Today in Las Vegas at CES 2017, Samsung announced the “almost flagship” line of Galaxy A (2017) smartphones. We tested the devices and are in a hurry to talk about all their pros and cons.
Smartphones Samsung Galaxy A is in demand because for a relatively small price compared to the flagship models, they offer excellent screens, premium design and good performance.
This year, in the third generation of smartphones, increased autonomy and full protection against water have been added to their advantages.
Design is almost a copy of the flagship Galaxy S7
In 2015, the first Galaxy A line of smartphones received the design features of the Galaxy Alpha and Galaxy Note 4, in 2016 - the flagship Galaxy S6. The trend continued in the current generation of devices - outwardly, all three smartphones (A3, A5, A7) almost completely follow the design of the Galaxy S7.
Samsung Galaxy S7 This is especially noticeable when looking at the rear backs of the devices, which are now rounded not only on the sides, but also on top and bottom. Visually, this gives smartphones a more complete look.
The back panel in all three devices is made of tempered glass Gorilla Glass 4, which, unfortunately, perfectly collects fingerprints. At the same time, despite the slippery back, the phones lie perfectly in the hand and do not try to fall out of the palm when using.
It is important that now the peephole of the main camera of the whole three is completely sunk into the body - with this arrangement it has a much less chance of getting scratched over time.
Another design difference was the multimedia speaker, which had changed its location - now it is on the right side of smartphones, slightly above the power button. The sound quality is average, the volume is high - you are unlikely to miss a call.
On the front side of the mechanical elements, in addition to the earpiece and the front camera, all devices have only a home button with a fingerprint scanner built into it (it appeared for the first time in the Galaxy A3).
We have no complaints about the operation of the sensor - it works almost instantly, and it is located in the “right” place under the screen (it’s not necessary to take smartphones in your hand to unlock).
We tested with black smartphones, but the new Samsung Galaxy A (2017) is offered in several more colors:
Enclosures are now completely waterproof
One of the main "chips" of the entire line was the protection against water and dust according to the IP68 standard - smartphones can be immersed to a depth of 1.5 meters up to 30 minutes.
We do not recommend abusing such an innovation, but now you should not be afraid of the safety of not the cheapest gadgets in the rain or if you accidentally slip out of your hands in the bathroom.
At the same time, as in the case of the Galaxy S7, no port plugs are used in the case design - but this, in turn, imposes restrictions on the use of devices. For example, it will not work to put smartphones in charge immediately after immersion in water - a warning appears on the screen that it will be possible to do this only after the device is completely dry.
Screens are even better
The size of the display has grown only in the Galaxy A7 - now it is 5.7 inches (compared to 5.5 inches in the 2016 model). Despite the increased diagonal, we did not notice problems with the clarity of the picture - all elements are perfectly distinguishable (pixel density - 386 ppi).
From left to right - Galaxy A3, Galaxy A5, Galaxy A7 There were no changes in the Galaxy A3 and A5 - here are the same panels at 4.7 and 5.2 inches (respectively, with HD and Full HD resolutions). With the quality of detail, they are also at a high level.
It is possible to consider individual pixels only on the Galaxy A3 (312 ppi), and then having specifically set such a goal - this does not cause any discomfort in everyday life.
All displays are made using the proprietary Super AMOLED technology - thanks to this, the picture on them looks very juicy, bright and contrasting. If you don’t like the excessive “acidity” of colors, then you can set up screens for more natural color reproduction on your own in the device settings.
In the sun, the displays practically do not fade and the text on them remains clearly distinguishable, the viewing angles on all three devices are maximum - only with a large tilt the white color goes off a bit in green.
Another nice bonus that migrated from the flagship Galaxy S7 was the Always On Display mode - when it is activated, the current time, calendar, percentage of battery charge and notifications from applications are constantly displayed on the screen.
It is important that thanks to Super AMOLED technology (when it becomes possible to highlight every single pixel on the display, and not the entire panel), this option practically does not consume energy - according to Samsung, in this mode, no more than 1% of the battery is spent every hour.
Adequate but not outstanding performance
This year, the entire three smartphones have completely switched to Samsung's own processors - the Galaxy A3 is based on the eight-core 1.6 GHz Exynos 7870 chip, and the older version - the Exynos 7880 at 1.9 GHz - is used in the Galaxy A5 and A7. The amount of RAM also varies - Galaxy A3 got 2 GB, while the A5 and A7 are equipped with 3 GB.
For more precise specifications in comparison with last year's models, see the tables below:
| Smartphone | Galaxy A3 (2016) | Galaxy A3 (2017) |
| Screen | 4.7 inches, 1280 × 720 pixels | 4.7 inches, 1280 × 720 pixels |
| CPU | Quad-core Snapdragon 410, 1.5 GHz | Octa-core Exynos 7870 1.6 GHz |
| Memory GB | 1.5 / 16, microSD (up to 128) | 2/16, microSD (up to 256) |
| Front-camera | 5 MP | 8 MP |
| Main camera | 13 MP | 13 MP |
| Battery | 2300 mAh | 2350 mAh |
| Dimensions | 134.5 × 65.2 × 7.3 mm, 132 g | 135.4 × 66.2 × 7.9 mm, 138 g |
| Water and dust protection | Not | Yes, IP68 |
| Smartphone | Galaxy A5 (2016) | Galaxy A5 (2017) |
| Screen | 5.2 inches, 1920 × 1080 pixels | |
| CPU | ||
| Memory GB | 2/16, microSD (up to 128) | 3/32, microSD (up to 256) |
| Front-camera | 5 MP | 16 MP |
| Main camera | 13 MP | 16 MP |
| Battery | 2900 mAh | 3000 mAh |
| Dimensions | 144.8 × 71 × 7.3 mm, 138 g | 146.1 × 71.4 × 7.9 mm, 159 g |
| Water and dust protection | Not | Yes, IP68 |
| Smartphone | Galaxy A7 (2016) | Galaxy A7 (2017) |
| Screen | 5.5 inches, 1920 × 1080 pixels | 5.7 inches, 1920 × 1080 pixels |
| CPU | Octa-core Exynos 7580 1.6 GHz | Octa-core Exynos 7880, 1.9 GHz |
| Memory GB | 3/16, microSD (up to 128) | 3/32, microSD (up to 256) |
| Front-camera | 5 MP | 16 MP |
| Main camera | 13 MP | 16 MP |
| Battery | 3300 mAh | 3600 mAh |
| Dimensions | 151.5 × 74.1 × 7.3 mm, 172 g | 156.8 × 77.6 × 7.9 mm, 186 g |
| Water and dust protection | Not | Yes, IP68 |
With the daily work of lags and freezes, not one of the subjects was noticed - smartphones work quite quickly. This is confirmed by the results of the synthetic test AnTuTu - Galaxy A3 scored about 46,000 points, and Galaxy A5 and A7 about 61,000 points.
The values \u200b\u200bare far from record, but quite sufficient for the smooth operation of the interface. The situation is worse with games - in the “heavy” WOT Blitz with high graphics settings, fps on the younger A3 varies between 13-20 frames.
Galaxy A5 and A7 do better - at the same fps settings, they never dipped below 25−31 frames in half an hour of the game. If this is not enough for you, then at low graphics settings fps stably keeps at the level of 59-60 frames per second.
Surprisingly, even with a long gaming session under heavy load, smartphones practically do not heat up, remaining only a little warm in the upper part of the case.
Impressive autonomy
Obviously, Samsung managed to make very balanced processors - moderately productive, but at the same time very energy efficient (hence the almost complete absence of heating of the case).
In general, the high battery life was the most unexpected and pleasant surprise in the Galaxy A line of smartphones of the 2017 model year.
With very active use (synchronization of several instant messengers and social networks, constantly on mobile Internet, geo-positioning, about one hour of music and half an hour of games and conversations per day), all three smartphones calmly “live” for 1.5–2 days - an excellent result!
Galaxy A7 (2017) is generally the first “regular” smartphone in our memory, which in real life could last a full 2 \u200b\u200bdays at maximum load (“specialized” gadgets with huge batteries do not count). Below is a screenshot of the Galaxy A7 (2017) battery consumption:
Our observations are confirmed by the results of the synthetic test - the whole three scores in it over 10,000 points. From top to bottom - Galaxy A3, Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A7.
Another important advantage was the support for fast charging - from 0 to 100% when using the supplied power adapter, smartphones charge in about 1.5−2 hours (depending on model).
The cameras are still poorly suited for night shooting.
With good lighting, the main cameras of all three devices work out well - the pictures are highly detailed, with the correct color reproduction and white balance.
Below are sequentially laid out photos taken on the Galaxy A3 and A5 (in A7, a photo module identical to A5 is installed). The first in a pair is the picture taken on the Galaxy A3.
We did not notice a significant difference between the 13-megapixel Galaxy A3 sensor and the 16-megapixel one in A5 and A7 in daylight - photos are obtained of comparable quality.
But with a lack of light, the superiority of the more technically advanced photo module Galaxy A5 and A7 becomes more obvious - their pictures come out more saturated, with less noise.
At the same time, it is difficult to call the quality of photos obtained at night time satisfactory - optics is clearly not suitable for shooting in such conditions. This is not surprising - if you want high-quality personnel in any conditions - buy flagships.
In front-facing cameras, the winners, albeit not obvious, are also the Galaxy A5 and A7 - the frames received from their 16-megapixel sensors are slightly better in quality than the pictures of the Galaxy A3 8-megapixel front camera. Compare for yourself (the first photo is the Galaxy A3).
Eventually
Smartphones of the Galaxy A line have always been distinguished by excellent balance - this fully applies to devices of the 2017 model year.
They have a premium design that almost completely copies the flagship Galaxy S7, excellent screens, good cameras and sufficient performance for most tasks. Add to this the waterproof cases, the fast fingerprint scanner and the many times increased autonomy and get a very attractive offer.
Whether the new product is expected to succeed commercially depends entirely on their cost in Belarus - if it is set within 650-700 rubles, then most users can recommend them for purchase.
But if the price goes above this level, then the Korean “almost flagships” will have to compete with the real and much more productive flagships of Chinese manufacturers (for example, Xiaomi Mi5S or Meizu Pro 6).
In this case, the purchase of Galaxy A line of smartphones will only become advisable if for some reason you do not trust the Chinese manufacturers, need a waterproof case (which Chinese models do not have yet) or just want to use an A-brand device.
Thank you for the smartphones provided for testing
A waterproof smartphone makes it possible to use the phone in high humidity conditions and not worry about its performance.
Thus, using such a waterproof smartphone, for example, you can take an underwater selfie. This type of phone is calmly experiencing diving in the pool or talking on it in the rain. Currently, most manufacturers of mobile phones release their devices with a level of protection IP67 and IP68. This means that your phone will remain operational even after falling into water. In fact, there are no truly waterproof phones on the market yet; they are all just water proof. Here I made an overview of the best waterproof smartphones of 2017.
Samsung Galaxy S7
the iPhone 7 is a water-resistant phone, so now the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus can safely survive the short interaction with water. If you believe the statements of the company, the smartphone can transfer the dive to a depth of 1 meter in 30 minutes. However, it is worth remembering that possible damage caused by interaction with water will not be covered by the standard warranty.
Therefore, we all must understand that the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are not those phones that can be bathed, but, nevertheless, they will not lose their working capacity after a short interaction with water. If you plan to swim with the iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus, then it is better to get a LifeProof case, which will provide double protection.
- This is an enlarged version of S7, which has curved edges of the screen. This phone is considered one of the most popular and best waterproof phones of 2017. The level of protection in it is the same as in the Samsung Galaxy S7.
If you want to buy a smartphone with a large Quad HD-display with curved edges, then this phone will be just the perfect choice for you.
Sony Xperia XZ boasts excellent technical characteristics, a new design and a stunning camera. It has a 5.2-inch 1080p display, a Snapdragon 820 processor and 3 GB of RAM. The device is available in two versions - with 32 GB and 64 GB of internal memory. To expand the memory there is a slot for microSD cards.
The Sony Xperia XZ has an IP68 protection level, which means that it can hold out under water to a depth of 1.5 meters for 30 minutes. The phone is also protected from dirt, dust and sand. This smartphone also has a fingerprint sensor.
The Samsung Galaxy S7 Active has the same specifications as the Galaxy S7, but this device is slightly improved and will suit those who are looking for a phone with a solid case. The smartphone has an IP68 protection level, which means that it is waterproof and dustproof.
The Samsung Galaxy S7 Active comes with the MIL-STD-810G, which means that the phone is also resistant to salt, rain, humidity, solar radiation, vibration and thermal shock. Comes with a 4000 mAh battery.
In January 2017, Samsung introduced the third generation of A-series smartphones. The lineup has replenished with three models of the image class, related to the middle price segment. The average device in the series is the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) SM-A520F / DS. The cost of the official Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) is approximately $ 405 in Ukraine, and $ 440 in Russia. Devices from the "gray" supplies are sold a little cheaper.
The smartphone inherited the general concept from its predecessor, but its functionality was improved according to the level of 2017. The smartphone also changed its shape a little, became a little bigger and heavier, but got a water protection. Now you can safely take a selfie in the bathroom, sea or pool, without fear of drowning a smartphone. What else can please the Galaxy A5 (2017) - read further in the review.
The smartphone is equipped with middle class hardware. Given that the Chinese put similar chipsets in the devices at half the price - there’s nothing much to surprise him with. However, the chip Samsung A5 (2017) - not in the "parrots", but in something else.
Design, body materials, dimensions and weight
Samsung A5 (2017) is made in a case made of metal and glass. This is a “sandwich” of metal base, covered on both sides with glass. The dimensions of the smartphone are 146x71 mm, the thickness is 7.9 mm, and it weighs 157 grams. This is slightly larger than last year’s model, but thanks to the rounded edges and panel, it is convenient to hold. Build quality can be valued at 4 with a plus: everything is solidly assembled, does not creak and does not bend. A slight minus - the back panel is not flush. Minimum clearance (fractions of a millimeter), but there is.
The front panel is glass with 2.5D edges. The oval fingerprint scanner inscribed in the home key has not gone anywhere. The touch keys "back" and "tasks" on the sides of it also remained in their places, they are highlighted. Above the display is a speaker grid, on the sides of it a camera and a peephole of the light sensor are slightly asymmetrically located.
At the back, the smartphone has become more like the flagship model of 2016, the Galaxy S7: the glass panel is rounded to the edges. At the top in the middle is a camera lens, to the right of it is a flash. Perfectionists can rejoice: nothing protrudes from behind, the lens is flush with the panel. 
The layout of the side faces is not the same as that of most smartphones, but for Samsung it is already familiar (after the J5 Prime). On the right side is the power button, above it is a speaker grid, which was moved there from the bottom. 
On the upper left side are volume buttons. Below is a tray for one SIM card, removed by a hairpin. 
At the bottom of the Galaxy A5 (2017), there is a USB Type C port, a microphone hole and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. 
There are also plastic strips to separate the antennas. At the top there is a slot for a SIM card and a flash drive (both sockets are separate), as well as a hole for the second microphone. 
CPU
The Galaxy A5 (2017) runs on the new Exynos Octa 7880 chipset. This chip contains 8 Cortex A53 cores with a frequency of 1.9 GHz and the Mali T830 MP3 graphics core. It is produced using a thin 14 nm process technology, which positively affects the autonomy of the smartphone. The core performance is sufficient for everyday loads, and indeed the chipset can be considered balanced in terms of performance. He is not hot and very nimble, as for his specifications.
The Koreans have clearly worked hard to optimize the graphics drivers. In AnTuTu, the Galaxy A5 (2017) scores 60 thousand points, of which almost 17 account for the GPU. This figure is comparable with the results of the Mali T880 MP4 in the MTK Helio X20, which is good news. Compared to the competing Snapdragon 625 chip, the Exynos 7880 is slightly slower in terms of processor, but better in terms of graphics. Game lovers should appreciate it. In WoT Blitz, the maximum setting shows 25 frames per second, which is quite acceptable for a comfortable game.
Memory
RAM in the Galaxy A5 (2017) is typed with LPDDR3 chips, its volume is 3 gigabytes. At the start, the system consumes about 1.5 GB. As you use them, free (without collapsed heavy programs) remains a little less than 1 GB, but you should not worry. The Android is based on the Lunux core, and the policy of this OS is such that RAM, which is so empty in vain, is bad, and it needs to be loaded with secondary data to improve performance. So the tasks switch smoothly, if you start a hard game, the system will allocate enough space for it.
The internal drive has a capacity of 32 GB, of which 23.5 GB are allocated for the user section. There is a separate microSD card slot with a capacity of up to 256 GB. The USB OTG function is also supported.
Battery
The smartphone is equipped with a non-removable 3000 mAh battery. In high load mode (for example, games), you can expect hours of 7 work on a single charge. In tanks, the smartphone will work 7 hours 10 minutes. Watch the video at full brightness, the device allows 12 hours 30 minutes. In the mode of gentle use, you can count on 3 days of work without recharging. Recharging the battery capacity to 100% lasts 1 hour 35 minutes.
In general, the autonomy of the smartphone is at a very good level, and this is one of the best smartphones in this regard at the moment.
Cameras
Galaxy A5 (2017) received two 16-megapixel matrices, front and rear. ISOCELL modules are used s5k3p8 1/3 "size, with small pixels 1 microns. This is a payment for the absence of a protruding lens. The lens has a relative aperture of F / 1.9. The main camera shoots decently in the afternoon, a little noise, the dynamic range is wide. But the pictures they turn out to be too cold, the smartphone is mistaken with white balance. Here are some original pictures on the main camera during the day: 
To make you understand, these photos were not taken at dusk, but during the day, just in cloudy weather. But it seems the opposite. These are the best three photos that were taken in those conditions. Honestly, the cameras were not impressed this year.
At dusk, everything is worse, smaller pixels make themselves felt: A3 (2017) with 13 MP gives a slightly sharper and sharper picture. Below you can see that the Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 camera is inferior even to the Galaxy A5 2016. 
The front camera has identical characteristics, with the exception of autofocus. There are more complaints to it: in cloudy weather, noises are visible on the selfie, the dynamic range is narrow. Otherwise, it is difficult to explain its presence as a desire to increase sales in China (where Vivo and Oppo in 2016 attracted front-end megapixels, among other things). After all, from the same A3 (2017), selfies look better.
Selfie in Panorama Mode
Video in both cameras is in FullHD with 30 FPS.
Screen
The smartphone’s display has a resolution of 1920 × 1080 pixels, which with a diagonal of 5.2 inches gives 424 PPI density. The screen matrix is \u200b\u200bSuper AMOLED. Viewing angles are good, there is no problem with color rendering. At reduced brightness, the flicker of the PWM that controls the brightness may be noticeable, but at full brightness it is not.
When displaying white, the screen brightness is about 400 cd / m2, which is typical for most smartphones. But in a color picture, thanks to adaptive brightness, information is read better in the sun than on IPS with 400 cd / m2. The image comes out more contrasting, but at the same time and in low light conditions the picture does not hurt the eyes with acid shades.
The sensor is covered with tempered glass with an oleophobic coating of decent quality. Multi-touch supports up to 5 simultaneous touches.
Communications
Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) SM-A520F DS is equipped with two separate slots for SIM cards. They support all European networks from 2nd to 4th generation. The wireless module supports Wi-Fi networks at 2.4 and 5 GHz frequencies, including 802.11ac. The navigator uses GPS and GLONASS satellites to determine the position, their reception is good. Bluetooth version 4.2 supports stereo audio transmission and power saving mode. The USB Type C port is responsible for charging and connecting accessories.
Sound
The speaker, located on top of the right side, has a volume above average, but it can not be called very loud. Sound purity is normal, with bass traditionally a deficit. It’s enough for a call, but you don’t have to listen to music from the speaker infrequently. A video on the Internet can also be watched with sound output to the speaker, ears will not suffer. The headphones sound more saturated, but it all depends on the specific headphones. An FM radio is present. Included are quite worthy earbuds.
operating system
Samsung A5 (2017) runs on Android 6 OS with the manufacturer’s proprietary interface. Not everyone likes it, but the overall design style is subjectively better than in a pure Android distribution. The curtain is better arranged, it looks organic and does not dissonant in color with standard applications (in a pure Android it is dark gray, while white predominates in settings, dialer, contacts and messages).
There is a mode of operation with two windows, which in a pure Android appeared only with the seventh version. There is also an Always on Display feature and other proprietary features. The only thing you can find fault with in the OS is the version, but judging by the experience of the 1st and 2nd generation of the A-series, an update to “Nougat” should come out.
Features
The main feature of the Galaxy A5 (2017) SM-A520F DS is its protection against water and dust according to the IP68 standard. According to his requirements, the device must withstand immersion in water by 1.5 meters for a period of more than 30 minutes.
Alternatives
Samsung A Series is not loved for megapixels, performance and autonomy, but for its balance and design. Therefore, an alternative to the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) is to consider models in a glass case. The Chinese offer Xiaomi Mi5 (more powerful, slightly cheaper, but without waterproofing, a USB flash drive and an IPS screen), Meizu U10 and U20 (cheaper, 5.5 "screen, but also IPS, no waterproofing, and the MicroSD slot is hybrid), Huawei Honor 8 (dual camera, but the screen is also not AMOLED, and there is no water resistance).
The competitor can also be considered the Sony Xperia XZ, which is waterproof, equipped with 23 MP cameras at the rear and 13 MP at the front, features a powerful Snapdragon 821 chipset, but is rather weak in terms of autonomy, and is more expensive. For those who prefer to buy the flagship of the last generation to the new middle peasant, the Galaxy S6 can become an alternative. Its price has dropped to the same $ 400-450, but the flagship 2015 microSD slot is deprived.
Pros and cons of Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
- balanced characteristics;
- water protection;
- separate microSD slot;
- excellent autonomy.
Disadvantages:
- front camera may not live up to expectations;
- the pixel size of the camera is 1 micron.
Our review of the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) SM-A520F DS can be considered a worthy successor to last year's model. It has a decent screen, balanced iron, decent autonomy. An excellent innovation is the protection against moisture, which used to be only in flagships. The camera is still good in the afternoon, and in the evening, although it is losing ground, it is compared to the flagships. Compared to the Chinese, $ 150 each from 13 or 16 MP - and such results look decent. The front camera, too, although it falls short of the main one, but in normal lighting you can get good selfies from it.
Video review Galaxy A5 (2017)
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