Samsung didn’t get much good press in the second half of 2016, mainly related to the Note 7 issues. We’re just a few days into 2017 and the Korean smartphone giant has just officially announced the A3 (2017) and A5 (2017) for European markets. The Samsung A7 (2017) was announced too, but you won’t be seeing that in most of Europe.
The Samsung A series of devices is a mid-range fare, which bring some of the flagship S series features to a more affordable price bracket. Relatively popular, the A series pitches one of the top smartphone brands against some of the newer brands in western markets.
Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) Specifications
- 4.7″ Super AMOLED HD Display (1280×720) – 312 ppi
- Octa-core 1.6GHz processor
- 16GB storage, 2GB RAM
- MicroSD slot, up to 256GB
- 13MP rear camera, 8MP front camera
- Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth® v 4.2, ANT+, USB Type-C, NFC (UICC)
- Fingerprint scanner
- 2350 mAh battery
- IP68 water and dust resistance
Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) Specisfications
- 5.2″ Super AMOLED Full HD Display (1920×1080) – 424 ppi
- Octa-core 1.9GHz processor
- 32GB storage, 3GB RAM
- MicroSD slot, up to 256GB
- 16MP rear camera, 16MP front camera
- Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth® v 4.2, ANT+, USB Type-C, NFC (UICC)
- Fingerprint scanner
- 3000 mAh battery with fast charging
- IP68 water and dust resistance
So the 2017 A series of devices brings some of the flagship S7 features, like IP68 water and dust resistance, fingerprint scanners and Type-C to the midrange. There are a few trade offs with regards to chipsets and camera sensors, but the all metal frame and “3D glass” (rounded) should give the devices a premium feel when held.
Let’s get to the vulgar stuff: money. The A3 (2017) will have a recommended retail price of 329 Euro, while the A5 (2017) will have an RRP of 429 EUR. That works out at approximately £280 and £365 respectively. Please bear in mind that these are recommended retail prices and once you see the A series in stores the price will likely be lower due to discounts and network subsidies.
The A3 A5 duo should be available in the UK from early February, so that gives you just over a month to finish saving up the pennies for the launch. Though, I have to say when putting the A5 (2017) up against the Honor 8 in terms of specs and price I would ask why you would consider the Samsung at all. Especially since that Honor 8 Deal is still live on Amazon.co.uk.
Are you thinking of getting a Samsung A series device in the coming months? Would you like us to cover Samsung more on Coolsmsmartphone.com? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter.