Samsung introduced a new lineup of online exclusive smartphones called the Galaxy M back in the month of January, replacing the On series. The devices launched in the beginning included the Galaxy M10 and Galaxy M20 which were soon followed by the launch of the Galaxy M30 in the month of February. The series represented a shift in strategy for the company; and was announced in a bid to compete with the ever-increasing presence and popularity of Chinese smartphone OEMs such as Xiaomi, Honor and Realme. However, all the devices in the Galaxy M lineup run on the slightly dated Android 8 Oreo and the company’s ExperienceUI on top. Now, Samsung has announced all the handsets in the series will receive the OneUI update running on the latest Android 9 Pie soon.
OneUI: What Has Changed?
Samsung first introduced its latest OneUI software in the month of November last year. It introduces a complete design overhaul for the User Interface (UI) the company will provide with the Android 9 Pie update on its smartphones. Key features of the OneUI include improved one hand navigation by placing major information in the bottom half of the display. The software also introduces Dark Mode, a feature that has been requested by users for a while now. When activated, it turns certain areas of the UI black in colour, which is easier on the eyes at night; and also gives an aesthetically different look to the software. Other features include bigger, and more streamlined icon designs and a cut down on the bloatware shipped with the smartphone.
Android Pie On Galaxy M Series
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Like mentioned previously, Samsung has announced that the Android Pie based OneUI update; will be received by all the smartphones in the Galaxy M lineup. It will be an Over The Air (OTA) update so users will get a notification as soon as it is available for their devices. According to the company, installing OneUI on the Galaxy M handsets should see an improvement in their performance, which is appreciated. The rollout for the Android Pie update for the smartphones will begin on the 3rd of June 2019.
When it comes to design, it’s the most astute reason why a smartphone sells these days. Making a style statement is not just an option these days, its a necessity. That’s why all three of these phones have an extremely eye-catching design that stands out.
The Samsung Galaxy M20 sports a waterdrop notch, which also houses the front camera. The ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M2 has a trapezium-like notch, which doesn’t take up much space in the display. The Redmi Note 6 Pro, on the other hand, sports a wider notch that is larger than the other 2 phones. 
Talking about the back panels, the Samsung Galaxy M20 has a plastic back, which actually gives a premium look. Similarly, the ASUS device has a laminated glossy plastic back. It looks good, but picks up smudges pretty easily. The Redmi Note 6 Pro is the only smartphone here which brings a metal back panel to the game. It has a smooth matte finish, making it a bit slippery, but good to hold and look at the same time.
The Galaxy M20 brings the Samsung-developed PLS TFT capacitative screen to the table, with a size of 6.3 inches. The phone has a 83.6 percent screen-to-body ratio, which is higher as compared to the other two devices. With a resolution of 2340 x 1080 px, a 19.5:9 aspect ratio and a Pixel density of 409ppi, it clearly has an edge over the ASUS and Redmi devices.
The Zenfone Max Pro M2 has an 6. 2 inch IPS LCD, and a 82 percent screen-to-body ratio. With a slightly lower resolution at 2280 x 1080 px and 19:9 ratio, it matches the specs of the Redmi Note 6 Pro. The Galaxy M20, being the latest phone in the category, shows worthwhile improvements when it comes to display.
Starting with the Samsung Galaxy M20, it packs an Exynos 7904 Octa chipset (14nm). Both the Zenfone and the Redmi devices, on the other hand, run on the Snapdragon SoC. The Zenfone Max Pro M2 has a Snapdragon 660 chipset, which houses an Octa-core CPU (4×2.2 GHz Kryo 260 & 4×1.8 GHz Kryo 260).
The Redmi Note 6 Pro runs on a slightly older Snapdragon 636 SoC, with an Octa-core 1.8 GHz Kryo 260. While the Zenfone and the Redmi have Adreno GPUs, the Galaxy M20 has a Mali-G71 MP2 GPU. 
All three smartphones are available in both 3 GB and 4 GB RAM variants, providing 32 GB and 64 GB internal storage variants respectively. The Zenfone Max Pro M2 is also available in a 3rd variant with 6GB RAM and 64 GB storage, which is saying something.
While the Redmi Note 6 Pro supports expandable storage up to 256 GB, both the M20 and Zenfone support microSD cards upto 512 GB. It’s interesting to note that the Zenfone and the Galaxy M20 both use dedicated memory card slots. The Redmi Note 6 Pro uses the slot for the SIM 2, so that’s something to point out here.
In an era of dual-camera setups, none of these smartphones disappoint. The Samsung Galaxy M20 has a 13 MP (f/1.9) primary camera, with a secondary ultra-wide 5 MP (f/2.2) camera with a depth sensor. It’s equipped with a 8 MP (f/2.0) front selfie camera. Both these cameras support HDR and can record videos at 1080p (30fps). 
The Zenfone Max Pro M2 has a 12 MP (f/1.8) primary camera, along with a secondary 5 MP (f/2.2) camera, again with a depth sensor. In terms of the front camera, it has a 13 MP (f/2.0) front camera, which supports HDR and even has a LED flash. The best part about the Zenfone’s camera is the fact that it supports 2K recording, and 1080p recording at 60fps. 
The Redmi Note 6 Pro sports a 12 MP (f/1.9) dual pixel primary camera, with a secondary 5 MP (f/.2.2) camera with a depth sensor. It has an amazing 20 MP (f/2.0) front camera with a secondary 2 MP front camera (with a depth sensor). It also supports recording at 1080p (30fps). 
Both the Samsung Galaxy M20 and the Zenfone Max Pro M2 pack a 5000 mAh battery, which is a bliss for those who use their phone on the heavy side. The Redmi Note 6 Pro has a 4000 mAh battery. A bit lower than its counterparts, but still enough to handle over a day’s worth of usage. The Samsung Galaxy M20 supports fast charging too. 
All the devices have standard connectivity options, with the exception of an infrared port on the Redmi Note 6 Pro, which makes the device MI Remote compatible. The only device among these three which supports Type-C connectivity is the Galaxy M20, so that’s an added bonus. All three smartphones have rear-mounted fingerprint sensors.
The Samsung Galaxy M20 is available in two colours, Ocean Blue and Charcoal Black. Similarly, the Zenfone is also available in two colours, namely Blue and Titanium. The Redmi 6 Pro offers 4 different colour options. It’s available in Black, Blue, Rose Gold and Red. 
