Samsung's Galaxy A series is very popular because of the competitive price-quality ratio. The A71 is the most expensive and largest model, but does that make it the best buy? You can read it in this Samsung Galaxy A71 review.
Samsung Galaxy A71
MSRP € 469,-Colors Black, silver and blue
OS Android 10 (OneUI)
Screen 6.7 inch OLED (2400 x 1080) 60Hz
Processor 2.2GHz octa-core (Snapdragon 730)
RAM 6GB
Storage 128GB (expandable)
Battery 4,500 mAh
Camera 64, 12.5 and 5 megapixels (rear), 32 megapixels (front)
Connectivity 4G (LTE), Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 5, NFC, GPS
Format 16.3 x 7.6 x 0.77 cm
Weight 179 grams
Website www.samsung.com 8 Score 80
- Pros
- Complete specifications
- Cameras
- Software(policy)
- Big and beautiful screen
- Negatives
- Simpler Processor
- Housing comes across as a bit cheap
The Samsung Galaxy A71 is the successor to the popular Galaxy A70 from 2019. The device is reminiscent of the Galaxy A51, but has a larger screen, better specifications and therefore also a higher price. I tested the smartphone for two weeks. Interestingly, it has already dropped in price quite a bit in just a few months. At the time of publication, you get the Galaxy A71 for about 380 euros, while the suggested retail price is 469 euros.
Design and screen
The Galaxy A series has a recognizable design that can largely appeal to you. The Galaxy A71 looks modern and premium due to the narrow bezels around the screen and the hole for the selfie camera in the display. Behind the screen is a fingerprint scanner that works well in most cases. Nevertheless, in this price segment there are smartphones with a faster and more accurate scanner. The device has a USB-C port and a 3.5mm connection and is made of plastic. That has advantages and disadvantages. The housing can take a beating and is relatively light, making the large smartphone more pleasant to hold and less noticeable in your trouser or jacket pocket. However, the plastic feels cheap and is quickly covered with fingerprints. A funny detail is that the back shows different colors when the light shines on it.
With its 6.7-inch screen, the Galaxy A71 is one of the largest smartphones of the moment. You notice that: the device cannot be operated with one hand. A one-handed mode in the software changes this, but is mainly intended if you want to do something quickly while you have a bag in your other hand. The screen looks sharp due to the full-HD resolution and looks beautiful through the AMOLED panel. That comes from Samsung itself, and a plus in this price segment. Some competing smartphones have a less attractive LCD display.
Samsung Galaxy A71 specifications
Under the hood of the Galaxy A71 runs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 730 processor. That is striking, because we mainly know this processor from smartphones of about three hundred euros. The A71 is considerably more expensive. Compared to competing smartphones, it therefore feels slightly slower, something you notice especially when playing heavy games. It is not disturbing: the A71 feels fast enough and runs all popular apps and games fine. This is partly due to the working memory of 6GB; standard for this type of device.
The storage memory is 128GB, also common in this price segment. For most users it is enough and those who need more space can put a micro SD card in the smartphone. I am positive about the battery life. The 4500 mAh (non-removable) battery lasts for a day and a half without any problems. Even with heavy use, I was unable to drain the battery before going to sleep. It is also nice that the battery charges quickly via the USB-C plug with a capacity of 25W. That is as fast as the Galaxy S20, a much more expensive smartphone.
Cameras
On the back of the Galaxy A71 is a quadruple camera. Most photos are taken with the 64-megapixel primary camera, which shoots 16-megapixel images as standard for better results. During the day, the camera delivers sharp and colorful images. In the dark, the camera is also sufficient, but the photos show more noise and less natural colors.
With the wide-angle camera (12 megapixels), you can shoot wide images of, for example, landscapes and buildings. This works properly and the photo quality is good. It's nice that you can also film with the wide-angle camera. The third lens is a 5 megapixel macro camera to take pictures from very close. This camera also works properly, but only works well in sufficient daylight. Due to the lower resolution, you cannot print the macro photos sharply in large format. Finally, the Galaxy A71 has a depth sensor that blurs the background on portrait photos. Samsung calls this mode 'Live Focus'. The function does what it is supposed to do, and helps your person or object stand out better.
Software and updates
The Samsung Galaxy A71 runs on Android 10 with Samsung's OneUI shell. It works properly and is user-friendly. The only thing that continues to bother me is that the manufacturer imposes its own service. Fortunately, you don't have to use all those apps and services. Unfortunately, the pre-installed apps OneDrive, Netflix and Facebook cannot be removed, only disabled. Samsung promises at least two years of updates for the Galaxy A71. That is common in this price segment and means that the phone will receive Android 11 and probably also Android 12.
Conclusion: Buy Samsung Galaxy A71?
The Samsung Galaxy A71 is a no-fuss smartphone that does what it promises. The device has a beautiful screen, complete specifications and lasts longer than a day on a battery charge. The software is user-friendly and you can count on two years of updates. Points of interest are the cheap plastic housing and the fingerprint scanner and general performance, which can't match some competitors. Also keep in mind that you can't operate the Galaxy A71 with one hand. If you can live with the points of interest and are looking for a large, 'just good' Android smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy A71 is definitely worth considering. Interesting alternatives are the Samsung Galaxy A51, Oppo Reno2 and Xiaomi Mi 9T.
