As of April 2022, Samsung's ever-growing lineup of competitively priced Galaxy M smartphones now includes the Galaxy M33 5G. It has the same new Exynos CPU that drives the Galaxy A53 5G, a 6,000 mAh battery, a 120Hz display, and 5G connection as standard, bringing a few nice advancements over the Galaxy M32 and M32 5G.
The Galaxy M33 5G may be added to the ever-growing list of reasonably priced Samsung phones with stunning rear designs but outmoded front designs. Although the back of this phone is really gorgeous, it attracts fingerprints because Samsung didn't utilise a matte finish. Additionally, the fact that the back and sides are entirely made of plastic detracts from the in-hand experience without detracting from the design's aesthetic appeal.
The 6.6-inch screen on the front, however, is surrounded by large bezels that, in my opinion, make viewing unpleasant. This is especially true when backlight bleed from the LCD panel is present, which is most pronounced at the top waterdrop notch. To some, this may seem like a minor quibble, but in the year 2022, too many Chinese phones in the same or lower price range seem noticeably more advanced.
Samsung's phones follow the standard arrangement you've come to expect from them on the sides and bottom. The volume and power buttons are located on the right side, while the fingerprint sensor is integrated into the power button on the left. The SIM tray is located on the right side and can accommodate two SIM cards in addition to a microSD card. A USB-C connector, a speaker, a microphone, and a 3.5mm headphone jack are all located at the bottom.
The Galaxy M33 5G is a bit on the heavier side thanks to the 6,000 mAh battery inside, but I think most customers will not mind that because battery life on this phone is absolutely phenomenal (more details later in the review). The same goes for the phone’s thickness. At 9.4mm, it’s nowhere near as slim as some of Samsung’s other mid-range phones, though again, the battery life more than makes up for it.
The Galaxy M33 5G is not a great phone. The best things I can say about it is that it’s got fantastic battery life and a powerful processor for the price, although the latter is held back by a lack of proper support in some popular games. And there’s full 5G support and a stunning rear-facing design.
The rest is all pretty boring and most of it is already available on other phones, including Samsung’s own. The Galaxy F23 5G launched in India recently, for example, is a great alternative, especially for its Snapdragon chip that’s supported much better by game developers. It even runs Android 12 like the M33 5G, and the only thing you’re giving up is phenomenal battery life for, well, not-so-phenomenal-but-still-fantastic battery life.
Even last year’s Galaxy A22 5G is an alternative thanks to better cameras and comparable performance, even if it comes with an older version of Android out of the box and is slightly costlier. You’ll probably be happy with the Galaxy M33 5G if you decide to pick it up, but just know that there are other options in this segment, and it’s best to make a decision based on where your priorities lie.