It’s a clever campaign, one with multiple possibilities. Samsung’s brand new M51 has a mascot – a mean monster, and it’s an effective way to showcase the device’s key strengths. Samsung’s assembly line has been particularly busy ever since India switched to unlock mode; the M51 joins the M31S (that we recently checked out for MW) in the Rs 20,000 – Rs 30,000 price band. While the M31S sits at the lower end of this segment, the M51 lands almost in the same micro segment as the OnePlus Nord. The big story in this ‘Monster’ device is its battery. That’s where we begin our deep-dive.

At 7000 mAh, this is the battery to beat. Samsung claims a total video playback time of 34 hours. That’s more than all the 3 seasons of Dark put together. While we were not able to run a continuous video test to validate this claim, the device outperformed almost any device we have tested in the last year; a true Marathon man. It lasted for a full two days with a significant amount of camera usage and a few hours of videos and gaming combined. Samsung sweetens the deal with a 25W charger (bundled in the box) that takes this device from 0 to 100% in just under two hours. There’s also a clever reverse charge cable that allows you to share the battery with another device (with a type-C to type-C cable that’s also in the box).

Despite this mammoth battery, the device doesn’t feel too unwieldy. At a little over 210 gm, it’s certainly no lightweight. But the device’s tall design that distributes weight evenly, makes it surprisingly pocketable. We dig the placement of the fingerprint sensor in the power key on the right spine of the device. Aside from the battery, Samsung also scores with the display – an immersive 6.7-inch Super AMOLED Infinity-O display (1080 x 2340 pixels) with a tiny hole punch for the selfie cam, that’s easy to ignore. The device is finished with a plastic back, but it certainly looks premium enough to pass off for glass. It is prone to fingerprints and smudges though.

At the heart of this device is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G processor. There are two hardware versions – we tested the 8GB/128GB variant. There’s also a 6GB/128GB version. It’s enough firepower to satisfy extreme users; the device clocked 1593 (multi-core score) in our Geekbench test. The OnePlus Nord might have a slight edge on the processor front though but the M51 scores with its flexible storage option (up to 512 GB) in a dedicated Micro SD slot (aside from a dual SIM slot).

A versatile camera is a given in this segment. The quad rear cam in the M51 brings together a 64MP primary lens, a 12MP ultra-wide lens, a 5MP depth sensor and a 5MP macro lens. It’s quite a formidable package and one of the best shooters at this price point. The device scores in lowlight but it’s the live focus (portrait mode) and macro images that come as a pleasant surprise. The 32MP selfie cam also performs well in portrait mode and there are some cool add-ons in the video department including a night hyperlapse mode that should spice up urban landscapes.

The Samsung Galaxy M51 is a great package at its sticker price with a vibrant display, a versatile shooter and hardware specs that are geared for heavy lifting. But it’s the 7000 mAh battery that is it’s biggest ace. It justifies the Monster battery claim; this Marathon man should outrun any comparable device.

The Samsung Galaxy M51 comes in two variants – 6GB/128GB (Rs 24,999) and 6GB/64GB (Rs 26,499)