Samsung's Galaxy A52, A72 and A52 5G debut with 90Hz and 120Hz displays - Android

The Galaxy A52 5G is the star of the show.

What you need to know

• Samsung announced the Galaxy A52 and A72 at its Galaxy Awesome Unpacked event.
• Both devices sport similar designs, bigger batteries, and 90Hz refresh rates.
• The Galaxy A52 5G boasts a 120Hz display, the first in an A-series smartphone.

Samsung's A-series is the company's most popular lineup, so it's no surprise that the company is dedicating an entire launch event to the arrival of its latest devices. Today at Galaxy Awesome Unpacked, Samsung took the wraps off its latest A-series smartphones, the Samsung Galaxy A52 and A72, which manage to bring incredible value to the mid-range market with impressive flagship-level features.

The Galaxy A52 and A72 appear nearly identical, except for the latter device's slightly larger size. On the front, they both look a lot like their predecessors, like the Samsung Galaxy A71, but the rear resembles a more toned-down version of the Samsung Galaxy S21. At the same time, both phones manage to include features from some of the best Samsung phones such as FHD+ AMOLED displays, IP67 rating for water and dust resistance, and stereo speakers tuned by AKG.

The displays also bump up the refresh rate to 90Hz, and the company touts 800nits of brightness with decreased blue light for reduced eye strain. Both phones feature 64MP main camera sensors capable of 4K video recording, 12MP ultrawide sensors, and 5MP macro sensors.

These phones differ in the arguably superior 8MP 3x telephoto camera on the A72 over the 5MP depth camera on the Galaxy A52. That translates to an impressive 30x hybrid zoom, a feature normally reserved for Samsung's flagship phones. The A72 also has a slightly larger 6.7" display over the 6.5" panel on the A52, and the 5,000mAh battery is also larger by 500mAh.

Both phones are powered by the Snapdragon 720G platform and feature up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of expandable storage. There's also support for 25W fast-charging and 32MP hole-punch selfie cameras. As far as specs go, both smartphones represent notable upgrades over their predecessors and offer sleeker designs that resemble their flagship brethren. But it doesn't end there, as Samsung decided to take things a step further with its next model.

The Galaxy A52 5G is arguably the most appealing device of the bunch. While its internal specs are largely the same as the LTE variant, this model takes things up a notch by including support for Sub-6 5G thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G as well as an impressive 120Hz display, making it the first Samsung smartphone outside its flagships to feature a display with such a high refresh rate. Given that last year's Samsung Galaxy A51 was the most popular Android smartphone of 2020, it makes sense that Samsung would throw more focus onto this model for 2021.

Bringing these features to Samsung's Galaxy A smartphones makes flagship features found on the best Android phones much more accessible, as highlighted by Dr. TM Roh, the President and Head of Samsung's Mobile Communications Business:

Samsung strives to give consumers what they want and need most. That's why we set out with a vision for the Galaxy A series to democratize Galaxy innovations for everyone. The Galaxy A52, A52 5G, and A72 encapsulate the Galaxy brand philosophy with cutting-edge innovations, services, and features at an accessible price.

The Galaxy A52, A72, and recently launched Samsung Galaxy A32 are likely to expand Samsung's strong position in the mid-range smartphone market. One UI 3.1 brings the best of Samsung's ecosystem to these phones, allowing for better interoperability between devices like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 and Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro. Each of these new phones will be eligible for Samsung's 4 years of updates, offering great value for easily the best cheap Android phones that money can buy.

Samsung Galaxy A32, A52, and A72.

The Galaxy A52, A52 5G, and A72 will be available for purchase soon in most regions and will be priced at 349 euros, 429 euros, and 449 euros, respectively. An exact release date wasn't given, but they will launch in the United States sometime in April. Available colors include the aptly-named Awesome Violet, Awesome Blue, Awesome Black, and Awesome White. Pricing, availability, and colors will depend on the region.

Filling big shoes

Samsung Galaxy A52

$300 at Samsung

Flagship features at the best value

The Galaxy A52 takes a great smartphone and makes it even better, adding options for 5G, 90Hz and 120Hz displays, and an upgraded quad-camera system, all nestled in a sleek design that'll make you think twice before splurging on another flagship smartphone.