Samsung Galaxy A70 review

The competition

The Galaxy A70 has the largest AMOLED screen on the market right now. Combine that with the very attractive sub €400 price in most markets, and you have a real winner here. Users who value large displays and the immersive experience they offer have scarce options outside Samsung's camp.

Xiaomi Mi Max 3 is probably the only offer to beat the Galaxy A70 in terms of screen estate and price, but it's already a year old, it has a feeble chipset and can't match the overall camera experience. Still, it's at least €120 cheaper and doesn't have a notch (or OLED screen for what's worth), so maybe you want to check this one out.

Then there is the Galaxy A80, which offers same the size of AMOLED but notch-free. The primary camera is on a motorized pop-up, which also rotates to serve as a selfie shooter. Another upgraded bit is the new Snapdragon 730 chipset, which should be offering flagship-grade performance. Those are some costly features though as the price hikes north of €600, and that's almost within flagship territory.

Then there is the vivo V15 pro, which has an uninterrupted 6.4" AMOLED thanks to a pop-up selfie camera and the same Snapdragon 675 chipset. The phone is limited to a couple of markets but has some very nice looks and capable snappers.

Xiaomi Mi Max 3 • Samsung Galaxy A80 • vivo V15 Pro

Then there is the Galaxy A50, which is about €90 cheaper and yet offers the same experience on a slightly smaller 6.4" Super AMOLED. If the 6.7" diagonal isn't a must, then the A50 is an even better offer altogether.

The Huawei P30 Lite is another exciting proposition with a lower price. It has a smaller 6.15" LCD screen but offers similar gaming experience and battery longevity. The P30 Lite's main camera is similar to A70's, but it has Huawei's excellent Night Mode, and that's a massive advantage camera-wise. Huawei ongoing turmoil shouldn't affect the P30 Lite much aside from the absence of a future Android Q upgrade.

If Realme X is available in your country, it's probably the phone you should try before going for the A70. The Realme X has a notch-less 6.53" AMOLED, the Snapdragon 710 chipset, and similarly capable snappers on both ends (the selfie is a pop-up), though there is no ultra-wide-angle cam. The Realme X is much cheaper, and that's another reason we are excited about the X.

Samsung Galaxy A50 • Huawei P30 lite • Realme X

The verdict

The Samsung Galaxy A70 is a very balanced mid-ranger, and we enjoyed using it. But it all boils down to the fact that A70 is more or less a stretched Galaxy A50. And if 0.3" difference in the screen diagonal aren't that of a big deal for you, you can easily save yourself about €100 by going for the A50.

But if every single millimeter of screen estate counts, and you want the biggest Super AMOLED on the cheap, then the Galaxy A70 is your go-to phone. It's one very capable mid-ranger (we guess we've already said that a bunch of times), and its only weakness is the night-time photography.

Pros

• Bright, vivid, and large Super AMOLED
• Triple card slot, audio jack, FM radio
• Excellent battery life, USB-PD fast charging
• Dependable performance
• Consistently good camera experience in daylight
• Very nice selfies
• One UI is great

Cons

• No ingress protection
• Unimpressive low-light camera performance, no Night mode
• No electronic video stabilization