The midrange phone market is saturated with options. Drop a pin in a phone shop and it’ll probably bounce off of a couple of smartphones with a price range between RM1,500 and RM2,500.
That also means competition is high and we as consumers have to sieve through a lot to find what’s best for us.
One of those options is the Samsung Galaxy A73 5G and after a few weeks of using it, I got to say that its flagship-like features do make a difference.
Before we start, you might want to know about my first impression of the A73 5G. You can find that here.
Judging A Phone By Its Cover
With a price tag of RM2,099, the A73 5G had to do a lot to stand out and if you’ve read my first impressions, you’d know that I was not impressed with the device’s plastic body and a slew of preinstalled apps.
I don’t mind a plastic phone, I’ve tested some well-made ones, but the shiny finish Samsung uses on the frame makes it look and feel like a toy. Perhaps an Aluminium frame or a redesign with plastics in mind would have been better.
The issue with the apps is common among phones in this price range, but the S73 5G doubled down by nagging me that the setup process is not complete because I did not want to install one of its three suits of apps that I don’t want.
Another thing with the A73 5G is that the longer it is in the market, the steeper the competition. For example, there are already smartphones with flagship processors in the same price range.
But if you can look past all that, the A73 5G is pretty good.
An Impressive Shooter
Most people look at their devices like cameras that can connect to the internet and make calls. Understanding this, Samsung equipped the A73 5G with a 108MP camera with optical image stabilisation (OIS).
There’s also the 12MP ultrawide, a 5MP macro, and a 5MP depth camera. But realistically Why bother with the others when you got a 108MP shooter with OIS?
The images are excellent and the OIS helps with video too.
At the same time, I see that the lack of processing power is holding it back. Sure it is powerful enough to do some photo effects, filters, and editing, but when it comes to videos it can only go as high as 4K at 30 fps.
Oh, and the selfie camera is a pretty good 32MP shooter too.
A Dependable Companion
My favourite thing about the A73 5G is how Samsung did all it can to make sure the phone is dependable.
First of all, Samsung has said that it guarantees that the A73 5G will get up to four generations of One UI and Android OS upgrades and up to five years of security updates.
Sure the processing capabilities of the A73 5G would not be up to par in a few years, but the updates ensure that it will still be secure, safe, and usable.
Samsung also fitted the phone with a 5Ah (5,000mAh) battery that is rated to last for at least 2 days on a full charge. Without social network apps and scheduling my updates, I could get it running for three days, almost four.
Last but not least, the A73 5G is rated for IP67 water and dust resistance. It’s a boon for a phone in this price range and especially in our tropical weather with all the rain and floods or during the holidays at a waterpark.
The Great Entertainer
Samsung didn’t have to, but they did put a 6.7in Super AMOLED Plus display capable of a 120Hz refresh rate. It is then coupled with a pair of Dolby Atmos compatible speakers.
To me, that’s an excellent recipe for a device to watch videos, shows, and movies on. Games look good on it too.
To Buy Or Not To Buy
If you are looking for a mid-range smartphone with an excellent camera and display, then make sure the Samsung Galaxy A73 5G is on your list of considerations. It is tough to beat.
Don’t mind that the body is plastic, most people are going to slap a cover on it anyway, and don’t mind the lack of a charger too much. Most people have a spare USB-C charger nowadays, and a third party one is fairly cheap too.
Also, if you want your A73 5G to run better, uninstall all those apps you don’t use.
