It’s a steady stream, Samsung has been rolling out a line of smartphones with an ‘S’ suffix to consolidate its position in the budget and mid-market segments. Over the last 18 months or so, Samsung has completely rejigged this portfolio and taken the fight to the likes of Xiaomi that held sway in the sub Rs 20,000 price band. The M Series has been a key part of this arsenal and that’s why it should come as no surprise that Samsung has already staged an upgrade for the M30. Samsung packs enough in the M30S to suggest that it’s more than a cosmetic upgrade. But is it?

In terms of form factor, it looks remarkably similar to the Samsung Galaxy M30 but look closer and you will notice a couple of small changes. The rear camera set up is the first thing you will notice. Samsung has emblazoned the camera unit with a 48MP sign to reveal that this one’s kitted with a 48MP primary lens, a big improvement over its predecessor. And then there’s the heft, this device feels a tad heavier in your hands compared to the M30 but it’s not without good reason. 

The first thing that you will notice once you get the device up and running is the improved performance thanks to an upgraded processor. The M30S is propelled by an Exynos 9811 processor that has a visible impact on the performance of the device, something we noticed while gaming and also in our AnTuTu benchmark tests. The M30S notched up a score of 133895 that improves on its predecessor. We tested the top-end 6GB/128GB version, there’s also a 4GB/64GB hardware variant. Both variants benefit from Game booster option that should please serious gamers and both versions also offer expandable memory (up to 512GB)

The triple rear cam is among the best in a sub-Rs 15,000 device with a 48MP primary lens that combines with an 8MP ultra-wide sensor and a 5MP depth sensor. It’s quite versatile with portrait, ultra-wide and night mode that allow it to punch above its weight. The other big change is the 6000 mAh battery. While this adds to the weight of the device, battery life in our tests was quite impressive, stretching it to almost two days with sustained camera and video usage.

The M30S sticks with the same sAMOLED FHD+ 6.4-inch display (1080 x 2340 pixels) that packs over 400 pixels per inch. Colours are crisp and the humungous battery allows you to binge watch your favourite TV shows without worrying about running out of juice. The M30S is a well-thought upgrade bringing welcome improvements to the camera, performance and battery life. It’s why it’s one of the best smartphones you can snag under Rs 15,000. 

Highlights:

 

• 48 MP Primary Lens with 8 MP Ultra-Wide Sensor & 5 MP Depth Sensor

 

• Exynos 9811 Processor

 

• Expandable Memory Upto 512 GB

 

• 6000 mAh Battery

 

• sAMOLED FHD+ 6.4-inch Display

 

The Samsung Galaxy M30S costs Rs 13,999 (4GB/64GB) and Rs 16,999 (6GB/128GB) and is available in Opal Black, Sapphire Blue and Pearl White.