So, most of the buyers are now confused on whether to buy the Galaxy M51 or the OnePlus Nord because both of the smartphones are a tough competition to each other and are offered in the same price segment as well.
Galaxy M51 Price: Rs.24,999/26,999 for 6GB+128GB/ 8GB+128GB
OnePlus Nord Price: Rs.24,499/27,499 for 6GB+64GB/ 8GB+128GB
A major problem with the OnePlus Nord is that it does not offer expandable storage and 128 gigs of storage won’t be enough for everyone. Samsung Galaxy M51 has an expandable storage upto 512 GB using microSD card.
A major advantage that the OnePlus Nord has over Galaxy M51 is that it supports 5G network.
Now lets compare both the smartphones specs by specs and pick the winner from the two awesome smartphones.
Display
A very important aspect to consider while buying a smartphone is its display.
It has a 6.7 inch Full-HD+ Super AMOLED+ Infinity-O-display with a punch-hole design and a 60Hz refresh panel. The screen resolution is 1080 x 2340 pixels with a screen to body ratio of 86.66% and an aspect ratio of 20:9 and 385 ppi density. There is Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection on the front. The back of the smartphone is made with cheap plastic which takes scratches very easily. So, putting the phone in a case would be a good idea.
It has a 6.44 inch 90Hz HDR 10 Fluid AMOLED 1080p panel with 1080 x 2400 pixels resolution, 409 ppi density and a Dual-punch hole design. It has a screen-to-body ratio of 86.29% and an aspect ratio of 20:9. There is Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection on the front and back.
Which Display is better
Nord’s display allows HDR content consumption whereas on the Galaxy M51 only FHD+ content can be streamed which is near to HDR. There is not a big difference in that case. However, colors look more accurate and sharp on the OnePlus Nord because of the higher pixel per inch density. The reason for the higher ppi density on the OnePlus Nord is that the display size is small when compared to the Galaxy M51. But Galaxy M51 has a bigger display size which makes content consumption more enjoyable. Also the 90Hz refresh panel on the OnePlus Nord is superior to the Galaxy M51 60Hz refresh panel. But note that very few apps support 90Hz refresh rate. So, this feature remains limited. There is a problem of screen flickering on the Galaxy M51 which might be rectified after a software update. Note that the sAMOLED+ display is thin and light when compared to the Fluid AMOLED display and consumes relatively less power. Also, OnePlus Nord has a peak brightness of 1000 nits whereas Galaxy M51 has only 420 nits of peak brightness. But, let me tell you that the 90Hz refresh rate and the 1000nits peak brightness are not specs that match OnePlus Nord because it has a limited battery capacity of just 4115mAh when compared to the Galaxy M51 which comes with a 7000mAh monster battery. Overall, OnePlus Nord is the winner.
Cameras
The smartphone equips an intelligent quad camera set-up with a 64 MP Sony IMX682 primary camera, a 12 MP wide angle camera, and a 5 MP depth and 5MP macro sensor. Features like single take and night hyperlapse are also available. The phone also includes a 32-megapixel selfie camera sensor at the front.
The Smartphone has a quad rear camera set-up and a dual front camera set-up. OnePlus Nord comes with a 48 MP f /1.75 SONY IMX586 primary sensor, 8 MP f/2.3, Ultra Wide camera, 5 MP f/2.4 Depth and a 2 MP f/2.4, Macro Camera. 32 MP f/2.5 + 8 MP f/2.5, Ultra Wide Dual Selfie Camera clicks awesome pictures during day and appreciable pictures in low-light conditions.
Rear Camera Photo/Videography
Samsung Galaxy M51 is a clear winner when it comes to rear camera photography. There is a Sony IMX682 sensor on the Galaxy M51 whereas a Sony IMX 586 sensor on the OnePlus Nord which is an inferior version of the IMX 682. The greater megapixel count on the Galaxy M51 makes the pictures look great with good amount of details and colors. Similar is the case with Ultra-wide angle lens and photos taken with Galaxy M51 looked way better with FOV 123 degrees whereas the OnePlus Nord has FOV 119 degrees. Edge detection, color accuracy and sharpness are great on the Galaxy M51. OnePlus Nord shows boosted colors in the pictures and at times changes the color of the subject by slight amounts. So, the colors look more natural on the Galaxy M51. Both the smartphones have the same Depth sensor but Galaxy M51 wins with its 5MP Macro as the Nord has a 2MP sensor for its Macro camera.
Selfies and Videography
There is a 32Mp primary sensor on the Galaxy M51 whereas on the OnePlus Nord there is a dual-camera set-up with a 32MP primary lens and a 8MP ultra-wide angle lens. Don’t go by the numbers because the selfies clicked with OnePlus Nord could not beat Galaxy M51. Features like Smart Selfie angle allows Galaxy M51 to automatically switch to Ultra-wide angle view when it detects more people in the frame whereas on the OnePlus Nord you will have to manually switch to the Ultra-wide angle mode.
Videos captured with Galaxy M51 had better details, light adjustment and color contrast than the videos shot with OnePlus Nord. However, OnePlus Nord produces videos which are better stabilized than the M51. Features like Night Hyperlapse on the Galaxy M51 make videos shot at night come into life.
Single Take takes it all.
Anyways, Galaxy M51 clearly wins the competition with its Single Take feature which lets the user capture multiple shots (7 photos and 3 videos) with a single click. The feature uses AI to harness the best shots possible and displays it to the user. The outputs are different with each having a different filter or special effect. No such feature can be seen in OnePlus Nord or any other company smartphone.
Performance: Don’t go by the Numbers
This is the aspect where many buyers are stuck as to if they should go for the SD765G SoC or the SD730G SoC. Again don’t go by the numbers because the SD730G processor on the Galaxy M51 is well optimized and works equivalent to the SD765G. No difference can be noticed in performance in both the smartphones while carrying out day-to-day activities. Both the smartphones are equally powerful and can carry heavy gaming and video editing. Considering their price, their processors are justified. You might have thought that the OnePlus Nord would win but it is a tie.
Battery
The Samsung Galkaxy M51 has the largest battery among all other smartphones available in the Indian market. With a massive 7000mAh monster battery the M51 gets you through the day with 64 hrs of Talktime, 24 hrs of internet streaming, 32 hrs of Video Playback Time and 182 hrs of music playback time. After giving all this power, the phone gets charged in less than 115 minutes with its 25W fast charger. If that’s not enough then the Galaxy M51 supports reverse charging which makes it an powerbank as well. Battery is the biggest plus point of the Galaxy M51 against many other smartphones in the market. Yeah there are smartphones which equip 18000mAh battery but those are definitely no one’s choice due to their design and thickness.
You might think that the Galaxy M51 would be quite heavy because of the large battery. The phone weighs 213 grams but the weight distribution is done properly by the company and you won’t find the smartphone too heavy to use single-handedly.
The OnePlus Nord has a 4115mAh battery which is certainly no match to the Galaxy M51. However the plus point here with the OnePlus Nord is that its 30W fast charger charges the smartphone upto 70% in just 30 mins.
So, if you are a heavy user who travels a lot and do not want to charge the smartphone every once in a while then the Galaxy M51 will help you. However if your phone gets dead and you get to recharge it then the OnePlus Nord will get fully charged in less than an hour whereas for the Galaxy M51 it would take 2 hours to get completely charged.
Storage/Memory
The Galaxy M51 comes in 2 RAM/ROM configurations: 6GB/128GB; 8GB/128GB. The storage is expandable via microSD card upto 512GB. The RAM mangaement is done very well on the Galaxy M51 and is worth the count.
OnePlus Nord comes in three RAM/ROM configurations: 6GB/64GB; 8GB/128GB; 12GB/256GB. Note that the storage is not expandable via microSD card on the OnePlus Nord however 256 gigs of storage is ought to be enough. the 12 GB of RAM is crazy and makes the smartphone kind of flagship. Anyways, 12GB of RAM is in no way required to a normal user but if you are a person who uses a lot of storage then you would have to consider buying the 12GB/256GB variant. A normal user will not use the 12GB of RAM in any way. In my personal opinion the configuration of 256GB/12GB is not perfect and does not really match the perfect demands of a normal user.
In my opinion the OnePlus Nord should provide an extra 8GB/256GB variant in addition to the 12GB/256GB variant. This configuration will help the buyers get the 256GB variant at al lower rate. Afterall, choice matters. Samsung has done a vey good job by providing microSD slots for external storage.
Networking and Connectivity
In terms of networking and connectivity, OnePlus is the clear winner in all the aspects. OnePlus Nord is one of the very few smartphones in this price range which have a 5G support which the Galaxy M51 lacks. 5G is likely to come in India in 1 or 2 years and then the world will be sick behind 5G mobiles, so why not buy one now.
Connectivity options include:
Wi-fi: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot
GPS: Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS
Bluetooth: 5.0, A2DP, LE
NFC: Yes
Radio: FM Radio
USB: USB Type-C 2.0
Connectivity options include:
Wi-fi: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot
GPS: Yes, with dual-band A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, SBAS, NavlC
Bluetooth: 5.1, A2DP, LE, aptX HD
NFC: Yes
Radio: No
USB: USB Type-C 2.0, USB OTG
As can be clearly seen that the OnePlus Nord is the clear winner and has specs which are equal or better than the Galaxy M51.
Sound
Sound quality on the Galaxy M51 is below average. The user has to use an headphone to get the best out of the audio because the audio is not loud. There is a 3.5mm headphone jack which is a very good news.
Sound quality is average and is not that great on the OnePlus Nord either (better than M51). However, the sad news is that the 3.5mm Headphone jack is absent which leaves you with the limited array of those USB Type-C compatible headphones or switch to wireless earphones.
Verdict
The Galaxy M51 has a feeble sound and necessitates the use of earphones for which the 3.5mm Headphone jack has been given. In the OnePlus Nord the sound isn’t that good either. It has an average sound quality and earphone may be used as per the convenience of the user. Anyways, the user will want to have wireless earphones or USB Type-C earphones.
Sensors
Sensors on the Galaxy M51 include Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, ambient light.
Sensors include Fingerprint (in-display), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, ambient light.
Verdict
In-display fingerprint sensors have become a trend and the trend is followed by OnePlus Nord whereas in Galaxy M51 there is a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. The side-mounted scanner works and unlocks the phone very quickly when compared to the in-display scanners. So, its your choice and anyways these are not important factors to be considered while buying an smartphone.
The Bottom Line
OnePlus Nord is a smartphone in which future is packed with the 5G network support. Galaxy M51 is a photography king and is the meanest monster. Both the smartphones are great and I have given you a detailed comparison of the two. Choose your smartphone and its variant according to your budget and BE HAPPY.
Peace Out!!!
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