Samsung Galaxy A series for 2016 follows the glass and metal design that the Korean company started using since the Galaxy S6. The Galaxy A series is supposed to be the “premium-looking mid-range option” from Samsung—good enough to flaunt, but not bad enough to burn a hole in your pocket.
As the smartphone market has got more competitive, we have seen Samsung struggle in the mid-budget range, especially between in the R15,000-30,000 price-band. Newer players like OnePlus, Lenovo-Moto and even Xiaomi have made compelling offers in this space with better specs and features, making Samsung’s devices feel over-priced.
The new 5.5-inch Samsung Galaxy A7 is priced at Rs 33,400 in India, a tad more expensive compared to the smaller 5.2-inch Galaxy A5. Both smartphones have a 13 MP rear camera with OIS. Is the Galaxy A7 of 2016 a good enough successor to its 2015 predecessor? Read on to find out.
Samsung Galaxy A7 looks a lot like the S6, S6 edge+, except that it is less curved on the side than the flagships. The glass and metal body of the Galaxy A7 smartphone in black and gold colours makes it look like a premium device. However, it is prone to smudges, which are really prominent thanks to the glossy body.
What’s good?
Of course, the Galaxy A7 2016’s design is what one notices first and it looks like a premium device. Plus, the 5.5-inch full HD Super AMOLED display is top-notch from Samsung; big enough to watch Netflix on; with vivid and crisp colours.
I used the Galaxy A7 as my primary device during a week-long vacation and the device gave me no problems at all. The Galaxy A7 was my source for making calls back home, listening to music, taking pictures and it worked flawlessly. From browsing to multitasking and gaming, the device can handle it all.
In terms of connectivity and call quality, the Galaxy A7 fares very well. The battery of the Samsung Galaxy A7 should easily last a day.
Camera is the other strong point of the Galaxy A7. It doesn’t disappoint, be it in the day when you’re trying to capture the sea in its glorious blue or are aiming at the orange sky during sunset. The selfie or the rear camera, the Galaxy A7 delivers. However, I do have some concerns about the low-light performance, which I’ll discuss next.
What’s not so good?
With the Galaxy A7, I felt that camera struggles with greens a bit, and the low-light performance is underwhelming at times. My other problem with Galaxy A7 is that it takes forever to charge, even though it says fast-charge is on.
The price of the Galaxy A7 is perhaps the biggest problem for the smartphone. At R33,400, I can’t help but compare it to another Samsung smartphone; the Galaxy A8, which is now retailing for R25,000 and a device that I had loved, especially for its camera. Even the S6 edge is available for R33,000 online in some cases. Overall, the Galaxy A7 might be a better option once its price drops a bit.
* Estimated street price: Rs 33,400
Source: financialexpress.com