Samsung just revealed its new range of Galaxy A smartphones yesterday, and the range-topping model of the series, the Samsung Galaxy A72, is quite an interesting mid-ranger. Not only does it have a 90Hz Super AMOLED display, it also has an IP67 rating and a pretty sophisticated camera system – hardware you don’t typically find on a mid-range Samsung phone.
I’ve used the Galaxy A72 for a few days now, and I’m actually quite surprised by how good it is. If Samsung Malaysia prices the A72 right, it could be a winner for the Korean phone maker.
One of the main highlights of the Galaxy A72 is definitely its 6.7-inch 1080p Super AMOLED screen with a 90Hz refresh rate. Granted, many other mid-range smartphones have shipped with even faster displays – such as the Redmi Note 10 Pro‘s 120Hz AMOLED panel – but refresh rate isn’t everything; screen quality matters too.
In the case of the Galaxy A72, its Super AMOLED screen has a peak brightness of 800 nits; not a lot of mid-range smartphones can achieve this level of brightness. The A72’s panel itself also offers punchy, vibrant colours, as well as wide viewing angles. In short, you’re getting a high quality screen with this smartphone, and even though the 90Hz refresh rate isn’t awfully high, it’s fast enough to provide a smooth user experience.
Aside from that, there’s also the quad camera system of the Galaxy A72. It is made up of a 64MP f/1.8 primary sensor, a 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide angle shooter, an 8MP f/2.4 telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, and a 5MP f/2.4 macro camera. Collectively, these sensors allow the A72 to capture some pretty good-looking shots.
While I have only captured a few shots with the Galaxy A72, the end results do look quite promising. Even in low light conditions, it still has good detail preservation and dynamic range. I’ll still need to put the camera through its paces to really get a feel for the actual camera performance, but as far as I can tell right now, it feels very competent.
Another unique feature of the Galaxy A72 is its IP67 rating; a feature you don’t see too often on mid-range smartphones. This allows the A72 to be submerged up to 1m underwater for 30 minutes, so you don’t have to worry about water damage with this phone.
However, while it’s great that the Galaxy A72 has an IP67-rated chassis, its build quality leaves much to be desired. I do like the matte finish on the plastic back, but the plasticky frame of the phone doesn’t exactly inspire confidence, and it’s not particularly nice to the touch either. Of course, this is a mid-range smartphone, so there’s only so much we can expect out of a phone at this price point.
In the performance department, the Galaxy A72 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G chipset. In my brief time with the phone so far, this chip seems to be able to provide a reasonably good level of performance. The phone feels fast and responsive, though it does struggle to run Genshin Impact at a consistent frame rate. But given that even flagship phones can’t run the game particularly well, the fact that it’s playable on the A72 is good enough.
Last but definitely not least is the battery life of the Galaxy A72. In my few days using the phone as my daily driver, I can comfortably get through a typical work day with the A72. This comes as no surprise, of course: it’s packed with a very generous 5,000mAh battery after all.
All in all, the Samsung Galaxy A72 looks to be a promising mid-range smartphone with a pretty attractive feature set, including a relatively fast 90Hz Super AMOLED display, a competent quad camera system, and even an IP67 rating. The only thing is, Samsung Malaysia has not detailed the local pricing of the A72 yet, so it’s hard to say if it is worth picking up or not.
If the Galaxy A72 is priced close to its predecessor, the Galaxy A71 – which retailed at RM1,799 – it would be a good option for those who are looking to get a competent mid-ranger below RM2,000. However, if the A72 is priced above that price point, it would be tough to consider this phone over other devices in the same price range.
The thing is, there are many flagship smartphones above the RM2,000 price point that offer better value for money than the Galaxy A72. In order for this mid-range phone to be compelling enough, it has to be priced competitively. Hopefully, Samsung Malaysia will reveal the local availability (and price) of the Galaxy A72 very soon – it’s really the Korean company’s most interesting mid-ranger yet.