In recent years, Samsung has firmly gained a foothold in the segment of mid-range smartphones, squeezing out the usual guests from the Middle Kingdom. Consider at least the Galaxy A51, which became the best-selling device in 2020 among several retailers at once. Nevertheless, time does not stand still, and the announcement of the updated line was not long in coming. I was fortunate enough to use both the Galaxy A32 and Galaxy A52 – now the most advanced model in the lineup. What can a Korean offer for 36 thousand rubles? Let’s figure it out.
Familiar design
Externally, the Samsung Galaxy A72 does not stand out from the general style of the line. Moreover, not having a Galaxy A52 at hand, the two smartphones can be easily confused because they differ only in size – the hero of today’s review is 0.2 inches larger, which, however, is felt. Seriously, the smartphone is large and obviously not suitable for every hand, so I advise you to feel it in the store before buying. As for the design, everything is in order: matte plastic that does not collect fingerprints, a neat camera unit around which dust does not accumulate, and a glossy frame that … glitters.
All controls are located on the right side, USB Type-C and a 3.5 mm headphone jack – on the bottom. But upstairs, Samsung brought out a hybrid slot for two SIM cards or a SIM-card + microSD memory card. Traditionally, the Galaxy A72 is assembled monumentally for the company’s smartphones – there is not even a hint of creaks and backlash here. Everything is perfectly fitted.
Large AMOLED display
On the front, the Samsung Galaxy A72 boasts a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 2400 × 1080 and an increased refresh rate of up to 90 Hz. The screen is bright, contrasting, and overall excellent, but it should be borne in mind that the flickering characteristic of this type of matrix has not gone anywhere, and DC Dimming has not been added. At 20%, the PWM brightness reaches 120%.
The front camera is placed in a neat cutout in the middle and does not interfere with the use, just like the relatively thin bezels around the perimeter. The chin is expected to be slightly thicker than the side frames. A fingerprint scanner is built under the screen, but my copy had a defect, and it did not work. I dare to suggest that there is a sensor similar to the Galaxy A52. If so, then there should be no questions about its accuracy and recognition speed.
One more useful camera
On the back of the Samsung Galaxy A72 are located 4 cameras:
- main 64 megapixels with f / 1.8 aperture;
- ultra-wide-angle 12 megapixels with an aperture of f / 2.2;
- 8 megapixel telephoto with f / 2.4 aperture and 3x magnification;
- 5-megapixel macro camera with f / 2.4 aperture.
The 64-megapixel main module is identical to that of the Galaxy A52. It’s bright and sharp enough – most of the shots boast correct colors and great detail. In this case, the percentage of fuzzy frames is reduced to zero. The smartphone successfully copes with both daylight and indoor or dark photography. In general, I was once again satisfied with the quality of the main module – it works simply and flawlessly.
The ultra-wide-angle camera also gives a decent result. The module does an excellent job of capturing landscapes and only slightly falls behind when shooting indoors – the aperture of f / 2.2 effects. However, with the proper skill, you can still get a photo suitable for Instagram.
Less stable results are provided by an 8-megapixel telephoto module and a 32-megapixel front camera. If the former often artificially overestimates the sharpness, making the photo less natural, then the front camera, on the contrary, lacks clarity – the pictures turn out to be muddy both during the day and in the evening. However, 3x zoom is still more useful than a depth sensor. It’s hard to argue here.
Comfortable performance
Like the Galaxy A52, the processor is the proven Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G with two 2.3 GHz cores and six 1.8 GHz cores. With the amount of RAM increased to 6 GB in the minimum salary, such a bundle inspires confidence. Thanks to the 90 Hz screen, the interface flies – animations are smooth. There are no freezes. This is where the effects-filled One UI shell comes in handy, which covers Android 11. With games, everything is also in perfect order. As usual, I ran World of Tanks and PUBG and got a stable 60 FPS at high both there and there.
In terms of additional features, the Galaxy A72 is naturally not inferior to its younger brother in the face of the Galaxy A52. We bend our fingers: NFC – yes, protection against water and dust according to the IP67 standard – yes, 3.5 mm headphone jack – also “packed.” In general, the entire gentleman’s set is assembled for comfortable use.
Confident 5000 mAh
Under the hood, the Galaxy A72 has an impressive 5000 mAh battery, eliminating the gluttony of an AMOLED display with 90 Hz turned on. The smartphone works quietly for a full day from morning to evening, showing 15 hours and 25 minutes in the Trashbox.ru proprietary test, which is a decent indicator and is an hour higher than the result of the Galaxy A52. In terms of battery recharge, the Galaxy A72 supports 25W fast charging, allowing you to get nearly 50% off from scratch in half an hour.
Recall after two weeks of use.
After walking for two weeks with a smartphone, I can confidently say that the experience is as similar as possible to the Galaxy A52, and this is a compliment. The smartphone is fast, bright, has a good battery, and allows you to take pleasant photos without difficulty. Nevertheless, the question arises – why is Samsung asking for 10,000 rubles more? Larger screen, 6GB of RAM, 3x telephoto zoom, and an hour longer battery life. It would seem that there are enough changes, but, in my opinion, no. The Galaxy A52 is too well-balanced to pay such a hefty sum for an improved version.
pros
- The matte surface of the case.
- High-quality AMOLED display.
- Decent camera system.
- Comfortable performance level.
- 5000 mAh battery.
Minuses
- Inflated price tag, slightly breaking the hierarchy in the line.