Smartphone Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) Black (SM-A520F) - Reviews. successful lineup update Samsung a5 update

Samsung, which first released the Galaxy A5 in 2014, has continued to improve the model, adding one refreshed A5 per year to its arsenal. At the time of this review, the official price of the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) SM-A520F / DS in Russia is $ 484, and in Ukraine, according to the mobcompany.info portal, it is $ 408.

The updated model has inherited some features previously unique to flagships. Compared to the previous version, the device has got a fresh processor, dust and water protection, increased memory capacity and a USB Type-C port. But in some ways the smartphone is still inferior to its predecessor.

1. Characteristics of Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)

The device received a good filling, but if you compare it with the competitors, the cost of the A5 SM-A520F seems overpriced.

1.1. Design, body materials, dimensions and weight

The smartphone comes in black, gold, blue and pink body colors.

Most often, the domestic buyer will come across options in black and gold colors. The side edges are made of metal, the screen is protected by tempered glass with rounded edges, the back wall is also made of glass. The curved back panel and relatively small footprint contribute to a good grip. However, due to the glass and the lumpy shape, the device constantly strives to slip out of hand.

It seems that the manufacturer overdid it a little with rounding corners. And yet, for some reason, the frames at the top and bottom of the screen are larger than in the A5 2016. Subjectively, the previous version looks more cultured. But there are also improvements. For example, the rear camera lens is now flush with the panel.

The body is assembled well. What's more, it is IP68 dust and water resistant. It can roll for 30 minutes at a depth of one and a half meters, without damage to the insides of the device.

At the bottom of the screen is a mechanical Home key with a built-in fingerprint scanner. On the sides of it are touch buttons for going back and displaying a list of running applications.

It is noteworthy that the device received separate slots for installing cards. The first SIM tray is located on the left side, next to the volume buttons. And on the upper edge there is an additional hole, which accommodates a combined slot for another SIM and memory card.

The right side houses the power button and the main speaker grill.

On the bottom is a symmetrical USB Type-C connector, a microphone hole and a 3.5 mm headphone jack.

All this is housed in a case with dimensions of 146.1x71.4x7.9 mm and a weight of 159 grams.

1.2. CPU

The manufacturer installed a fresh 64-bit Samsung Exynos 7880 chipset in the smartphone, with an integrated Mali-830 MP2 graphics chip. The SoC includes 8 Cortex-A53 cores, the maximum frequency of which reaches 1.9 GHz. The processor is made according to the modern 14-nm process technology, with all that it implies. For example, energy efficiency is improved, there is no significant heating. As a result, the performance level does not drop under intense loads.

The Antutu test gives an average result of 60 thousand points by today's standards. There are no complaints about the device's performance in everyday use. The device has enough power for almost any task. The exception is the most resource-intensive 3D games. For example, at the maximum graphic settings everyone's favorite "tanks" turn into a slideshow. On the other hand, with the basic graphics settings, you can count on a smooth game with 50-60 fps.

1.3. Memory

Samsung A5 2017 is equipped with 3GB of RAM. This is normal for a device of this class. Except that together with the OS and running services, the Samsung shell eats up one and a half gigabytes. The manufacturer has recently been trying in every possible way to optimize the shell, but pure Android will work faster anyway.

The volume of the built-in storage is 32 GB, about 23 GB is available to the user. By conservative estimates, this will be enough for installing an impressive list of applications, a couple of "heavy" games, and for storing captured photos and videos. An expansion slot is always available for installing a microSD card with a maximum capacity of 256GB.

1.4. Autonomy

A built-in non-removable 3000 mAh battery and a non-voracious 14-nm chip give a good result. The device in normal, mixed use mode lasts up to two days from a single charge. With intensive use, the battery lasts for a day. Fans of watching TV shows on a smartphone are in luck: FullHD video is played for 17 hours. In HD resolution via MX Player - up to 19 hours, and at full brightness!

The power saving mode will help to extend the operating time, by limiting performance and other tweaks. Fast charging is supported, from 0 to 100% the device charges in just 1 hour.

1.5. Camera

Samsung A5 SM-A520F is equipped with a 16-megapixel main camera sensor with an equivalent focal length of 27 mm and an aperture of f / 1.9. The flash is quite bright, although it consists of a single LED. The interface of the application for shooting is concise, easy to learn. There is a lean PRO mode. It is a separate section, into which the basic settings were simply transferred: ISO, white balance and exposure.

During the day, the camera shoots well, at the level of solid middle peasants from China. The color rendition of the images is good, close to natural, the level of detail is quite high. White balance is detected correctly, dynamic range is wide. In the evening and at night, things are not so fun. In automatic mode, the appearance of noise, loss of detail and overexposure of bright objects are provided. In addition, the device focuses slowly, very often a blurry picture is obtained.

Affected by the lack of optical stabilization. This is a significant downgrade compared to the 2016 version. But it is not all that bad. If you mount your smartphone on a tripod, manually adjust the sensitivity and exposure, you can achieve an acceptable result. The maximum resolution of recorded videos is FullHD (30 fps). The result is not bad in terms of quality. But other manufacturers offer at least the ability to shoot at 60 fps, or 2k and 4k resolution.

The front camera received wide-angle optics, and can shoot with a resolution of 16 MP. The photos come out pretty good, but you shouldn't expect anything special. In terms of image quality, the front camera is significantly inferior to the main one. But there are branded chips that smooth the skin, enlarge the eyes and allow you to correct the shape of the face. The focus is fixed, set for close-up shots. Because of what distant objects are out of focus. At dusk, instead of a flash, the face is illuminated by the bright backlight of the screen, filled with a white background.

1.7. Display

The device is equipped with a 5.2-inch display with a solid FullHD (1920 × 1080) resolution. Excellent image clarity is achieved through a high pixel density (424 ppi). The SuperAMOLED matrix is ​​used, with its characteristic rich color reproduction, and deep blacks. The "vyvyglaznaya" gamma is regulated in the settings, if desired, you can activate more calm tones. Viewing angles are good, colors can only be distorted at extreme angles. The margin of maximum brightness is high.

There is a blue filter for those who worry about their eyes. One of the main advantages of this smartphone is the Always On Display function. This is a feature that migrated from flagship models to the middle segment. Thanks to it, the current time and date, battery level and missed notifications are displayed on the locked screen. The screen is covered with 2.5D glass with a good oleophobic coating. The touchscreen recognizes 5 simultaneous touches.

1.8. Connection

In Samsung A5 2017, you can install 2 NanoSIM cards at the same time. The set of supported mobile networks includes 2G, 3G and 4G (LTE-A Cat6), with all common frequencies. The smartphone is equipped with a Bluetooth v4.2 module, and dual-band (2.4 and 5 GHz) Wi-Fi a / b / g / n / ac. Thanks to the presence of NFC and MST, the device can be used for contactless payments. Support for the Samsung Pay payment service has been implemented. However, it is temporarily unavailable to the owners of the "A" series.

For navigation and geolocation, you can use GPS + A-GPS, Glonass and Beidou. The smartphone copes with the role of a navigator flawlessly: it finds satellites within 10 seconds, accurately determines the location.

1.9. Sound

The external speaker received a non-standard location - on the top of the right edge.

Accordingly, it will not overlap, regardless of the position in which the smartphone is lying on the table, or in the hands. Undoubtedly, this is a plus, but the sound seems muffled. This is due to the fact that the speaker is protected from the ingress of dust and moisture with a special membrane. If you allow for that, the sound can be considered good.

It is quite clean, moderately loud, almost all musical instruments are transmitted. Unless the bass is heard. When using headphones - no surprises, you can enjoy quite normal sound. There is a built-in software equalizer from Samsung. FM radio is also supported. The device has two microphones: one for spoken and one for noise cancellation.

1.10. Operating system

Out of the box, SG A5 2017 comes with Android 6. An update to Android 7 will be released soon. Traditionally, for Samsung smartphones, a proprietary shell from the manufacturer is installed on top of the system. Only instead of TouchWiz, as in the Note 7, the Grace UI is used. The relatively new shell inherited from TouchWiz not only gluttony for resources. But also an eye-pleasing, bright and customizable interface, with a built-in theme manager.

There are also branded software chips, also inherited from the flagships of previous years. For example, splitting the screen into 2 parts for two applications, one-handed operation, quick launch of the camera by double-clicking the Home button, etc.

1.11. Peculiarities

For the scanner to work, you need to put your finger at the right angle, and only when the screen is on. That is, to unlock the device, you first need to press the Home button, and then scan the fingerprint. Fortunately, to do this, you don't need to press the button and swipe it over the scanner - just put your finger on it.

2. Pros and cons of Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)

Advantages:

  • design (for an amateur)
  • dust and moisture protection of the case according to IP68 standard
  • you can use two SIM and a memory card at the same time
  • good display, function "Always active screen", the ability to filter blue
  • normal autonomy

Disadvantages:

  • no optical stabilization
  • there is no possibility of shooting at 60 frames per second and in 4k resolution
  • features of the fingerprint scanner

3. Alternatives

OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T offer better performance. The Honor 8 is also more powerful and has a better camera. Xiaomi Mi 5s offers a more practical metal body and a convenient fingerprint sensor. Meizu Pro 6 is a music flagship with 4 GB of RAM. And finally, the Galaxy S6 is in the same price range, but has a much better camera.

4. Our opinion on the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)

In general, the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) is a good smartphone, which inherited the flagship chips from the "older brothers". As you can see from the review, it does not stand out with the best performance and camera among the competitors. But it pleases with autonomy, water protection and the Always On Display function.

I would like to praise the manufacturer for such small steps of a large company towards the user. We are talking about separate slots for 2 SIM and a memory drive, as well as a camera module that does not stick out of the body.


Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) smartphone
Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) smartphone

Photos in the interior

Specifications

  • Android 6.0.1 with Clean UI, update to Android 7
  • 5.2-inch screen, SuperAMOLED, FullHD, 424 ppi, automatic brightness adjustment, automatic brightness adjustment to suit your habits, color profiles, Corning Gorilla Glass 4, AlwaysOn Display
  • Exynos 7880 chipset, 8 cores up to 1.9 GHz (Cortex A53), Mali-T830MP3 GPU
  • 3 GB of RAM, 32 GB of internal memory (about 23 GB of memory is available to the user out of the box)
  • Battery Li-Ion 3000 mAh, fast charging, working time in mixed mode - 2 days (test result), in 3G / 4G data transfer mode - 13/16 hours, video playback - up to 19 hours, talk time - up to 16 hours
  • Installation of two nanoSIM cards, as well as a microSD memory card (up to 256 GB)
  • Front camera 16 megapixels, f / 1.9, face enhancers (eyes, skin color, face tone)
  • Main camera 16 megapixels, f / 1.9, LED flash, autofocus
  • Two microphones, noise cancellation system
  • IP68 water resistant, up to 30 minutes at a depth of 1.5 meters
  • FM radio
  • Fingerprint sensor located on the front panel
  • USB Type C 1.0
  • 4G FDD LTE - B1 (2100), B2 (1900), B3 (1800), B4 (AWS), B5 (850), B7 (2600), B8 (900), B17 (700), B20 (800), B28 (700); 4G FDD TDD - B38 (2600), B40 (2300), B41 (2500)
  • GPS, GLONASS, Beidou
  • ANT +, 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac 2.4 + 5GHz, NFC, USB 2.0, Bluetooth 4.2
  • Sensors - Accelerometer, Barometer, Fingerprint Scanner, Gyroscope, Geomagnetic Sensor, Hall Sensor, Proximity Sensor, Light Sensor
  • Samsung Pay
  • Colors: Black Sky, Gold Sand, Blue Mist, Pink Peach Cloud
  • SAR value - 0.52 W / kg (head), 1.39 W / kg (body)
  • Dimensions - 146.1x71.4x7.9 mm, weight - 159 grams

Contents of delivery

  • Smartphone
  • Charger with USB Type C cable
  • Instructions
  • Wired stereo headset
  • "Paperclip" for removing the SIM-tray

Positioning

Samsung decided that the A-series should offer models in the middle price segment, and the lineup is built based on the size of the phones: smaller screen means smaller index. From this logic, it is clear that A3 is the smallest device, and A7 is the largest, while A5 is exactly in the middle. From sales of the A-series in 2016, it is known that the A5 and the form factor of the 5-inch smartphone became the most popular, this device sold significantly better than others.


Models of the A-series have become iconic for the market and their price segments; during the transition from the first to the second generation, their sales in Russia have noticeably increased.


But the most important thing is that these devices can be perceived as somewhat simplified versions of the company's flagships in terms of filling, but not at all simplified in terms of materials. Not all buyers need the functions of flagships, they are ready to spend 2-3 times less money, but get a decent, reliable device.

Given that Samsung competes directly with Apple in the market, the A-series is to some extent a response to older iPhones still on the market. So, the 2017 A5 is a clear competitor for the iPhone 6 / 6s, which also costs less. Comparing with the eminent Chinese, we will get their lineup with similar positioning as competitors for this device, for example, it can be Huawei Nova.


The 2017 A5 model was created for those who want to buy a smartphone from a major manufacturer (read, brand), while getting a good set of characteristics, decent performance and quality materials. To some extent, it is the 2017 A5 that can be considered a universal smartphone that can safely claim the title of a business model. It is balanced in its capabilities, it is not the most expensive, and, accordingly, it is not a flagship. This is a very reasonable choice for those who are accustomed to counting money, buying a smartphone for a long time. In my opinion, it is the 2017 A5 that will become a bestseller in its price segment, as it offers a number of unique finds that other companies do not have. However, let's talk about this in detail.

Design, dimensions, controls

In the A-series, the design is to some extent inherited from the older models, the same body materials, no noticeable simplifications and savings. Model A5 looks expensive and stylish, regardless of the color you choose. There are four color solutions in total, there are no pink phones in Russia yet.


I have a black A5 which is classic and looks good. The mirror surface reflects the world around it, plays in the light, the device looks very interesting, and handprints are practically invisible. I will add here that the screen with a splash screen can always work (the AlwaysOn Display function), which none of the competitors has. In the end, we get an unusual device that has no analogues on the market, it can be distinguished from any other at first glance.



If we talk about what color is the best, then I like blue, it is a delicate shade, very unusual, perfect for girls, however, see for yourself.



Please note that the front and back panels are in the same color, as well as the side metal edging (6000 series aluminum). The device looks good in pink too, but it is definitely only for girls.


The gold-colored phone is somewhat simple-minded, but everyone has their own tastes here.


The fact that the device has a glass back and front part does not interfere with it at all, since Corning Gorilla Glass 4 is quite reliable and protected from accidental drops, although anyone is lucky here. In terms of mechanical protection, this device is completely identical to the Galaxy S6 EDGE, the quality is on par. I once recorded a video about how this phone survives when hitting sharp objects or asphalt, you can watch this video.

The innovation of the 2017 A-series was the protection against water, which was taken from the S7 / S7 EDGE, the implementation is exactly the same. The SIM-card tray is protected by rubber pads, the microphones and the speaker have membranes, the level of protection is IP68, which allows the phone to be at a depth of up to 1.5 meters for up to half an hour. This does not mean that the phone needs to be washed under water and even more so with soap or something similar. But if you drop it in water, then nothing will happen to it. There are practically no models with water protection in this price segment.


Now about the controls. There is a mechanical key under the screen, a fingerprint sensor is inscribed in it, it is simplified compared to S7 / S7 EDGE, it works a little slower, but there are no problems because of this. Nice solution that just works. On the sides of it there are two touch-sensitive keys.

On the left side there are two volume keys, on the right side there is an on / off button. At the bottom and top end - on the microphone, there is a noise reduction system, it does its job perfectly: you can be heard well in any conditions, even when the wind blows strongly into your face.


The bottom end also houses a 3.5 mm jack for a headset or headphones and a USB Type C connector for a charger. On the upper end and on the left side you can see the trays, in the upper one a nanoSIM card and a memory card are installed, in the lower one there is a second nanoSIM card. In A3, for example, installation of two SIM-cards and a memory card is impossible, there is a combined slot.


The loudspeaker was placed on the right side surface, due to which it can overlap in a pocket, it will not be very well heard. The speaker itself is average in terms of volume, but very pleasant.

The phone measures 146.1x71.4x7.9 mm and weighs 159 grams. Compact, fits perfectly in the hand due to the small roundness of the body at the back. Not slippery, although many people believe from photographs that it should slip out of hands, but this does not happen. This size is one of the most popular on the market and is popular with most buyers.






Compared to Samsung Galaxy A3 2017

Display

The presence of a SuperAMOLED screen has always been an advantage of the A-series, the technical characteristics of this display are as follows: 5.2 inches, SuperAMOLED, FullHD, 424 ppi, automatic brightness control, automatic brightness adjustment to suit your habits, color profiles, Corning Gorilla Glass 4, AlwaysOn Display.


To my taste, the screen quality is excellent for its class, it has a large margin of brightness in automatic mode, the display is readable in the sun, as well as in the model of the previous year (in the S7 EDGE, the screen has a higher brightness, as a result, it is even better in the sun) ...



The screen has an AlwaysOn Display option, that is, you can see application icons, clocks or pictures all the time, the screen does not drain the battery much, for 12 hours it is a couple of percent. Until now, this function has not been massively in the middle price segment, which noticeably distinguishes the 2017 A5 and puts it on a par with Samsung's flagships.


In terms of the totality of characteristics, the screen in the 2017 A5 outperforms its competitors; there is nothing better in this segment. As a result, this is one of the strengths of the model. I also like the fact that they brought an automatic brightness adjustment to suit your preferences, the first two weeks the phone "gets used to" you and adjusts to your taste.

Battery

The built-in Li-Ion battery has a capacity of 3000 mAh, fast charging is supported (1 hour 20 minutes). The built-in wireless charging that flagship models have is not here.

In mixed mode, the device lives quietly for two days with 3-5 hours of screen operation, data transfer in LTE and two hours of calls.

Play unconverted HD video in MX Player at maximum brightness - up to 19 hours! This is an excellent figure considering the size of the battery, many Chinese show a comparable result on a 5000 mAh battery.

The operating time of the 2017 A5 is becoming its strong point; even with a heavy load, it will not be possible to discharge it faster than in a day, on average it is two days. Those who use only calls can safely count on 5-6 days of work, of course, it all depends on the operator and the number of these calls. But in general, we can state the fact that the operating time is the strong point of this model.

Traditionally, there is a power saving mode, when the backlight of the screen, the frequency of the processor are limited, in this mode many will not experience problems with the operation of the device, but the operating time will increase by at least 20 percent. In the maximum power saving mode, everything turns gray on the screen, and the device can provide hours of operation even with a small charge.



Communication capabilities

The work of GPS / GLONASS is excellently implemented, a cold start takes about ten seconds, navigation works well, there are no problems. By the way, this distinguishes A-brands from many Chinese companies, where the implementation of antennas is such that you can expect anything from typical functions.

Another strong point is support for almost all the necessary LTE frequencies, here the device also shows itself from the strong side (analogs in this price segment cannot boast of this, as a rule, there are savings on antennas).

Finally, the device has NFC, ANT + support, which will appeal to those who use sports sensors. Bluetooth version 4.2.

If we talk about Wi-Fi, then 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac 2.4 + 5GHz is used here, there is a repeater mode (distribution of a Wi-Fi signal to other devices as an access point).

The version is USB 2.0, but the USB Type C (1.0) connector is used, so lovers of modern connectors will be happy, the rest should come to terms with the transition to the new standard.

Memory, RAM, performance

Samsung uses its own chipsets in the A-series models, which can be considered a plus, they are improving year by year. For example, in 2016 the chipsets in the A-series were made at 28 nm, now it is 14 nm, which gives an increase in performance and operating time. Chipset in A5 2017 Exynos 7880, 8 cores up to 1.9 GHz (Cortex A53), GPU Mali-T830MP3.

This processor performed well in synthetic tests. In real life, everything also works perfectly well, you will not feel any shortcomings in performance, the model is at its level, and the safety margin will last for a couple of years at least.




The built-in memory of the device is 32 GB (23.1 GB is available), memory cards can be up to 256 GB. RAM 3 GB, which is enough for most consumers for the eyes. And considering the screen resolution, everything is getting quite good, this solution is balanced, and there are no noticeable compromises.

Camera

The front camera is 16 megapixels (f / 1.9), as usual, there is no autofocus, so it is worth finding the distance from which the pictures are best taken, this is about half a meter, that is, an outstretched arm. The quality of the front camera is good, but don't expect anything special from it, the main camera is still better. There is a traditional improvement in skin color and tone, you can enlarge your eyes, and at the same time make your face thinner. The girls will definitely like these "uluchshaki".

The main camera is 16-megapixel (f / 1.9), of course, there is autofocus, as well as additional shooting modes, including PRO, but it differs from the flagships, since the camera is simpler. This camera is on a par with the best Chinese manufacturers or slightly better, that is, it gives good, saturated images during the day and indoors, in the dark it is no longer so good, but this is generally typical for this segment. When recording video, there is no 4K mode, but the consumers of this device are unlikely to need it so much, since recording a regular FullHD video will completely satisfy them.









Look at the examples of pictures and videos, I think they will tell you all about the quality of the camera.

Software

The model originally came out on Android 6.0.1, but many of the interface elements are similar to what we see in Android 7 and Clean UI on the S7 / S7 EDGE. I advise you to read about what has appeared in Android 7, as this model will soon receive this version of the OS.

I will not describe the standard Android functions, you can read about them in a detailed review.

Unlike the top models, there is a built-in FM radio here, which looks like a nice bonus.

When using KNOX, you can install any program in duplicate, for example, install two WhatsApp messengers on one device and use them for each SIM card (two numbers, two messengers). You can even correspond with yourself. Exactly the same trick can be done with any software, no phone allows you to simultaneously work with two messengers on one device with different numbers. Today many Chinese manufacturers offer something similar in their smartphones, but the implementation is different everywhere.

Of course, this model supports Samsung Pay service.

I will not dwell on the standard software from Samsung, for example, S Health, you can find the corresponding articles on our website.

Impressions

The vibration alert is average, the ring volume is also average - perhaps, I would like to have more headroom, but you can still hear the phone and feel it in your pockets when vibrating. Rather, there is no volume reserve, but here who will perceive this moment, the device cannot be called quiet.

I liked the 2017 A5, as well as this whole series, and the previous models. The strengths remain exactly the same - excellent materials and body design, bright and eye-catching design, to which AlwaysON Display acts as a makeweight, competitors have nothing of the kind. Choosing between the models of this series, I want to draw your attention to the fact that A3 2017 is focused on those who call more, to a lesser extent sits on the net, watches movies. An excellent compact phone with a long battery life, I'll tell you about it in a separate review.




You can choose the 2017 A7 for the screen size, 5.7 inches versus 5.2 in the A5. However, the rest of these devices are practically similar, everything is the same. On the plate you can see how all A-series devices differ.

The price of the 2017 A5 in Russia is 27,990 rubles, for comparison, the model of the previous year costs 21,990 rubles. In my opinion, the advantage of the 2017 device is obvious, it is IP68 protection, AlwaysOn Display, updated Android and new operating modes, increased battery life, better performance. In short, it is worth finding the money and buying an updated model, it will definitely last longer.

Oddly enough, there is another competitor for this device in the Samsung lineup, this is the Galaxy S6, the flagship two years ago, which is now being sold for 30,000 rubles. It does not have memory cards, water resistance, but it does support Gear VR, which is not in the 2017 A5. Usually, the previous flagships act as stronger models than the current middle class, but when comparing these devices, everything is not so simple, I would still recommend the 2017 A5.

Apple's lineup includes an old iPhone 6, its 16 GB version costs 28,990 rubles (refurbished device) or more than 35,000 rubles. In my opinion, it has no advantages, it loses out with a screen, memory, and a service life, there is no protection from water even close. In short, here you buy only a brand and rather old hardware with the worst prospects for updates in the short term. Want an iPhone - look for newer models, but be prepared to pay more.


A good alternative is Huawei Nova, this 5-inch model also has 3 GB of RAM, a fingerprint sensor, a similar battery, comparable cameras. But the screen is IPS, this is something to keep in mind, and there is also no water resistance, and of course, there is no Samsung Pay. The price of this device is 23,000 rubles, which is noticeably cheaper and quite justified, given the other characteristics. But in terms of performance, the device is not bad and looks good.


If you look at the models with water protection, then nothing but the Sony Xperia X Performance comes to mind. But the price of this device in federal networks is 40 thousand rubles, it belongs to a completely different class of devices, as evidenced by the use of Snapdragon 820. At the same time, other characteristics are very similar to the A5 2017, so they can be compared. It is more profitable to buy A5, since Sony does not have any special advantages at a higher price. The model is already a year old, now it will be replaced by an updated version, it will be shown in the coming days. But the price will not be lower, as a result, it will not be able to become a competitor.


With your permission, I will not take into consideration a huge bunch of Chinese models, after all, their positioning is completely different, these are C-brands with all the ensuing consequences. Samsung has turned out to be a very interesting, high-quality model, which will become a bestseller in the middle price segment. This device looks good, has a long life and offers a range of features that will satisfy everyone who is not ready to buy flagship products. The phone has its own face, moreover, it is easy to remember. You should definitely take a closer look at this device if you are looking for a 5-inch Android smartphone.

Samsung updated its Galaxy A series in 2017, today we will test the middle brother of this family -. I would like to note that the manufacturer listened to some of the wishes of its fans, the model turned out to be really good, although not without minor flaws. The A5 was fully tested for a week as the main phone. The review is based on the feel and experience of the average user.

The equipment for this model is quite simple:

  • the Galaxy A5 smartphone itself;
  • charger with USB and micro USB cable;
  • paper clip for opening trays;
  • simple headphones;
  • special adapter for interaction with old phone models;
  • passport, warranty card.

In fact, it is a copy of the older brother A7 with minor differences: the battery capacity is less, the screen diagonal is also. The smartphone is available in several colors: black, blue, gold. We had a black version of the smartphone on the test. The company's designers did their best - the smartphone looks elegant.

The phone supports two full-fledged Nano-SIM cards plus a microSD memory card with expansion up to 256 GB. There are two trays:

  • the first one is located on the upper edge of the phone and is designed for 1 SIM card and a memory card.
  • the second one is located on the left side of the model and is intended for the second sim card. The solution is very successful, because the upper tray can be used with the main card, and the side tray, if necessary, can be used for a second SIM card.

On the upper edge of the smartphone there is a tray for a SIM card with a memory card, an additional microphone. The main speaker in this model has moved to the right side - a very good solution for gamers, now the sound will not be hidden during the game. The sound itself from the speaker is not very loud, but it is sufficient not to miss an incoming call. On the same side there is a “on / off” button for the device.

Below you can see: USB Type-C connector, headphone jack, spoken microphone. The sound in headphones is not perfect, but it is pleasant for everyday listening as an MP3 player. On the left side there are volume control buttons and a second tray for a SIM card.

Touch control buttons in this model are located under the screen. From left to right, you can see: a list of recent applications, a main button with a built-in fingerprint scanner to exit to the desktop, a return button. The "home" button, unlike the previous version of this model, is slightly recessed into the body and does not play. The scanner works very quickly, recognizes all touches, during testing, there were no problems with it.

On the back cover, the main camera with flash is installed. There are two cameras in the Galaxy A5, both 16 MP: front and main. There is no optical stabilization in them. The quality of the main camera is average, slightly worse than that of the A7 of the same year. Although the A7's camera is far from ideal.

The A5 is equipped with a self-made processor from Samsung - an 8-core Exynos 7 Octa 7880 with a clock speed of up to 1.9 GHz. RAM in the phone is 3 GB. The smartphone test results are quite good:

  • AnTuTu - Dingle-Core - 766 points, Multi-Core - 3958;
  • AnTuTu Benchmark - 61760 points;
  • graphics test showed FPS - 59.9.

All these indicators will be enough for work for a couple of years. You can play almost all modern toys on this smartphone. Network shooters are better set to medium settings, and at maximum A5 it will obviously slow down.

The networks have everything you need to work, plus NFC and Samsung Pay. There are no problems with payment by phone through the terminal. Navigation systems GPS, Glanass work average, signal reception is fast.

The phone battery has a capacity of 3000 mAh. Based on the test results, we can confidently say that it will be enough for the whole day. If the operation is not very active, then the charge will be enough for a longer period of time. When playing a video at maximum brightness, the battery lasts for 14 hours of continuous playback.

The display has a diagonal of 5.2 inches, with a proprietary Super Amoled display from Samsung. The resolution of the screen is Full HD 1920 × 1080 pixels, while the screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 4. Amoled displays from this company have always been famous for their image quality, excellent viewing angles.

Samsung Galaxy A5 test results.

Final conclusion: In general, we liked the model; many wishes of users were taken into account. Excellent screen, good performance, well-thought-out ergonomics of the entire device. The price - yes, it bites, but it is, after all, a brand. With a limited budget, it is better to pay attention to Chinese manufacturers. , , or Russian .

Cons of Samsung A5 2017:

  • not a low price tag, but it must be borne in mind that this is, nevertheless, a brand.
  • a slightly slippery body, especially along the side metal edges.
  • the main camera is very average, but perhaps this shortcoming will be corrected in the future through a firmware update.

Pros of the Galaxy A5:

  • a good processor that can easily cope with most modern toys, both now and in a couple of years.
  • a good battery, the capacity of which will be enough for a whole day of work.
  • good location of the main speaker.
  • moisture protection according to IP68 technology.
  • the model has interesting solutions:
    • if there is a contact on the screen, to connect with the subscriber, it will be enough just to bring the phone to your ear, the connection will happen automatically, which is very convenient.
    • extreme power saving allows you to extend the operating time of your phone by 5-10 times when the battery is low.

Not so long ago, the line of Samsung smartphones of the "A" series was updated. The changes were enough to tell about them.

The design of Samsung smartphones at all times left few people indifferent. It happened this time too. The stylish, but not flashy design is largely due to the pleasant combination of glass and metal in the body, each face of which refracts light very richly. Especially the front panel with 2.5D glass and the rear wall, made of glass, gracefully curving closer to the side edges. With regard to this phone, it is quite possible to call it a premium design.

If we continue to develop the theme of the case, then we can note the traditional mechanical Home button under the screen. The button is combined with a fingerprint scanner, which is fast enough, but not always immediately configurable. Due to the fact that the button, and therefore the scanner itself, is very narrow, during setup, a message often appears asking you to move your finger, and not just put it in the same position.

Volume and Power keys are located on different sides of the phone, which is convenient, and you don't have to look for them and remember which one is higher and which is lower. Also striking are the two SIM card trays. In the 2017 Galaxy A5, the main SIM card is installed on the right side of the case, with a dual tray on top. The upper tray holds a second SIM card and a memory card. Now it will be even more convenient to use the second SIM card, since you do not have to choose between it and a memory card up to 256 GB.

Where Samsung has excelled in its smartphones is the level of water resistance. It happened this time too. The Galaxy A5 is IP68 compliant. That is, it is not only one hundred percent protected from dust, but is also able to spend up to 30 minutes in fresh water at a depth of one and a half meters without any consequences. This is always not superfluous and it is very pleasant to distinguish the smartphone against the background of direct competitors in its price segment. By the way, this phone costs from 22,000 rubles, which is quite a bit for a high-quality phone.

In conclusion of the features of the case, it can be noted that there are three colors for it, including black, blue and gold. Gold isn't even very gold, though. At least not so conspicuous.

Display

The diagonal of the display is 5.2 inches, which is a lot considering the dimensions of the smartphone itself. The display resolution is predictably FullHD, and the matrix is, of course, SUPER AMOLED. The display is good and bright, as it should be given its specs, but what's especially good is that it changes color significantly less when viewed from an angle than before. Of the pleasant additions, we can note the Always on display function that has reached the younger Samsung models. You can now display the date, time, battery status and basic notifications on the Galaxy A5's screen. Considering the features of AMOLED displays, this is doubly convenient, since it not only frees the owner from the obligation to periodically take the phone off the table and turn it on, but also does not consume much of the battery. The watch constantly changes its position on the screen a little. It is easy to find an explanation for this in terms of the technological features of AMOLED displays.

Camera

Naturally, there are two cameras in the phone. Both are now at 16 megapixels and with an aperture of f / 1.9. The pictures taken with the main camera are very good. Actually, the Korean giant is famous for its cameras in smartphones. In bright light, the pictures are very clear and saturated, but if you dim the lighting a little and choose a subject with insufficient contrast, the camera can start to make mistakes. The number of possible camera settings will delight many fans to dig deeper into manual modes. There's even a food mode that lets you take a photo with a sharp center, slightly blurry edges, and custom brightness settings. The main camera does not just stick out, but, on the contrary, is even slightly recessed into the body, but it's a pity that there was no place for optical stabilization.

Iron

The performance is based on the Exynos 7880 processor at 1.9 GHz and the Mali T-860 graphics at 700 MHz. RAM in the phone is 3 GB. The hardware produces more than enough performance for applications and almost enough for everyone, even the coolest games. There is a decrease in the frame rate, but it does not always turn out to be critical. So the gameplay will not be overshadowed by freezes and slowdowns. In the AnTuTu benchmark test, the Galaxy A5 scores about 60,000 points.

It is worth noting that the smartphone is predictably running Android 6, but should soon receive an update to the seventh version of the green robot.

The built-in memory is rather big and amounts to 32 GB. But only 23 GB of them are available to the user. Although this is also enough for a very large number of photos and more than one album of your favorite artist. But it's still nice that it is possible to install memory cards up to 256 GB, which I talked about earlier.

The sound in headphones is traditional for Samsung. There is nothing to add or subtract. But the external speaker turned out to be very interesting. For a start, it's worth noting where it is. It is located on the side edge, just above the Power button. An original and convenient solution. Now it will definitely not be possible to accidentally close it with your hand in any orientation of the device. True, the large holes in the case for this speaker look a little strange, but it sounds very good. Naturally, there is no bass, but there are distinguishable high frequencies, which is nice. The volume, though not small, but not prohibitive. We will assume that it is above average.

Beautiful, Excellent screen, Excellent performance, nothing slows down (excluding games), All functions work without freezes and jams. The camera shoots perfectly (with good light)

Minuses

The camera shoots very badly in low light (blurry)

Review

I have been using it for over a month. The battery holds well, and if you turn off any unnecessary applications, it's even better. The screen is awesome, as is the case with most Samsungs. The screen sensitivity is high - a plus for me. There are no questions about the work, all the declared functions are performed quickly. I will separately highlight the interface, everything is intuitive. Dust resistance is, tested during repair. The camera shoots well only in normal lighting, in the dark only some kind of tripod will save. lathers at the slightest movement of both the smartphone and the subject of photography. The network, Wi-Fi and similar connections work stably, nothing falls off. Memory free 2/3 out of the box. While the smartphone only pleases, with the exception of the photo, you need to adapt.

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