Samsung Galaxy A73 5G Review - Powerful Premium Device Under 30K

The Samsung Galaxy A73 5G was released earlier last year as the flagship device in the Samsung Galaxy A-series lineup. It offers category-leading specs and a design comparable to the brand's flagship devices, which can attract one's attention.

With its impressive 108MP camera sensor, the Samsung Galaxy A73 5G is one of the best mid-range phones we've reviewed. The Galaxy A73 5G is available in three variants the (6GB+128GB) is priced at ₱25,490, the (8GB+128GB) is priced at ₱26,490, and the (8GB+256GB) variant is priced at ₱28,490 you can get one at all authorized Samsung Stores and on the Samsung online store.

Also read Samsung Galaxy A73 5G Unboxing and First Impressions

SAMSUNG Galaxy A73 5G Design
The Galaxy A73 as well as other Samsung mid-range smartphones haven't evolved very much since they were first released. Strong glass is used for the front and back, while the rest of the body is plastic. 

The best part about Samsung devices is that they have a high-quality appearance without feeling cheap.

The Galaxy A73's fingerprint-resistant matte back adds to the device's stylish design. However, it is recommended to buy a protective case, since there is none included in the box, so buying one is a good idea.

The Galaxy A73 5G is a slim device at 7.6 mm and weighs 180 grams, which is light for a device of its size. Its rounded sides and small camera bump are two more ways Samsung has reduced the phone's overall profile. This makes it possible to use this device all day.

The button layout of the Galaxy A73 5G is similar to that of most other smartphones. The power button and volume rocker are positioned on the right side of the device, providing a good tactile response when pressed. The IP67 dust/water resistance rating of the Galaxy A73 5G indicates that it is water resistant.

The primary microphone, USB Type-C port, and speaker grill are all located on the bottom of the Galaxy A73.Unfortunately, it lacks the 3.5mm headphone jack. Those who still prefer wired headphones can use the type-C adaptor, although this may not be a major concern for some users given the large selection of affordable wireless earbuds available.

Overall, the Galaxy A73 is a well-designed smartphone, with a unibody build that gives a more premium appearance. It's comfortable to use thanks to its slim and lightweight build.

AMOLED Display
The Galaxy A73 AMOLED display, which Samsung has refined over the years, provides a very comfortable viewing experience. 

With a pixel density of 393 and a screen size of 6.7 inches, the phone is excellent for media consumption, gaming, and overall daily use.

The display's flat design with nearly symmetrical bezels makes it look nice, especially when used in landscape mode. The selfie camera on the punch-hole seems to be larger than usual, but it's not really that intrusive and not that noticeable once you get used to it.

The 120Hz refresh rate is fairly smooth; however, the display does not support the higher 144Hz refresh rate found in some other mid-range devices. The Snapdragon chipset performed admirably, with no signs of sluggishness or low frame rates.

The device's bottom-firing speaker produces a loud and clear sound. The speakers' ability to fill a room with sound makes it suitable for content consumption. However, wired or wireless earphones provide the best listening experience.

Performance
The Galaxy A73 is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G processor with up to 8GB of RAM + (a virtual RAM function with up to 8GB); it's also available in two storage variants, 128GB and 256GB. 

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G chipset is a fast mid-range ARM-based SoC that is used on mid-range tablets and smartphones. It features a 6th Gen Qualcomm Artificial Intelligence (AI) Engine that includes an upgraded processor with fused architecture for ultra-fast responses, and the contextually aware 2nd Gen Qualcomm Sensing Hub provides on-demand assistance at extremely low power consumption.

It's important to keep in mind that the Galaxy A73 is not designed with gaming in mind. This device is not intended for hardcore gameplay, but it can be used for casual gaming. Although the Galaxy A73 can handle demanding games like Asphalt 9, Call of Duty, Fortnite, and other graphics-intensive games, it will eventually slow down and get hot to the touch if you play for long periods of time.

To test the Galaxy A73 performance, we ran benchmark apps, and here are the results:

Daily use of the Galaxy A73 is very snappy and smooth, and this includes switching between apps. Furthermore, basic navigation through the interface, scrolling, and using multiple apps is effortless.

On a side note, the Galaxy A73 has support for the RAM Plus virtual memory feature. Users can adjust their virtual memory size up to 8 GB using this option. Is there any noticeable difference with regular use? In an indirect manner, yes, since the device does not get sluggish or lag, especially when running too many apps in the background, each of which needs its own share of RAM and other resources to maintain seamless app switching.

It comes preinstalled with Android 12.0 and Samsung's One UI 4.1 skin, and users can upgrade to Samsung's newest, One UI 5.0, via over-the-air software updates. In fact, the newer versions of OneUI is snappier than before, which could be because of improved optimization.

Samsung Galaxy A73 5G Camera
The Galaxy A73 sports a 108-megapixel main camera sensor with f/1.8 aperture and OIS, as well as a 12-megapixel ultra-wide sensor with f/2.2 aperture, a 5-megapixel depth sensor, and a 2-megapixel macro sensor.

The main camera shoots images at 12 megapixels by default, and thanks to pixel-binning, photos taken in daylight or in well-lit conditions come out nice with good details and sharpness.

When compared side by side, photos taken with a Galaxy A73 and a Galaxy S22 Ultra may not show any noticeable difference unless you zoom in significantly. But when viewed at greater magnification, photos captured with the Galaxy A73 display slightly less detail and noticeable noise. This could be due to the Galaxy A73's chipset's poor artificial intelligence capabilities.

The camera can switch between the ultra-wide sensor's 0.5x zoom and the primary sensor's 1x zoom. Samsung removed the Galaxy A73's zoom lens in favor of its 108-megapixel primary sensor. Digital zooming up to 10x is possible, although the results are not particularly impressive.

The camera's Scene Optimizer allows for great results even while shooting at night or in dimly lit settings, producing detailed pictures with minimal noise. provided that the lighting is enough; if it is too dark, the camera will require a longer exposure.

When switching to full 108MP resolution with the detail enhancer feature, photos look sharper, and the dynamic range is also good as well.

Its video recording quality is excellent, with sharp focus and plenty of details, especially when shot in daylight. Unfortunately, despite the 108MP camera, neither 8K video recording nor the option to shoot videos at 60 fps in 4K (UHD) resolution is not supported. It also has no dedicated zoom camera. This makes sense given that this feature is exclusive to Samsung's flagship devices.

The 32-megapixel front-facing camera takes decent selfies and shots in good lighting, with fairly correct skin tones, but falls short indoors and at night. The camera shutter can be triggered using a wave gesture of the hand.

Battery Life and Charging
The 5000mAh battery has enough power to last a full day even when the display's refresh rate is 120Hz, and even longer under intensive use when the refresh rate is 60Hz.

When the battery is critically low and there is no charging outlet available, the Power saving feature can disable Always-On Display, reduce CPU performance to 70%, disable 5G, and limit background app activity to extend battery life.

Using the PCMark Work 3.0 benchmark app, we tested the Galaxy A73 battery, and it lasted 13 hours and 11 minutes, which is quite impressive.

Samsung did not include a charger in the box, although some retailers offer a free 25W charger when you purchase the Galaxy A73. 

Fast charging is supported; using the Ugreen 100W GaN Fast Charger, which supports a 25W charging, it can go from 5% to 20% in just 10 minutes, and from 5% to nearly 50% in 30 minutes, which is on par with Samsung's latest flagship devices. Unfortunately, wireless charging is not supported.

Pros
Premium-quality design
Sharp AMOLED display
Good performance
IP67
Long battery life
108PM camera

Cons
unimpressive Low light camera performance
Old chipset
No charger in the box
No wireless charging support
A bit expensive for a midrange level

Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy A73 5G is a great option for Samsung users who want to upgrade to a mid-range 5G smartphone, as well as those who wish to experience a premium device within the Samsung ecosystem. Sure, It's more expensive compared to other midrange brands, but the Galaxy A73 has a lot to offer, such as the premium Samsung design, fast performance, and advanced security provided by Samsung's Knox technology.

 

It's capable of shooting great photos with its 108-megapixel camera, and it has a sharp, high refresh rate display, a water-resistant design, stereo speakers, and a long battery life. In addition, Samsung's promise to provide four years' worth of operating system upgrades sets it apart from the competition.

-

Subscribe to our social media channels Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, Twitter, and YouTube. to receive the latest news and updates.