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MagyarSamsung Galaxy M31s smartphone review – Galaxy phone with strong battery
The Samsung Galaxy M31 is less than half a year old, and Samsung then releases the Galaxy M31s. It's not a real successor but rather a sibling model that is intended to convince with a somewhat larger screen and a slightly more modern design. In this way, the fingerprint scanner has moved to the side, and the front-facing camera is now hidden in a display hole and no longer in a notch.
Apart from that, much has remained the same: The same main camera as well as the same SoC as on the Galaxy M31 give little reason to expect any progress in these areas. Furthermore, there's the big battery with 6,000 mAh. The starting price for the Galaxy M31s is somewhat higher at 319 Euros (~$378) (priced currently in Germany at 311 Euros (~$369) with reduced VAT).
We'll now clarify who could still find the larger model to be the better choice and whether there are perhaps indeed greater differences between the sibling smartphones.
Comparison devices
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Drive | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 79.4 % | 11/2020 | Samsung Galaxy M31s Exynos 9611, Mali-G72 MP3 | 203 g | 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.50" | 2400x1080 | |
| 79.8 % | 07/2020 | Samsung Galaxy M31 Exynos 9611, Mali-G72 MP3 | 191 g | 64 GB UFS 2.0 Flash | 6.40" | 2340x1080 | |
| 81.1 % | 11/2020 | realme 7 Pro SD 720G, Adreno 618 | 182 g | 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.40" | 2400x1080 | |
| 80 % | 08/2020 | Motorola Moto G 5G Plus SD 765, Adreno 620 | 207 g | 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.70" | 2520x1080 | |
| 84 % | 08/2020 | Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G SD 765G, Adreno 620 | 192 g | 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.57" | 2340x1080 |
Case – With a fancy color gradient
The Samsung Galaxy M31s has received a slight design update compared to the M31; it now has more modern features like a camera that's placed in a display hole and a fingerprint scanner that's hidden in the standby button on the side. The backside is also a bit more stylish: The black version shows a color gradient from light gray to black. Blue is available as another color variant, and this effect is also used here. The back is still susceptible to fingerprints.
At 203 grams, the Galaxy M31s is heavier than the M31. When looking at the dimensions, it's noticeable that the M31s is a bit thicker than its sibling, but despite it having a somewhat larger screen, it's even slightly less wide. The differences in size between the two models are hardly visible to the naked eye, though.
The case of our test device is relatively stable and can hardly be twisted. The smartphone is fairly suitable for small hands, but there are even more compact models.
Connectivity – Galaxy with good storage configuration
In Central Europe, the Samsung Galaxy M31s is only available with 6 GB RAM; internationally, a version with 8 GB RAM is sometimes also available. With its 128 GB of storage, the M31s is well equipped, but in its price range, that much storage space is no longer unusual.
A 3.5 mm audio jack is still available as well as NFC, so that mobile payment services can be used without any problems. The Samsung smartphone has two SIM slots, and the microSD slot is independent of these, so you can use dual SIMs and a microSD card simultaneously.
Software – OneUI 2.1 with lots of bloatware
Android 10 is the basis for Samsung's OneUI 2.1. At least visually, it distances itself quite clearly from vanilla Android, but the operation is so similar in many areas that users switching from other brands should quickly get used to it. Our Galaxy M31s relies on security patches from September at the time of testing, so an update from Samsung is necessary as soon as possible here.
Some bloatware apps are preinstalled on the smartphone; these can be partially uninstalled, with Netflix being the exception since it can only be deactivated. Other manufacturers like OnePlus have stated that the Netflix app is important to ensure HDR support on their phones. This can't be an argument with the Galaxy M31s, as the screen doesn't support HDR.
Communication and GPS – Many LTE frequencies
The Galaxy M31s offers several LTE frequencies, so you can use it in many countries worldwide to access mobile Internet. Our reception test delivered average results: There are definitely devices with higher reception quality.
When it comes to WLAN, the Samsung phone in combination with our Netgear Nighthawk AX12 reference router shows very similar values to the M31 and is, therefore, at class level. The Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite and the Motorola Moto G 5G are significantly faster.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G 5G Plus | |
| Average of class Smartphone (16.9 - 1368, n=110, last 2 years) | |
| realme 7 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy M31s | |
| Samsung Galaxy M31 | |
| iperf3 receive AX12 | |
| Motorola Moto G 5G Plus | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G | |
| Average of class Smartphone (31.1 - 953, n=111, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy M31s | |
| Samsung Galaxy M31 | |
| realme 7 Pro | |
Outdoors, it takes a little while until the accuracy of the location increases to about 5 meters. Moreover, not as many satellites are detected as with other smartphones.
To test the positioning's accuracy in practice, we get on our bikes and take the Galaxy M31s as well as the Garmin Edge 520 navigation device as a reference. The smartphone proves to be rather moderately accurate; it can follow the route well overall but is often a few meters off the track. For example, when crossing the bridge, we were floating over the river, according to the Galaxy M31s, while in real life, we naturally used the bridge. This makes the smartphone less accurate than its sibling model, and we can only recommend it for navigation when the data needed is not too accurate.
Telephone and call quality – Don't talk too quietly
Samsung has developed its own phone app that differs from the Android standard in some minor details, but it's very easy to use after a little getting used to. Both VoLTE and VoWiFi are supported, but you first have to activate calls via a WLAN connection in the settings.
As was already the case with the Galaxy M31, we don't find the earphone to be especially loud, so if it gets a bit louder around you, you might find it difficult to understand the other person. In addition, the person on the other end doesn't sound particularly clear, but their voice remains understandable. If you speak too quietly, your voice won't be recognized by the microphone. Call quality is quite similar via the speaker and the hands-free microphone.
Cameras – No hybrid zoom in the Galaxy M31s
The camera equipment corresponds to that of the Samsung Galaxy M31, but the manufacturer felt compelled to update some details, though. In general, the camera equipment is not bad with its four lenses on the back. With up to 64 megapixels, the main lens also has a high resolution.
Usually, however, photos are only taken with a quarter of the resolution, i.e. 16 megapixels, because four pixels are always combined into one pixel, so that the light output can be increased. But if you want, you can also take extremely high-resolution photos.
The image quality of the camera is quite decent. With our flower subject, the software obviously tries to create a blur effect in the background to make the plant stand out more. But this only works properly if you take a closer look. Moreover, some areas look a bit blurred on photos of the surroundings. In low-light and high-contrast situations, the camera doesn't perform so poorly.
The wide-angle lens gained a few more megapixels, but in detail, pictures still look less accurate; the camera is suitable for snapshots, though.
You can only switch between the wide-angle and main lenses directly, since there's no hybrid zoom. The macro lens is only used in a special mode.
Videos with the main camera can be recorded at a maximum of 4K and 30 fps. Fortunately, the preview no longer stutters as was the case with the Galaxy M31. Samsung probably solved this with a software update. The video quality is decent overall.
The front-facing camera still has a resolution of 32 megapixels. The image is cropped a little bit by default, but it can be captured in full size if you wish, which Samsung then refers to as a wide-angle shot. The image quality is generally okay, but sharpness could be even higher in detail.
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 lens - FlowersMain lens - SurroundingsMain lens - Low lightUltra wide angle
We can also simulate other lighting conditions in our testing laboratory like a very good illumination of our test charts, for example. Nevertheless, details on the photos taken with the Galaxy M31s look washed out, and contrast isn't perfect everywhere. At an illumination level of 1 lux, the image becomes very grainy, even if individual details are still visible.
Accessories and warranty – On-site repairs in big cities
Samsung ships its smartphone with a charger, a matching USB cable, a wired headset, and a tool for opening the SIM drawer. Samsung doesn't offer any special accessories that can be purchased later.
There is a 24-month warranty. Samsung operates service centers in larger cities where you can have your smartphone repaired on the spot, and in some cities, there's even a Smart Repair Bus that can repair a device right in front of your door. Furthermore, a great thing about Samsung's website is that you can also see all-inclusive prices for many kinds of repairs.
Input devices and handling – Fingerprint scanner in standby button
The touchscreen can be used smoothly and works precisely, even in the corners and at the edges. Samsung uses its own creation as a keyboard app, but it works well and can be replaced by other apps if necessary.
The fingerprint scanner is integrated into the slightly recessed standby button on the right side of the device. This makes it easy to feel, and when you hold the smartphone in your hand, the thumb is automatically in the right position for right-handed users, and the index finger for left-handed users. The sensor detects placed fingers quickly and quite exactly, and it unlocks the smartphone without delay. You don't need to press the standby button for this, although you can.
Face recognition can also be used for quick unlocking; this method works well and quite reliably too. It's best to combine fingerprint and face recognition to cover special situations like usage in the dark or wearing gloves.
Display – AMOLED with good reproduction
In terms of width, the AMOLED display offers an extended Full HD resolution and shows quite similar values to the Galaxy M31, but the brightness is a bit lower in our tests. Nevertheless, the Galaxy phone can still get quite bright if the situation requires it. The brightness distribution is quite even at 95%.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 95 %
Center on Battery: 584 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 2.09 | 0.59-29.43 Ø5.2
ΔE Greyscale 2.2 | 0.57-98 Ø5.4
98.2% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.084
| Samsung Galaxy M31s Super AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.50 | Samsung Galaxy M31 Super AMOLED, 2340x1080, 6.40 | realme 7 Pro AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.40 | Motorola Moto G 5G Plus LTPS, 2520x1080, 6.70 | Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G AMOLED, 2340x1080, 6.57 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | 1% | 8% | 19% | 22% | |
| Brightness middle | 584 | 622 7% | 507 -13% | 461 -21% | 584 0% |
| Brightness | 586 | 615 5% | 508 -13% | 458 -22% | 583 -1% |
| Brightness Distribution | 95 | 97 2% | 97 2% | 93 -2% | 97 2% |
| Black Level * | 0.52 | ||||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 2.09 | 2.25 -8% | 1.88 10% | 1.01 52% | 1.17 44% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 7.96 | 6.22 22% | 3.63 54% | 2.1 74% | 2.95 63% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 2.2 | 2.7 -23% | 2 9% | 1.5 32% | 1.7 23% |
| Gamma | 2.084 106% | 2.019 109% | 2.338 94% | 2.25 98% | 2.231 99% |
| CCT | 6512 100% | 6810 95% | 6665 98% | 6701 97% | 6341 103% |
| Contrast | 887 |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 125 Hz |  | |
The display backlight flickers at 125 Hz (Likely utilizing PWM) . The frequency of 125 Hz is very low, so the flickering may cause eyestrain and headaches after extended use. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 19287 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. | |||
The AMOLED technology offers great advantages in regard to contrast, since the pixels can be completely switched off and thus, at least theoretically, an absolute black is possible. This also makes colors radiate more intensely. With the "Natural" preset, colors and grayscales are displayed relatively precisely; only with green tones do we notice a too high deviation. Consequently, you can't rely completely on the display when assessing print colors.
Unfortunately, AMOLED also has a big disadvantage: There is no backlight that can be dimmed, and therefore, the screen has to be switched off briefly every now and then to simulate a darker image to the eye. The Galaxy M31s does this at a frequency that oscillates around 125 Hz, which can be too low for some users and might lead to headaches. As a result, you should try the smartphone out at low screen brightness before you buy it.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 5 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 3 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows fast response rates in our tests and should be suited for gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.4 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 13 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (22.5 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 10 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 5 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 5 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 0.25 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 14 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (35.5 ms). | ||
Outdoors, the smartphone performs quite well in strong ambient light thanks to its brightness boost. The contents remain legible for a long time, but direct sunlight should be avoided if possible.
The viewing angles are no cause for complaint.
Performance – More power please
The Samsung Exynos 9611 is used again as SoC in the Galaxy M31s. We weren't really enthusiastic about this choice with the Galaxy M31: The SoC can't keep up with Qualcomm's mid-range SoCs in terms of processor performance, and it also needs more time for graphics calculations.
In everyday use, the system can be used without any stuttering as long as you don't put too much strain on it, but the fact is that other devices in this price range offer significantly more power.
| Geekbench 5.4 | |
| Single-Core (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy M31s | |
| Samsung Galaxy M31 | |
| realme 7 Pro | |
| Motorola Moto G 5G Plus | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 9611 (345 - 349, n=4) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (119 - 1885, n=257, last 2 years) | |
| Multi-Core (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy M31s | |
| Samsung Galaxy M31 | |
| realme 7 Pro | |
| Motorola Moto G 5G Plus | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 9611 (1207 - 1387, n=4) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (466 - 5538, n=257, last 2 years) | |
| Vulkan Score (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy M31s | |
| Samsung Galaxy M31 | |
| realme 7 Pro | |
| Motorola Moto G 5G Plus | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 9611 (1208 - 1345, n=3) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (79 - 9992, n=198, last 2 years) | |
| OpenCL Score (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy M31s | |
| Samsung Galaxy M31 | |
| realme 7 Pro | |
| Motorola Moto G 5G Plus | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 9611 (1565 - 1605, n=3) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (368 - 10711, n=191, last 2 years) | |
| PCMark for Android | |
| Work performance score (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy M31s | |
| Samsung Galaxy M31 | |
| realme 7 Pro | |
| Motorola Moto G 5G Plus | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 9611 (5777 - 6697, n=7) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (6322 - 19297, n=21, last 2 years) | |
| Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy M31s | |
| Samsung Galaxy M31 | |
| realme 7 Pro | |
| Motorola Moto G 5G Plus | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 9611 (5080 - 5925, n=7) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (4389 - 14315, n=60, last 2 years) | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 | |
| T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy M31s | |
| Samsung Galaxy M31 | |
| Motorola Moto G 5G Plus | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 9611 (25 - 44, n=7) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (22 - 165, n=189, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy M31s | |
| Samsung Galaxy M31 | |
| Motorola Moto G 5G Plus | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 9611 (28 - 48, n=7) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (19 - 497, n=189, last 2 years) | |
| GFXBench 3.0 | |
| on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy M31s | |
| Samsung Galaxy M31 | |
| Motorola Moto G 5G Plus | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 9611 (15 - 24, n=7) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (6.8 - 161, n=190, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy M31s | |
| Samsung Galaxy M31 | |
| Motorola Moto G 5G Plus | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 9611 (17 - 26, n=7) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (9.2 - 331, n=191, last 2 years) | |
| GFXBench 3.1 | |
| on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy M31s | |
| Samsung Galaxy M31 | |
| Motorola Moto G 5G Plus | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 9611 (8.9 - 14, n=7) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (3.7 - 136, n=191, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy M31s | |
| Samsung Galaxy M31 | |
| Motorola Moto G 5G Plus | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 9611 (10 - 16, n=7) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (6.2 - 222, n=191, last 2 years) | |
| AnTuTu v8 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy M31s | |
| Samsung Galaxy M31 | |
| Motorola Moto G 5G Plus | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 9611 (152185 - 187087, n=7) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (94609 - 725649, n=60, last 2 years) | |
Even when surfing the Internet, performance is only enough for middle or bottom places among our comparison devices. If you access or scroll websites, you need to take into account that there will be waiting times.
| Jetstream 2 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (14.8 - 282, n=169, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G (Chrome83) | |
| Motorola Moto G 5G Plus (Chrome 83) | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 9611 (27.5 - 30.6, n=7) | |
| Samsung Galaxy M31 (Chrome 83) | |
| Samsung Galaxy M31s (Chrome 86) | |
| JetStream 1.1 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (21.9 - 414, n=103, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G 5G Plus (Chrome 83) | |
| Samsung Galaxy M31s (Chrome 86) | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 9611 (47.5 - 51.9, n=7) | |
| Samsung Galaxy M31 (Chrome 83) | |
| Speedometer 2.0 - Result | |
| Average of class Smartphone (12.8 - 375, n=157, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G (Chrome83) | |
| Motorola Moto G 5G Plus (Chrome 83) | |
| Samsung Galaxy M31 (Chome 83) | |
| Samsung Galaxy M31s (Chome 86) | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 9611 (26.6 - 30.5, n=7) | |
| WebXPRT 3 - --- | |
| Average of class Smartphone (27 - 292, n=158, last 2 years) | |
| Motorola Moto G 5G Plus (Chrome 83) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G (Chrome83) | |
| Samsung Galaxy M31 (Chrome 83) | |
| Samsung Galaxy M31s (Chrome 86) | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 9611 (46 - 57, n=7) | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (3905 - 74261, n=193, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G (Chrome83) | |
| Motorola Moto G 5G Plus (Chrome 83) | |
| Samsung Galaxy M31s (Chrome 86) | |
| Samsung Galaxy M31 (Chrome 83) | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 9611 (7442 - 10687, n=7) | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total Score | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 9611 (4332 - 6212, n=7) | |
| Samsung Galaxy M31s (Chrome 86) | |
| Samsung Galaxy M31 (Chrome 83) | |
| Motorola Moto G 5G Plus (Chrome 83) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G (Chrome83) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (414 - 12437, n=176, last 2 years) | |
* ... smaller is better
The Galaxy M31s is also slightly slower than its competitors when reading and writing to microSD cards, but the differences aren't big enough to actually be relevant in everyday life. When it comes to the internal storage, on the other hand, you can probably feel a difference in speed when reading and writing files, and the Galaxy M31s lags behind the Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G or Motorola Moto G 5G Plus again.
| Samsung Galaxy M31s | Samsung Galaxy M31 | realme 7 Pro | Motorola Moto G 5G Plus | Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G | Average 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | 4% | 9% | 17% | 54% | 18% | 58% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 490.3 | 489.5 0% | 521 6% | 885 81% | 980 100% | 770 ? 57% | 1113 ? 127% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 318.4 | 221.7 -30% | 198.1 -38% | 180.2 -43% | 476.9 50% | 293 ? -8% | 655 ? 106% |
| Random Read 4KB | 105 | 128.9 23% | 159.8 52% | 138.1 32% | 156.4 49% | 151.1 ? 44% | 196.8 ? 87% |
| Random Write 4KB | 117.1 | 152.4 30% | 129.1 10% | 119.3 2% | 138.5 18% | 129.9 ? 11% | 201 ? 72% |
| Sequential Read 256KB SDCard | 73.6 ? | 74.5 ? 1% | 86.7 ? 18% | 87.1 ? 18% | 76 ? 3% | 63.1 ? -14% | |
| Sequential Write 256KB SDCard | 59.9 ? | 60.8 ? 2% | 64.9 ? 8% | 65.7 ? 10% | 59.6 ? -1% | 42.4 ? -29% |
Games – 30 fps at low settings
Performance may not always be enough for playing games at a smooth 30 fps at very high settings. PUBG Mobile only really runs smoothly at low settings. The racing game Aspahlt 9: Legends isn't necessarily known for good performance, but it still achieves a smooth 30 fps on powerful devices, but on the Galaxy M31s, you have to put up with frame-rate drops. We measure frame rates with the software from GameBench.
The touchscreen and the position sensor, on the other hand, don't cause any problems; games can be controlled smoothly and reliably with them.
Emissions – Decent sound
Temperature
We can't detect any excessive heating on the Galaxy smartphone case. 40.9 °C (~106 °F) as the maximum temperature rise after prolonged load is indeed noticeable but not critical. If you don't put any load on the device or only very little, no heat increase is noticeable on the case.
We can check how the system's performance develops under prolonged load with the GFXBench battery test. It can be observed here that significant drops in performance occur repeatedly; the system then tries to provide its full performance again, but performance drops considerably again shortly afterwards. So you can't rely on full performance availability for longer activities.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 39.4 °C / 103 F, compared to the average of 34.9 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 52.9 °C for the class Smartphone.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 40.9 °C / 106 F, compared to the average of 33.7 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26.9 °C / 80 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.
Speaker
We were actually already happy with the speaker sound of the Galaxy M31, but the sound of the Galaxy M31s is even more linear and doesn't sound as high-pitched as its smaller predecessor. As a result, you get a decent sound system for a mid-range smartphone, even when the mono speaker obviously can't work miracles.
The 3.5 mm audio jack on the bottom edge and Bluetooth 5.0 bring a clear audio signal to external devices.
Samsung Galaxy M31s audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (82.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 28% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.2% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.6% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (18.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 15% of all tested devices in this class were better, 10% similar, 75% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 23%, worst was 65%
Compared to all devices tested
» 43% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 50% worse
» The best had a delta of 3%, average was 20%, worst was 65%
Samsung Galaxy M31 audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (81.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 28.4% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 7.4% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.7% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (7.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (25.5% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 70% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 22% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 23%, worst was 65%
Compared to all devices tested
» 81% of all tested devices were better, 5% similar, 14% worse
» The best had a delta of 3%, average was 20%, worst was 65%
Battery life– Convincing endurance
Energy consumption
Despite it having a little more screen area, the Galaxy M31's power consumption is even a bit lower than that of the M31. When doing a class comparison, however, it still requires rather slightly more energy than other smartphones.
| Off / Standby |   0 / 0.1 Watt |
| Idle |  1.4 / 2.2 / 3.4 Watt |
| Load |
6.3 / 8.9 Watt |
    
| |
| Samsung Galaxy M31s 6000 mAh | Samsung Galaxy M31 6000 mAh | Motorola Moto G 5G Plus 5000 mAh | Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G 4160 mAh | Average Samsung Exynos 9611 | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | -8% | 1% | 11% | 9% | 33% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 1.4 | 1.6 -14% | 1.5 -7% | 1.5 -7% | 1.173 ? 16% | 0.894 ? 36% |
| Idle Average * | 2.2 | 2.3 -5% | 2.1 5% | 2.2 -0% | 2.28 ? -4% | 1.537 ? 30% |
| Idle Maximum * | 3.4 | 3.7 -9% | 2.9 15% | 2.9 15% | 2.86 ? 16% | 1.747 ? 49% |
| Load Average * | 6.3 | 6.7 -6% | 6.7 -6% | 4.4 30% | 5.97 ? 5% | 4.31 ? 32% |
| Load Maximum * | 8.9 | 9.4 -6% | 9.2 -3% | 7.2 19% | 7.83 ? 12% | 7.14 ? 20% |
* ... smaller is better
Battery life
A very powerful 6,000 mAh battery makes the Galaxy M31s a long-distance runner. In our Wi-Fi test, it lasts 21:49 hours and could, therefore, absolutely manage two complete 8-hour workdays without charging. Under full load, however, there are smartphones that last longer with significantly smaller batteries. So if you usually don't demand so much from your smartphone, you'll get very good runtimes.
Charging with a 15-watt charger does, of course, take some time; Samsung could have easily added a few more watts here.
| Samsung Galaxy M31s 6000 mAh | Samsung Galaxy M31 6000 mAh | realme 7 Pro 4500 mAh | Motorola Moto G 5G Plus 5000 mAh | Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G 4160 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | 1% | -29% | -37% | -6% | |
| Reader / Idle | 2439 | 2456 1% | 1549 -36% | 1683 -31% | |
| H.264 | 1416 | 1432 1% | 581 -59% | 1403 -1% | |
| WiFi v1.3 | 1309 | 1324 1% | 931 -29% | 914 -30% | 884 -32% |
| Load | 319 | 326 2% | 252 -21% | 448 40% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict – Some highlights, little power
Like its sibling model, the Samsung Galaxy M31s isn't perfect; it offers somewhat too little performance for its price range, and the camera could be improved in some areas too.
The very large battery, however, and the resulting good runtimes under low and medium load are a strong argument for Samsung's mid-range phone. The relatively color-accurate AMOLED display is naturally also a great thing, and we also like the dedicated microSD slot as well as the the fairly extensive support of LTE frequencies. The mono speaker is not a hi-fi sound system, but it doesn't do a bad job for a mid-range smartphone.
The Samsung Galaxy M31s offers highlights with the long battery life and the strong AMOLED display. More power would've been good for the system, though.
On the other hand, the positioning system isn't very accurate. Moreover, Samsung has installed a relatively large amount of bloatware on the system and hasn't really kept its smartphone up to date with security patches, at least at the time of testing.
The smartphone leaves a mixed impression. The Galaxy M31s doesn't really disqualify itself for a purchase in any category and can even stand out in some areas such as battery life. However, there's also strong competition in this price range that offers more performance and partly even modern 5G mobile radio.
Samsung Galaxy M31s
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08/31/2022 v7
Florian Schmitt
Pricecompare
