Samsung Galaxy A72 is the premium mid-range smartphone that was launched in India some time back. The device comes with some high-end features. There is a 5G model too but that is limited to the western market. We have spent a considerable amount of time on the device and this is our detailed review of the Samsung Galaxy A72.
Samsung Galaxy A72 Review: Design and Display
In terms of looks, Samsung Galaxy A72 is definitely an eye candy. The device has been made available in pastel colour options Awesome Black, Awesome Blue, Awesome Violet, and Awesome White colour options. As the name suggests the device looks absolutely awesome and we have the Awesome Violet variant. The phone comes with a bigger form factor and also incorporates IP67 dust and water protection, which is something we don’t get to see on non-flagship phones.
The device feels premium and great in the hand and for us, it’s one of the best looking mid-range smartphones currently available in the market. The phone feels comfortable while holding and does not have sharp edges. Despite being over 200 grams the phone also doesn’t feel heavier either. It features a matte finish so no more fingerprints. Although it comes with an all-plastic build, which is a letdown at this pricing, we have liked a glass or metal build. Although the handset doesn’t look like a boring slab.
Upfront it is endowed with a 6.7-inch full-HD+ Super AMOLED Infinity-O Display. We don’t call it flagship quality, but it is good enough as it supports HDR playback. The screen comes with a refresh rate of 90Hz with excellent colour reproduction. The brightness and colour contrast is also pleasing to the eyes. There were no jitters or slow scrolling experience. The Samsung Galaxy A72 supports an under-display fingerprint sensor, which we found to be slightly slow.
The edges on the sides are relatively slimmer than the bottom chin, which is more exaggerated than it should have been on the 6.7-inch screen. But the good thing is the punch hole cut out at the top centre is almost not there. There is a stereo speaker system in this smartphone. Though it produces balanced audio as it supports Dolby Atmos audio. we expected it to be better in terms of loudness. There is a dedicated Dolby Atmos game mode that enhances the audio while gaming. Moreover, Galaxy A72 includes a 3.5mm headphone jack which is a big relief. To put it all together, Samsung Galaxy A72 has nailed it in terms of design and display.
Samsung Galaxy A72 Review: Performance and Cameras
Now moving on to the performance side of the smartphone it has Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 720G, which is a major letdown considering the pricing. There are plenty of options available in the market that offer great performance and 5G connectivity too. But this doesn’t mean that the device is terrible in performance, but it is just that competition is hardcore out there.
We had 8GB of RAM with a 128GB storage variant. Although the company has worked to improve the optimisation of the device, it is of no match considering other smartphones available in the market have slightly better SoC and storage. Nonetheless, the handset can easily hold apps in the memory well and we had no issues during our testing.
Getting to the gaming side of things, frankly speaking, this phone is not made for high-end gaming. When gaming for long, the mobile heats up and you will notice frame drops as well. However, the device can handle day to day regimes, even heavy multitasking. Samsung does offer 3 years of OS updates and 4 years of security updates on this mobile phone. When it comes to software, Samsung’s One UI is the best Android skin. It is simple to use, has less bloatware and comes with features like system-wide dark mode and always-on display.
Quickly shifting gears, let’s get to the cameras now. Samsung Galaxy A72 features a quad rear camera setup that includes a 64-megapixel primary sensor with an f/1.8 lens. In addition to this, there is a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle sensor, a 5-megapixel macro lens, and an 8-megapixel telephoto camera.
Samsung has also provided a 32-megapixel selfie camera sensor on the front.
It should be noted that the primary and the telephoto lenses equip OIS, which is something we don’t get to see in this price range. In normal daytime, the camera produced a better dynamic range and natural colours. So you can expect the camera to be reliable under any circumstance. Ultra-wide images have a wider field of view with good HDR capabilities too. The telephoto lens is capable of up to 3X optical zoom and up to 30 times digital zoom. The images look good up to 10x magnification but beyond that, the outcome depends upon the lighting conditions. The portraits from the primary lens look nice too offering a more natural undertone. Whereas the selfies also looked warm yet natural.
The nighttime images from the Galaxy A72 primary camera give better exposure details and look even better when night mode is turned on. The device does not have a 4K @ 60fps option, but it does provide [email protected]. The plus point is that the company has provided an OIS in its cameras hence the videos are stable from the rear as well as on the front.
In terms of battery endurance, the 5,000mAh battery can deliver more than a day’s screen on time under normal usage, whereas during heavy usage the phone will last you through the day only. The company also provides a 25W charger that takes from 0 to 100 percent in 1 hr and 25 minutes.
Verdict
Here comes the final part of our review. Though some might feel the device is overpriced, Samsung has practically nailed every other aspect of this phone. The display has good colour optimisation and even touch response. Yes, the device is not made for heavy gamers, but Samsung is not marketing it like that.
Here we would like to mention that the company introduced the phone alongside Galaxy A52, which offers similar specs and chipset. The only difference is a bigger display, battery and telephoto lens. So if you are looking for a more affordable option and a slightly smaller screen is not an issue then you can go for the Galaxy A52.
Pros
- Beautiful design
- IP certified
- Good battery life
Cons
- good camera performance
- bloatware
- Not made for the gamers
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