Samsung Galaxy A70 First Impressions

By Gaurav Shukla | Updated: 12 April 2019 11:20 IST

Samsung Galaxy A70 camera setup includes three sensors, including a main 32-megapixel shooter

Highlights

Samsung Galaxy A70 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 SoC
The new Samsung phone also includes an in-display fingerprint sensor
Samsung Galaxy A70 global release is set for April 26

With its increased focus on mid-range and entry-level smartphone segments, Samsung is replacing its existing Galaxy J-series of smartphones with the revamped Galaxy A-series. The refreshed Galaxy A lineup includes modern design with updated software. The Seoul-based company has already showcased pretty much all of its Galaxy A lineup for the first half of this year, ranging from the hero product Samsung Galaxy A80 to the affordable Samsung Galaxy A10.

The Samsung Galaxy A70, which was originally introduced last month, now has an international release date as well. The phone is all set to start reaching markets on April 26 and India is believed to be one of the first countries to get the phone. At the recent Galaxy A80 launch event, we spent some time with the Galaxy A70 and here are our first impressions of the phone.

Unlike the Samsung Galaxy A80, which is a stark departure from the design language of the updated Galaxy A-series, the Galaxy A70 looks and feels similar to other A-series phones like Galaxy A50. The phone sports a waterdrop-style notch and a large 6.7-inch full-HD+ (1080x2400 pixels) Super AMOLED screen with a 20:9 aspect ratio.

The Galaxy A70 features what Samsung calls a “3D Glasstic” design, which makes it seem like the phone has a glass back but in fact it is just plastic. As a result, while the phone looks nice from afar, in hand it doesn't feel as premium as a true glass back phone like Galaxy A80. With that said, the design is still sleek, and the plastic body makes the phone relatively light.

Like most other Samsung phones, the screen on the Galaxy A70 is vibrant and punchy with nice vivid colours. The company has also included an optical in-display fingerprint sensor as well as face unlock support on the phone for biometric authentication.

Under the hood, the Galaxy A70 packs the Qualcomm's Snapdragon 675 SoC, which we have already seen in the likes of Vivo V15 Pro (Review) and Redmi Note 7 Pro (Review) smartphones. Further, the Galaxy A70 includes 6GB or 8GB of RAM as well as 128GB of onboard storage. In our brief usage, we did find the phone to be quite snappy and responsive. There is a microSD card slot as well for further expansion.

Samsung Galaxy A70 camera

Camera capabilities are a big highlight of the Samsung Galaxy A70 and there is a triple rear camera setup onboard that houses a 32-megapixel primary sensor with an f/1.7 lens, an 8-megapixel secondary sensor with an ultra-wide-angle (123-degree) f/2.2 lens, and a 5-megapixel depth sensor with an f/2.2 lens. The company has also included a 32-megapixel front shooter for selfies with an f/2.0 lens. We didn't get a chance to test the imaging chops of the phone during our hands on, but we will surely put the phone's camera through its paces during our review.

Samsung Galaxy A70 battery

Among other features, the Samsung Galaxy A70 comes with a 4,500mAh battery that should easily last more than day for most users, though we look forward to testing it during our review process. Further, the phone supports Super-Fast Charging at 25W.

With the Samsung Galaxy A70, you will also get dual-SIM support with two dedicated slots for SIM cards as well as 4G LTE and the usual set of connectivity options. There is a 3.5mm audio jack as well as USB Type-C port onboard as well. Samsung says it will be selling four colour variants of the Galaxy A70 — Coral, Blue, Black, and White, however it is unclear which of these will make it to the Indian market.

In terms of the software, the Galaxy A70 is in line with other Galaxy A-series phones with the presence of Android 9 Pie with One UI. You will get the usual One UI features like Knox integration, one handed navigation, night mode, Samsung Health, and more. The software is quite smooth and didn't show signs of any lag during our limited interaction with the phone.

We will have more on the Samsung Galaxy A70 during our in-depth review closer to the India release of the smartphone.

Disclosure: Samsung sponsored the correspondent's flights and hotel for the trip to Bangkok.

Samsung Galaxy A70

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Beautiful Super-AMOLED display
Impressive slow-mo video recording
Good battery life and fast charging

Bad
Bulky and heavy
No camera night mode
No OIS or EIS

Read detailed Samsung Galaxy A70 review

Display 6.70-inch

Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 675

Front Camera 32-megapixel

Rear Camera 32-megapixel + 8-megapixel + 5-megapixel

RAM 6GB

Storage 128GB

Battery Capacity 4500mAh

OS Android 9 Pie

Resolution 1080x2400 pixels

More Samsung mobiles Samsung mobiles price in India

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