After announcing the flagship Galaxy Note9, Samsung has now unveiled a new mid-range device Galaxy A8 Star with the primary focus on display and camera hardware in India.
The new Galaxy A8 Star boasts big 6.3-inch full HD super AMOLED Infinity Display design similar to the top-end Samsung phones. It also supports the 'Always On' display feature on the phone that allows users to get notifications, weather and time and other information at a glance, without having to unlock the phone.
As far as the photography is concerned, it houses Dual Intellicam system with 16 MP + 24 MP dual rear cameras. It comes with a F1.7 aperture that guarantees good quality images even in low-light.
The Samsung device is intelligent enough to automatically choose the perfect lens as per the lighting condition outside. The camera also sports advanced Live Focus feature, allowing users to easily adjust the Bokeh effect before or after taking the picture to create superior quality images. This happens whether it is blurring the background to the desired degree or adjusting the depth-of-field so that users can highlight their subject, the company claims.
On the front, it boasts 24 MP with F2.0 aperture and thanks to the intuitive camera app, it is capable of capturing bright clear images and good selfies at any light condition -- be it day or night. It also features the Smart Beauty mode to adjust skin tones to share photos on the social media sites, a Pro-lighting mode that promises professional photo studio-like editing options and the exclusive AR stickers, which add a fun element to the pictures.
The new Galaxy A8 Star also features the Dual Messenger that enables users to create separate messenger accounts on the same phone for official and personal usage. Another interesting aspect of the device is the Secure Folder. It is backed by Knox, Samsung's defence grade security platform, that promised to help users protect their important files, sensitive content and apps from unwanted intruders.
It also boasts Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 octa-core processor, Android Oreo OS, 6 GB RAM, 64 GB storage (expandable up to 400 GB) and a big 3,700mAh battery, which is more than enough to keep the phone running for more than a day under regular usage.
Samsung Galaxy A8 Star price and availability:
The company has confirmed that the Galaxy A8 Star will be exclusively available on Amazon (online only) for Rs 34,990 from August 27 onward. Next month, it will be released through retail chains from September 5 onward. It comes in Midnight Black and Ivory White colour options.
Samsung Galaxy A8 Star vs Competition:
Though the Samsung Galaxy A8 Star comes with a good camera and beautiful design language, it will have a tough time competing with the recently launched Poco F1, that comes with super powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 and a massive 4,000mAh battery. It will also be up against the impressive Asus Zenfone 5Z , Nokia 7 Plus, and Honor 10, among others.
Key specifications of Samsung Galaxy A8 Star:
Model |
Samsung Galaxy A8 Star |
Display |
6.3-inch full HD super AMOLED Infinity Display with 2.5D glass cover |
OS |
Android Oreo |
Processor |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 octa-core (2.2GHz quad-core + 1.8GHz quad-core) CPU |
RAM |
6GB |
Storage |
64GB + up to 400GB |
Camera |
|
Network |
4G-LTE |
Battery |
3,700mAh |
Add-ons |
Type-C USB port, hybrid dual-SIM slot, fingerprint sensor, face recognition, Samsung Pay, Bixby digital assistant, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi |
Colours |
Midnight Black and Ivory White |
Price |
Rs 34,990 |