ZTE Blade A73 Smartphone Review – The ZTE Blade A73 4G and 5G are the newest smartphone releases by ZTE. These two new smartphones are ZTE’s flagship smartphones and they were released in November 2023. These 5G smartphones have launched globally and they are meant to present the best of what ZTE is meant to offer.
Both smartphones feature top-of-the-line camera hardware and are meant to compete with the likes of Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and iPhone 15 Pro Max. They also feature a vibrant design that looks absolutely elegant. So, let’s begin with a detailed review of both ZTE Blade A73 4G and 5G and see if these smartphones are worth purchasing.
Table of Contents
ZTE Blade A73 Smartphone Review
Highlights
- Both ZTE Blade A73 4G and 5G feature the same IPS display with HD+ resolution and 90Hz high refresh rate. The ZTE Blade A73 4G’s display is at 6.6 inches, while the ZTE Blade A73 5G’s display is at 6.52 inches.
- The ZTE Blade A73 4G is powered by the Unisoc T606 4G chipset, which has a clock speed of 2×1.6 GHz.The ZTE Blade A73 5G is powered by the Unisoc T760 5G chipset, which has a clock speed of 1×2.2 GHz.
- Both smartphones come pre-loaded with Android 13 out of the box with a stock user interface for a clean and better user experience.
- Both ZTE Blade A73 4G and 5G feature the same 50MP rear camera system along with a 5MP selfie sensor.
- Both ZTE Blade A73 4G and 5G have a Li-Ion 5000mAh long-lasting battery. The ZTE Blade A73 4G also has 22.5W fast charging support.
Design and Display
The ZTE Blade A73 4G features a flat design language with a flat rear panel and side frame. This is a modern design that is inspired by the iPhone and loved by many users. The ZTE Blade A73 5G, on the other hand, features the traditional rounded design language with chamfered edges. The flat sides of the ZTE Blade A73 4G provide a better grip but the chamfered edges of the ZTE Blade A73 5G provide a more comfortable grip.
Both designs have their own pros and cons, but in terms of pure design and looks, the ZTE Blade A73 5G looks better. Its design is quite elegant and looks like a premium smartphone. But both smartphones are well-built and durable. Also, there’s no bending or creaking of any sort. As for the display, the ZTE Blade A73 4G has a 6.6-inch display, while the ZTE Blade A73 5G has a 6.52-inch display.
They both have an IPS panel with HD+ resolution and a 90Hz high refresh rate. The lack of an FHD panel may upset some users but at least they provided a high refresh rate, which should compensate for that. It can greatly elevate user experience. The ZTE Blade A73 5G is available in Blue and Gray color options, while the ZTE Blade A73 4G has Blue, Gray, and Green color options.
Memory and Internal
The ZTE Blade A73 4G is powered by the 12nm Unisoc T606 4G chipset, which has a clock speed of 2×1.6 GHz. While The ZTE Blade A73 5G is powered by the 6nm Unisoc T760 5G chipset and this chipset has a clock speed of 2×2.2 GHz. Also from the name, you can tell that one is a 4G chipset and the other is a 5G chipset and hence supports 5G connectivity for gigabit-level speeds.
While there is a difference in clock speed, it is much less noticeable in the real world. But the Unisoc T760 is indeed the better chipset here. The same goes for the gaming side of things. The Mali-G57 in the Unisoc T760 is better and can play games such as PUBG Mobile and CODm with better graphics options.
For RAM and storage, both ZTE Blade A73 4G and 5G have 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. When it comes to the software side of things, the new smartphones are running on Android 13 with a stock user interface for a clean and better user experience. We wish it had Android 14 out of the box but that’s not the case.
Camera
Both ZTE Blade A73 4G and 5G smartphones feature the same 50MP rear camera system. This sensor produces top-quality pictures with decent clarity, details, and color tone. However, in Asia, the ZTE Blade A73 5G only will have a 13MP sensor as opposed to a 50MP sensor. Why ZTE made this decision is beyond us but we can’t do anything about it except for hoping that they provide a similar picture quality.
There’s a secondary 2MP sensor that helps with the depth effects in the portrait shots and that’s also just average at best. It’s not bad but it’s not good either. It’s just good enough to post on social media. On the front, both ZTE Blade A73 4G and 5G have the same 5MP selfie camera, which is also quite average.
The detail levels could have been better and overall lighting is often off the point. When it comes to video recording, both smartphones record videos at a maximum of 1080P@30FPS from the rear camera while the selfie camera maxes out at 720P@30FPS.
Battery and Others
Both ZTE Blade A73 4G and 5G have a Li-Ion 5000 mAh long-lasting battery. Since both smartphones have 5000mAh high-capacity batteries, they should have enough battery juice to provide 2 – 3 days’ worth of battery life with low to medium usage. But high usage, including gaming, will drain the battery faster and the smartphones may not last a full day.
The ZTE Blade A73 4G also has 22.5W fast charging support but there was no mention of any fast charging solution for the 5G model. But at least they provide chargers bundled in the box, which is a good thing considering so many smartphone manufacturers are omitting the charger these days. The 22.5W charger should fully charge the smartphones in under 2 hours and 30 minutes.
Apart from that, both smartphones have Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.2, a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, GPS, and a USB Type-C port for charging. The ZTE Blade A73 4G model also has NFC. As for pricing, the ZTE Blade A73 4G is available starting at $110 (Rs 9100 in India) approx, While the ZTE Blade A73 5G is available starting at $162 (Rs 13,499 in India) approx.
ZTE Blade A73 Specifications Detail
Down below you can see the full specifications of the ZTE Blade A73 smartphone.
| Specifications | ZTE Blade A73 5G | ZTE Blade A73 4G |
| Network | 2G, 3G, 4G,5G | 2G, 3G, 4G |
| Announced | August 2023 | Same |
| SIM | Hybrid Dual SIM | Same |
| Dimensions | 6.44 x 2.96 x 0.33 inches | 6.50 x 3.00 x 0.33 inches |
| Weight | 197 g | 190 g |
| Size | 6.52 inches | 6.6 inches |
| Display | IPS LCD 90Hz 20:9 ratio ~269 PPI density | Same |
| Protection | No | Same |
| Resolution | 720 x 1600 pixels | 720 x 1612 pixels |
| OS | Android 13 | Same |
| Chipset | 6nm – Unisoc T760 | 12nm – Unisoc T606 |
| CPU | Octa-core 1×2.2 GHz Cortex-A76 3x Cortex-A76 4x Cortex-A55 | Octa-core 2×1.6 GHz Cortex-A75 6×1.6 GHz Cortex-A55 |
| GPU | Mali-G57 | Mali-G57 MP1 |
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) | Same |
| RAM | 4GB | Same |
| Internal | 128GB | Same |
| Camera | 50 MP (13 MP in Asia), (wide), AF 2 MP (depth) LED flash Max – 1080p@30fps | Same |
| Selfie | 5 MP Max – 720p@30fps | Same |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Same |
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | Same |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band | Same |
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE | Same |
| GPS | Yes | Same |
| NFC | No | Yes |
| Infrared port | No | Same |
| Radio | No | Same |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG | USB Type-C 2.0 |
| Sensors | Side-mounted fingerprint, accelerometer, proximity | Same |
| Battery | Li-Ion 5000 mAh | Li-Ion 5000 mAh 22.5W wired |
| Colors | Gray, Blue | Gray, Blue, Green |
| Expected Price | $162 (Rs 13,499 in India) approx | $110 (Rs 9100 in India) approx |
Conclusion
Both ZTE Blade A73 4G and 5G are excellent budget smartphones that are available globally. Usually, budget smartphones don’t have great global availability but that’s not the case with these smartphones. ZTE also made sure they cater to a broad range of budget users by launching both 4G and 5G models at the same time. Considering the features and the specs these smartphones come with, the pricing indeed seems to be decent.
However, the lack of FHD will surely not sit well with many users, even at this price tag. So, we also have some alternative smartphones that provide even better specs at around the same price tag. That smartphone is the Honor Play 8T and it does have an FHD display panel. However, the final decision is up to you, so it is better to choose a smartphone based on your requirements and needs.
