Samsung Galaxy A72 review

The Samsung Galaxy A72 is a solid mid-range smartphone with a few standout features. The device boasts a large 6.7-inch display with a high refresh rate, making it perfect for watching videos and browsing the web. Additionally, the phone's stereo speakers produce clear and crisp sound, while its IP67 rating ensures protection against water and dust. The Galaxy A72 also has a quad-camera setup, consisting of a 64MP primary sensor, an 8MP telephoto lens, a 12MP ultra-wide-angle camera, and a 5MP macro camera. While the cameras don't quite match those found on high-end devices, they still manage to deliver impressive results in various lighting conditions. One notable drawback is the phone's use of a mid-range chipset, which may struggle with demanding tasks. Furthermore, the device's color consistency across its cameras could be better. Despite these limitations, the Samsung Galaxy A72 is a well-rounded smartphone that checks several important boxes. It offers a large battery, plenty of storage options, and support for three major Android updates. Overall, this phone is an excellent choice for those seeking a reliable mid-range device with a high refresh rate display, IP protection, and a tele camera. While the Galaxy A72 may not be perfect, it remains a strong contender in its class. Its unique blend of features makes it well-suited for casual users who want a solid smartphone without breaking the bank.

Build Quality and Design

The Samsung Galaxy A72 boasts an impressive build quality and design that sets it apart from its mid-range contemporaries. The device's exterior is crafted with attention to detail, featuring a sleek and durable plastic back panel that feels premium to the touch. Upon closer inspection, you'll notice a slight curvature to the edges of the phone, which provides a comfortable grip in the hand. The overall shape is well-balanced, making it easy to hold and maneuver. A glossy glass finish adorns the front of the device, adding an extra layer of visual appeal. One of the standout features of the Galaxy A72's design is its impressive ingress protection rating. With IP67 certification, this phone can withstand accidental exposure to water or dust without sustaining any damage. This level of protection provides peace of mind for users who frequently take their devices into wet or dusty environments. In terms of dimensions, the Galaxy A72 measures in at 6.7 x 3 inches and weighs a mere 7.3 ounces. While not the lightest phone on the market, it's still remarkably compact considering its feature set. The inclusion of IP67 certification also means that users can enjoy their device with confidence, even when used outdoors or in harsh environments. The Samsung Galaxy A72's design may not be as flashy or attention-grabbing as some other flagships, but it exudes a quiet confidence and dependability that's hard to find at this price point. Overall, the phone's build quality and design are sure to impress even the most discerning users.

Battery Life

One of the most impressive aspects of the Samsung Galaxy A72 is its battery life. This mid-range device has managed to outshine many of its competitors in this department, and it's a welcome surprise. The A72 comes equipped with a large 5000mAh battery that provides more than a day's worth of use on a single charge. In our testing, we found that the device easily lasted around 12-14 hours with moderate to heavy usage, including browsing, social media, music streaming, and gaming. What's even more impressive is how efficiently the A72 uses its battery power. The device has a power-saving mode that automatically kicks in when the screen brightness is set to medium or low, which helps to conserve battery life. We also appreciated the fact that the A72 supports fast charging, allowing users to quickly top up their battery when needed. With a full charge taking around 1 hour and 30 minutes, this feature makes it easy to get back to using your device without too much waiting. Overall, the Samsung Galaxy A72's battery life is a significant strength of the device. It's one aspect that sets it apart from other mid-range devices on the market, and we think it's definitely worth considering if you're looking for a device with all-day battery life.

Display

The Samsung Galaxy A72 boasts an impressive display that is sure to please. The 6.7-inch Super AMOLED panel offers vibrant colors, deep blacks, and excellent contrast ratio. Whether you're watching videos, browsing through photos, or scrolling through social media, the display shines with its crisp visuals. One of the standout features of the A72's display is its high refresh rate of 90Hz. This means that the screen can update at a rate of 90 times per second, resulting in smoother and more responsive visuals compared to standard 60Hz displays. The result is a seamless viewing experience that makes it perfect for gaming, video streaming, or any other activity where smoothness matters. The display also features a peak brightness of 600 nits, making it easy to see even in bright sunlight conditions. This is particularly useful if you plan on using your phone outdoors frequently. Additionally, the screen's color accuracy is impressive, with colors looking rich and vibrant. While some may have hoped for a higher refresh rate, such as 120Hz or even 144Hz, the A72's 90Hz display is still an excellent choice. It offers a great balance between performance and power consumption, making it perfect for everyday use. Overall, the Samsung Galaxy A72's display is a highlight of the device, offering exceptional visuals, smoothness, and brightness that makes it perfect for any user.

Camera

The camera on the Samsung Galaxy A72 is a quad-camera setup that boasts a 64MP main camera with OIS, an 8MP telephoto camera with OAS, a 12MP ultra-wide camera, and a 5MP macro camera. During the day, shots are dependable but not spectacular, with wide dynamic range and lively colors. However, when zoomed in with the tele-camera, you'll get good stills in good light conditions, although there is some noise and over-sharpening artifacts. The ultra-wide camera captures solid stills for its class, with nice colors that are cooler than on the main camera. Low-light photos are above average for the class, thanks to the camera's scene optimizer triggering an auto night mode on any of the three cameras. This results in very good low-light photos from the main cam, with noise kept at bay and colors looking quite good. The dedicated night mode doesn't improve anything and actually takes a longer time to take a photo, cropping the image to 12MP and clipping highlights. It's recommended to stick to the auto mode for low-light shots. The zoom camera holds up well in low light too, with photos looking better than cropped images and good detail and sharpness. The ultra-wide produced very decent shots for its class, thanks to the auto night mode, capturing nice low-light images with decent detail, saturated colors, and a good dynamic range. Portraits are okay but far from perfect, with subject separation and background blur done well, although there were issues with focus, with hardly any faces coming out in focus. Macro shots are impressive for its class, with a wide and forgiving focus plane and nice detailed images. Selfies taken with the 32MP camera in the punch hole have solid quality, plenty of detail, and not too much noise. Overall, the Samsung Galaxy A72's camera is versatile and performs well in various lighting conditions. While it may not be spectacular, it gets the job done, making it a solid mid-range option for those who want a good camera without breaking the bank.

Price and Value

The Samsung Galaxy A72 is a mid-range smartphone that offers a compelling blend of features and price. At around $450-$500, it's priced similarly to other devices in its class. However, what sets the A72 apart is its impressive array of features, including a high-refresh-rate screen, IP protection, and a quad-camera setup. In terms of value, the Galaxy A72 delivers in several areas. The display, for instance, is one of the best on offer at this price point, with vivid colors and a smooth 90Hz refresh rate. The stereo speakers are also a highlight, providing clear and loud sound that's perfect for watching videos or listening to music. The quad-camera setup, while not spectacular in terms of overall quality, offers a good level of versatility. The 64MP main camera takes dependable shots during the day, with wide dynamic range and lively colors. The telephoto camera is also impressive, allowing for decent zoomed-in shots and good detail at 4x magnification. However, where the A72 falters in terms of value is its chipset. The device uses a mid-range processor that's not as powerful as some other devices on offer at this price point. While it still manages to deliver smooth performance, it's not quite on par with the competition in this regard. Overall, the Samsung Galaxy A72 offers excellent value for money, considering its impressive feature set and competitive pricing. If you're after a mid-range smartphone with a high-refresh-rate screen, IP protection, and a tele camera, then the A72 is definitely worth considering. However, if you're a power user or have more demanding needs, you may want to look elsewhere. The Galaxy A72 offers great value for money, but its chipset holds it back from being truly exceptional. Still, with its impressive display, stereo speakers, and versatile camera setup, it's an excellent choice for those on a budget or seeking a solid mid-range device.

Performance

The Samsung Galaxy A72 is a mid-range device that promises a lot, but its performance is a bit of a letdown. On the bright side, the phone's display is one of its strong suits, with vibrant colors and crisp visuals making it perfect for streaming and gaming. However, things take a turn for the worse when it comes to performance. The phone's chipset, while adequate for general use, feels underpowered when pushing the device to its limits. Multitasking and resource-intensive tasks are handled poorly, resulting in stuttering and lag. The 90Hz refresh rate is a nice touch, but it's not enough to make up for the phone's lack of processing power. The Adreno GPU, while decent, struggles with demanding games, and even casual gamers may experience some slowdowns. In terms of camera performance, the A72 has its moments, but it's not consistently reliable. While daytime shots are acceptable, low-light photos often struggle to deliver, and the dedicated night mode doesn't necessarily improve things. The cameras do, however, excel in certain situations - like capturing good detail and dynamic range in bright conditions. But overall, the camera performance is a mixed bag, and we wouldn't recommend it as the primary reason for buying this phone. In terms of battery life, the A72 fares better, lasting through the day with moderate use. However, heavy users may find themselves needing to top up before bedtime. Overall, while the Samsung Galaxy A72 has some redeeming qualities, its performance is a major letdown. If you're looking for a mid-range device that can handle demanding tasks and deliver consistent camera performance, there are better options available in this price range.