 4.8 17% |
| Gamma | 2.399 92% | 2.089 105% | 2.14 103% | 2.363 93% | 2.214 99% |
| CCT | 7942 82% | 6593 99% | 6530 100% | 7372 88% | 6970 93% |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | 49% /
44% | 70% /
58% | 38% /
27% | 30% /
23% |
* ... smaller is better
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 16 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 10 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 6 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 32 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.5 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 31 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 17 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 14 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 35 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (33.7 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM not detected |  | ||
In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 17924 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. | |||
Performance, emissions and battery life - Lots of power, short runtime
The Exynos 1280 is used as SoC in many mid-range phones from Samsung this year, for example in the Galaxy A33 or Galaxy A53. The Galaxy M33 also uses it and thus offers decent performance rates for its price range and a significant performance leap compared with the predecessor.
The memory is also much faster than in the Galaxy M32 however, the slow memory controller of the SoC prevents even better rates. The OnePlus North CE 2 shows how it can be better.
The smartphone does not get noticeably warmer under low load, but the case temperature rises to almost 43 °C in some areas when you run complex apps for longer. That is just about OK, but already noticeable. We also get our results at room temperature, so a significantly higher waste heat could result outdoors in warm outdoor temperatures.
The mono speaker on the bottom edge can get quite loud but is somewhat treble-heavy. You can listen to music, but you should rather connect headphones or speakers via a 3.5 mm jack or Bluetooth for a really pleasant sound. Samsung has a hard time with the aptX Bluetooth codecs. The basic form is supported, but not the more modern and higher-quality codecs like aptX HD. Instead, there is Samsung's own Scalable Codec and LDAC, but again, not the HD variant.
The phone charges with a maximum of 25 watts, but a charger is not included with the Galaxy M33 5G. The phone needs just under 2 hours at full charging power to fill up. With its 5,000 mAh battery, the Galaxy M33 is not badly positioned for its price range but still has to accept runtime losses: with 14:19 hours in our WLAN test, it lasts much less than the predecessor and cannot really stand out in the class comparison. It should be enough for one to two days without a power outlet, but a bit more energy efficiency would have allowed for much more.
| Samsung Galaxy M33 5G | Samsung Galaxy M32 | Samsung Galaxy A33 5G | OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G | Motorola Moto G82 5G | Average 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | -32% | 60% | 121% | 36% | 60% | 173% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 505.2 | 297.3 -41% | 512.84 2% | 999 98% | 473.4 -6% | 708 ? 40% | 1505 ? 198% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 396.6 | 178.7 -55% | 487.66 23% | 857 116% | 445.7 12% | 517 ? 30% | 1112 ? 180% |
| Random Read 4KB | 89.3 | 98 10% | 216.48 142% | 253.4 184% | 180.8 102% | 188 ? 111% | 247 ? 177% |
| Random Write 4KB | 113.8 | 68.8 -40% | 194.12 71% | 212.9 87% | 155.5 37% | 182.5 ? 60% | 271 ? 138% |
Temperature
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 42.9 °C / 109 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 42.9 °C / 109 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 27 °C / 81 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.
Speaker
Samsung Galaxy M33 5G audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (85.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 27.1% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 7.8% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.4% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (9.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (23.3% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 46% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 46% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 65% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 29% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Motorola Moto G82 5G audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (82.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 26.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.1% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (6.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.3% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (20% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 25% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 66% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 46% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 46% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Battery life
Pros
Cons
Verdict - Galaxy M33 with light and shadow
Samsung's Galaxy M33 5G leaps to a new mobile generation and offers significantly more power than its predecessor. The storage speed is finally convincing and the smartphone's build quality is pleasing. In addition, the phone is supplied with updates for a long time.
The camera is rather average for the price range, and the display is relatively dim and has long response times. The battery runtimes are also not completely convincing when you compare the phone with similarly priced smartphones, and the phone heats up considerably under load.
The Galaxy M33 5G is a chic, inexpensive 5G phone whose already significantly dropped price makes it attractive. Samsung will have to improve the successor in some areas, such as battery life and screen.
Users who prefer an AMOLED screen have a wide choice at the price point of the Galaxy M33 and do not have to do without 5G: the in-house Galaxy A33 5G or the OnePlus North CE 2 are available.
Price and availability
Even Samsung has lowered the price to 299 Euros. If you prefer to buy it from a trusted Internet retailer, you can get offers starting at 250 Euros at the time of testing.
Also amazon.de and our loaner notebooksbilliger.de have the phone in their assortment.
Samsung Galaxy M33 5G
-
07/25/2022 v7
Florian Schmitt
Pricecompare
