All of us gravitate towards particular features in the gadgets we use in our day to day life. Some like a particular look and feel whereas others prefer functionality over aesthetics.

Over a point of time I’ve found that while aesthetics are necessary for people to form opinions about the things that they use; for a gadget like a smartphone which is usually kept stuck to the ear or primarily used to communicate- the “pretty-factor” stops being important after a while. All phones are roughly the same shape with the size, weight and thickness being the primary things which differ.

I have been a Samsung loyalist for a number of years now for the following reason:

• caters to all the budgets
• has good after sales service
• more number of authorized service centres around
• replacements parts don’t cost the earth
• usually a basic troubleshoot suffices
• phone is fairly hardy especially when it comes in contact with kids
• functionality and ease of access is very good!
• Camera specs have increased significantly over the years.
• Battery life is well-above average
• There are plenty of accessories out there which are compatible with it in case one does care a lot of prettying it up.

I recently acquired a Samsung Galaxy M31s. I’d been using a Samsung Galaxy A8+ for a few years and it really changed the way I used technology and helped me streamline things that I needed to do, liked to do and wanted to do.

And while that may be true of all smartphones, for me the cost is the one of the determining factors that comes into play when I look at any purchases- even before the features. This is a primary reason I’ve abstained from Apple products since I find the cost pretty prohibitive compared to functionality while any repairs, parts also are priced very high.

Onto the features of the M31s: The camera merits a mention right off. It’s good..great even! I won’t get into the nitty-gritty by writing the apertures etc but you have a 32 megapixels front camera and 64-megapixel+ 12-megapixel + 5-megapixel + 5-megapixel rear camera set-ups which basically means more depth, more clarity and an overall better photography experience with your smartphone.

Think about it like having multiple cameras with different lens set up, ready to take different types of images- all bundled up into one smartphone! The camera feature also has slo-mo modes apart from the Pro-mode and that means you don’t have to install a couple of apps I used to fall back on either to add a bit of zing to my pictures.

Once you’re used to a phone that’s more than 5 inches long, a few centimetres here and there barely register. The weight is a bit more than my previous phone but it doesn’t feel like am holding bricks in my hand either.

And these are the features I quite like: The Digital Wellbeing Mode (read more about it here), the sound/speakers, the display, the battery and the processor. It all works fairly like a dream. So if you’d like a great camera, a good battery (that lasts through half a season of 42-minute long episodes on a streaming platform), good speakers then this is a good phone to invest in. And their fast charge is really a FAST charge!

My recommendations:

• Go for the 128 GB one. You’ll be clicking more pictures and taking more videos once you see the output.
• Opt for the 8 GB RAM (price difference is Rs.2k with the 6 GB RAM)
• Get the add-on 1 year protection that comes pretty cheap along with the purchase.

This phone retails at Rs.19,499 for 6 GB to Rs.21,499 for the 8 GB. Buy this phone on Amazon– click here to buy. For Flipkart click here. To buy directly from Samsung, click here.