The Galaxy A72 is the new top-tier model in Samsung's more affordable Galaxy A series. In some ways, the A72 rivals the Galaxy S21 family, even though it's not likely to cost nearly as much as those flagship phones. It certainly gives the Galaxy S20 FE a run for its money.
Reviews are already coming in for this phone and they're pretty positive. All in all, the Galaxy A72 is a compelling device. It sports a nice display, solid camera tech, and a big battery. The biggest bummer is that it's not coming to the US any time soon, if at all.
- The best cheap phones you can buy right now
- Best Samsung phones
So without further ado, read on for everything you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy A72.
Samsung Galaxy A72 specs
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Galaxy A72 |
| Price | €449 |
| Display | 6.7-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED (1080 x 2400) |
| Display refresh rate | 90Hz |
| Rear cameras | 64MP (f1/.8), 12MP ultrawide (f/2.2), 8MP telephoto 3x optical (f/2.4), 5MP macro (f/2.4) |
| Front camera | 32MP (f/2.2) |
| CPU | Snapdragon 720G |
| RAM | 6GB, 8GB |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB |
| microSD expansion | Up to 1TB |
| Battery | 5,000 mAh |
| Charging | 25W |
| Operating System | Android 11, One UI 3.1 |
| Colors | Awesome Violet, Awesome Blue, Awesome Black, Awesome White |
| Water/dust resistance | IP67, 30 minutes up to 1 m |
| Size | 6.5 x 3.05 x 0.33 inches |
| Weight | 7.2 ounces |
Samsung Galaxy A72 price and availability
Samsung said that the Galaxy A72 will not come to the US, likely because it competes with the Galaxy S20 FE. In Europe, where the phone is now available, the Galaxy A72 starts at €449. That converts to about $534.
Nevertheless, it sounds as if the Galaxy A72 will cost less than last year's Galaxy A71 5G, which launched for $600 in the U.S. (The lack of 5G connectivity might explain the lower price.) The price would certainly compare favorably to the Pixel 4a 5G, which currently costs €499. Apple's iPhone SE, which also lacks 5G connectivity, costs €489 overseas.
Samsung Galaxy A72 design
The Samsung Galaxy A72 looks remarkably similar to its predecessor with a curved back and a rectangular camera hump. It is, however, slightly larger at 6.5 x 3.05 x 0.33 inches. The front-facing camera is nestled within a hole punch cutout in the phone's display. Otherwise, you can see a slight resemblance to the Galaxy S21 series, though the A72 lacks the contour cutout of its more expensive cousins.
Samsung is offering four colors for the Galaxy A72: Awesome Black, Awesome Violet, Awesome White, and Awesome Blue. After all, Samsung wants you to know that this phone is nothing but awesome.
The whole phone uses the same color scheme and texture. This offers a more cohesive design, making it look like one big Easter-themed phone.
Samsung Galaxy A72 display
Samsung is well-known and loved for its display acumen, so we expect the Galaxy A72 to use a beautiful screen. You'll get a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display with a 2400 x 1080 resolution. That's a display density of 394 ppi. And to keep things super smooth, you'll get a 90Hz refresh rate.
The latter bit is a step up from the Galaxy A71 5G, which sported a 60Hz panel, though it's not as fast as the 120Hz refresh rate on the 5G version of the new Galaxy A52, released alongside the A72.
Finally, Samsung wants you to be able to use your phone outside, so it touts a max brightness of 800 nits. An Eye Comfort Shield feature aims to reduce the amount of eye strain caused by blue light emanating from the display.
Samsung Galaxy A72 cameras
Samsung has noticed that high performing cameras are important to people, so it's leveling up the photography and video experience for the Galaxy A72 from previous Galaxy A handsets. You get four cameras on this phone: a 64MP main shooter, a 12MP ultrawide, 8MP telephoto (with 3x optical zoom), and a 5MP macro.
Why companies insist that people need a macro camera is beyond us. But at least you also get Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) on the main and telephoto sensors to help eliminate hand shakiness. The ultrawide and macro cameras lack OIS.
For video, the Galaxy A72 lets you record at up to 4K. You can also grab a 8MP still image from any video thanks to the "4K Video Snap" feature. Samsung has also included AI scene detection to better optimize your shots and its impressive Night Mode for grabbing low-light photos. The Galaxy A7 also adopts Single Take from the Galaxy S series, so that you'll get multiple shots taken from the phone's different cameras with one shutter press. A partnership with Snapchat adds a Fun Mode that bundles in filters and AR effects for your camera phone.
Samsung Galaxy A72 performance and connectivity
Unlike the Galaxy A71 5G, the Galaxy A72 does not have 5G capabilities according to the information that Samsung provided to us. This is an odd exclusion, especially given the presence of the Galaxy A52 5G. Perhaps a 5G variant is coming later this year. So you'll be left with LTE with the A72, which is fine for most people.
Samsung told us the Galaxy A72 uses a Snapdragon 720G, an octa-core CPU with two high-performance cores clocked at 2.3Ghz and 6 low-power cores clocked at 1.8Ghz. Last year's Galaxy A71 5G used the Snapdragon 765, so perhaps we'll see a similar SoC should a 5G version of the A72 appear.
Samsung Galaxy A72 battery and charging
The Galaxy A72 packs a huge 5,000 mAh battery. Considering the FHD display and what we expect to be a power-efficient processor, we imagine that this phone will last for two days or maybe even longer depending on your usage. Even if you're gaming or watching videos, 5,000 mAh will go a long way.
Samsung is touting smart battery features to further extend battery life. If you leave your phone unplugged overnight, for instance, the Galaxy A72 is smart enough to go into a power-saving mode during the hours that it would normally be charging.
For charging, the A72 supports 25W wired fast charging. Samsung has said that there will be a charger included with the Galaxy A72, though we're not sure if it'll be the full 25W brick.
Samsung Galaxy A72 software
The Galaxy A72 will ship with Android 11 with One UI 3.1 on top. This is inline with the Galaxy S21 series and it's fantastic to see. Not only that, but Samsung is committing to 3 years of software updates and 4 years of security updates for the Galaxy A72. At the time of writing, this is the best support available in Android land, even outmatching Google's support schedule for its Pixel phones.
This phone is yet another element in the wider Galaxy ecosystem. That includes the likes of the Galaxy Buds Pro, the Galaxy SmartTags, and SmartThings for home automation. With the A72 comes Music Share, which lets you share music or podcasts with your friend's phone. Or with Buds Together, you can pair up to two pairs of Galaxy Buds to you Galaxy A72 to share the music experience.
Samsung Galaxy A72 outlook
The Galaxy A72 looks to be one awesome device. This phone offers a lot, including a good display, powerful cameras, and a huge 5,000 mAh battery.
Though there's no 5G support at this time, the Galaxy A72 should still be a great device. It faces plenty of competition from the current crop of cheap and mid-range phones. As 2021 matures, we'll likely see even better phones take on the Galaxy A72.
For now, though, if you like the Samsung ecosystem, the A72 is shaping up to be an awesome device.
