1. Specifications Comparison
Design
| Feature | Samsung Galaxy A72 | Motorola Edge 40 Neo | Practical Impact |
|---|
| Dimensions | 165 x 77.4 x 8.4 mm | 159.6 x 72 x 7.9 mm | The Edge 40 Neo is smaller, making it more pocketable and easier to handle. The A72 is larger and may feel bulkier. |
| Weight | 203g | 170g | The Edge 40 Neo is significantly lighter, making it more comfortable for extended use. |
Display
| Feature | Samsung Galaxy A72 | Motorola Edge 40 Neo | Practical Impact |
|---|
| Size | 6.7" | 6.55" | The A72 has a slightly larger screen, which might be preferable for media consumption. The difference is not significant. |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 | 1080 x 2400 | Both offer a sharp viewing experience at the same resolution. |
| PPI | 394 | 402 | Both have similar pixel density, making images clear and detailed. The difference is negligible. |
| Technology | AMOLED | P-OLED | Both display technologies offer vibrant colors and deep blacks. Differences in real-world use are minimal. |
| Refresh Rate | 90Hz | 144Hz | The Edge 40 Neo’s higher refresh rate provides noticeably smoother scrolling and animations, which is ideal for gaming and fast-paced content. |
| Brightness | 800 nits | 1300 nits | The Edge 40 Neo's much higher brightness makes it far more usable in direct sunlight, improving outdoor visibility. |
Performance
| Feature | Samsung Galaxy A72 | Motorola Edge 40 Neo | Practical Impact |
|---|
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G (8 nm) | MediaTek Dimensity 7030 (6 nm) | The Edge 40 Neo's chipset is more modern and efficient, resulting in better performance and battery optimization. |
| AnTuTu Score | 285,000 | 527,666 | The Edge 40 Neo has a significantly higher score, indicating much better performance for gaming, multitasking, and general use. |
| GPU | Adreno 618 | Mali-G610 MC3 | The Edge 40 Neo's GPU offers better graphics processing capabilities, which is advantageous for gaming and graphics-intensive applications. |
Camera
| Feature | Samsung Galaxy A72 | Motorola Edge 40 Neo | Practical Impact |
|---|
| Standard Camera | 64MP, f/1.8, 0.80µm pixel size | 50MP, f/1.8, 1/1.55" sensor size, 1.00 µm pixel size | The A72 has higher resolution, but the Edge 40 Neo features a larger sensor with larger pixel size, leading to better low-light performance. |
| Telephoto + Portrait | 8MP, f/2.4 | Not Available | The A72 offers a dedicated telephoto lens for better zoom capabilities and portrait shots, which the Edge 40 Neo lacks. |
| Selfie Camera | 32MP, f/2.2, 0.80µm pixel size | 32MP, f/2.4, 0.70µm pixel size | The A72’s slightly wider aperture allows more light in, potentially resulting in better low-light selfies. |
| Wide Angle Lens | 12MP, f/2.2 | Not Available | The A72 has a dedicated wide-angle lens for capturing expansive scenes. The Edge 40 Neo lacks this. |
| Macro Lens | 5MP, f/2.4 | Not Available | The A72 features a dedicated macro lens for close-up photography. The Edge 40 Neo lacks this. |
| Wide Angle + Macro | Not Available | 13MP, f/2.2, 1.12 µm pixel size | The Edge 40 Neo has a combined wide-angle and macro lens, offering some versatility, whereas the A72 has dedicated lenses for these tasks. |
| Video Recording | Up to 4K@30fps, EIS | Up to 4K@30fps, EIS, 1080p@240fps | Both offer similar 4k quality recording. The Edge 40 Neo has more slo-mo options. |
| DXOMark Score | Main: 92, Photo: 100, Video: 78 | Main: 103, Photo: 102, Video: 116 | The Edge 40 Neo has significantly better scores across the board, indicating superior image and video quality. |
Battery
| Feature | Samsung Galaxy A72 | Motorola Edge 40 Neo | Practical Impact |
|---|
| Capacity | 5000mAh | 5000mAh | Both phones offer similar battery capacity for all-day use. |
| Charging | 25W Fast Charging | 68W Fast Charging | The Edge 40 Neo charges much faster, greatly reducing downtime. |
Software
| Feature | Samsung Galaxy A72 | Motorola Edge 40 Neo | Practical Impact |
|---|
| OS | Android 11 (upgradable to 12) | Android 13 (upgradable to 15) | The Edge 40 Neo has a more recent Android version and will receive more OS upgrades, providing a more secure and feature-rich experience over time. |
Connectivity
| Feature | Samsung Galaxy A72 | Motorola Edge 40 Neo | Practical Impact |
|---|
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 5 | Wi-Fi 6 | The Edge 40 Neo supports faster and more stable Wi-Fi connections, especially in crowded networks. |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 | Bluetooth 5.4 LE | The Edge 40 Neo features a newer Bluetooth standard with improved energy efficiency and audio performance. |
| SIM | Dual Nano SIM | Dual Nano SIM + eSIM | The Edge 40 Neo supports eSIMs, offering more flexibility for dual-SIM users. |
Storage
| Feature | Samsung Galaxy A72 | Motorola Edge 40 Neo | Practical Impact |
|---|
| Internal Storage | 128/256 GB | 256 GB | Both offer 256 GB of storage but the Samsung has a lower storage version. |
| RAM | 6/8 GB | 8/12 GB | The Edge 40 Neo can come with more RAM which helps with multitasking and demanding apps. |
| Expandable Storage | No | No | Neither phone allows for additional storage via microSD card. |
2. Key Differences Analysis
Motorola Edge 40 Neo Advantages:
- Significantly Better Performance: The MediaTek Dimensity 7030 chipset and higher AnTuTu score result in smoother performance, faster app loading, and better gaming experiences.
- Superior Display: The 144Hz refresh rate and much higher brightness provide a significantly better viewing experience, especially outdoors.
- Faster Charging: The 68W charging significantly reduces charging times, a major convenience for heavy users.
- Better Camera Quality: Higher DXOMark scores indicate superior image and video quality, especially in low light.
- Newer Software: The newer Android version ensures longer software support and access to the latest features.
- Modern Connectivity: Newer Wi-Fi and Bluetooth standards for faster speeds and more efficient connections.
- Lighter and more compact: Easier to hold for longer periods.
Samsung Galaxy A72 Advantages:
- Dedicated Telephoto Lens: The A72 includes a telephoto lens for optical zoom and better portrait photography.
- Dedicated Wide Angle Lens: A dedicated wide-angle lens offers versatility for landscape and group shots.
- Dedicated Macro Lens: A dedicated macro lens to take detailed close-up images.
- More camera features: Additional features such as manual focus, optical zoom, and more.
- Included Charger: Ships with a fast charger in the box.
Trade-offs:
- Motorola Edge 40 Neo sacrifices dedicated telephoto and macro lenses for a more general-purpose wide-angle/macro combo. It also lacks some of the advanced camera features of the A72, such as manual focus and optical zoom.
- Samsung Galaxy A72 is older, heavier, bulkier, has inferior performance, display, charging and software compared to the Edge 40 Neo.
3. User Profiles & Recommendations
Motorola Edge 40 Neo:
- Ideal User: Gamers, media enthusiasts, and users who prioritize performance, smooth display, and fast charging.
- Use Cases:
- Mobile gaming with smooth 144Hz refresh rate.
- Outdoor photography and videography, taking advantage of higher brightness.
- Long daily usage with fast top-ups.
- Users seeking a modern, responsive phone with a fluid user experience.
Samsung Galaxy A72:
- Ideal User: Users who value a versatile camera setup with dedicated lenses, and prefer an older phone that is known and cheaper.
- Use Cases:
- Users who prioritize multiple focal lengths and flexibility in photography, with a focus on macro and zoom capabilities.
- Those who prefer the familiarity of the Samsung ecosystem
- Users who may not need the very latest and greatest performance and are happy with a slightly older device.
4. Decision Framework
Key Questions to Consider:
- Performance Needs: Do you need top-tier performance for gaming and multitasking, or is adequate performance acceptable?
- Display Preference: Do you value a very bright, fluid display with a high refresh rate, or is a slightly larger, standard display sufficient?
- Camera Versatility: Do you need a dedicated telephoto and macro lens, or are you happy with a versatile wide-angle/macro lens, and more importantly, prioritize better picture quality?
Scenario-Based Recommendations:
- Scenario 1: Performance & Display Prioritized: If you prioritize smooth performance, a great display (especially outdoors), and fast charging, the Motorola Edge 40 Neo is the clear choice.
- Scenario 2: Versatile Camera System: If you want a dedicated telephoto, macro, and wide angle camera, and don't mind having a slightly older device with inferior performance, the Samsung Galaxy A72 is the better option.
- Scenario 3: Balanced User Experience: If you prefer a balance of good performance, excellent display, a newer OS, and faster charging, the Motorola Edge 40 Neo is recommended, as it offers more significant upgrades in those departments.
My Choice
I would choose the Motorola Edge 40 Neo.
Reasons:
- Future-Proofing: The newer chipset, higher refresh rate screen, faster charging, and newer software version make the Edge 40 Neo feel like a more modern and longer-lasting device.
- Performance: As someone who uses their phone for a wide range of tasks including social media, and gaming, the performance difference is huge. The much faster performance and smoother experience offered by the Edge 40 Neo is a major advantage.
- Display Quality: The 144Hz refresh rate and much higher brightness are significant advantages, providing a more enjoyable viewing experience whether I am indoors or outdoors.
- Camera Quality: While the A72 has dedicated lenses, the higher DXOMark scores of the Edge 40 Neo suggest that it produces better overall image and video quality.
- Practicality: The Edge 40 Neo is significantly lighter and more compact, making it more pleasant to use on a daily basis, and I don't think I'll miss dedicated telephoto and macro lenses as much as I would the other features.
While the Samsung Galaxy A72 has a dedicated telephoto, macro and wide-angle camera and more camera features, the Edge 40 Neo provides much better performance, a vastly superior display, faster charging, and an updated software, which are more important in daily use. For me, the Motorola Edge 40 Neo provides a more enjoyable and smoother overall user experience.
