Samsung Galaxy A72 review: a lot like the Galaxy A52, but pricier

The Samsung Galaxy A52 and Galaxy A72, at first glance at least, look like twins – they’re so similar in design and specs. This is both a good and a bad thing. Good, because the Galaxy A72 brings forth all the positives from its sibling, which includes the IP67 rating. And that was one of the features that set the Galaxy A52 apart. In almost all respects, the Galaxy A72 also comes across as a capable smartphone, but its higher pricing does complicate things.

The Galaxy A52 and the A72 sport the same design, and as far as specs are concerned, you’d find that the siblings are very similar too. This includes the display capabilities and SoC. That said, the two devices have three major differences. One, the A72’s screen is slightly bigger, measuring 6.7-inches as compared to the A52’s 6.5-inch display. Two, the Galaxy A72 is powered by a 5,000mAh battery, marginally beefier than the 4,500mAh pack inside the Galaxy A52. The third, and possibly the most important difference is that instead of the 5MP depth sensor on the Galaxy A52, its bigger sibling features an 8MP telephoto sensor that offers 3X optical and 10X digital zoom. Oh, and Samsung only includes a 15W charger in the Galaxy A52’s retail box, but the Galaxy A72 comes with a 25W adapter in the box. Both phones support 25W charging, in case you were wondering. Now that you know the differences between the two phones, let’s see how the Galaxy A72 fares.

Related read: Samsung Galaxy A52 review

The lowdown

The Galaxy A72 ticks quite a few boxes for anyone looking for a capable smartphone. The phone looks quite good with its frosty matte finish, and the 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display is a visual treat. The 90Hz refresh rate helps make usage smooth too. The cameras deliver in most conditions, and the telephoto sensor is a welcome addition. Even otherwise, the snappers can shoot nice-looking images. The results from the ultra-wide sensor do suffer from a bit of softening around the edges, and the macro sensor can be a hit and miss. The night shots, on the other hand, look good, and the dedicated Night mode does its bit to improve things. The 32MP selfie shooter is quite capable too.



Software-wise, you get the usual OneUI platform, which is easy to use and feature-rich too. One of the best aspects of Samsung’s custom Android UI is the fact that it gives access to the brand’s ecosystem of services and apps (Samsung Pay, Samsung Cloud etc), and useful features like Secure Folder, that can add quite to bit to the overall experience. Unfortunately though, just like the Galaxy A52, the bigger sibling also comes with a lot of bloatware. While most of it can be uninstalled, it does mar the experience somewhat.

The Snapdragon 720G that does the number crunching might not be a true powerhouse, but still packs a lot of grunt and can run day-to-day tasks quite smoothly. Most games work well too, albeit at medium settings. The 5,000mAh battery is good for a day’s usage and can be charged in a jiffy, thanks to the 25W charging support.

Final Verdict

While the Galaxy A72 scores on most aspects and comes across as a capable phone on its own, it does appear to be priced on the higher side. The lack of 5G doesn’t bode well for it either. In its price range, it has to contend with rivals like Mi 11X (review), but even its own sibling, the Galaxy S20 FE (review) appears to be better. For most intents and purposes, the Galaxy A52 should be able to deliver the same experience as the Galaxy A72, for a lower price. Go for the Galaxy A72 if its larger screen and IP67 rating appeal to you… with the latter being one of its most standout features, and something that rivals can’t match.

Editor’s rating: 3.5 / 5

Pros:

• Nice design and solid build
• IP67 certified
• Capable 90Hz display
• Decent set of cameras

Cons:

• Misses out on 5G
• Can’t match rivals in terms of performance
• Comes with bloatware
• Seems pricey