If you're after a more affordable Samsung smartphone, the manufacturer's new, more affordable series of devices drops on April 9. At the top of the A series are the Galaxy A52 and the Galaxy A72, succeeding last year's popular Galaxy A51 and Galaxy A71. There's also a 5G variant, called the Galaxy A52 5G.
All three phones are pretty similar, but there are some key differences to consider. If you're on the fence, we'll run through everything you need to know about Samsung's new mid-tier handsets.
First, here are their specs:
Galaxy A52 vs. Galaxy A72
| Galaxy A52 | Galaxy A52 5G | Galaxy A72 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.5-inch 1080p+ | 6.5-inch 1080p+ | 6.7-inch 1080p+ |
| Refresh Rate | 90Hz | 120Hz | 90Hz |
| Rear Cameras | 64MP + 12MP + 5MP + 5MP | 64MP + 12MP + 5MP + 5MP | 64MP + 12MP + 5MP + 8MP |
| Front Camera | 32MP | 32MP | 32MP |
| Processor | Snapdragon 720G | Snapdragon 750G 5G | Snapdragon 720G |
| Storage | 128GB | 128GB - 256GB | 256GB |
| RAM | 8GB | 6GB - 8GB | 8GB |
| Water-Resistance | IP67 | IP67 | IP67 |
| 5G | No | Yes | No |
| Battery | 4,500mAh | 4,500mAh | 5,000mAh |
| Price | $599 | From $649 | $749 |
Samsung Galaxy A52 vs. Galaxy A72 Price
Price is naturally a difference between the Galaxy A52 and Galaxy A72, with the former being the more affordable phone. However, the 256GB capacity model of the Galaxy A52 5G comes in at the same price as the Galaxy A72. Outright pricing for the devices is as follows:
- Samsung Galaxy A52 (128GB): $599
- Samsung Galaxy A52 5G (128GB): $649
- Samsung Galaxy A52 5G (256GB): $749
- Samsung Galaxy A72 (256GB): $749
We're expecting to see this pricing reflected in phone plans too. When you buy a phone on a plan, the outright price of the device is simply divided by 12, 24, or 36 (depending on how many months you'd like to pay your phone off over) and popped on to the price of your base plan.
Every now and again, telcos offer discounts on handsets, but in short, the more expensive the outright price, the more expensive your phone plan will be. Sometimes promotions can skew the maths a little, but they're far from a given.
Samsung Galaxy A52 vs. Galaxy A72 Camera
On paper, the Galaxy A52, the Galaxy A52 5G, and Galaxy A72 have very similar camera setups. All three phones share three of the same lenses: a 64MP primary camera with optical image stabilisation, a 12MP ultra-wide lens, and a 5MP macro lens. We'd expect the image quality from these to be identical.
Where you'll find some variance is the fourth lens. The Galaxy A52 and Galaxy A52 5G both have a 5MP depth lens as the final piece in their camera puzzle, whereas the Galaxy A72 has an 8MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom.
Depth lenses are predominantly used to improve portrait photography, and can't be used as a standalone camera option. On the other hand, the telephoto lens makes the Galaxy A72 just that little more versatile when it comes to shot composition. An optical zoom lens is always going to produce higher quality results than software-enhanced digital zoom.
Samsung Galaxy A52 vs. Galaxy A72 Design
The Galaxy A52, Galaxy A52 5G, and Galaxy A72 are all very similar when it comes to design. All three are protected by Gorilla Glass 5 on the front, have a hole-punch selfie camera, and a matte polycarbonate back. They come in the same three colours: blue, purple, and black.
There are a few differences, however. Both the Galaxy A52 and Galaxy A52 5G have a 6.5-inch display, while the Galaxy A72 has a slightly larger 6.7-inch display. The screens themselves all run at a resolution of 1080p+, so the smaller size of the Galaxy A52 and Galaxy A52 5G will make them just a little bit sharper. This shouldn't be too significant, however.
All three phones have high refresh rate displays, for smoother motion. The Galaxy A52 and Galaxy A72 have a 90Hz panel, while the Galaxy A52 5G ups this to 120Hz. That's the same as what you'd find on Samsung's pricier devices such as the Galaxy S21.
The trio all have an IP67 rating for water-resistance. This means they can survive depths of up to one metre for as long as half-an-hour.
Samsung Galaxy A52 vs. Galaxy A72 Performance
All three phones are powered by midrange Snapdragon processors. Both the Galaxy A52 and Galaxy A72 feature a Snapdragon 720G inside, while the Galaxy A52 5G has a Snapdragon 750G 5G. On paper, the Galaxy A52 5G is a faster processor, but only slightly. We'd expect very little difference in terms of day-to-day performance.
The Galaxy A52 is available in both 4G and 5G variants, but there is currently no 5G Galaxy A72 model available.
The 4G-only Galaxy A52 is available with 128GB of storage, the Galaxy A52 5G comes in 128GB and 256GB variants, while the Galaxy A72 has 256GB out of the box. All three phones have expandable storage.
Samsung Galaxy A52 vs. Galaxy A72 Battery
The Galaxy A72 has the biggest battery out of the lost, packing a 5,000mAh cell. The Galaxy A52 and Galaxy A52 5G both have a 4,500mAh battery, on the other hand. Samsung says all three phones should last up to two days per charge, but we've yet to be able to test this.
Unlike the Galaxy S21 family, the Galaxy A series still includes chargers in the box. The Galaxy A52 and Galaxy A52 5G have a 15W fast charger in the box, while the Galaxy A72 has a 25W fast charger.
Should I buy the Galaxy A52 or the Galaxy A72?
On paper, the Galaxy A52 5G seems like the best value option out of the three. For just $50 more than the Galaxy A52, you're getting 5G connectivity and a higher refresh rate display. That's a pretty good deal. There's certainly no need to rush out and buy a 5G phone right now, but it's still nice to have in terms of future-proofing.
The Galaxy A72 is worth considering if you'd like an optical zoom lens and aren't too fussed about 5G. 256GB of storage is also a big plus, especially at $749. The Galaxy A52 5G does also come in a 256GB model for $749 if you really want extra storage.
Alex Choros
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