Leading smartphone-maker Samsung on Monday launched two versions of 2017-edition Galaxy A—A7 and A5 — in New Delhi.
Samsung's new phones boasts some of the key features of the flagship Galaxy S7 series, including Ingress Protection rating of IP68. This means users can take the Galaxy A (2017) for a dip in the swimming pool (freshwater, not sea) and take pictures for close to 30 minutes underwater up to five feet.
Also read: Samsung Galaxy S8 release date details leaked; Here's what we know about Galaxy S7 successor so far
Further, the new Galaxy A series boasts the Galaxy S7-inspired premium metal frame (with 3D glass back), sophisticated contact-less payment mode (Samsung Pay in select markets) via MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) technology. This means the new devices will come with Samsung Pay feature on board.
Read more: After Galaxy S7 series, Galaxy Note 5 gets Samsung Pay feature in India
As far internal hardware is concerned, the new Galaxy A7 and Galaxy A5 house pretty much the same features except the screen size and battery capacity.
The former boasts a 5.7-inch screen and 3500mAh cell (with fast charge), while the latter features a smaller 5.2-inch display and a 3,000mAh battery. Everything else, including display resolution, RAM, storage and camera, are the same.
They run Android Marshmallow OS and come with 3GB RAM, 32GB internal storage and 16MP cameras on both front and back with f/1.9 aperture.
The Galaxy A7 (2017) will set you back by Rs 34,490 and the Galaxy A5 (2017) costs Rs 28,990. Both the smartphones will go on sale on March 15. Interested consumers can pre-book at Samsung's official e-store. They will be made available in Black Sky and Gold Sand colours.
There is no word on when Samsung intends to launch the smaller Galaxy A3 (2017) in India.
Competition:
The Galaxy A7 (2017) will face tough challenge from OnePlus 3T, Xiaomi Mi 5, Moto Z Play, among others.
On the other hand, the Galaxy A5 (2017) will be up against the popular Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 and Moto G4 Plus, among others.
Watch this space for latest news on Samsung.
Key specifications of 2017-series Samsung Galaxy A7, A5 and A3:
| Models | Galaxy A7(2017) | Galaxy A5(2017) | Galaxy A3(2017) |
| Display | 5.7-inch full HD(1920x1080p) super AMOLED with 3D Gorilla Glass | 5.2-inch full HD(1920x1080p) super AMOLED with 3D Gorilla Glass | 4.7-inch HD(1280x720p) super AMOLED with 3D Gorilla Glass |
| OS | Android 6.0.16 Marshmallow | Android 6.0.16 Marshmallow | Android 6.0.16 Marshmallow |
| Processor | 1.9GHz octa-core CPU | 1.9GHz octa-core CPU | 1.6GHz octa-core CPU |
| RAM | 3GB | 3GB | 2GB |
| Storage | 32GB (expandable up to 256GB) | 32GB (expandable up to 256GB) | 16GB (expandable up to 1256GB) |
| Camera |
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| Battery | 3,600mAh with fast charging | 3,000mAh with fast charging | 2,350mAh |
| Network | 4G-LTE (Cat. 6- May differ by markets and mobile operators) | 4G-LTE (Cat. 6- May differ by markets and mobile operators) | 4G-LTE (Cat. 6- May differ by markets and mobile operators) |
| Add-ons | IP68 water-and-dust proof certifications, fingerprint scanner, Bluetooth v4.2, Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac), NFC (Near Field Communication), MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) technology(Samsung Pay in select markets), Samsung KNOX, S-Voice, Dual SIM option | IP68 water-and-dust proof certifications, fingerprint scanner, Bluetooth v4.2, Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac), NFC (Near Field Communication), MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) technology(Samsung Pay in select markets), Samsung KNOX, S-Voice, Dual SIM option | IP68 water-and-dust proof certifications, fingerprint scanner, Bluetooth v4.2, Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac), NFC (Near Field Communication), MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) technology(Samsung Pay in select markets), Samsung KNOX, S-Voice, Dual SIM option |
| Dimensions | 156.8 x 77.6 x 7.9mm | 146.1 x 71.4 x 7.9mm | 135.4 x 66.2 x 7.9mm |
| Colours | Black Sky, Gold Sand, Blue Mist and Peach Cloud. | Black Sky, Gold Sand, Blue Mist and Peach Cloud. | Black Sky, Gold Sand, Blue Mist and Peach Cloud. |
| Price | Rs. 34,490 | Rs.28,990 | Not launched in India, as yet. |
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