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Introduction
Samsung's Galaxy A family has been a major success for the Korean giant in recent years. In fact, it now represents the largest portion of the company's sales. That's no coincidence either. There is only one way to pull off that level of success - and it's by offering competitive features under high-profile branding for a reasonable amount. A daunting task that Samsung has been tackling like a true smartphone champ in nifty incremental steps throughout the last few Galaxy A generations.
The A family seems to constantly be growing as well. The lineup is sprawling, with new models seemingly popping up every few weeks. There is so much choice now, ranging from budget to nearly flagship-grade models, that Samsung could have easily spun it off into a sub-brand of its own. Not that we are suggesting they should.
As of writing this review, the Galaxy A72 represents the highest-end model in the family. It is actually quite similar to the Galaxy A52, we recently reviewed. The vanilla version, that is, not the 5G one. Compared to the A52, the A72 offers a slightly bigger 6.7-inch, 90Hz display, an extra 8MP telephoto camera and a slightly bigger 5,000 mAh battery. Other than that, the vanilla A52 and the A72 are pretty much identical, including physically rocking a particular modern Samsung design.
Samsung Galaxy A72 specs at a glance:
- Body: 165.0x77.4x8.4mm, 203g; Glass front, plastic back; IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 mins).
- Display: 6.70" Super AMOLED, 90Hz, 800 nits, 1080x2400px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 394ppi.
- Chipset: Qualcomm SM7125 Snapdragon 720G (8 nm): Octa-core (2x2.3 GHz Kryo 465 Gold & 6x1.8 GHz Kryo 465 Silver); Adreno 618.
- Memory: 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM; microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot).
- OS/Software: Android 11, One UI 3.1.
- Rear camera: Wide (main): 64 MP, f/1.8, 26mm, 1/1.7X", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS; Telephoto: 8 MP, f/2.4, 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom; Ultra wide angle: 12 MP, f/2.2, 123-degree, 1.12µm; Macro: 5 MP, f/2.4.
- Front camera: 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.8µm.
- Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps; gyro-EIS; Front camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps.
- Battery: 5000mAh; Fast charging 25W.
- Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); 3.5mm jack.
At the time of writing, the A52 starts at €350 for a 4GB/128GB unit, while the A72 costs €450 for its base 6GB/128GB tier. So the upgrades in the higher-tier model will set you back around €100 on top of the A52. Arguably, not quite as competitive on the value scale, but not bad either. Especially with features like the IP67 rating under its belt. Also, actual retail prices on both models have already come down a bit since their release, and the price difference should eventually shrink even further. Samsung is all too familiar with the kind of stiff mid-ranger competition it is facing in the space.
One more thing worth noting is that currently, there is no 5G variant of the A72 on offer. It is likely in the works, though, and has already been popping up in leaks. We can probably expect it to offer a 120Hz display, like the 5G variant of the A52 does. Potentially with a chipset swap from the Snapdragon 720G to the 750G 5G as well. That would make for yet another exciting model in the Galaxy A family. For now, however, we have a regular Galaxy A72 in for review in Awesome Blue, with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of expandable storage. Let's dive in.
Unboxing
The Samsung Galaxy A72 ships in a fairly plain two-piece box. Nothing too fancy, no plastic, just paper. Thick and rigid, it gets the job done. You don't get much in the way of accessories either - just a wall charger and a few leaflets, and that's about it.
That being said, unlike the Galaxy A52, which ships with a simple 15W charger, the A72 comes with a proper 25W PD one, including a white USB Type-C to Type-C cable. This is great news since the phone can, in fact, charge at up to 25W, and you don't need to go out and buy a compatible charger to make use of the higher speed charging with the A72 like with the A52.
Depending on how you look at this, a proper charger in the box can be deducted from the total price of owning the A72, or rather added to the potential math of getting the A52 instead and have you adjust the value calculation a bit.
Design
The new design language, spearheaded by the Galaxy A52 and A72, looks very "trendy", clearly targeted to the young Gen-Z crowd, mainly with a creative and social angle.
The new design mainly focuses on the rear panel, which now features a soft and silky finish, almost like a vinyl skin. The actual feel is sort of smooth and rubbery but also slightly silky. It is particular, and we recommend trying it out for yourself before committing since the reactions around the office to it were varied. It is available in Awesome Black, Awesome White, Awesome Violet and Awesome Blue.
"Awesome" is sort of a marketing cornerstone for the A32, A52 and A72, with Samsung really hammering in the models' "awesome battery, display and camera" and the "Awesome is for everyone" slogan.
Back to the eye-catching back, though, we honestly can't take our eyes off of the A72. The Awesome Violet we got on the A52 review unit already had that effect on us, but the Awesome Blue, as seen on the A72, is somehow even better. The soft pastel tone just works. In fact, it is nothing short of awesome.
Another peculiar element of the back design is the slightly more pronounced "lip", for lack of a better term. The plastic back on the A72 slopes down at a more aggressive angle and sort of tucks into the phone's middle frame.
Samsung also did the outline of the camera island slightly differently, basically smoothing it out and blending it with the back panel. Despite this, it is clearly inspired by the original design language of the Galaxy A51, with some inspiration for the accents also being drawn from the Galaxy Note 20 family.
The bill of materials on the A72 is nothing special. Both the back and the middle frame are made from plastic. Even so, it feels very well put together and solid in hand. Compared to the previous-gen Galaxy A71, the A72 has grown in pretty much every dimension. Measuring 165 x 77.4 x 8.4 mm, it tips the scale at 203 grams, which is also a noticeable uptick. However, both the extra thickness and heft are put to good use with increased battery capacity from 4,500 mAh to 5,000 mAh.
One thing that really stands out on the Galaxy A72 is the IP67 ingress protection rating. This is a first for the Galaxy A family and is very much appreciated.
Controls
It is great to see a 3.5mm audio jack here. It is positioned on the bottom frame, and unlike on the Galaxy A52, does not require strategically boosting thickness on the middle frame around it. The A72 is thick enough to accommodate it a bit better.
Next to it - a Type-C port, with a USB 2.0 controller behind it, with OTG functionality. And next to that - a single bottom-firing speaker. While that's technically the only full-featured, dedicated speaker the A72 has, it's a stereo speaker setup, with the earpiece pulling double-duty as the second channel.
That leaves the top side of the device mostly empty, only housing a secondary noise-cancelling mic and a Dual Nano-SIM card tray. The tray is a hybrid affair, though, with the second slot shared by a Nano-SIM tray and a microSD one. This means you will have to pick one or the other.
The left side of the Galaxy A52 is absolutely uninterrupted. This is one area where you can most easily feel the plastic material of the frame itself. If you don't specifically focus on it, though, we have to say that the finish feels good and doesn't come off as cheap in any way. It is not trying to imitate metal either, instead going for a glossy finish in a slightly different shade than the back. The two complement each other nicely.
The volume rocker and power button are on the right-side frame. Both are well-positioned and feel good, with a "clicky" response to them. No complaints.
The bezels surrounding the 6.7-inch display are not particularly thin but not too thick either. Sort of a Goldilocks situation - just right. We guess that the amplified earpiece requires some extra room. On the plus side, the selfie punch hole is pretty tight, with little blank space, which helps convey a more modern design overall.
The A72 has an under-display fingerprint reader. It is a standard optical one rather than one of Samsung's complex ultrasonic modules. Frankly, that's probably for the best. The reader itself is consistent, but a bit sluggish by today's standards. We appreciate the reliability, which at least makes it usable on a daily basis.
One noteworthy omission in terms of controls - there is no notification LED on the A72.
Bigger, brighter, faster 90Hz, 6.7-inch AMOLED display
Samsung has stepped up its display game on the Galaxy A series this year. The Galaxy A32, A52 and A72 all constitute a solid upgrade in the display department over their predecessors. High refresh rate is making a debut in the Galaxy A family, and it's not just limited to one device either. All of the above models have new, smooth 90Hz panels. The A72 has a 6.7-inch diagonal, which is slightly bigger than the 6.5-inches on the A52 and one of the reasons some users might consider picking it up instead.
Not only are the new panels faster, but they are also brighter. Both the Galaxy A52 and A72 are marketed as having 800 nits of peak brightness. We managed to easily achieve this in bright lighting conditions, with max auto reaching 825 nits in our tests. This makes the A72 perfectly usable outdoors, even in sunlight.
| Display test | 100% brightness | ||
| Black, |
White, |
||
| 0 | 826 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 825 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 814 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 794 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 725 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 716 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 682 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 677 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 627 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 585 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 570 | ∞ | |
| 0.4 | 534 | 1335:1 | |
| 0 | 515 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 511 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 476 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 475 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 459 | ∞ | |
| 0.327 | 458 | 1401:1 | |
| 0 | 457 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 454 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 398 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 396 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 395 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 393 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 386 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 373 | ∞ | |
In typical Samsung fashion, the Galaxy has two color profiles available in settings - Vivid (default) and natural. The former comes with a color tone slider, as well as custom white point adjustment.
Display color settings
Natural is meant to target the sRGB color space, which it manages relatively well, though not as well as the Galaxy A52. The white point itself is nearly perfect. It's just the rendition of green that is slightly off. It is still a great panel, though, especially in Vivid mode, where colors look great and have that desirable OLED "punch" to them.
One thing the new generation of panels on the A series lacks, however, is HDR video capabilities. Or at least official HDR certification.
At least Widevine L1 support is present.
Widevine and Netflix capabilities
Samsung has also included blue light protection, called Eye comfort shield. It has an adaptive setting that gradually adjusts colors throughout the day, if you are into that, as well as a simpler schedule option. You can also have Dark mode on a schedule.
Eye comfort shield
High refresh rate handling
A 90Hz refresh rate is more or less "entry-level" high refresh rate by today's standards. It is just a basic step above 60Hz, but still a noticeable one. The extra smoothness is particularly apparent while scrolling and is much appreciated. Going by past experience, the jump from the standard 60Hz to 90Hz is generally not too tasking on battery life either.
The Galaxy A72 doesn't promise any "smart" or adaptive refresh rate handling. Instead, it just has two aptly-named options in display settings - High and Standard. These, pretty-much lock refresh rate to 90Hz and 60Hz, respectively.
While in High refresh rate mode, most apps just run at 90Hz, including most of the Google suite, like Drive, Gmail, Play Store. All the browsers we tried behaved in the same way. So do other popular apps like Netflix, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.
Apps running at 90Hz: Drive • Gmail • Play Store • Chrome • Facebook • Netflix
This is all fine and dandy for the extra smoothness, but ideally, you would still want to play videos back in 60Hz instead of 90Hz. Even if the delta in battery usage is not that significant as it would be with a 120Hz or 144Hz panel, there is still no reason to waste that battery life. Unfortunately, Google Photos, YouTube and the Netflix app we already mentioned, as well as the built-in Video player, cannot automatically drop down to 60Hz and stick to 90Hz in High refresh rate mode. Not ideal.
Apps also running at 90Hz: YouTube • Netflix • Video player
We just remain hopeful that Samsung will eventually inject some extra "smarts" into the system via software updates. It can definitely be done one way or another with clever software. Even something as simple as an "exclusion list" would be enough. Certain apps already specifically mandate 60Hz operation for one reason or another that override the 90Hz refresh rate in High refresh rate mode. Notable examples include Google Maps and the Camera app, as well as other apps that use a Maps UI component or call up a camera viewfinder.
Finally, we naturally tried some games on the Galaxy A72 that are known to support higher refresh rate panels. However, the thing is that often anything past the 60fps mark is a big ask for the Adreno 618 GPU inside the phone. Even with the help of the performance optimizations and resolution scaler offered by the Samsung Game Launcher.
Samsung Game Launcher
Still, it is at least encouraging to see that the Galaxy A72 runs these titles with 90Hz enabled on its panel instead of dropping down to 60Hz. Of course, that is not to say that it always manages 90fps to saturate said refresh rate. Still, if you keep the games fairly simple and light, there are plenty of titles that can run at a smoother-than-60 refresh rate on the Galaxy A72 and provide a superior experience.
Games running at 90Hz
Battery life
The Galaxy A72 packs a 5,000 mAh battery - 500 mAh more than the A52. Not a bad accomplishment, considering both phones share the same 8.4mm thickness, with the A72 weighing just 4 grams more at 203 grams. That's pretty efficient use of space. It has the exact same 500 mAh bump up from the last-get Galaxy A71, as well.
As per the whole refresh rate situation, we made sure to run both our video and web tests at both 90Hz and 60Hz. The difference in endurance numbers is by no means massive, but it is noticeable. Ultimately, we decided to use the 90Hz web browsing results and the 60Hz video playback results for the final endurance calculation, resulting in a solid total of 117 hours in our proprietary testing.
This is simply because playing video back at 90Hz is simply wasteful. If you decide to not bother with switching refresh rates down for video playback, you end up with around an hour and a half less of total video playback and a 114-hour total rating - nothing to scoff at. On the flip side, if you decide to just stay at 60Hz all around, you can end up with an endurance rating of 121 hours from the Galaxy A72.
These results are well in line with what we have come to expect out of a Snapdragon 720G chipset and a big 5,000 mAh battery. For context, you can check out the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro. Though, that phone has a 60Hz LCD.
Our battery tests were automated thanks to SmartViser, using its viSerDevice app. The endurance rating denotes how long the battery charge will last you if you use the device for an hour of telephony, web browsing, and video playback daily. More details can be found here.
All test results shown are achieved under the highest screen refresh rate mode. You can adjust the endurance rating formula manually so it matches better your own usage in our all-time battery test results chart where you can also find all phones we've tested.
Charging speed
The Galaxy A72 arguably has a much more straightforward charging situation compared to the A52. While 25W PD support is a new addition on the latter and there is not compatible charger in the box, the A72 simply inherits its 25W PD charging from the A71 and the A70 before that. The proper charger is included in the box, alongside a compatible Type-C to Type-C cable.
This definitely makes our life a bit easier since we don't need to test two different chargers with the A72, but the same goes for users, too.
30min charging test (from 0%)
- Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
89% - Realme 8 Pro
88% - Poco F3
67% - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10
65% - Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro
60% - Samsung Galaxy A72
54% - Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
54% - Samsung Galaxy A52 (25W)
52% - Samsung Galaxy A71
51% - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro
50% - Poco X3 Pro
50% - Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G
43% - Samsung Galaxy A52
34% - Poco M3
25%
Time to full charge (from 0%)
- Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
0:37h - Realme 8 Pro
0:38h - Poco F3
0:56h - Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro
1:05h - Poco X3 Pro
1:08h - Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
1:11h - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10
1:13h - Samsung Galaxy A72
1:15h - Samsung Galaxy A71
1:21h - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro
1:21h - Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G
1:23h - Samsung Galaxy A52 (25W)
1:30h - Samsung Galaxy A52
2:03h - Poco M3
2:30h
25W PD is clearly not the fastest charging standard around. However, it still clocks in decent charging times while also maintaining reasonable temperatures and not putting too much unnecessary strain on the battery pack. This should theoretically aid with long-term battery health and longevity.
The charging speeds with the 25W charger are pretty similar to what we've already seen on other Samsung devices, like the S21 family and the Note20 devices. In essence, you are getting pretty much the best Samsung currently offers.
Speaker test
One of the nifty generational improvements on the Galaxy A72, as well as its smaller A52 sibling, is a stereo speaker setup. It is not a "proper" stereo setup, though. There is only one dedicated bottom-firing speaker on the A72. The other channel is handled by the amplified earpiece, making this a hybrid stereo setup. Even so, it makes a noticeable difference in multimedia consumption, which is greatly appreciated.
It is not the cleanest, nor the loudest speaker setup around. Even so, it managed to best many of its mid-range competitors with a maximum of -26.4 LUFS, earning it a "good" loudness score. This was achieved using the default settings, which is to say Dolby Atmos turned off and the Equalizer set to normal. Turning Dolby Atmos On expectedly lowers the maximum volume a bit, down to -28 LUFS.
The Galaxy A72 actually has a rather feature-rich set of audio options. The Dolby Atmos implementation includes presets for movies, music and voice, as well as an automatic option. As a nifty bonus on top of that - Dolby Atmos for gaming specifically picks up and optimizes certain sounds, like footsteps in-game, for a slight competitive advantage.
Dolby Atmos, equalizers and Adapt sound on the Galaxy A72
In our testing, Dolby Atmos managed to offer slight improvements in frequency response in the extreme lows without really altering the rest of the curve in any substantial way. If you elect to leave it off, you will get more loudness overall, though that is hardly vital for multimedia consumption when the phone is typically going to be quite close to your ears. In any case, it is better to have the option and potentially elect not to use it than not have it at all.
Rounding off the audio section, the Galaxy A72 also has an advanced equalizer, as well as Samsung's Adapt sound system, which can tune the audio profile to your specific personal needs and preferences.
Use the Playback controls to listen to the phone sample recordings (best use headphones). We measure the average loudness of the speakers in LUFS. A lower absolute value means a louder sound. A look at the frequency response chart will tell you how far off the ideal "0db" flat line is the reproduction of the bass, treble, and mid frequencies. You can add more phones to compare how they differ. The scores and ratings are not comparable with our older loudspeaker test. Learn more about how we test here.
Android 11 with One UI 3.1
It is hardly a secret that a lot of the appeal with Samsung devices lies in the software. Of course, it's not a universal appeal, but there is a reason why One UI is one of the most popular custom Android implementations out there and has been so for quite some time. In keeping with its new "Awesome is for everyone" slogan, the Korean giant is significantly stepping up its software game with the new Galaxy A family of devices.
Right off the bat, the Galaxy A72 comes with the latest One UI 3.1 and Android 11 setup out-of-the-box. More important still - Samsung has committed to delivering 3 major OS updates and 4 years of security patches. This is actually a fairly new development for Samsung and one that applies to the A32 and A52 as well. Many of the company's other recent models, like the Galaxy A02s have launched with One UI 2.5 and Android 10 and no particular commitment for long-term support. Not that One UI 3.1 constitutes a truly major change compared to 3.0 or even 2.5. Still, there are some subtle differences worth going over.
For example, the default lock screen shortcuts - dialer and camera, are now monochrome - they used to match the respective apps' colors. Oddly enough, if you pick different apps, they will keep their colors - it's not a first-party vs. third-party type of differentiation either.
As more of a functional change - the lock screen has a wellbeing widget - you can now keep track of how much time you've spent on your phone without even unlocking it. Meanwhile, the always-on display settings have been simplified.
Lock screen, shortcuts and widgets
The under-display fingerprint reader will likely be the primary method of unlocking for most users, but you can still use face unlock instead or alongside it. It can be more convenient in certain situations, but it generally is less secure since it's just based on the selfie camera. Iris scanners are sadly a thing of the past now.
Biometrics and security
Another notable change is that pulling the notification shade covers the entire screen underneath, even if there's just one notification card or none at all. Previously, a portion of the screen below the last notification still remained visible, just darkened.
While we're here, the quick toggles can now be edited directly from the plus button at the end of the list instead of going into the menu.
Android 11 includes the nifty Notification history feature. It's accessed from the Settings menu, so it's not within immediate reach, but it's there for those occasions when you dismissed a notification too quickly and you can't seem to find what it was about. Just make sure to enable it because it's Off by default.
Notifications, quick toggles and notification history
All of the standard layout adjustments and toggles for the quick panel and taskbar are accounted for. Android 11 has a new way of handling notifications for instant messenger apps called Bubbles, and One UI 3 adopts it, too. That's in addition to a previously available similar feature offered by Samsung by the name of Smart pop-up view. You'll find these settings under the 'Floating notifications' submenu, where you can alternatively turn both of them off and opt for the old-school cards only interface.
Bubbles is an extension of the Conversations feature, another new development. You tap on an icon in the initial incoming message notification. It turns into a conversation that you can then minimize to a bubble, or what was known as a 'chat head' - originally Facebook Messenger's default way of dealing with chats.
Smart pop-up view is one of One UI's lesser-known proprietary features. In the pre-Bubbles days, it used to add the chat head functionality to any application of your choosing. Tapping the hovering 'head' icon opens the app in a floating window, which you can further maximize to fullscreen or minimize it again to an icon. Sort of like Bubbles, only slightly different.
Floating notifications
Android 11's refined multimedia controls have made their way on to One UI. You get a stack of the active audio playback apps right below the quick toggles and swiping to the side switches between the apps.
The Media screen was already available on One UI 2.5 pre-Android 11, and it offers similar functionality for picking the output device or using Samsung's Music share feature. The volume control panel has gotten a makeover too, and now the four sliders are vertical instead of the horizontal ones of One UIs past.
Media controls
Samsung's Music Share is just one example of a fairly advanced software feature that originally launched as a flagship one and is now bringing a lot of added value to the mid-range. It fits right in with the new "Awesome' campaign for the Galaxy A family - a fact the PR team has instantly picked up on. The feature allows you to play music through Bluetooth accessories connected to a friend's Samsung phone. It is pretty nifty.
Samsung Music Share
Yet another of the native Android 11 improvements that Samsung also includes in One UI 3 is the ability to pin apps to the top of the sheet with Share options. It's one of those things that make you wonder how come it had to wait until v11 for us to get there. Things are much better now, but still, we'd like to be able to remove some of the options, too, because that list could sure use some decluttering.
One more thing that Google tweaked in this year's release is the permission handling, and Samsung's implemented it in One UI 3. With this version, you will now see a new prompt for permissions every time an app requests it, letting you deny permission, allow it only while using the app, or just for this one time. If an app requires constant access to permission, you also get a fourth option that takes you to a setting page where you can provide it. This is done to prevent the user from accidentally selecting this option while blazing through the permission dialogs.
Share options pinning and permissions handling
The settings menu has seen a subtle but meaningful makeover. Subcategories are made more legible by using a dot separator and extra intervals, while recent searches are now shown as bubbles instead of a list. Additionally, there's a newly added feature to search settings by hashtags - for conceptually related things found in different places in the menu.
One UI settings
The One UI dialer app lends itself to plenty of customization. There are two different layouts for the in-call screen to choose between. You can also set up a background image or video for that screen, though it's going to be all the same for all of your calls - you can't have a different one on a per-person basis.
Samsung dialer
There are plenty of other smaller visual changes scattered all throughout One UI 3.1. Samsung's excellent theme support and rich online selection are present, as well. The same goes for the system navigation options, with a few tweaks and layouts available for gestures, as well as old-school button controls, even the really-old original style, with the back button on the right side.
One UI 3.1 and navigation options
Like we already mentioned, the Galaxy A72 has a surprisingly-rich selection of additional Samsung software features. Things like the Edge panels interface, Bixby and full integration of the SmartThings platform. There is also Game launcher, the hub for all your games, which also provides options for limiting distraction when gaming is here to stay as well.
Additional software features
One notable omission from the A72 feature set is Samsung Dex. We get it - some things still need to be flagship exclusives. Even in its absence, though, you can still get a lot of its functionality through the Link to Windows feature that has been implemented in cooperation with Microsoft.
Synthetic benchmarks
The Samsung Galaxy A72 uses the same Snapdragon 720G chipset as its smaller A52 sibling. This is a choice we deemed "sensible" and "good-enough" on that handset, while readily admitting that you can easily get a better chip within its price range. With an MSRP EUR 100, or so over that of the A52, the A72 and Snapdragon 720G combo is a lot harder to make excuses for. Harder still when you start looking around at some competitors, like the OnePlus Nord series, with their Snapdragon 690G and 765G chips. The MediaTek Dimensity 800U and 1000+ are also within budget, as evidenced by the Realme Narzo 30 Pro 5G and the Realme X7 Pro. Even the Poco F3 and its Snapdragon 870 5G are technically within a ballpark budget of the Galaxy A72 on certain markets. And that chip is on a while other level.
But even looking around at Samsung's own roster, we can't help but notice that The Galaxy M51, as well as the A72's own predecessor - the A71 both come with a Snapdragon 730 chipset. Not really that much better, but still a slight upgrade in the CPU department over the 2x2.3 GHz Kryo 465 Gold & 6x1.8 GHz Kryo 465 Silver setup of the 720G inside the A72, coupled with the same Adreno 618 GPU. A GPU which, by the way, isn't chart-topping either.
GeekBench 5 (multi-core)
Higher is better
- Realme X7 Pro
2997 - Poco X3 Pro
2574 - OnePlus Nord
1953 - Samsung Galaxy A42 5G
1910 - OnePlus Nord N10 5G
1848 - Realme 7 Pro
1811 - Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 4G
1796 - Realme Narzo 30 Pro 5G
1787 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro
1780 - Samsung Galaxy M51
1774 - Samsung Galaxy A71
1733 - Realme 8 Pro
1678 - Samsung Galaxy A72
1627 - Google Pixel 4a
1626 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10
1599 - Samsung Galaxy A52
1577 - Samsung Galaxy A32
1277 - Motorola Moto G30
1265
GeekBench 5 (single-core)
Higher is better
- Realme X7 Pro
756 - Poco X3 Pro
735 - Samsung Galaxy A42 5G
643 - OnePlus Nord
610 - OnePlus Nord N10 5G
608 - Realme Narzo 30 Pro 5G
597 - Realme 7 Pro
576 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro
569 - Realme 8 Pro
566 - Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 4G
560 - Google Pixel 4a
553 - Samsung Galaxy M51
546 - Samsung Galaxy A71
542 - Samsung Galaxy A72
537 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10
534 - Samsung Galaxy A52
525 - Samsung Galaxy A32
361 - Motorola Moto G30
306
On a more positive note, at least the Snapdragon 720G is holding its own. Especially compared to many Galaxies from a generation ago, not rocking Qualcomm silicon. While we know, for a fact, that many will appreciate the choice of a Qualcomm chip instead of a MediaTek one for compatibility reasons, the comparison between the A72 and something like the Realme Narzo 30 Pro 5G with its MediaTek Dimensity 800U chip is still worth pondering over. Especially in a benchmark like AnTuTu, which is much more-compound and takes into account things like memory and storage size and speed. For the record, our Galaxy A72 review unit is the base 6GB/128GB model.
AnTuTu 8
Higher is better
- Poco F3
631850 - Realme X7 Pro
510317 - Poco X3 Pro
453223 - Realme Narzo 30 Pro 5G
333952 - Samsung Galaxy A42 5G
324686 - OnePlus Nord
312794 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro
295442 - Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 4G
290172 - Realme 8 Pro
286666 - OnePlus Nord N10 5G
279579 - Samsung Galaxy A72
279342 - Realme 7 Pro
278414 - Google Pixel 4a
268714 - Samsung Galaxy M51
266620 - Samsung Galaxy A71
263396 - Samsung Galaxy A52
261282 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10
218788 - Samsung Galaxy A32
174332 - Motorola Moto G30
170968
Moving on the GPU tests and the Adreno 618 GPU, things aren't looking overly impressive. Naturally, we ran all of the on-screen runs at 90Hz in hopes of seeing some FPS counts above 60. Unfortunately, even in the lowest-intensity OpenGL ES 3.0 Manhattan scenarios we still run, the Galaxy A72 didn't even come close.
GFX Manhattan ES 3.0 (offscreen 1080p)
Higher is better
- Realme X7 Pro
119 - Poco X3 Pro
102 - OnePlus Nord
55 - Realme Narzo 30 Pro 5G
51 - Samsung Galaxy A42 5G
46 - Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 4G
45 - Realme 8 Pro
43 - Samsung Galaxy A71
41 - Samsung Galaxy M51
41 - Google Pixel 4a
41 - Realme 7 Pro
41 - Samsung Galaxy A72
39 - Samsung Galaxy A52
39 - OnePlus Nord N10 5G
32 - Samsung Galaxy A32
24 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10
24 - Motorola Moto G30
20
GFX Manhattan ES 3.0 (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Poco X3 Pro
93 - Realme X7 Pro
64 - Samsung Galaxy A42 5G
59 - OnePlus Nord
50 - Realme Narzo 30 Pro 5G
48 - Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 4G
40 - Realme 8 Pro
38 - Google Pixel 4a
38 - Samsung Galaxy A71
37 - Samsung Galaxy M51
37 - OnePlus Nord N10 5G
37 - Samsung Galaxy A72
35 - Samsung Galaxy A52
35 - Realme 7 Pro
35 - Motorola Moto G30
34 - Samsung Galaxy A32
21 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10
21
At least it is encouraging to see that the A72 and A52 score pretty-much identically in GPU test. Hence, the Adreno 618 is performing as expected. The same is mostly true for the Realme 7 Pro, which is rocking the same chipset. Though, it is worth noting that the Realme 8 Pro seems to be managing to extract a couple of extra frames from the same silicon on some tests, with the exact same native resolution panel, no less.
GFX Car Chase ES 3.1 (offscreen 1080p)
Higher is better
- Realme X7 Pro
46 - Poco X3 Pro
45 - OnePlus Nord
21 - Realme Narzo 30 Pro 5G
20 - Samsung Galaxy A42 5G
19 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro
19 - Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 4G
19 - Realme 8 Pro
18 - Realme 7 Pro
18 - Samsung Galaxy A72
17 - Samsung Galaxy A71
17 - Samsung Galaxy M51
17 - Samsung Galaxy A52
17 - Google Pixel 4a
17 - OnePlus Nord N10 5G
14 - Samsung Galaxy A32
9.3 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10
9.3 - Motorola Moto G30
7.3
GFX Car Chase ES 3.1 (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Realme X7 Pro
40 - Poco X3 Pro
38 - Samsung Galaxy A42 5G
33 - OnePlus Nord
19 - Realme Narzo 30 Pro 5G
18 - Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 4G
17 - Realme 8 Pro
16 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro
16 - Google Pixel 4a
16 - Samsung Galaxy A72
15 - Samsung Galaxy A71
15 - Samsung Galaxy M51
15 - Samsung Galaxy A52
15 - Realme 7 Pro
14 - OnePlus Nord N10 5G
13 - Motorola Moto G30
13 - Samsung Galaxy A32
8.1 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10
7.9
Unsurprisingly, the Adreno 618 doesn't suddenly find its hidden stride and excel at the harder Aztek runs with the Vulkan API.
GFX Aztek Vulkan High (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Poco X3 Pro
27 - Samsung Galaxy A42 5G
23 - OnePlus Nord
13 - Realme 8 Pro
11 - Samsung Galaxy A72
10 - Samsung Galaxy A52
10 - Realme 7 Pro
9.7 - Google Pixel 4a
9.6 - Samsung Galaxy A71
9.3 - Samsung Galaxy M51
9.2 - OnePlus Nord N10 5G
8.7 - Motorola Moto G30
8.7 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10
5.3 - Samsung Galaxy A32
4.4
GFX Aztek ES 3.1 High (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Poco X3 Pro
26 - Samsung Galaxy A42 5G
21 - OnePlus Nord
13 - Realme 8 Pro
11 - Google Pixel 4a
11 - Samsung Galaxy A72
10 - Samsung Galaxy A71
10 - Samsung Galaxy M51
10 - Samsung Galaxy A52
10 - Realme 7 Pro
9.7 - Motorola Moto G30
9.1 - OnePlus Nord N10 5G
5.7 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10
5.6 - Samsung Galaxy A32
5
Same goes for the 3DMark runs, which are arguably even a bit kinder and more generous towards the Galaxy A72 and the A52, for that matter.
3DMark SSE ES 3.1 (offscreen 1440p)
Higher is better
- Realme X7 Pro
6735 - OnePlus Nord
3285 - Realme Narzo 30 Pro 5G
3167 - Samsung Galaxy A42 5G
2819 - Realme 7 Pro
2541 - Samsung Galaxy A52
2529 - Samsung Galaxy A72
2517 - Google Pixel 4a
2487 - Samsung Galaxy M51
2474 - Samsung Galaxy A71
2464 - OnePlus Nord N10 5G
2166 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10
1471 - Samsung Galaxy A32
1323 - Motorola Moto G30
1185
3DMark SSE Vulkan 1.0 (offscreen 1440p)
Higher is better
- Realme X7 Pro
5160 - OnePlus Nord
3067 - Realme Narzo 30 Pro 5G
3035 - Samsung Galaxy A42 5G
2609 - Samsung Galaxy A52
2406 - Samsung Galaxy A72
2395 - Realme 7 Pro
2358 - Samsung Galaxy M51
2290 - Google Pixel 4a
2275 - Samsung Galaxy A71
2253 - OnePlus Nord N10 5G
2012 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10
1372 - Samsung Galaxy A32
1371 - Motorola Moto G30
1142
All things considered, the Snapdragon 720G is a decent chipset. It manages to run One UI 3.1 perfectly smooth at 90Hz, no less. In fact, the chip delivers a solid feature set all around, which allows Samsung to provide a whole suite of tantalizing features on the Galaxy A72, including the aforementioned 90Hz refresh rate, 4K video capture on both the main and ultrawide cameras, excellent video stabilization, both of which we will cover in the camera section. Not to mention 25W charging support.
That being said, we can't help but feel that a more potent chipset should be attainable at the price point of the Galaxy A72. That is definitely the case with many of its competitors. Since it delivers adequate performance, the Snapdragon 720G is far from a showstopper. Just something worth pointing out.
Familiar 64MP cam, now with OIS and a 3x telephoto sidekick
One of the areas the A72 offers tangible upgrades over both its predecessor and its smaller A52 sibling is the camera department. It is still based around a familiar 64MP Quad-Bayer main camera, with a decently wide f/1.8 aperture. Not too "familiar" though, since despite our best efforts, just like the A52, the A72 did not give up any identifying information on its sensors that might help us pinpoint the actual hardware.
Regardless, the main camera on the A72 now has OIS, which is a great addition. The other major new addition is definitely the 8MP, f/2.4 dedicated telephoto camera. It is advertised as offering 3x optical zoom and also gets the benefit of OIS.
The 12MP, f/2.2 ultrawide camera is a fairly common occurrence of recent Samsung devices, but is still great to see in terms of versatility. Same goes for the 5MP, f/2.4 dedicated macro snapper. That makes a total of four, with the notable omission of a depth camera, as found on the A71 and A52, among others. We would trade-in a depth sensor for a telephoto cam any day of the week. Plus, honestly, you can have decent depth effect without one, as well as pretty bad depth effect even with the best of dedicated sensors.
Camera UI
Samsung's camera UX has remained pretty consistent in recent years. Aside from some incremental polish here and there, of course. If you are coming from another Galaxy device, you should feel right at home. Shutter and a mode carousel on the right, along with toggles for cameras and zoom levels (in the case of the A72 - 0.5x, 1x, 2x, 4x, 10x, 20x and 30x), as well as a Scene optimizer indicator/toggle in the corner. On the opposite side - resolution and aspect, timer, flash controls and some color filters.
Samsung main camera UI
Samsung did not skimp on the available modes either. In no particular order, users get to enjoy things like AR DOODLE, FOOD mode, as well as SINGLE TAKE. The latter instantly captures a few different shots and even short clips with a single press of the shutter key and is a perfect example of a feature that originally debuted a while back on flagship Galaxy devices and has successfully made its way to the mid-range.
Samsung SINGLE TAKE
One actually new addition to the camera experience on the A72 and A52 is FUN MODE. It is prominently featured in the PR materials, as well and for good reason. It is basically a collaboration with Snapchat that puts some of that app's fun AR filters in the native Samsung camera app. It's just a bit of extra trendy "flare" to have around.
Samsung FUN MODE
FUN MODE works for both photos and videos (captured by long-pressing the shutter key). The filter selection consists of 7 "basic" lenses, one of which gets changed-out daily, as well as an additional menu of 9 more effects that also get "changed regularly".
Additional FUN MODE filters
You need an active network connection for FUN MODE to work, which makes sense, considering all of the effect "swapping" that is going on. Since everything is constantly subject to change, you can't pick your favorites and go back to them. The entire feature is more of a promotional thing, meant to direct you to the actual Snapchat app for the full experience. We don't mind that, even if the lack of a static filter selection is a bit annoying. Plus, the feature fits nicely with the "Awesome is for everyone" slogan for the new Galaxy A devices.
Circling back to the main part of the camera app and its settings, in particular, we find some nifty additional options, like HEIF for images and HEVC for videos. Also, a floating shutter and extensive voice commands and a palm shot shortcut. Nothing out of the ordinary, though. It is worth noting that the options change depending on whether you enter settings from a photo or video come. The latter is where you will find a toggle for the always-on by default video stabilization, in case you want to do some tripod shooting.
Camera app settings
There is a Pro mode for photos. A fairly in-depth one at that. It offers ISO adjustment from 50 to 4000, shutter speed from 1/6000 to 10 seconds, white balance from 2300K to 1000K, as well as exposure compensation and the ability to set different spot metering for the expose and autofocus.
Pro photo mode
Pro mode has a separate Levels menu. It offers control over contrast, highlights, shadows, saturation and tint. These are adjustments typically found in editors during post. It is nifty to have them while you are capturing photos.
Video capture mode is just slightly different from the main photo one, with most controls in their familiar places. The zoom level and camera selection on the Galaxy A72 stay the same with video capture. The ultrawide can even do 4K recording itself. But, more on that in the video section.
Last, but not least, Pro video mode is a thing as well and surprisingly offers most of the same adjustments and options as Pro photo mode. Not too shabby.
Daylight image quality
The main camera on the Galaxy A72 can best be described as dependable, even if unimpressive. To be fair, that's mostly true for all modern Quad-Bayer snappers floating around. The 64MP, f/1.8 unit on the A72, in particular, has the added benefit of OIS. By default, it produces 16MP stills. Dynamic range is wide for what we're used to in the midrange, though a higher-end phone will still get you better developed tonal extremes. Colors are usually lively, without being too overexaggerated.
Samsung Galaxy A72 16MP main camera samples
Auto HDR brightens up the scene nicely, especially shadows and ca even salvage some clipped highlights. The only issue we had with Auto HDR is that it didn't always trigger consistently to do its job. Even so, you should just have it on, since the worst it can do is not fix the occasional shot.
Samsung Galaxy A72 16MP main camera samples: inconsistent Auto HDR
While the Quad-Bayer main can is intended to produce 16MP binned shots for best results, you can still capture 64MP stills. The amount of extra detail you can get from the 64MP shots is actually quite impressive. However, you should know that the A72 is a bit sluggish when it comes to taking 64MP stills. Also, finer geometrical patterns tend to trip up the algorithm and often result in weird color fringing and other artifacts. Plus, a single photo is like 18 MB in size.
Samsung Galaxy A72 64MP main camera samples
The 8MP, f/2.4 telephoto camera on the Galaxy A72 produces very nice stills in good light conditions. The level of detail and sharpness of the shots tend to stand out. There is also little noise. Dynamic range is understandably not as wide as on the main camera, but Auto HDR is doing the best it can on that front.
Samsung Galaxy A72 8MP telephoto 3x camera samples
The telephoto has a different color rendition than the main one. You can even spot it in the camera viewfinder. The telephoto usually goes for a slightly colder palette, which is not necessarily worse. In fact, the opposite argument that the main camera tends to favor an overly warm look can be made just as easily.
You can go beyond 3x zoom as well. The present are 4x, 10x, 20x and 30x, but any other zoom level in between is accessible as well. Makes sense, since it's all digital zoom done through the telephoto.
Samsung Galaxy A72 8MP telephoto camera samples: 10x • 20x • 30x
We would say that 10x shots are definitely usable. You can definitely see some over-sharpening artifacts and these only get worse as you increase the zoom level. Even so, depending on your expectations, even 30x shots can serve some purpose.
Samsung Galaxy A72 8MP telephoto camera samples: 10x • 20x • 30x
The ultrawide 12MP camera on the A72 is pretty common to see on recent Samsung devices. It captures solid photos for its class - we quite enjoyed the colors and dynamic range.
Samsung Galaxy A72 12MP ultrawide camera samples
Just like with the telephoto, the color rendition by the ultrawide is not very close to the main camera's. That being said, both the telephoto and ultrawide tend to have a colder palette and look decently similar to each other. Hence, the warmer look by the main camera might actually be the one that needs some tuning to match and not the other way around.
As with all recent Samsungs, there's software distortion correction enabled on the Galaxy A72. It's only marginally detrimental to image quality in the corners, while the geometric benefits are huge, and we'd keep it on unless the barrel distortion look is what you're after.
Ultrawide distortion correction samples: On • Off
Low-light image quality
Low-light photo quality from the main 64MP camera on the Galaxy is above average overall for a mid-ranger. Colors are generally good, even if slightly desaturated and the dynamic range is decently wide. Wider than most, we would say. The highlight rendition is exemplary.
The reason for that is that the camera's Scene optimizer automatically triggers an Auto Night mode in dark scenes. We guess we have that to thank for the great dynamic range.
Samsung Galaxy A72 16MP main camera, low-light samples
Besides the regular Auto mode there is also a dedicated Night mode - just for the main cam. However, we are disappointed by the results. Night mode brightens up shadows only marginally and yet causes highlights to clip compared to the Auto mode.
It also takes a lot longer to capture an image and it crops the 16MP photos down to 12MP, which results in a tighter field of view. Overall, we'd recommend that you stick to the regular Auto mode in low-light situations.
Samsung Galaxy A72 12MP main camera Night mode samples
The 3x, 8MP telephoto camera holds-up pretty well in low-light conditions. Well, considering its fairly dim f/2.4 lens, that is. Shots definitely look better than what you get by cropping and zooming from a 64MP Quad-Bayer. Detail is good and so is sharpness.
Samsung Galaxy A72 8MP telephoto 3x camera, low-light samples
Zooming past the optical 3x in low-light conditions sees the overall photo quality drop-off rather quickly. You can still get usable results out of the A72, though, up until around 10x zoom if you are patient enough. Any zoom setting past that in low-light tends to look more like a painting than a photo, though.
Samsung Galaxy A72 8MP telephoto low-light camera samples: 10x • 20x • 30x
The 12MP ultrawide delivered very decent shots for a mid-ranger, too. If presented with evenly lit scenes, the A72's ultra-wide will create very good images with decent detail, saturated colors, and a reasonably wide dynamic range - again thanks to the Auto Night mode.
Samsung Galaxy A72 12MP ultrawide, low-light samples
Rounding off the main camera section, we took our standard set of poster shots, under controlled lighting with the A72. You can see how it holds up against any competitor of your choosing in our extensive photo compare database. Pixel-peep to your heart's content.
Samsung Galaxy A72 against the Galaxy A52 and the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite in our Photo compare tool
64MP: Samsung Galaxy A72 against the Galaxy A52 and the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite in our Photo compare tool
Portrait mode
Portrait mode, also sometimes referred to as Live focus in Samsung "slang" on the Galaxy A72 is pretty good, but not perfect. The subject separation and background blur effect actually both perform really well. Of course, the occasional stray hair or a particularly busy background will trip the algorithm up, but surprisingly, nor nearly as much as it happened on the Galaxy A52 we recently reviewed. Even though that device has a dedicated 5MP depth module, absent on the A72. Go figure.
Samsung Galaxy A72 Portrait mode 16MP main camera samples
The issue with this mode, however, is that none of our samples have the person's face tack sharp in focus. Unlike our non-human subjects, which came out perfectly in focus.
Samsung Galaxy A72 Portrait mode 16MP main camera samples: non-human subjects
Macro shots
The A72 might have ditched the depth sensor its A52 sibling has, but the dedicated 5MP, f/2.4 macro camera is still present. The shots it produces are actually quite impressive. Well, in relative terms, of course. While it is a fixed-focus camera, the focus plane is fairly wide and forgiving.
Samsung Galaxy A72 5MP macro samples
You don't need to get uncomfortably close to object to get a nice clean shot either. Shots come out nice and detailed. Generally, a lot better than what you get from the alternative 2MP macro snappers floating around in the mid-ranger space.
Selfies
The Galaxy A72 has a 32MP selfies camera, just like the A52. Overall selfie quality is solid, with plenty of detail in decent noise performance. Skin tones can be a bit inconsistent from time to time. Thankfully, there is both Auto HDR and Scene optimizer available on the selfie. There is no autofocus on the selfie cam, but just like the macro, it has a forgivingly-wide focus plane.
Samsung Galaxy A72 8MP selfie samples
The selfie on the A72 is a Quad-Bayer, which means that by default it shoots at 3264 x 2448 pixels, or right around 8MP. However, in typical Samsung fashion, the selfie cam has a narrow and wide mode. We wish this would become a thing of the past already. At least you can set the camera app to remember your last setting.
Anyway, in wide mode, selfies come out in 4000 x 3000 pixels or exactly 12MP. Presumably, there's some interpolation going on because a 32MP Quad Bayer camera should output 8MP photos. That being said, we can't notice any noteworthy difference in quality and detail between the two modes.
Samsung Galaxy A72 12MP selfie samples
Finally, here are some selfies from the Galaxy A72 with lower-light conditions.
Samsung Galaxy A72 low-light selfie samples
Video recording
The Galaxy A72 can do up to 4K@30fps capture on all of its cameras. Well, sans the macro, of course, and we are fans of the video recording quality here.
The main camera, ultrawide and telephoto all manage to maintain a solid bitrate of around 48Mb/s for their 4K footage - AVC + 48kHz stereo audio, inside an h.264 MP4 container. Naturally, you can choose to do HEVC instead and save some space at the expense of some compatibility.
At 4K the main camera has what we would describe as balanced and mature processing. There is plenty of detail and the dynamic range is wide enough to not miss too much in the shadows even in these somewhat challenging lighting conditions. Noise is pretty much non-existent and everything is nice and sharp. Colors look natural, without coming off as dull.
The ultrawide camera also holds its own at 4K. There is a bit more noise in the shot and the dynamic range is slightly narrower than on the main camera, resulting in the occasional clipped highlight or crushed shadow. That's all par for the course with an ultrawide. As with stills, colors between the ultrawide and the main snappers are not an exact match. The ultrawide seems to have a slightly colder palette. Which, again, is not worse by any means, just not perfectly consistent across cameras.
The 3x telephoto offers a great level of detail at 4K. We were actually kind of surprised how much we could make out. An impressive all-round showing for a mid-range telephoto.
While 3x is the optical limit of the dedicated telephoto camera, the Galaxy A72 will let you capture video at up to 4K resolution all the way up to 12x zoom. All of that is done through the telephoto. The viewfinder features presets for 4x, 10x and 12x. Naturally, noise ramps-up quickly alongside the zoom level. We also experienced some autofocus issues at higher zoom levels, but those were definitely related to the strong wind. In calmer weather, autofocus was not a problem.
We have to say that even at 12x these clips come out looking surprisingly usable. We wouldn't go and actually use them for any actual videography project or anything of the sort, but there's still plenty to work with for social media purposes.
Video stabilization works on any of the tree main cameras of the Galaxy A72, but only at FullHD resolution. Actually, stabilization comes in two "stages", for lack of a better term. There is a toggle in the general camera settings menu, which is enabled by default. That would be the basic stabilization, which, indeed, works on the ultrawide, main camera and telephoto at every zoom level. It does a very decent job at smoothing-out jitters and handles pans well. Here is a sample showcasing the primary camera with and without the basic stabilization.
Then there is Super steady. It gets its video feed from the ultrawide camera and also only works at FullHD. The extra smoothness is there, but the step-up from the regular stabilization to Super steady isn't all that major. You just have to decide whether it is worth the extra crop of the field of view. Here is the ultrawide with just basic stabilization against Super steady.
Here is a quick playlist showcasing how the Galaxy A72 handles itself in low-light conditions. It includes videos from the ultrawide, main camera as well as the 3x telephoto, all at 4K resolution.
Finally, you can check out the Galaxy A72 in our video comparison tool.
Samsung Galaxy A72 against the Samsung Galaxy A52 and the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite in our Video compare tool
Competition
Samsung really upped its value game with the latest batch of Galaxy A family devices. The new "Awesome is for everyone" slogan definitely goes beyond vague PR talk.
The Galaxy A52 is first on our list of alternatives to the Galaxy A72. If you can live without the telephoto camera and settle for a slightly smaller, but otherwise just as excellent, 6.5-inch AMOLED display and a slightly smaller 4,500 battery, then you can save up to EUR 100 and get the A52 instead of its bigger A72 sibling. You'd also be getting a faster 25W PD charger in the A72 box, whereas the A52 ships with a 15W unit. And with that, the differences between the pair are effectively exhausted, simplifying the decision-making.
Samsung Galaxy A52 • Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro • Motorola Edge
Tnen there is the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro. It comes with an even faster 120Hz AMOLED display, certified for HDR10 video. You get stereo speakers as well and a 3.5mm jack for a complete multimedia experience. The battery is a hefty 5,020 unit with 33W fast charging support and a comparable 118 hours of endurance rating, as per our review. You might be losing the telephoto, but the main 108MP snapper on the Redmi Note 10 Pro is plenty impressive. There is even an IP53 rating, which is something.
Realme 8 Pro • Xiaomi Poco F3 • Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
Speaking of trendy 108MP cameras, the Realme 8 Pro has been blowing up in popularity for a reason. Going for it would save you quite a few bucks, but also skips on certain niceties like high refresh rate, stereo speakers and IP rating and a telephoto cam, to name a few.
Naturally, we can't ignore the allure of recent Poco phones either. Mainly the Poco F3, which also has a glorious 120Hz, HDR10+ AMOLED display, stereo speakers and a slightly smaller 4,500 mAh battery, though one with comparable endurance to the A72 in our testing.
Last, but not least, the shiny new Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite shouldn't be ignored. Specifically, the 5G variant, if it is available where you live and you find yourself drawn to the trendy allure of 5G connectivity. You will, again, be missing out on a telephoto camera, compared to the Galaxy A72, though.
Verdict
Samsung has made the new Galaxy A-series phones hard to ignore. The A72 packs a feature set that brings it closer than ever to flagship territory.
The Galaxy A72 rocks an eye-catching and trendy design. It's got a solid build with IP67 ingress protection. It might not be made of premium materials but still feels great to touch.
The 6.7-inch display has gorgeous colors and great brightness output thanks to modern AMOLED tech.
The impressive hybrid stereo speaker system with Dolby Atmos shapes the Galaxy A72 into a solid multimedia device. So does the inclusion of a 3.5mm audio jack.
The quad main camera setup is versatile, with both an ultrawide and a surprisingly good 3x telephoto camera.
You can get plenty of use out of the 5,000 mAh battery, and the inclusion of a fast 25W charger in the box is much appreciated.
Last but definitely not least, there is a reason why One UI has persistently been drawing in and retaining users for years now and the A72 not only comes with the latest One UI 3.1 and Android 11 combo but also a newfound promise for long term software support - 3 major OS updates and 4 years of security patches.
Now for some downsides, or at least deficiencies on the Galaxy A72: A display with a faster refresh rate and HDR video capabilities would have been great to see. Speaking of high display refresh rates, we can't help but think of high fps gaming - a challenge for the Snapdragon 720G chipset. While it is not holding back the current feature set of the A72 in any way, faster silicon is now readily available in the mid-range space. A higher-grade chipset would have meant some trendy extras like Wi-Fi 6 or 6e and perhaps Bluetooth 5.1 but there are now missing.
So bottom line then - just like the Galaxy A52, the A72 is a truly unique package, even on the current over-saturated mid-ranger scene. That being said, its value relies on a very particular mix of features. If it just happens to be something that resonates with you, there really is no reason to look elsewhere.
Pros
- Standout, stylish design, IP67 rating, Gorilla Glass.
- Bright AMOLED display with 90Hz refresh rate.
- Solid battery life.
- Impressive hybrid stereo speaker setup for the price range.
- Latest One UI 3.1 and Android 11 setup, with a promise of 3 major OS updates and 4 years of security patches.
- Versatile quad camera setup, with OIS on the main 64MP snapper.
- 4K video recording with every camera and at every zoom level.
- Surprisingly good all-round performance from the 3x 8MP telephoto camera.
Cons
- Fingerprint reader is consistent, but a bit sluggish by modern standards.
- Display lacks HDR video capabilities.
- You can get much faster chipsets than the Snapdragon 720G at this price point.
- Lack of color consistency in color rendition across the three main cameras.
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