Samsung Galaxy A71 Review: Imperfectly, Perfect
February 29, 2020Performance: Snapdragon 730, 8GB RAM
Display: 6.7-inch AMOLED Plus (1080 x 2400)
Storage: 128GB
Battery: 4500mAh
Camera: 64MP wide, 12MP ultra-wide, 5MP Macro, 5MP depth sensor
Rating: 8/10
The line separating mid-range smartphones from flagship ones has become a blurry mess, thanks in part to the Samsung Galaxy A71. Granted, it feels far from premium, but what it lacks in feel, it makes up for in the hardware department.
The Looks
Let’s not kid ourselves here, its substantially wide, which makes it difficult for the more petite of us to grip the A71 with only one hand. But that’s OK, many of us are accustomed to shuffling big phones around with our palms.
And though it lacks a curved edge display, the A71 still incorporates useful features made popular by aforementioned phone screens. By swiping the tab on the right side of the screen, one could call on several useful features including a compass, that aid productivity.
The back of the device features an interesting colour effect, one that gives off a rainbow effect when viewed at certain angles. It does add to the appeal somewhat, but not enough to win offer those accustomed to more premium phones.
The Performance
That aside, I can’t emphasis this enough – the A71 is extremely responsive for what it is. And despite being powered by the mediocre Snapdragon 730, helped by 8GB RAM, it offers an almost lag-free experience. This invokes a good amount of confidence when directed at completing demanding tasks.
A glorious 6.7-inch AMOLED (1080 x 2400) edge-to-edge screen acts as the phone’s front fascia. its colour reproduction is pretty punchy, a testament to Samsung’s display tech. It’s nicely sized, proving perfect for streaming videos and reading content.
The Camera
The 64MP camera is extremely competent at its job. It offers a wide field of view enabling one to capture incredibly detailed shots. I consider myself an adept photographer, but the A71’s main shooter enables me to capture DSLR-like shots with relative ease.
Sometimes, the results look almost ‘poster-‘like’, incredible for a mid-range smartphone camera. It does most of the work, and all you have to do is hold it steady and let it work its magic. It’s no S20 Ultra, but the results are more than satisfactory to us, commoners. Selfies on the other hand, aren’t that great.
The amalgamation of finesse, practicality and competent photography prowess leads me to one simple question – why do we need flagship devices? The A71 delivers on every front, it ticks all the right boxes. Why would there be any need for one to venture higher up the social class to afford a Note 10 or S20?
Well, they simply build on the A71’s abilities, taking it to new heights. They are able to take on more arduous tasks like gaming, video editing and 4K/8K recording. Such abilities would simply break the A71. figuratively of course.
Should I Buy It?
That said, and unless you’ve got a penchant for the finer things in life, the A71 is more than capable of winning you over. Its got a decent screen, an awesome camera, great battery life (4,500mAh) and respective performance. If you’re in the market for such a phone with a reasonable price tag, The A71 is imperfectly, perfect!
