1. Specifications Comparison
Design
| Feature | Samsung Galaxy A72 | Honor 70 | Practical Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 165 × 77.4 × 8.4 mm | 161.4 × 73.3 × 7.9 mm | The A72 is noticeably larger and thicker, potentially feeling bulkier in hand and pocket. The Honor 70 is more compact and easier to handle. |
| Weight | 203g | 178g | The Honor 70 is significantly lighter, making it more comfortable for extended use and easier to carry. |
Display
| Feature | Samsung Galaxy A72 | Honor 70 | Practical Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Size | 6.7" | 6.67" | Both are large, providing immersive experiences. The difference is negligible and unlikely to be noticed. |
| Resolution | 1080x2400 | 1080x2400 | Both offer the same sharpness; content will look equally crisp. |
| PPI | 394 | 395 | Virtually identical pixel density; no noticeable difference in sharpness. |
| Technology | AMOLED | OLED | Both offer vibrant colors and deep blacks; differences are minor. |
| Refresh Rate | 90Hz | 120Hz | The Honor 70's 120Hz display will feel smoother during scrolling, animations, and gaming. |
| Brightness | 800 nits | 0 nits | The Samsung A72 display is significantly brighter, providing better visibility in direct sunlight. Honor 70 brightness is unknown. |
Performance
| Feature | Samsung Galaxy A72 | Honor 70 | Practical Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G (8 nm) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G+ 5G (6 nm) | The Honor 70's newer chipset offers much better performance, with faster app loading, smoother multitasking, and improved gaming capabilities. |
| AnTuTu Score | 285,000 | 600,525 | The Honor 70 significantly outperforms the A72, indicating much snappier performance in all tasks. |
| GPU | Adreno 618 | Adreno 642L | The Honor 70 has a more powerful GPU, leading to better gaming performance and smoother graphics. |
Camera
| Feature | Samsung Galaxy A72 | Honor 70 | Practical Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Camera | 64MP, f/1.8, 0.8µm | 54MP, f/1.9, 1.0µm, 1/1.49" Sony IMX800 | Honor 70 has larger pixel sizes, resulting in better light sensitivity, but Samsung A72 has a higher resolution. |
| Telephoto/Portrait | 8MP, f/2.4, 1/4.4" | None | Samsung has dedicated telephoto lens, useful for zoom shots. |
| Selfie Camera | 32MP, f/2.2, 0.8µm | 32MP, f/2.4, 0.7µm 1/3.2" Omnivision OV32C | Samsung's selfie camera has a slightly wider aperture for better low-light performance, but Honor 70 has larger sensor size. |
| Wide-Angle Lens | 12MP, f/2.2, 1.12µm | 50MP, f/2.2 | Honor 70's wide-angle lens has a significantly higher resolution, capturing more detailed and wide shots. |
| Macro Lens | 5MP, f/2.4, 1.12µm | 2MP, f/2.4 | Samsung has slightly higher resolution macro camera. |
| Video | 4K@30fps EIS, 1080p@30/60fps EIS | 4K@30fps EIS, 1080p@30/60fps EIS | Both phones offer similar video recording resolution capabilities. Honor has more slow motion features. |
| DxOMark Score | Main: 92; Photo: 100; Video: 78 | Main: 115; Photo: 115; Video: 129 | Honor 70 performs significantly better in all camera aspects. |
| Camera Features | OIS, PDAF, Optical Zoom, Quad Camera | 4K Video, Triple Camera, Ultra Stable Video, RAW | Each phone offers some unique features. |
Battery
| Feature | Samsung Galaxy A72 | Honor 70 | Practical Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 5000mAh | 4800mAh | The A72 has slightly larger battery capacity, but the difference is minor and may not be noticeable. |
| Charging | 25W Fast Charging | 66W Fast Charging | The Honor 70 charges significantly faster, leading to less downtime. |
| Features | 15W Charger included | Reverse Charging | Samsung includes a charger and Honor allows reverse charging other devices. |
Software
| Feature | Samsung Galaxy A72 | Honor 70 | Practical Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| OS | Android 11 (upgradable to 12) | Android 12 | Honor 70 has a newer OS out of the box. |
Connectivity
| Feature | Samsung Galaxy A72 | Honor 70 | Practical Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi | 802.11ac | 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) | Honor 70 has newer standard for faster wifi speeds. |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 5.2 | The Honor 70 has the newer standard with a more efficient connection. |
| GPS | Yes | Yes | Both support common GPS technologies. |
| SIM | Dual SIM Dual Standby | Dual SIM Dual Standby | Both support dual sim cards. |
Storage
| Feature | Samsung Galaxy A72 | Honor 70 | Practical Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internal | 128/256 GB | 128/256/512 GB | Honor 70 offers up to 512GB storage and therefore more storage options. |
| RAM | 6/8 GB | 6/8/12 GB | Honor 70 offers up to 12 GB of RAM for better multitasking. |
| Expandable | No | No | Neither phone support expandable storage. |
Audio
| Feature | Samsung Galaxy A72 | Honor 70 | Practical Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality | Dolby Atmos | Hi-Res Audio | Both phones offer stereo speakers. The A72 has Dolby Atmos, while the Honor 70 has Hi-Res Audio. |
Security
| Feature | Samsung Galaxy A72 | Honor 70 | Practical Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Features | Basic Fingerprint | Basic Fingerprint | Both devices have basic fingerprint sensors. |
Build Quality
| Feature | Samsung Galaxy A72 | Honor 70 | Practical Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protection | Unknown | Unknown | Screen protection is unknown on both devices. |
Sensors
| Feature | Samsung Galaxy A72 | Honor 70 | Practical Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint, Proximity, Accelerometer, Compass, Gyroscope, Hall, Geomagnetic | Fingerprint, Proximity, Accelerometer, Compass, Gyroscope | Both phones include a basic suite of sensors, Samsung has slightly more. |
2. Key Differences Analysis
Samsung Galaxy A72 Advantages:
- Brighter Display: The A72 has a significantly brighter screen, making it more usable in direct sunlight, although it's missing brightness specs in comparison to Honor 70.
- Telephoto Lens: The presence of a dedicated telephoto camera allows for optical zoom capabilities, which the Honor 70 lacks.
- Slightly Larger Battery: A slightly larger battery of 5000mAh (compared to 4800mAh) will mean longer battery life.
- Dolby Atmos: The A72's Dolby Atmos feature could provide an enhanced audio experience.
- More Sensors: The A72 has extra sensors like Hall and Geomagnetic sensors.
Honor 70 Advantages:
- Superior Performance: The Snapdragon 778G+ chipset offers significantly higher performance than the Snapdragon 720G, making the phone faster and more responsive.
- Higher Refresh Rate Display: The 120Hz display provides smoother scrolling and animations.
- Faster Charging: 66W fast charging drastically reduces charging time compared to the A72's 25W.
- Significantly Better Camera Quality: The Honor 70 has significantly better camera scores in DXOMark and features a better main sensor and wide-angle camera.
- Newer OS: The Honor 70 ships with Android 12.
- Newer Connectivity: The Honor 70 has a newer WiFi and bluetooth standard.
- More RAM and Storage Options: The Honor 70 offers larger RAM and storage configurations.
- Hi-Res Audio: The Honor 70 has Hi-Res audio certification
Trade-offs:
- The Samsung Galaxy A72 has slightly better battery capacity, brighter display and more sensors, but it comes with a much weaker chipset and camera compared to the Honor 70.
- The Honor 70 offers superior performance and camera at the cost of potentially slightly shorter battery life and a non-specified display brightness.
3. User Profiles & Recommendations
Samsung Galaxy A72:
- Ideal User: Users who prioritize a brighter screen for outdoor visibility and value a versatile camera setup with optical zoom, including telephoto.
- Use Cases:
- Frequent outdoor use in sunny conditions
- Users who enjoy taking zoomed-in photos and videos
- Casual gamers who are not looking for the highest performance
- Value: The A72 provides a good overall experience with a brighter screen and more cameras, but the performance is noticeably weaker than the Honor 70.
Honor 70:
- Ideal User: Users who prioritize performance, camera quality, and fast charging. Also good for those who prefer smoother UI experiences due to the higher refresh rate display.
- Use Cases:
- Mobile gamers
- Photography and videography enthusiasts
- Users who frequently need to charge their phones
- Users who heavily rely on their phone for social media consumption
- Value: The Honor 70 provides much more powerful performance, a significantly better camera, and faster charging for the cost.
4. Decision Framework
Key Questions for Buyers:
- How important is performance to you?
- If performance is critical for gaming or heavy app usage, the Honor 70 is the better choice.
- How often do you use your phone in bright sunlight?
- If direct sunlight visibility is a must, the Samsung A72's brighter display is better.
- Is camera quality more important than zoom capabilities?
- If you value overall quality over zoom capabilities, the Honor 70 is the better choice.
Scenario-Based Recommendations:
- Scenario 1: Mobile Gaming Enthusiast: Choose the Honor 70 for its superior performance, faster refresh rate, and better GPU.
- Scenario 2: Outdoor Photographer: Choose the Samsung A72 for its telephoto lens and brighter display, although the Honor 70 would still be a good pick.
- Scenario 3: Social Media Power User: Choose the Honor 70 for its fast performance, great camera and higher refresh rate display
- Scenario 4: Budget-Conscious User: The Samsung A72 may offer a slightly lower price point, making it an option if the other features are more important.
What I would choose and why:
I would choose the Honor 70. While the Samsung Galaxy A72 offers a brighter screen and a dedicated telephoto lens, the Honor 70's advantages are far more compelling for my priorities. The significant performance boost from the Snapdragon 778G+ chipset, combined with the superior camera quality and faster 66W charging, make it a much better overall package. The 120Hz display offers a smoother user experience, and the newer software provides a longer life span. The slightly smaller battery size is a worthwhile trade-off considering the rapid charging capabilities. I value smooth performance and great camera quality over the brighter display and telephoto lens.
