Here’s a thought: Monsoon is coming and we will have to be careful with smartphones even when it drizzles. Another thought: Is it possible to hang on to a phone for more than a couple of years? Third question: What’s the best big-screen option out there?
All these questions get addressed on the Samsung Galaxy A73 5G. What the company has managed to achieve this time is a good level of consistency when it comes to camera and battery performance. In fact, you will find very few changes in way of design. It’s the same as on many A-series smartphones but that’s a good thing because it’s tiring to find a brand trying five different ideas on five different phones. This is a design philosophy that works, is clean and it has ‘Samsung’ written all over it.
Good for vlogging
Where the A73 shines is in screen real estate, which is 6.7 inches. Huge some may say but that’s what it is. The recent launches from the company cover a wide range of sizes, so if you are looking for something that’s smaller, there are several options in the A-series. It’s a big Super AMOLED screen, which is adequate for day-to-day use, getting bright — up to 800 nits — enough to view content outdoors. Refresh rate is at 120Hz and there is support for Widevine L1, so you can watch Netflix in HD.
Colours are not oversaturated
Consistency is also seen on the camera front. In fact, this is among the best cameras you can get on a mid-segment phone. Sure, 108MP is just another way of presenting big figures but Samsung combines it with a very capable sensor. The photos you will finally get are pixel binned and the output is 12MP. Bright, sharp and there is very little blurring around the edges. The 108MP snapper is accompanied by a consistent 12MP ultra-wide, which is far better than what we have recently seen on mid-segment phones. Most Android brands are not putting in enough effort on the ultra-wide front. So it’s pleasant to take crisp photos and there is little in way of colour shift between the main and ultra-wide. Yes, there’s a macro camera but it’s 5MP, which captures some good close-up shots and it’s way better than the ‘microscope’ lens which we are seeing on a few phones. The fourth camera is 5MP depth.
The main 108MP snapper can capture enough details without delay and comes with OIS
An expensive tech offering comes in the way of Optical Image Stabilisation or OIS on the main camera. It ensures there’s smoothness in your photos and videos. Some brands take stablisation to the point that there are no shakes, which is quite unnatural. Here, stablisation is just about enough. And you can shoot UHD at 30fps. The selfie snapper is 32MP and it offers decent skin texture and video recording.
Night mode is interesting and works well. Instead of keeping night mode as an option on the menu, the camera can detect lighting condition and then shows you the night mode option, which can be turned on with a single click. Seamless performance and you get photos that reveal enough details in the shadows. If you are interested in vlogging or taking photos, you won’t be disappointed.
Future proofing
Let’s come to the tricky part about the processor, which is Snapdragon 778 5G (6nm). This was seen on last year’s A52s, which brings us to whether it’s good enough to have the processor in 2022. Frankly, all the apps that are used at the moment work well even with last year’s processors. Gaming too hasn’t changed quite a lot. Where a processor makes a difference is how far it can handle computational photography, AI and so on. Photography is not an issue here. Further, Samsung believes the processor will not disappoint you for a few years because the company is offering four years of Android upgrade and five years of security upgrade, meaning you should be able to see Android 16 on this phone.
Lately, Samsung has been doing a fantastic job with security upgrades and this device comes with Android 12 and the latest OneUI 4.1.You get all the latest Android features and security is not an issue.
There is the question of purchasing the latest mid-range phone versus a flagship phone that’s one-two years old. It’s always about looking beyond the honeymoon period. Can you play the latest games, take good photos or watch movies in HD? Many flagship phones may check the boxes but when it comes to software upgrade, it won’t be a pleasant experience all the time. Then there is the question of battery condition. If the phone has been lying around for long, battery condition will deteriorate, so it won’t be able to hold charge for long enough. It’s always safer to go for the latest phone.
What you will get here is a 5,000mAh battery but no charging brick in the box, which is a drawback. The battery supports 25W super-fast charging but most of us don’t have such a power brick lying around the house. It makes sense to come up with a variant that has a charger in the box with a different pricing strategy.
Should you buy it?
The promise of software upgrade, IP67 rating, excellent camera and a big screen tilt the favour greatly in Samsung’s favour. But Samsung needs to work on the power-brick front as far as mid-range phones go. After all, most customers buy a mid-range device to keep expenditure in check. Otherwise, Samsung Galaxy A73 5G is one of the most consistent performers available.
The camera performs well even under uneven lighting
At a glance
Device: Samsung Galaxy A73 5G
Price: Rs 41,999 (128GB+8GB)
High notes
• Sufficient screen real estate
• Long-term promise of Android and security upgrades
• Excellent camera
• Good battery life
• Water resistance
Muffled notes
• No charger in the box
