To some, flagship phones are no longer something they can afford when it’s priced more than RM4,000 at launch.
Luckily, the advancement of technology has lowered component prices too. This means that companies can still meet the demands of people who just want a decent phone without the hefty price tag.
The Samsung Galaxy A31 is one of the recent examples of a mid-range phone with better-than-usual specs. And here are a few reasons why you should buy this phone, compared to other phones within the RM1,200 price range.
1. A Long-Lasting Battery
Everyone wants a phone that can last for days without needing to charge. But, that’s impossible, for now. So, the next best thing would be a phone with a large battery that can last you a whole day or more.
This is where the Samsung Galaxy A31 shines. It comes packaged with a massive 5,000mAh battery, which is larger compared to the Huawei nova 7i which only has a 4,200 mAh battery, at the same price point.
You might be wondering; a large battery might take longer to fully charge.
Well, the Samsung Galaxy A31 does come with fast charging that can top-up the phone from 0% to 100% in roughly 2 and a half hours, so you don’t have to leave your phone charging overnight.
Note: Leaving your phone to charge overnight is relatively safe but it might lead to faster battery degradation.
2. A Flagship Camera On A Mid-Range Phone
For most people, a phone’s camera is the most important feature when buying a new phone.
The Samsung Galaxy A31 sports a 48-megapixel main camera, ideal for those Insta-worthy shots. It also has an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera so you can take more of your surroundings without even moving.
The 5-megapixel macro lens could come in handy if you ever feel like taking close-up pictures. With the help of a 5-megapixel depth sensor, your portrait shots will have the right amount of blur to make your subject pop against a blurry background.
Last but not least, it features a 20-megapixel front camera to focus on the most important person in your life, yourself. You can fit more friends into your we-fies too with the wide-angle mode.
This is slightly better than the OPPO A92 which is more expensive with its 16-megapixel front camera.
3. A Fantastic Display For What You’re Paying For
When you’re told to think of a mid-range device, you might think of a phone with a crappy display that can’t even show off colours correctly.
But, that’s not necessarily true.
The Samsung Galaxy A31 is equipped with a bright and colourful 6.4-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display.
For those who love to binge-watch their shows on-the-go, you’ll appreciate a display that can show off darker blacks and fuller colours.
This indicates that Samsung did not skimp on the display, even for a mid-range device.
Compare this to the other devices in the same price range that usually comes with an LCD display such as the HUAWEI nova 7i and OPPO A92, the Samsung Galaxy A31 easily wins this comparison.
4. Accessing Samsung’s Ecosystem
Since we’re still in RMCO, cashless and contactless payments are the recommended method of payment.
Luckily with the Samsung Galaxy A31, it comes packaged with Samsung Pay so you can make contactless payments with just your phone. It saves you the hassle of pulling out your wallet and the need to handle physical money.
For Samsung Pay to work, you’ll have to link your credit/debit card to your Samsung account. But for those without credit cards, there’s a new solution.
Instead, you can now link your Boost account to your Samsung Pay and pay with your Boost Wallet.
This also means that you can get both rewards and benefits from Samsung and Boost in one go. You’ll have access to other Samsung smart devices you own at home using the Samsung Smart Things app and control them remotely with your mobile phone.
And if you’re thinking of grabbing the Samsung Galaxy A31 for yourself, you can get it from Urban Republic as they are currently running a promo, and you can get it for just RM1,049.
| Model RRP | Samsung Galaxy A31 RM1,099 | HUAWEI nova 7i RM1,099 | OPPO A92 RM1,199 |
| Display | 6.4” FHD+ Super AMOLED | 6.4” FHD+ LCD | 6.5” FHD+ LCD |
| Camera | Rear: 48MP + 8MP + 5MP + 5MP Front: 20MP | Rear: 48MP + 8MP + 2MP + 2MP Front: 16MP | Rear: 48MP + 8MP + 2MP + 2MP Front: 16MP |
| Storage + RAM | 6GB + 128GB | 8GB + 128GB | 8GB + 128GB |
| Battery | 5,000 mAh | 4,200 mAh | 5,000 mAh |
Who Is Urban Republic?
Urban Republic is a retail store specialising in gadgets, phones, drones and premium audio devices. They’ve been operating in Malaysia since 2014 and they have over 11 Urban Republic stores all over Malaysia.
When shopping in an Urban Republic, they have a well-trained on-site crew that’ll provide you with advice on what to purchase based on what you need and want.
They are also an authorised Samsung reseller, so you can shop with confidence that you’re buying a legit Samsung device when you shop at Urban Republic.
Besides that, they have plenty of promotions and discounts all year long too.
When making a payment in Urban Republic, they have a variety of options for you to choose from and that includes instalments with 0% interest, payment via e-wallets and EZ Payment with Split.
EZ Payment with Split is their latest payment option and it allows you to split the payment for purchases under RM2,000 for up to 3 months without any interest rates. Better yet, you don’t even need a credit card for this.
If you’re someone with butter fingers who often drop their phone, you can opt for their Urban Smart Protection plan too. There are three options under the plan. You can opt for Screen Crack Protection, 1 Year Extended Warranty, or a bundle of both.
For Screen Crack Protection, you will not have to baby your phone too much as you’ll be covered for accidental cracks on the display of the device. While the extended warranty will give you peace of mind for your protected devices.
At least with the Samsung Galaxy A31, you know that you’re getting more than what you paid for a mid-range device. It gives you easy access to the Samsung ecosystem with decent specs to boot.
