The M17, right from its launch, piqued our interest. Seldom does a manufacturer promise such advanced features — like a foolproof OIS — in a budget phone. Naturally, we wanted to get our hands on it as soon as possible. But did it live up to the fervent expectations we had? Here’s a quick review of what we think about the new M17, and whether you should consider it as your next budget offering.
Unboxing and First Impressions
As I split opened the box — which, mind you, comes without a charger brick — I was greeted with a phone that is nothing but elegant in its appearance. In fact, every person I asked for an opinion while testing echoed my thoughts.
It has a sleek design, with a seamless back panel that stretches to the edges, complemented by brushed aluminium bezels that further elevate its appearance. It’s lightweight, and the large screen further makes it a sturdy companion for everyday use.
Samsung has really aced the design here. Whenever I tried to nitpick, I had to remind myself that the prices starts at just ₹16,499 on the box and around Rs 12,999 on Amazon for the 4Gb/128GB variant. At that price point, the phone has no significant quirks that stand out as deal breakers. I’ve now spent a considerable amount of time with the phone, and here’s what I think about Samsung’s new budget offering.
Design
The M17 is rather light for a phone that has a 6.7 inch screen, I found its size to be perfect considering that users will be using it for gaming and watching content online. Users can choose between Moonlight Silver and Sapphire Black. The review unit I tested was the Moonlight Silver variant.
All concerns about durability — given its slim profile and minimal bezels — are taken care of by the IP54 rating and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection on the front.
However, powering it on, I was greeted by a notch that felt straight out of 2015, along with black bezels that protrude beyond the slim edges. Still, I reminded myself that this users will be able to get the this variant for Rs 12k in amazon — and honestly, that makes it forgivable.
Apart from the bezels, I have no complaints about the display. The 6.7-inch Super AMOLED screen does its job well. With FHD+ resolution and 1,100 nits of peak brightness, the screen performs admirably. If you consume a lot of multimedia, you won’t face any issues.
Performance
The Galaxy M17 5G is powered by the Exynos 1330 chipset, a noticeable step up from the M16. From a user’s perspective, you won’t feel it skip a beat — Samsung has optimized the chip to work seamlessly for everyday tasks.
Light gaming, social media, and multitasking are handled with great ease. The version I tested was smooth and consistent throughout daily use.
Camera and Battery
The M17 features a 50MP primary sensor with OIS, a 50MP ultra-wide lens, and a macro camera. For a phone priced under ₹20k having both OIS and an ultra-wide camera is a big plus.
In good lighting, the main camera captures sharp, balanced shots with colors that aren’t overly boosted. The OIS helps reduce blur, especially when shooting handheld. The ultra-wide lens, however, shows some softness at the edges, and low-light photos tend to get noisy.
The 13MP front camera does a decent job for selfies, though the front sensor occasionally has issues grasping the right skin tone, especially under well lit conditions, still manages to pull through with great details though, and For this price range, it’s nothing to complain about.
Since Samsung emphasized OIS so heavily during the launch, I tested it thoroughly — and I must say, it works well. I tried recording videos while walking, and the footage came out smooth, with minimal jerks.
the 5,000 mAh battery lasts a day on mixed use, be it calls, social media use and gaming. the phone supports 25 w fast charging, do remember to get a charger or keep the old one ready , as it does not ship with a charger.
Software and Features
The Galaxy M17 runs Android 15 with One UI 7 out of the box. For a budget phone, the interface feels smooth. There is some bloatware, but most of it can be uninstalled quickly.
Samsung’s promise of six years of OS and security updates further sweetens the deal. Beyond that, the phone also features Samsung Knox Vault, Voice Focus for clearer calls, and Samsung Wallet with tap-and-pay support.
Our Verdict
During our time with the phone, we couldn’t find any major niggle that would be a deal-breaker — apart from the dated notch design. As a budget offering, the device hits the mark quite well.
The absence of a charger in the box is disappointing, but not unusual for Samsung these days. Still, as it stands, the Galaxy M17 is a solid package. The lower-end 6GB + 128GB variant could be the perfect choice for most users.
If you wish to stretch your budget slightly, you could also consider the Galaxy M36, which is available for a similar price on Amazon. It offers a better screen, 4K video recording capabilities, and a slightly more powerful processor.
Samsung has seemingly left no stone unturned to ensure that the M17 establishes a strong presence in the budget segment — and based on our experience, it does so brilliantly.
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