When it comes to mid-range smartphones, Samsung’s A-series line-up offers similar design aspects and specifications of its S-series flagships at an affordable price. We take a look at the new Samsung Galaxy A73 5G 256GB and here are our thoughts about the new device.
Design
The Samsung Galaxy A73 5G is the highest tier out of the 2022 A-series models, featuring a large 6.7-inch Super AMOLED Plus display and weighing about 181g. The device is 7.6mm thick and while the edges are made of plastic, the rear portion comes with a matte finish and it does not feel cheap. The smartphone also comes with IP67 certification for dust and water resistance.
The display is capable of showcasing sharp images and colors, thanks to the 1080 x 2400 pixels native resolution and support for HDR content. Viewing the device outside on a sunny day should not be a problem, thanks to the 800 nits of brightness. There is also a fingerprint scanner underneath the main display for added security. The display also offers 120Hz for those smooth animations during normal use and gaming.
While there aren’t any controls on the left side, the volume rocker and Bixby/power button are located on the right side of the device. There is a SIM slot on the top portion and the speaker grill/USB-C port on the bottom of the smartphone.
The camera island on the rear side of the smartphone consists of four camera sensors and an LED flash. Since the camera island protrudes outwards, the smartphone does not sit straight when placed on a flat surface.
The packaging is rather simple and consists of the Galaxy A73 5G smartphone, the SIM tool, and manuals but no charger as usual. This is no surprise as it’s become a standard practice now among many smartphone makers. The Galaxy A73 5G comes in three colors- Awesome White, Awesome Gray, and Awesome Mint.
Features
While the design of the smartphone is quite impressive, the performance isn’t bad either. The device comes chipped with the Snapdragon 778 5G SoC, teaming with 8GB onboard RAM, and runs on Android 12-based One UI 4.1 operating system. Our review sample came with 256GB of storage and this can be expanded with a MicroSDXC card.
The performance of the smartphone while used for normal tasks, gaming, and also during multitasking does not disappoint at all. And the 120Hz refresh rate adds to a better visual experience while you scroll through the menu, during web surfing, and gaming. There is enough RAM to handle multiple apps at once and gaming performance is acceptable with not many stutters and framerate drops.
We ran some performance benchmarks using apps such as GeekBench 5, Antutu, 3DMark, PC Mark 10, and more. Have a look at the scores below.
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- Geekbench 5 CPU score
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- Geekbench 5 GPU Vulkan score
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- Geekbench 5 GPU OpenCL score
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- Antutu
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- PC Mark 10 Work 3.0
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- 3D Mark Sling Shot score
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- 3D Mark Wildlife score
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- 3D Mark Wildlife Extreme score
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- 3D Mark Sling Shot Extreme score
Camera
As for the optical capability of the smartphone, the main camera is equipped with a massive 108MP sensor with f/1.8 as its aperture, followed by a 12MP shooter with an f/2.2 lens for wide-angle shots, and a 5MP macro snapper with f/2.4 as its aperture. The fourth camera is a 5MP depth sensor, also with an aperture of f/2.4. The front-facing bullet-hole camera packs a 32MP sensor with f/2.2 as its aperture.
The main camera is capable of recording 4K videos at 30fps. And while you won’t be able to record 4K at 60fps, the camera does offer 1080p video recording at 60fps. The front-facing camera also is capable of 4K 30fps and 1080p 30fps videos but has no 60fps option for both resolutions. The main shooter also features optical image stabilization and phase detection autofocus performance.
We shot some images using different focal lengths from its widest angle and up to the maximum zoom possible. Take a look at the samples below.
Battery
The device houses a large 5000 mAh battery under its hood with support for a 25W fast charge. To test the battery life, we ran the PC Mark 10 Work 3.0 Battery Test. The test is designed to run from a full charge and up until it reaches below 20 percent and consists of a series of simulations for normal workloads such as web surfing, text, and sheets editing, video calls, etc. The test lasted for 11 hours and 18 minutes. For real-world use, the smartphone was able to last for almost a day while I made some calls, used social media applications surfed the web, captured some images, and more.
Verdict
If you are looking for a good mid-range smartphone that offers good performance and battery, then take a look at the Samsung Galaxy A73 5G. The main display is a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED Plus screen with 1080 x 2400 as its resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate for smooth animations. The fingerprint scanner is also embedded within the display and the device carries the IP67 certification for dust and water resistance.
The cameras consist of a massive 108MP sensor that produces sharp images, along with snappers for macro and wide-angle photography. You will be able to record 4K 30fps videos from both the 32MP front camera and main rear cameras. The performance is snappy, thanks to the Snapdragon 778 5G, 8GB RAM, Android 12 OS, and 256GB of internal storage. The battery capacity is 5000 mAh and can last for a day of use, along with support for 25W fast charge capability.
