Buzz
Bigger, Stronger, Longer-lasting, but with a Higher Price Tag - Is It Worth It?
1. In-Depth Review of the Samsung Galaxy A70 - Is Bigger Better?
Bigger, Stronger, Longer-lasting, but with a Higher Price Tag - Is It Worth It?
If the Galaxy A80 served as a prototype for Samsung to experiment with its innovative 'rotating and flipping' camera technology, then the Galaxy A70 represents a more straightforward, yet 'practical' smartphone, symbolizing everything the company can offer to users in the mid-range segment at the present time. One could also consider this as an 'amplified' version of the Galaxy A50 introduced earlier.
What does this smartphone offer to entice users, and does it differentiate enough from the Galaxy A50 to justify the upgrade cost (around 2 million dong) or not?
Spacious Design, Even More Edge-to-Edge Display
The initial impression users get when holding the Galaxy A70 is undoubtedly its size! The device features a massive 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display, slightly larger than the Galaxy A50 by 0.3 inches but significantly different in reality. Currently, there aren't many smartphones on the market with such a large screen, as manufacturers have settled on a 'standard' size ranging from 6 to 6.4 inches. In this price range, compared to competitors like the F11 Pro, Vivo V15, or Xiaomi Mi 9, it's clear that the A70 has an advantage in size.
Comparison of the dimensions between the Galaxy A50 (left) and Galaxy A70 (right)
To prevent the device from feeling too bulky for one-handed use, the company continues to employ the 'waterdrop' Infinity-U display design, allowing the screen to reach the edges.
However, the Galaxy A70 doesn't just scale up the template of the Galaxy A50; it also features a slightly smaller bottom bezel (chin). Thanks to this design, the front of the device appears more balanced, with all the bezels nearly having the same area.
Bottom bezel of the Galaxy A70 (top) and Galaxy A50 (bottom)
The display panel maintains its resolution at Full HD+ (1080 x 2400), so theoretically, there's a slight decrease in pixel density (DPI), but it's negligible. It's still a Super AMOLED panel, offering vibrant colors and excellent contrast due to its ability to switch off black pixels. These advantages, coupled with the 'maximized' 6.7-inch size, deliver a 'premium' visual experience (browsing, streaming, gaming).
Testing the speed of the in-display fingerprint sensor
Beneath this panel, we still have an optical fingerprint sensor similar to the one on the Galaxy A50. In our Galaxy A50 review, we discussed this type of sensor. With prolonged use, users become accustomed to its position, increasing the accuracy of 'hits'.
The rear of the device is still made of plastic but finished well enough to resist indentation unlike the Honor 20 Lite! Another point in complete contrast to the Honor 20 Lite is the color scheme: Samsung opts for a single color (in my case, it's gray) instead of vibrant colors like its Chinese counterpart. Depending on individual aesthetic preferences, it will complement the design direction of each device.
The curved edges make it comfortable to hold despite its larger size. On the right edge, we have the power button and volume controls.
On the bottom edge, we find the USB Type-C port for fast charging at 25W, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a speaker grille. The speaker quality of the Galaxy A70 is decent, without distortion at high volumes, but nevertheless, dual speakers would be significantly better, less likely to be obstructed by the user's hand.
The back panel is bare except for the triple camera setup (which will be discussed further in the following section); nothing more as the fingerprint sensor has already been placed under the screen!
High-End Configuration
Instead of using Samsung's own Exynos processor like the Galaxy A50, the 'big brother' variant switches to Qualcomm's Snapdragon product. We have the Snapdragon 675 processor built on an 11nm process, featuring 2 high-performance Kryo 460 Gold cores and 6 efficiency Kryo 460 Silver cores, coupled with Adreno 612 graphics processing unit (GPU) combined with 6 / 8GB of RAM.
This processor delivers significantly higher performance compared to the Exynos 9610 on the Galaxy A50, both in terms of CPU and GPU:
Benchmark scores for the Galaxy A70's Snapdragon 675, starting from the CPU...
...to the graphics performance (GPU).
While using the Galaxy A50, I experienced interface lag and blamed the OneUI interface, but when switching to the Galaxy A70, this issue disappeared, indicating a change in the processor. However, Samsung also released a software upgrade for the Galaxy A50 to fix this issue, so there's no difference in smoothness in everyday tasks between the two devices.
The difference only becomes apparent when gaming! Qualcomm's Adreno 612 GPU handles heavy graphics games like Asphalt 9 (Medium) better, and for online games, I confidently switch to high refresh rate mode (High FPS). This configuration elevates the Galaxy A70 to a 'near-flagship' device rather than just a mid-range one like the F11 Pro or V15.
The camera capabilities don't show much difference, but that's not to say it's a weakness
To meet photography needs, the Galaxy A70 features a 32MP selfie camera and 3 rear cameras with a 5MP depth sensor and an 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide 12mm camera, similar to the Galaxy A50, but with the main camera upgraded from 25MP to 32MP.
In practical use, the increase in resolution doesn't make much difference. On the positive side, this system still meets all photography needs and, above all, delivers decent quality.
Fixing the yellowish tint issue on photos taken with the Galaxy A70
One observation is that the Galaxy A70 often produces overexposed photos (requiring manual exposure adjustment like the Galaxy A50) and tends towards an orange-white balance. As in the image above, your skin tone appears orangeish, losing its natural hue, and the white fabric in the background shifts to yellow-orange.
However, color correction only takes a few seconds, so it's not a significant issue. Photos from the Galaxy A70 contain sufficient detail, and the automatic processing is not overly aggressive, so after these post-processing steps, the images still look clean and vibrant.
Some photos taken with the Samsung Galaxy A70
Impressive Battery Life
The advantages of large devices lie not only in what's visible (the display) but also in what's hidden inside - the battery. The Galaxy A70's battery has a capacity of 4500mAh, which is 500mAh higher than the already sizable 4000mAh battery of the Galaxy A50.
The battery life assessment is highly impressive with the Galaxy A70's PCMark Work 2.0
In the PCMark Work 2.0 usage test, the device lasted 14 hours and 35 minutes, significantly longer than the 11 hours and 18 minutes of the Galaxy A50. I could easily go two days without charging, even with battery-intensive tasks like watching movies or playing heavy games.
My biggest question was whether the Galaxy A70 with a larger battery would charge slower. If the device lasted a long time but took ages to charge, it wouldn't be enjoyable at all.
Samsung understands this concern and equips the Galaxy A70 with a 25W fast charger instead of 15W. With the included charger and cable (both USB Type-C), the device charges fully in 1 hour and 40 minutes, precisely the same as the Galaxy A50! So, we have a device with longer battery life but no slower charging - a definite plus! The A70 also features fast charging like the Oppo F11 Pro but uses a USB-C port, making it easier to find replacement cables.
Conclusion
Personally, I'm someone who prefers compact, lightweight tech products, so I'm more inclined towards the Galaxy S10e or the Galaxy Watch Active than larger devices like the S10 Plus or Galaxy Watch.
However, after experiencing the Galaxy A70 and comparing it with the Galaxy A50, I've come to the conclusion that bigger is indeed better, as this smartphone boasts high-end specs, a large display, and the unbeatable 4500mAh battery for extended usage.
Overall, the Galaxy A70 is an intriguing choice, especially for those seeking a large-screen smartphone for watching movies and gaming purposes.
