Samsung Galaxy M40: First impressions

Samsung Galaxy M40 is the newest entrant into the mid-range segment aims to stand out from the rest with a design that is simply put, a novelty in the segment. The story starts with a 6.3-inch display with a 91 percent screen to body ratio. The big draw is the absence of a notch and instead, the M40 gets a punch hole much like the S10. This lends the device a premium look in the segment that is crowded by phones with notches on their displays. The screen, although not an OLED is pretty good at reproducing colors and much like Samsung’s OLED panels, is very bright and is a treat to use even in bright sunlight. The phone features a polycarbonate build that in the shade of blue that we reviewed is stunning to look at. The sub-170g weight and the compact dimensions make it easy to hold and use with one hand – a feature many will appreciate. The polycarbonate back, however, is a magnet for fingerprints and scratches. Investing in a good case is essential. The fingerprint sensor works as expected and the central placement unlike some Galaxy phones in the past is a boon.

The M40 packs specs that are par for the course in this segment and performance is pretty good too. Apps load up in a jiffy and even resource-intensive games can be played on it without much trouble. The overall performance is very good for a phone of its class. The Snapdragon 675 with Adreno 612 along with six gigs of RAMs ensure that the M40 is never left wanting. The expandable storage is a nice touch too with an option to insert a 512GB memory card, should you need more space. The punch-hole display has made Samsung do something creative for the earpiece. It is housed beneath the screen and Samsung calls it screen sound. The new implementation works very well and you can barely make out much of a difference with regular use.

That brings us to the cameras. The phone houses a three camera setup at the back along with a selfie camera in the front. The main camera isn’t the most accurate in the price range but it gets the job done. The wide-angle camera, however, is a disappointment and only subjects in the centre of the frame are represented as they are. The rest of the image is very distorted.

The M40 combines all that the segment offers in a package that is beautifully designed. If you are on the lookout for a phone in the segment that offers good value and looks great, the M40 might be the answer.