Samsung Galaxy A31 review: specs, battery & used prices

Summary

The Galaxy A31 was the 2020 mid-ranger that quietly earned loyalty: a 6.4-inch OLED — rare at the price — a 5,000 mAh battery and a 48 MP main camera at a $210 launch. Our everyday score of 26/100 records modest silicon; the OLED at this tier was the reason people bought it, and the reason it still has a used market at all.

Display and design

The 6.4-inch OLED at 60 Hz with a 600-nit rating outclasses the LCDs that dominated the segment — the 36/100 screen score is carried by contrast and brightness rather than refresh. At 185 g with no IP rating, it is a conventional plastic mid-ranger that feels one tier above its price when the screen lights up.

Performance

The Helio P65 is entry-level-adjacent: everyday 26/100, gaming 0/100. The phone is patient rather than quick, aimed at messaging, browsing and media. Software support ended long ago — at this vintage, that is part of the price.

Camera

A 48 MP main, 8 MP ultrawide, 5 MP depth and 2 MP macro, no OIS: a 21/100 score. Daylight output from the main sensor is fine for the tier; low light and zoom are best left alone.

Battery and charging

The 5,000 mAh cell scores 40/100 and pairs with slow silicon for a solid two days of light use — the second pillar of the phone's appeal after the OLED. Charging at 15 W is unhurried.

Verdict

The used market has a real sample at the bottom: 4/64 units cluster around $99 (five listings) and 4/128 around $145 (two) — a working OLED phone for under $100 is the pitch. Higher-memory listings exist at prices that stop making sense; the sane buys are the bottom tiers. For the same idea with more years of software behind it, the Galaxy A42 successor costs little more used.