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The most exciting thing for us is that in 2023, entry-level devices will no longer be worthless or junk. This makes it another very competitive device segment. For the public, they now no longer have to worry about the "cheap" device they bought will disappoint.
The Samsung Galaxy M14 5G is a device that we put in the entry-level and affordable category. For those looking for a budget-friendly device right now, it's one we feel can be put on the short list to buy.
SPECIFICATIONS
Samsung Galaxy M14 5G
6.6″ PLS LCD screen
FHD, 90Hz
Exynos 1330 processor (5nm)
2 X 2.4 GHz Cortex A78 chips
6 X 2.0 GHz Cortex A55
Mali-G68 MP2 Graphics Chip
RAM 6GB LPDDR4x
Internal Storage 12GB UFS 2.2
Micro SD 1TB
Main Camera 50MP f/1.8 (Wide Angle)
2MP f/2.4 (Depth)
2MP f/2.4 (Macro)
1080P 30FPS
Selfie Camera 12 Megapixel f/2.0
6000 mAh battery
25W wired charging
SIM/Telephony Dual SIM nano / 5G
NFC Yes
Audio Jack Yes
Waterproof None
Scanning System Side and face fingerprint scanner
Sale Price RM 1099 (6/128GB)
SCREEN
The 6.6″ FHD screen is of the PLS LCD type with a 90Hz refresh rate. At this stage we are a bit suspicious of the use of PLS panels due to the use of OLED screens which are now more popular. However, the screen is capable of displaying sharp, clear images and no ghosting when scrolling fast. The animation also looks fast without it looking stuttery. Users can choose an adaptive refresh rate of 90Hz or lock it to 60Hz.
There is no HDR support because PLS LCD screens are not capable of achieving the required level of clarity. A built-in fingerprint scanner is also missing here. Color reproduction is just satisfactory. The most notable drawback is that the screen is difficult to see in bright sunlight.
FINGERPRINT AND BIOMETRIC SCANNER
The fingerprint scanner is built into the power button on the right side of the device. There are indentations on the sides that make it easy for fingers to find the location of the scanner/power button even when it's in a pocket. The size of the scanner is quite small if we compare it to the one used on Oppo or Realme devices.
So this causes the accuracy of scanning fingerprints to be less consistent. The finger needs to be pressed firmly against the scanner to ensure it can be detected accurately. Inaccurate scanning issues are quite common on side scanners. We also faced the same issue on Oppo Find N2 Flip and Tecno Phantom V Fold which are sold at a much more premium price.
So we recommend the use of a facial scanning system that is not only more consistent but also faster. We just have to say that the face scan only works well in bright conditions since the M14 5G does not have an infrared emitter like the iPhone.
DESIGN
The design is a bit retro but we see that as a positive. Retro where the entire back panel and sides are made of unibody polycarbonate material. Reminds us of the popular Nokia N9 and Nokia Lumia bodies of the last decade. Polycarbonate may not be a "sexy" material like glass but it is more durable if the device is dropped.
The sides, top and bottom of the M14 5G are rounded making the device feel like a river stone. The power button and audio adjustment are located on the right side. The SIM tray that houses two nano SIMs and a micro SD card (up to 1TB) is placed on the left side. The 3.5mm audio jack, USB-C charging port and mono audio grille are placed at the bottom of the device.
Three camera lenses consisting of 50MP wide angle, 2MP depth and 2MP macro are placed on the back panel with it arranged vertically. The camera hump is low so there is no issue laying the device flat on a table. This was successfully achieved due to the relatively thick body of the M14 5G compared to the previous Galaxy A54.
On the front there is a 12MP camera placed in a notch. The use of retro design continues with the use of the Infinity-V notch that was introduced five years ago. Continuing the retro theme of the M14 5G, the screen panel has a bezel that can be categorized as thick according to 2023 standards. The chin and forehead are particularly noticeable in the thickness of the bezel. The positive thing we can say is that at least the screen is flat.
Because the body is made of rounded polycarbonate material, the device is very comfortable in the hand. It's just a little slippery and traps dirt pretty easily. This is inevitable and using a framework alone can solve it. It's a shame Samsung doesn't offer any frameworks with every purchase. Finally, the M15 5G does not have any waterproof or dustproof capabilities.
USAGE AND SOFTWARE – One UI 5.1 Core
One UI 5.1 Core operating system is used with it based on Android 13. This operating system is specially designed for devices with lower specifications. In terms of daily use, we found that One UI 5.1 Core is not much different from One UI 5.1.
It has standard features such as the theme changes automatically according to the background image, multi-window mode, Samsung Knox security system, lock screen personalization, Game Launcher, Digital Wellbeing and many more. The missing system that we noticed was that there was no Kids's Mode, Easy Mode, Link to Windows and DeX.
The usage experience is smooth and feels fast. We're actually worried that with only 6GB of RAM, the M14 5G might have trouble operating smoothly. But Samsung provides RAM Plus feature, so by default 4GB of virtual RAM is added throughout the review period. Users can also choose 2GB, 6GB or just turn off RAM Plus if not needed.
What we mean smooth here is when compared to devices with Snapdragon 695, Dimensity 920, Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 and Snapdragon 778G chips. The Exnos 1330 chip used is equipped with two Cortex-A78 cores and six Cortex-A55 cores but uses 5nm technology. Therefore, the smooth use of various applications and popular apps is not surprising at all.
What we feel should be improved by Samsung is probably the storage offering because 128GB is too small for a 2023 device. After installing COD Mobile alone takes 23GB. We'll touch on the performance of the Exynos 1330 in more depth in the benchmarks section below.
Samsung will provide two versions of Android updates and security patches for four years. This makes the M14 5G the device in this class with the best software support.
Other features that we find interesting are.
Edge Panels – Side panels for apps, compass, Smart Select and more.
RAM Plus – Virtual RAM increase up to 6GB.
Edge Lighting – Lights on the screen when receiving notifications.
Secure Folder – Store files in a password/fingerprint locked container.
Live Captions – Real time subtitles.
Modes – Device settings depend on location and time.
Color Correction – Changes the screen display for color blind users
BENCHMARK – Exynos 1330
We performed the usual benchmark tests which are Geekbench 6, 3D Mark and Antutu 3D. The test results are as below. We compare it with the Snapdragon 695 5G chip (Oppo A98 5G, iQOO Z7X, OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite, Realme 10 Pro), and Dimensity 1080 (Samsung Galaxy A34)
Geekbench 6
Samsung Galaxy M14 5G – 924/2129
Oppo A98 5G – 885/2034
iQOO Z7X – 899/2109
OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite – 876/1972
Realme 10 Pro Coca-Cola – 852/1907
Samsung Galaxy A34– 1032/2254
AnTuTu 3D
Samsung Galaxy M14 5G – 454,662
Oppo A98 5G – 411,010
iQOO Z7X – 410,677
OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite – 400,999
Realme 10 Pro Coca-Cola – 406,243
Samsung Galaxy A34 – 474,409
3DMark – Wild Life
Samsung Galaxy M14 5G – 1388
Oppo A98 5G – 1212
iQOO Z7X – 1196
OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite – 1209
Realme 10 Pro Coca-Cola – 1127
Samsung Galaxy A34 – 2228
The score recorded by the Exynos 1330 is comparable to the Snapdragon 695 and only slightly below the Dimensity 1080. There are no issues launching popular applications quickly and using them without any problems. Comparable to our experience using other devices in the same class. With UFS 2.2 memory it's not the fastest (when compared to UFS 4.0) but it's much better than the eMMC memory that used to be common on devices in this class.
We tested COD Mobile and Asphalt 9 because both are the first ones that require high graphics capabilities. On medium settings we didn't experience any issues running these two apps smoothly. In fact the device also has no heating problem. The device only gets warm when taking a lot of pictures continuously.
TELEPHONY And GPS
5G network can be used well complete with VoLTE and VoWiFi if your telco supports it. Two nano SIMs can be used simultaneously in a tray without having to share a slot with a micro SD card. The WiFi that is supported is up to 5GHz which is quite adequate. The GPS performance is quite good with the location being detected in the application within a few seconds.
CAMERA
The tri-camera system on the back consists of a 50MP f/1.8 wide-angle lens, a 2MP f/2.4 depth and a 2MP f/2.4 macro lens. On the front, a 12MP f/2.0 sensor is used. It's a pretty basic camera and we're actually a little bummed that it doesn't have an ultra-wide-angle sensor that's quite useful now. The camera app has night, Panorama, Portrait, Pro, Macro and Food modes. A fairly basic option but this is typical of devices in this class.
Photographic capabilities are average in bright conditions and suffer slightly as the light diminishes. The color in the picture looks a little yellowish compared to the actual situation. HDR mode is less bright and the picture is less sharp especially in night mode. Without OIS on the sensor lens, this is inevitable.
Portrait mode doesn't look so original because of the software-defined bokeh effect. It's not bad but we're used to seeing better bokeh effects. However, in poor lighting situations, we feel that the pictures below do not disappoint in quality.
The camera can only digitally zoom up to 10X. Below are examples of zooms at 1x, 4x and 10x settings. The quality can only be said to be good up to 2x only. The zoom capabilities of the M14 5G cannot be boasted.
BATTERY
The 6000 mAh battery used is very large and this is the reason why the body of the M14 5G is quite thick. With a large battery the performance is very good. In moderate use it can last all day. The average SOT over three days of use is around 11 hours which we feel is very good.
Recharging time is around 100 minutes using a 25W charger. No charger is provided in the box so you have to buy it separately. Only USB-C to USB-C cables are provided by Samsung.
AUDIO
The audio is just mono and it's unsatisfactory. Feel empty and empty. With a mono system, the audio is very unbalanced, especially when watching video content and previews. There is a 3.5mm audio jack for audio accessories complete with Dolby Atmos support.
IN THE BOX
Here is what is received in the box with purchase.
1x Samsung Galaxy M14 5G
1x USB-C to USB-C charging cable.
1x Manual.
1x SIM Pin.
CONCLUSION
The advantage of the Samsung Galaxy M14 5G lies in the 6nm chip that is powerful enough for daily and basic needs and the long-lasting battery performance compared to other devices in the same class. The photography ability is also quite satisfactory helped by One UI 5.1 Core which has various additional features. Samsung also supports updates for up to four years.
The downside is that the charging system supported is slow, the storage size is relatively small and the speaker is mono. At a retail price of RM1099, it is a device that competes directly with the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite, Oppo A98 5G and iQOO Z7X.
For those looking for a device that is not too expensive but still offers satisfactory value and long software support, the Samsung Galaxy M14 5G is one of the attractive options on the market right now.
Pro
The screen is smooth at 90Hz.
Exynos 1330 is powerful enough for various applications.
A 6000 mAh battery that is large enough and durable.
Durable unibody polycarbonate construction.
RAM Plus can add up to 6GB of virtual memory.
Support 2 generations of Android and 4 years of security patches.
Cons
Charging is only 25W which is slow.
The base storage and RAM are quite small.
Mono speakers.
Chargers are not provided for free.
The macro camera is just a gimmick.
Samsung will offer the Samsung Galaxy M14 5G with a promotional price of RM819 on June 24. Even more interesting, you can get a 10% discount, if you buy this device on the same day making the price RM 737.10. The condition is that you need to make a purchase through Samsung's official online store on Lazada, and redeem the promo code "SAMM14S5G". However, it should be noted that this promotion is limited to June 24 only, while stocks last.
INFO Buy: Samsung Galaxy M14 5G Dark Blue
INFO Buy: Samsung Galaxy M14 5G Light Blue