Since it is already 2017 and we have put behind one of the biggest tragedies to hit the mobile market, Samsung kicked off 2017 with 3 smartphones that are not only budget-friendly but also water- and dust-resistant. Last Monday, Samsung revealed 3 units of the updated Samsung Galaxy A series, inclusive of A7, A5, and A3. This marks the first unveiling of the South Korean company since the Galaxy Note 7 disaster.
Noteworthy is that the Samsung Galaxy A series is similar to that of Samsung high-end S series. The trio features a fingerprint senso, a 3D glass backing, and a metal frame. But they differ in the processing power compared with the S line, according to CNN. Let's peel off each unit piece by piece.
#Samsung unveils new Galaxy A phones aimed at young, trendy phone buyers on a budget https://t.co/n3fwoGctHe pic.twitter.com/6G6D7TC51t
— CNET (@CNET) January 2, 2017
Let's begin with the Samsung Galaxy A7. This 5.7-inch 2017 upgraded unit comes with a Full HD Super AMOLED screen and a 1.9 inch Octa-core CPU with 3GB of RAM on an Exynos chipset. The unit is powered by a 3,600 mAh battery. It also comes with a fast-charging support feature.
In terms of the camera for budget-friendly Samsung phones, the Galaxy A7 fairs quite well with a primary 16 MP camera and a 16 MP selfie snapper, both of which features bright F/1.9 lenses. The unit comes with a 32 GB storage, expandable to 256G via a microSD card slot.
Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy A5, the middle member of the trio, features a 5.2 inch Super AMOLED display with 1080p resolution. It has the same Exynos 7880 chipset with 8 Cortex-853 cores that run at 1.9GHz with 3GB of RAM.
The Samsung Galaxy A5 also is equipped with a 16MP camera, for the front and rear. However, the unit doesn't come with the F/1.9 fast aperture, unlike the A7. Its battery capacity has dropped to 3,000 mAh, instead of 3,600 mAh for the A7. But not to worry, the fast-charging feature is still there. And it has the same storage capacity, expandable to 256G with the use of a microSD card.
And then there's the Samsung Galaxy A3, the smallest of the trio. This unit sports a 4.7 inch Super AMOLED screen with only 720p resolution. The unit is only powered by a 1.6 GHz Octa-core CPU with a 2GB RAM and an internal storage of 16GB.
As can be expected, the camera is only at 13MP for the rear cam and 8MP on the front, a much lower resolution compared with the earlier two units. However, it comes with the F/1.9 aperture lenses, much like those of the A7. The battery capacity is only at 2,350 mAh, but it seems fast-charging is not a feature that the phones houses, per GSMArena.
All three units are available in 4 color options: Black Sky, Gold Sand, Blue Mist, and Peach Cloud. The smartphones include a "selfie mode," allowing the user to tap anywhere on the phone to snap a photo. A major plus for the upgraded Galaxy A series is that the units feature an IP68 dust and water resistance and is uses the Android 6.0.16 Marshmallow operating system.
The Samsung Galaxy A series will launch in Russia in early January, while other countries will follow suit. Users can also start to pre-order the units beginning Jan. 20. However, the prices of the units have not been revealed as of this writing. Stay tuned for more updates on the Samsung Galaxy A series.
