Samsung Galaxy M17 5G Review: Don’t look like a Budget Phone

Samsung’s M-series has always been about bringing good value to the table without cutting corners where it matters most. The latest addition, the Samsung Galaxy M17 5G, follows the same formula but with a few meaningful upgrades that make it stand out in the sub-$150 segment. After spending some time unboxing and exploring the device, here’s a closer look at what this new phone has to offer and where it shines or falls short.

Unboxing and First Impressions

Inside the familiar Samsung box, things are kept minimal. There’s the phone itself, a Type-C to Type-C cable, and the usual paperwork. As expected, Samsung has skipped including a charger this time, though the device supports up to 25W fast charging. This is becoming a common trend among brands, especially in the budget range.

Right out of the box, the Galaxy M17 5G feels light and comfortable in the hand at just 192 grams. The phone follows Samsung’s clean and minimal design language, featuring a matte polycarbonate back that resists fingerprints quite well. The color I tested Sapphire Black looks elegant, with subtle blue hues when light hits it. There’s also a Moonlight Silver variant for those who prefer a brighter finish.

The phone has a hybrid SIM slot, so users can choose between two SIMs or one SIM and a microSD card. This flexibility will appeal to those who still rely on expandable storage.

Display and Design

Samsung rarely disappoints when it comes to displays, even in the budget lineup. The Galaxy M17 features a 6.7-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED panel with a 90Hz refresh rate. The screen is bright and colorful, offering up to 1100 nits of brightness, which means outdoor visibility is excellent. The colors are rich, viewing angles are solid, and content looks lively on this display.

That said, there are a few compromises. The front has a U-shaped notch instead of a punch-hole cutout, which makes it look a bit dated. The bezels, especially at the bottom, are noticeable but acceptable for this price range. There’s no HDR video playback, though it does support Widevine L1, so you can stream Full HD content on Netflix and YouTube without any issue.

Samsung has used Gorilla Glass Victus protection here, a nice upgrade that adds to the durability of the screen. The device also carries an IP54 rating, giving it some resistance against splashes and dust, which is a welcome feature not often seen in budget phones.

Performance and Hardware

Under the hood, the phone runs on Samsung’s in-house Exynos 1330 processor, paired with LPDDR4X RAM and UFS 2.2 storage. The unit I tested came with 4GB RAM and 128GB storage, which should be sufficient for regular tasks and media use.

In everyday use, the performance feels smooth for browsing, social media, and casual gaming. Apps open quickly, and the interface remains mostly stable. The AnTuTu score of around 600,000 puts it in the same league as many other midrange competitors.

However, this isn’t a gaming phone. While you can play games like BGMI and Call of Duty Mobile on medium settings, there are occasional frame drops. For those who play heavy titles for long sessions, this phone might not be ideal. But for regular users who want a steady performer for day-to-day tasks, the Galaxy M17 does just fine.

Software and Features

The Galaxy M17 5G comes preloaded with Android 15 and One UI 7, which brings several useful features and a clean layout. Samsung has promised six years of software updates, which is remarkable for a phone in this price range.

One UI 7 also introduces features like Now Bar, improved multitasking, and visual refinements. You’ll find a few preinstalled apps like Truecaller and Snaps, but thankfully, most of them can be uninstalled easily.

The phone supports NFC and integrates Samsung Wallet with Tap & Pay support. It also includes a built-in call recorder that works without any voice announcement. The Circle to Search feature and Gemini Live support are available too, bringing some of Samsung’s newer software experiences to a more affordable device.

You won’t find too many AI-based features here; those are still reserved for Samsung’s flagship and FE series but overall, the user experience remains clean and efficient.

Audio and Connectivity

The Galaxy M17 comes with a single bottom-firing speaker, and while it’s decently loud, it lacks the depth and stereo feel of dual-speaker setups. Still, there’s Dolby Atmos support, which helps improve the soundstage slightly when using earphones or Bluetooth speakers.

Connectivity options include 5G with multiple bands, 4G+ carrier aggregation, VoNR (Voice over New Radio), and NFC. Network stability remains solid, and call quality is crisp. The vibration motor, as expected in this segment, is average and not as refined as in more expensive devices.

Battery and Charging

Powering the phone is a 5000mAh battery, which is more than capable of lasting a full day on moderate usage. Even with heavy screen time, social media scrolling, and occasional video playback, it easily reaches the end of the day with some charge left.

The device supports 25W fast charging, but you’ll need to buy the charger separately since it’s not included in the box. Charging from 0 to 100% takes roughly 90 minutes, which is fairly standard for this battery size.

Camera Performance

The phone houses a triple-camera setup on the back, a 50MP main sensor with OIS, a 5MP ultra-wide camera, and a 2MP depth sensor. For selfies, there’s a 13MP front camera housed inside the U-shaped notch.

In good lighting conditions, the main camera delivers crisp and balanced photos with natural color tones. The inclusion of optical image stabilization (OIS) helps reduce blur and improve detail. The ultra-wide camera is serviceable but limited due to its low resolution, and it struggles in low-light situations.

Selfies turn out well in daylight, offering good skin tones and decent sharpness. In low light, image noise becomes noticeable, but that’s typical for this price segment. Video recording is capped at 1080p 30fps from both front and rear cameras. The footage looks steady and clear enough for social media use.

For its price, the camera system performs reliably, not groundbreaking, but perfectly adequate for casual users.

Final Thoughts

The Samsung Galaxy M17 5G is a solid all-rounder that focuses on the basics while adding a few premium touches like Gorilla Glass Victus protection, IP54 rating, and long-term software support. It’s not a performance powerhouse, nor does it aim to be one. Instead, it prioritizes practicality, a clean design, and a vibrant display, the things most people actually care about.

If you’re a light to moderate user who values reliability, smooth software, and Samsung’s trusted ecosystem, this phone fits the bill perfectly. It doesn’t try too hard to impress, but it quietly does everything well enough to justify its expected price of around $150.

Samsung’s steady improvement in its mid-range lineup continues with the M17, proving once again that even budget devices can feel refined when done right.

See Also Samsung Galaxy A35 5G vs Samsung Galaxy A54 5G Specs

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