Samsung Galaxy A70 review

Design

The Galaxy A70 is one of the biggest Galaxies we've seen so far, as large as the notch-less Galaxy A80 that's about to come any day now. The A70 has been built around a 6.7" Super AMOLED screen with a dewdrop-shaped notch - same size as the behemoth screens on the Galaxy S10+ 5G and the Galaxy A80.

But we're dealing with an A series device here so the choice of materials is not so premium. Instead of glass, the back is made of shiny plastic which Samsung likes to call '3D Glasstic'. The frame is also plastic and not metal. But hey, at least both pieces look that part and you would have a hard time recognizing them for what they are. As the name suggests, the Glasstic material can easily be mistaken for glass, especially with its shifting hues, which are very attractive.

Back to the front. Obviously, it's mostly screen with bezels as thin as those on the iPhone XS. Inside the notch are a 32MP selfie camera and one barely noticeable earpiece grille just above it. There is no notification LED on the A70.

The front glass doesn't have the edge curves the recent Galaxy S phones have, and we are glad for that. We are not fans of those, call us old-fashioned, but too many curves completely ruin the grip and don't let us start on the ghost touch issues. So, yes, the A70 has a flat front, and we like it as it is.

Just like the Galaxy A50 and A80, the A70 has an under-display fingerprint scanner - an optical one. The sensor is around the bottom, making it easy to reach. Its setup is straightforward, and from what we experienced, the thing is mostly reliable. Its accuracy is good and while it takes a second to recognize your finger - it's not a sluggish process.

You don't need to wake up the phone, just place your finger around the spot (you will get used to this within minutes) and the sensor will light up immediately and will take you to the homescreen upon a successful recognition. Sure, the experience is not as fast as with the conventional scanners, but it's acceptable - that is as long as you are applying a proper pressure. Gentle touches won't do it, and it will take a few tries to get used to it.

Samsung Galaxy A70

The back of the Galaxy A70 looks stunning thanks to the color-shifting paint job. Depending on the viewing angle, you will see purple, blue, green, or gradients of those three. Samsung calls this chameleon hue Black, but the only time you can see it black-ish is when you are looking at the back at nearly 180-degree angle.

While many other makers are using such gradient paint jobs, Samsung's still feels unique and easily recognizable. You can never pinpoint an exact color, and that's probably the reason why the Koreans called it Black in the end.

The rear glass is bent towards the long edges as we've seen it on many smartphones, which makes the A70 look thinner and prettier. There is no sharp transition to the frame, which has some curves too, and the overall grip isn't that good.

But while the plastic frame is glossy, Samsung has added something to the paint that makes it sticky, and the grip is quite okay.

The triple-camera setup on the back is humping by just 1mm or less, and it won't make the phone wobble on a flat surface. The top snapper is the 5MP depth sensor, followed by the 32MP main camera, and the final one is the 8MP ultra-wide-angle shooter. Outside of the setup sits the single-LED flash.

Samsung Galaxy A70

The Galaxy A70 has all the necessities on its sides - there is a tri-card slot on the left, the volume and power keys on the right side, while the audio jack and the speaker grille are at the bottom.

Samsung Galaxy A70 measures 164.3 x 76.7 x 7.9 mm - that's 6mm taller and 2mm wider than the Galaxy A50. It weighs 183g - that's 17g heavier than the A50, but the phone does have a larger screen and battery, so nobody should be thinking of it as overweight.

The Galaxy A70 is big and one-handed use is almost impossible, despite the One UI optimizations. But it was never intended to be pocket-friendly but immersive-friendly. And with that 6.7" AMOLED it sure is shaping to be. On top of that, the A70 is enjoyable when handled as it's not as slippery as it looks. Plus, the curved sides make it feel somehow smaller in hand, and that's something.