We recently just reviewed the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G, which is a solid mid-range device. This time around, we got the Galaxy A73, which is the top-of-the-line in the Galaxy A series. Without further ado, let’s dive into the full review. In case you missed it, you can check out our unboxing and first impressions of the phone here.
Samsung Galaxy A73 5G Specs
- 6.7-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED Plus 120Hz display
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G processor
- 8GB RAM
- 256GB expandable storage
- Camera
- Rear: 108MP main with OIS + 12MP ultra-wide + 5MP macro + 5MP depth
- Front: 32MP
- 5,000mAh battery with 25W fast charging
- IP67
- One UI 4.1 on top of Android 12
- Colors: Awesome Mint, Awesome Gray, Awesome White
Design
In terms of design, the Galaxy A73 looks fairly similar to the A53 but just a tiny bigger. The front is a 6.7-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED Plus 120Hz display with reasonable thick bezels around. Unlike the A53, the A73 doesn’t have a silver trim around the 32MP camera cutout. It still has the same optical in-display fingerprint sensor that can register up to three fingers only. The fingerprint sensor is not as fast as the ultrasonic one on the S22 series, but the speed is still acceptable.
Unlike last year’s A72, the Galaxy A73 now doesn’t have a 3.5mm audio jack. It still has stereo speakers, one doubles up as the earpiece and another one at the bottom, enhanced with Dolby Atmos.
The back of the phone is basically the same as the A53, which is made of plastic and the camera bump is now curved up from the body.
Display
The Samsung Galaxy A73 5G sports a 6.7-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED Plus 120Hz display, which is an upgrade over the Super AMOLED panel. The Super AMOLED Plus panel is thinner, brighter, and uses less energy, compared to the Super AMOLED panel. It has the best display in its class that offers a good viewing experience. Unlike the flagship S22 series, the A73 doesn’t have a variable refresh rate and the screen brightness is lower.
Performance
Powering the Galaxy A73 is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G processor with 8GB RAM and 256GB expandable storage, which is a different chipset from the A53. It’s kinda weird since Samsung claims that the Exynos 1280 processor performs similarly to the Snapdragon 778G processor but the top-of-the-line device uses the Snapdragon 778G chipset instead. This is probably because the Snapdragon 778G chip performs better when it comes to gaming, which is something the Exynos 1280 chip struggles with. The phone doesn’t overheat like the current flagship chipset, you know which chipset is that, and no doubt it is able to handle day-to-day usage pretty well without any stuttery.
Software
The Galaxy A73 runs on One UI 4.1 based on Android 12 and Samsung has promised to provide four generations of One UI and Android OS upgrades and five years of security updates. The software experience is pretty much the same as the A53, so we’ll just skip it.
Camera
In terms of camera, the Galaxy A73 packs a quad-camera setup on the back — 108MP main with OIS + 12MP ultra-wide + 5MP macro + 5MP depth. Yup, the main camera has been bumped up to 108MP from its predecessor, but Samsung has removed the telephoto camera.
Image quality generally is pretty good, the hybrid zoom did well but a real 3x optical zoom is still better. The main camera shoots 12MP photos by default with the Quad Bayer tech and I actually find no reason to use the 108MP mode other than capturing crystal clear details. Colors and details between the ultra-wide and main cameras are less consistent. Samsung tends to over-sharpen the photos, not to my liking but the cameras are good enough for your social media usage.
Battery Life
The Samsung Galaxy A73 5G has a 5,000mAh battery with 25W fast charging. As mentioned in our unboxing article, Samsung no longer includes a charging brick in the box. I was able to get 2 days of battery life with more than 7 hours of screen-on-time easily. Charging the phone from 15% to full took me around an hour.
Final Words
Retailing at RM2,099, the Samsung Galaxy A73 5G is now available in White, Blue, Peach, and Black. It is one of the best mid-range devices you can get right now by offering best-in-class features — the screen, camera, and battery life. If you are still wondering whether to get it or the A53, the A73 has better overall performance, which is something the A53 slightly lacking behind.