Samsung’s Galaxy A series is a range of smartphones targeting the mid-range market. The goal is to take on the army of value budget phones from the competition. In 2021, Samsung A72 sits almost at the top of the ladder with decent hardware and software.
A quick summary of Samsung A72 shows a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display with 90Hz refresh rate, IP67 water/dust protection, a quad camera with a telephoto lens, Snapdragon 720G chipset, 8 GB of RAM, 5000mAh battery, and 25W fast charging. If we were to point out a top mid-range smartphone that is close to perfection, Samsung A72 easily makes the list.
Samsung A72 specs in summary
- Operating System/Software: One UI 3.1, based on Android 11.
- Supported Networks: 2G/3G/4G
- Dimensions: 165 x 77.4 x 8.4 mm
- Weight: 203g
- Materials: Glass front, plastic back; IP67 dust/water resistant (can be submerged for up to 1m for 30 mins).
- Display: 6.7-inch, 1080x2400px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 394ppi, 90Hz refresh rate, 800 nits, Super AMOLED.
- Chipset: Qualcomm SM7125 Snapdragon 720G (8 nm): Octa-core (2×2.3 GHz Kryo 465 Gold & 6×1.8 GHz Kryo 465 Silver);
- GPU: Adreno 618.
- Memory Options: 6 GB RAM + 128GB ROM, 8 GB RAM + 128GB ROM, 8 GB RAM + 256GB ROM; microSDXC (shared SIM slot).
- Rear camera: Wide (main): 64 MP, f/1.8, 26mm, PDAF, OIS; Telephoto: 8 MP, f/2.4, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom; Ultra wide angle: 12 MP, f/2.2, 123-degree; Macro: 5 MP, f/2.4. 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps; gyro-EIS video recording.
- Front camera: (wide) 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm in punch hole. 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps video recording.
- Battery Capacity: 5000mAh.
- Battery Charging: 25W Fast charging (55% in 30 minutes).
- Miscellaneous Features: Under-display fingerprint scanner; 3.5 mm jack.
The 8/128 GB trim costs $425 (or ₦195,000), while the 8/256 GB variant sells for $500 (or ₦210,000). There is little to scoff at about the A72. The challenge is that there are other phones from competitors that offer similar (and even more) features at a lower price.
Take the 8/128 GB trim of Redmi Note 10 Pro, for example. It costs $330 (or ₦136,000), but offers a bit more than the A72. The Redmi has a higher display refresh rate (120Hz) with HDR10 support and Gorilla Glass 5 protection, more powerful processor (Snapdragon 732G), and a better main camera with 108MP (it isn’t about the megapixels, but the Redmi camera is better even despite the presence of a telephoto lens in Samsung A72).
Lastly, the Redmi has a much more premium build compared to Samsung A72, though it also has a lower water/dust protection rating (IP53). In everything else, the two are evenly matched. Yet, the Redmi Note 10 Pro costs $95 less than the Samsung A72. If only Samsung A72 cost less, it would be perfect, or at least closer to perfection.
Xiaomi seems dogged on chasing Samsung around, because the other two other phones that are compelling alternatives to the Samsung A72 are from the same manufacturer – Poco F3 and Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite. The catch is that these two phones are not as widely available as the Redmi Note 10 Pro.
It is also interesting to see that another mid-range Samsung phone, the A32, also has lower variants of the Redmi Note 10 Pro to contend with. See our Samsung Galaxy A32 vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro comparison.
If you want the best value for money, the Redmi Note 10 Pro is much better value for money: you get a more powerful, more capable smartphone, and at a lower price.
But you can hardly go wrong buying Samsung A72. You get features that are almost flagship grade at a more pocket-friendly price. If you are looking for a mid-range smartphone that fits that description, and it has to be a Samsung, this is it.
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