Samsung’s $300 Galaxy M31 blows away iPhone SE with 6,000 mAh battery

We love the iPhone SE 2020, but it still has some weak points. Fortunately, if the problems with battery life or the lack of extra cameras are deal breakers for you, Samsung’s latest smartphone may be what you’re after.

The Galaxy M31, featuring a 6,000 mAh battery and night-mode photography, was revealed in February for the Indian market, but Samsung announced that it’s bringing this phone over to the UK. This gives us hope that it might come to the US as well someday, but even if it doesn’t, its low £245 ($304 converted) price and Amazon UK availability means it should be easy to import if you are interested.

The highlight of the phone is undoubtedly the 6,000 mAh battery. This is a full 1,000 mAh more than the long-lasting Moto G Power, and around 4,000 mAh more than the iPhone SE 2020, which has particularly poor battery life. You can fill up the M31’s battery with the included 15W charger, which isn’t a particularly high wattage for a fast charger, but should still top the phone up quickly enough.

You also get four rear cameras on the back of the Galaxy M31: a 64MP main sensor, an 8MP 123-degree ultrawide sensor, a 5MP macro sensor and a 5MP depth sensor. On the front, you’ll find a 32MP camera in a rounded waterdrop notch. The phone also boasts 4K video recording, and more notably a night mode, something missing from the more expensive iPhone SE’s very capable 12MP rear camera.

The Galaxy M31 has a 6.4-inch screen, which is larger than the iPhone SE and the same size as the G Power. And the Galaxy M31’s panel is also AMOLED, a superior technology to the LCD screens used on the Apple and Motorola phones which should make for extra brightness and better color accuracy.

On the inside, you get an Exynos 9611 CPU, backed up by 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, which can be expanded with a micro SD card. You won’t have world-shattering performance or space for your entire photo library on the Galaxy M31, but its specs are plenty for almost any app or activity you want to do with it. 

The Galaxy M31 comes in black, red or blue, and is going to be sold only via Amazon UK. So if you’re after a budget handset but aren’t impressed by the iPhone SE or other Android options, then this could be exactly what you’re looking for.