Metal sidewalls, not filled with glass, now have the same color as the front panel. That is, the smartphone became completely black - we had the Galaxy A5 (2017) black. There is also a pink Galaxy A5 (2017) pink, a gold Galaxy A5 (2017) gold and a light blue Galaxy A5 (2017) blue.


Also, the main camera, the Home button with a built-in fingerprint scanner remained without a lighter edging.


There were no extra holes in the smartphone. Moreover, he adopted from the older model also water resistance according to the IP68 standard.


The materials of the smartphone are of high quality. It is quite heavy, but not heavy. It's nice to hold it in your hand.

The glass surface looks beautiful, pleasant to the touch, but it can potentially be scratched, fingerprints remain on it, and in general the device turned out to be quite slippery, so for the Galaxy A5 (2017) we would definitely recommend buying some kind of case.

Connectors and controls

Front panel samsung galaxy A5 (2017) also shows no fundamental changes.


It is completely filled with glass, in which a hole for the voice speaker is cut out at the top and the Home button at the bottom. At the top right of the speaker is the front camera. But there is no light indicator of events - it was left only to the flagships.


The hardware button has been preserved, although according to preliminary information, Samsung intends to get rid of it in the Galaxy S8.


To the right and left are two more standard Android sensor(back and application manager), but without highlighting they are not visible. Touching them is not fixed, so they are very easy to hurt.

The fingerprint scanner is configured in the "Lock screen and security" section of the settings. To add a fingerprint, you need to touch the sensor several times, the display will show the progress of the scan.

If the fingerprint is not recognized with a few touches, then it is suggested to protect the screen with a gesture or a pin code. With a large number of mismatches, the phone may prohibit touching the scanner for 30 seconds.

The fingerprint is also used to verify payments in Samsung Pay and access the "secure folder". You can also see how the scanner works in our video:


On the back, no change. The camera is located in the upper part of the body in the middle, to the right of it is a flash.

On the right sidewall there is a button to turn on the screen / smartphone. There is also a stereo speaker grille. Previously, she was at the bottom end.

On the left side are two volume buttons, just like in the A5 (2016). There is also a slot for SIM-1.


NanoSIM is used. It opens with a special key, which should be included.


At the top end there is a combined SIM-2/microSD slot.


Unlike other smartphones with combo slots, this one can fit nanoSIM and microSD at the same time. You can watch the video of installing SIM cards in Galaxy A5 (2017):


At the bottom there is a USB Type-C connector, a microphone hole and a headset jack. USB Type-C runs at full speed - it's not USB 2.0 with a new type of connector.

As you may have noticed, the case of the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) is non-separable. We have long been accustomed to this, but you will have to change the battery in service center.

Case for Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)

Buying a case or cover for the Galaxy A5 (2017) in early 2017 is difficult, but this will change over time. Judging by the declared dimensions, the 2017 version will differ from the 2016 version by literally a couple of tenths of a millimeter, so you can expect that almost any case for the Galaxy A5 (2016) will fit the Galaxy A5 (2017), but we still recommend that before you buy, try on the phone, especially when it comes to a more or less hard case. Rubber, silicone, or soft plastic bumpers are likely to work. The Galaxy A5 (2017) will be 0.2mm thicker rather than thinner than its predecessor.


It was also reported that Samsung is going to release translucent Clear Cover cases for models of the Galaxy A line, which are now available for Galaxy S. The picture shows such a case.

Screen Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)

The screen of the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017), like its predecessor, is made using Super AMOLED technology, which promises us good colors, acceptable brightness and true black. The 2016 Galaxy A5 had it all, and so does the 2017 model.

The screen resolution is 1920x1080 pixels and has not increased in a year. This gives a dot density of 424 ppi, which is generally good.

Samsung has also equipped the smartphone with Always On mode. When the display is off, it continues to show current time, date and battery level. Battery consumption is minimal, since AMOLED technology allows you to turn on only a couple of tens of pixels necessary for the mode to work.

The screen has good rich colors and excellent viewing angles, which may not always be good: everyone around you will see what you are doing there on your smartphone.

Subjective impressions are confirmed by objective data. The brightness of the screen (white) was 357.49 cd/m 2 , the brightness of black, as it should be OLED - 0. Accordingly, the contrast is obviously higher than that of any LCD.


In the display settings, there are two main modes: basic and adaptive. In the first, the color gamut is approximately equal to the sRGB area, even a little more. In adaptive, the color gamut is much wider than that of this area, which is considered the standard.


When measuring the color temperature of the Galaxy A5 (2017) screen, the difference between the setting modes is not so noticeable. They are quite close to the natural temperature of 6500K, but still above it. Main mode is just below the 7000K line, adaptive is above 7000K, but not by much either. In other words, the picture in the second case looks a little colder.


The gamma curve of the main mode practically coincides with the reference one. The adaptive mode is slightly higher in the middle part. In the image, this affects the output of light areas darker than they should be shown. However, a lot can be fixed with display settings, which the Galaxy A5 (2017) has more than other smartphones.

The Galaxy A5 (2017) has a trendy "blue color filter" that reduces blue levels and has a positive effect on fatigue - it reduces. However, we would not use it. When turned on, the display becomes frankly icteric. Perhaps, with a long reading in the dark, this will be useful.

In addition to the main and adaptive display modes, there are also PHOTO and VIDEO, which automatically adjust the screen so that pictures and movies look best on it. For each mode, you can adjust the balance of RGB - red, green and blue colors. In addition, in the screen settings, you can turn Always On on and off, as well as order the smartphone not to turn on the display in any case if it is in the dark, that is, in a pocket or bag. This is true for large devices.


The display recognizes 5 touches, like the Galaxy A5 (2016), which once again confirms our conclusion about the software nature of the limitation. Still, the Galaxy A line should be somewhat inferior to the Galaxy S.

The Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) has a significantly improved camera. Previously, the device was equipped with a photomodule with a resolution of 13 megapixels for the main and 5 megapixels for front camera. Now the smartphone has two cameras of 16 megapixels. The trend reflects the selfie craze. In addition, judging by the quality of the pictures, the front 16 megapixels are more “honest” than most smartphones with the claimed selfie camera. Both cameras can also shoot Full HD video.

The Galaxy A5 (2017) camera interface remains proprietary. On the first screen, buttons for taking photos and recording videos are immediately available, as well as a window for calling the gallery and previewing the picture. In another part of the display, we see virtual buttons for changing the camera, controlling the flash and calling up the settings. The face in the corner of the viewfinder brings up the option to adjust skin tone. By adjusting the white balance, you can achieve the best hue.


The settings for both cameras are the same. Interestingly, they are not displayed in the design of the camera interface, but like other phone settings. Here you can immediately select the resolution, set the timer, enable video stabilization, geotagging, activate voice recording, gesture, volume button.

There are also two more tabs on the main camera screen. By swiping to the right, you can open a tab with filters that are applied in real time to the preview image.


The left tab contains shooting modes, both video and photo.


In addition to the automatic mode, there is a Pro mode. In it, you can adjust the light sensitivity, white balance, adjust the exposure and other parameters.

There are other modes: panorama, hyperlapse, HDR, night and food. The most interesting are hyperlapse (slow motion) and food, which adds background blur, and you can also sip the white balance to make the pictures look better.


The front camera has the same interface and the same tabs. There is a skin color adjustment. The tab on the right also contains real-time filters. There are only three modes on the tab on the left: self-portrait (same auto), night and wide self-portrait. A wide self-portrait is a hybrid of selfie and panorama. It is not always possible when taking a selfie to make sure that the background is completely satisfying. Therefore, in this mode, we take a selfie, move the phone to the right, to the left and get a picture with a wide field of view.


The main camera allows you to shoot in different resolutions, as well as use different aspect ratios. The maximum is achieved at a ratio of 4:3.

As you can see, the pictures are of very good quality, even with the zoom the image turned out to be quite clear, and on the phone screen this difference will not be noticeable at all. In the dark it is better to shoot with a flash, which works quite well.


With the Galaxy A5 (2016) main camera, you can shoot videos up to Full HD resolution. Ultra HD (4K) has been reserved for flagships for now.

The camera perfectly records video and, importantly, sound. A video from the front seat of the car shows that the camera quickly focuses, adapts to lighting conditions, etc.


The resolution of pictures from the front camera and the choice of aspect ratio, like the main one.

With the quality of the pictures, everything is much more interesting. It's easy to see how much the sharpness differs between the close-up shot and the wide shot. No matter how hard we fought, we failed to capture the dull cityscape from the loggia as sharply as the main camera. Apparently, the focus of the camera is fixed so as to guarantee perfect selfies.


Similarly, the video shot by the front camera turned out to be blurry, not as sharp as the main one. The assumption of a shifted focus or its limited range in order to create the appropriate effect of the depth of the frame, blurring the background when taking a selfie, is confirmed. Typically, all cameras of this size are hyperfocal, that is, they have a maximum depth of field from almost 1-2 meters, so when shooting landscapes they do not need to focus. Here, obviously there are settings for the background to be blurry.

By the way, almost all of our comments are valid only when viewing pictures on a computer screen, on the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) AMOLED display, all photos look very good, and some are just perfect.

Specifications Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)

As usual, there are three models for 2017 in the Galaxy A line at once: Galaxy A3 (2017), Galaxy A5 (2017) (model SM-A520F) and Galaxy A7 (2017). The main difference between them is the screen diagonal: 4.7", 5.2" and 5.7", respectively. Although the characteristics are also different, the truth is mainly in the Galaxy A3 - it has always been noticeably weaker. As for the A5 (2017), then it is almost exactly the same as the A7 (2017) in terms of hardware.


The Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) smartphone came to us even before the official release, so some of the characteristics presented in the table can be updated. As you can see, compared to the Galaxy A5 (2016), the changes are clearly visible.

First of all, this concerns the processor, the role of which is performed by the Samsung Exynos 7880 Octa chip. It is somewhat stronger than the Exynos 7580 Octa chipset that was used in its predecessor, and at the same time it is made using a newer 14nm process technology. The new chip offers 8 Cortex-A53 cores running at 1.88 GHz, and at the same time it is now able to work with LPDDR3-1033 memory, while before it only provided 933 MHz for RAM.

Back in the day, the Exynos 7580 surprised with its relatively weak video card - the Mali-T720 MP2 entry-level accelerator. The Exynos 7880 has a more modern and faster GPU - Mali-T830 MP3, which has three execution pipelines and operates at a frequency of 950 MHz. However, architecturally, this is also an entry-level solution, however, when compared with its predecessor, the frequency has become higher (was 668 MHz) and there are more execution units - the speed increase will be visible to the eye.

In general, such a hardware platform is quite sufficient for today's time and demonstrates a good average level.

Support for Bluetooth 4.1 and Wi-Fi 802.11n is also in line with the market average. It would be more interesting to see 802.11ac. As for LTE, there is compatibility with the sixth category, which gives up to 300 Mbps per reception.

We also note two 16 megapixel cameras, however, for smartphones of this level from another manufacturer, 4K video recording is already available, and not just Full HD.


3 GB of RAM is also perceived as a standard for the market, at least for normal, not cheap manufacturers. Of the 32 GB of storage, 24 is available to the user, which is also not bad. In addition, a version with 64 GB of memory is expected.

Compared to 2016, the processor has become faster, the video accelerator has become more powerful, and the amount of RAM has increased by 1.5 times. The screen remained the same and the cameras became better. At the same time, the battery capacity increased by only 100 mAh and is 3000 mAh. This can have a negative effect on time. battery life, we can only hope for optimizations in Android 6.

Performance Testing

The rival of the Samsung Galaxy A5 is a mid-range device based on the Qualcomm platform, which has similar characteristics and will clearly compete with the Galaxy A5 (2017) on the market.


Smartbench 2012 shows the superiority of the Galaxy A5 (2017) over its rival. This is not a defeat, but a confident advantage.


The browser test wins the Chinese smartphone.

3DMark also for Huawei Nova. It is likely that the processor in the Galaxy A5 (2017) is not as powerful, especially its graphics, as it seemed after the first test.



In Basemark tests, Samsung was ahead, just like in the very first, old Smartbench 2012. It is noticeable that Huawei wins in graphics and concedes in tests for overall performance.

Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) in Antutu

Now let's see how the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) performed on Antutu, a popular spot.


Huawei Nova is already faster here.

Autonomy Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016)


Autonomy, measured by the Galaxy A5, was better, although the difference is not so strong. There are 82% left of the 3000 mAh battery. Huawei lost a little more, although it has a 20 mAh battery, but more.


We can also state some progress in comparison with Huawei Nova. Despite the more modest chip, the previous version from a smaller battery left 73% after our test. The difference of 2-3 percentage points could be attributed to the difference in battery capacity, but 9 percentage points unequivocally indicate that the new smartphone with energy saving is much better.


The graph of "gluttony" looks typical: the most expenses are for three-dimensional graphics. But when compared with the Galaxy A5 (2016), the new model has optimized everything from graphics to idle consumption.

Samsung has always been pretty good with built-in power management. In this model, there is also an optimization of the processor and memory in the settings.

In general, the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) should provide a good level of autonomy.

Games for Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)

Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) carries on board not the most powerful, but modern accelerator. We can expect that its performance, together with the increased frequency of the processor, will be enough to make all the games fly.


  • Riptide GP2: excellent, everything flies;


  • Asphalt 7: excellent, everything flies;


  • Asphalt 8: excellent, everything flies;


  • Modern Combat 5: excellent, everything flies;
  • N.O.V.A. 3: excellent, everything flies;


  • Dead Trigger: excellent, everything flies;


  • Dead Trigger 2: excellent, everything flies;


  • Real Racing 3: excellent, everything flies;


  • need For Speed: No limits: excellent, everything flies;


  • Shadowgun: Dead Zone: excellent, everything flies;


  • Frontline Commando: Normandy: excellent, everything flies;


  • Frontline Commando 2: excellent, everything flies;


  • Eternity Warriors 2: excellent, everything flies;


  • Eternity Warriors 4: excellent, everything flies;


  • Trial Xtreme 3: excellent, everything flies;


  • Trial Xtreme 4: excellent, everything flies;


  • dead effect: excellent, everything flies;


  • Dead Effect 2: excellent, everything flies;


  • Plants vs Zombies 2: excellent, everything flies;


  • dead target: excellent, everything flies;


  • Injustice: excellent, everything flies.

Indeed, the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) did just fine with all the games we tested. Thus, toys that can slow down this smartphone are either not yet written, or the display resolution allows the device to cope with the load.

ON

The Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) ships with Android 6.0.1, which doesn't look very up-to-date for early 2017. Obviously, the device will receive an update to Android 7 in the near future. In stock and next touch version Wiz, which really has no change with those that we have already described on the example of flagship gadgets.

The Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) has three home screens by default: the main home screen with Google search, weather widget, main apps including Samsung Pay and folder Google Apps. Second screen with recommended smamsung apps, yandex search, secure folder and folder Microsoft applications. The third screen is the Briefing app, which pulls up various news.

Another feature of the interface is the Samsung Notes application, placed on the panel at the bottom of the screen. It allows you to take various notes and store them in the Samsung cloud. In general, Samsung, like Apple, is on the path of developing the service part, so half of the smartphone's functions will not be available without a Korean company account. One Gmail is no longer enough.

The Galaxy A5 (2017) offers secure storage on the smartphone itself. You can put data into this storage, as well as applications. They can only be accessed with a fingerprint. In this case, the storage will be blocked if someone tries to get to it unauthorized access through rooting the phone.

There are two payment systems on the smartphone at once. The first is the Russian Ubank, the second is Samsung Pay. The choice between them so far depends on which bank card the owner of the smartphone has. However, in the future, I think Samsung will cover all major banks that work with the population. The difference is that Ubank is mainly focused on payments, while Samsung Pay is also focused on offline purchases.


The smartphone comes pre-installed with the Yandex application, which offers search and news collections.

In the Samsung Essentials widget, the company offers to install additional applications for a smartphone, and the preset ones are in a folder in the menu. It is not rendered on the first screens - that's such modesty. There are well-known S Health, S Voice, Audio Recording, Browser, file manager, Samsung account management, the already mentioned Secure Folder and the Samsung app and product stores, through the latter you can even buy a refrigerator.

Note that Audio Recording supports dictation mode, that is, it converts voice to text.


Of the Microsoft applications, the folder contains Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, OneDrive, and Skype. There is also Word, but it ends up on the home screen.

In general, the set of applications is pleasant and useful. The only thing you have to do is sign up for a Samsung account. This can tie the user to one brand of smartphones.

Conclusion

Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) - good telephone. The score is well worth saving for the flagships of the Korean company and its competitors. Smartphones of this price level are supposed to be good: beautiful, comfortable, modern, moderately productive and affordable.

We did not find any serious flaws in the device. He left a very good impression.

The only thing is that the transition to USB Type-C cannot be fully approved, at least so far this connector is not found in every second smartphone. Branded cables, branded chargers evoke melancholy not so much for the price as for the fact that they cannot be bought at every corner.

Price Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)

It was impossible to buy Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) at the time of preparation of the article, but its price after the release will be 30 thousand rubles. The 2016 model now costs an average of 21-22 thousand rubles. You can also find cheaper.


Huawei Nova, tested by us in parallel, is in the same price range. It can be bought for 21-23 thousand rubles. However, for this money you can only get an IPS display.


Xiaomi Mi5 with a 32 GB drive costs about 20 thousand rubles and is an interesting offer. The device is built on Snapdragon processor 820, can shoot 4K video, but only has a 4-megapixel front camera and a 5.15-inch IPS display with Full HD resolution.


5.5-inch ASUS ZenPhone 3 costs about 26 thousand. It has 4 GB of RAM, is built on the basis of Snapdragon 625, supports fingerprint reading. However, the device again has an IPS display, and the resolution of the front camera is only 8 megapixels.

As you can see, there are options, but Super AMOLED remains Samsung's strong offering.

Pros:

  • good design;
  • quality assembly;
  • there is a fingerprint scanner;
  • good Super AMOLED display;
  • good autonomy;
  • good cameras;
  • protection against moisture, dust;
  • The Always On feature is very handy.

Minuses:

  • USB Type-C, for now;
  • slippery and easily soiled case;
  • non-separable body;
  • Android 6 out of the box;
  • no event LED.

From the Samsung A-line of smartphones updated at the beginning of 2017, it is the Galaxy A5 (2017) that promises to become the most popular and in demand. It has a larger screen and better performance than the Galaxy A3 (2017) smartphone we have already reviewed, but much more modest in size than the Galaxy A7 (2017) “shovel”. Why is the updated A5 (2017) superior to the younger model in the line, and how much better is it than the most popular Galaxy A5 (2016), we will figure it out in our review.

Design and controls Galaxy A5 (2017)

The design of the new smartphone Galaxy A5 (2017) is noticeably refreshed. The device is very similar to Samsung's flagship model Galaxy S7, and in appearance there are similarities with the iPhone 7. In general, the phone looks solid and expensive, the fact that the device belongs to the premium segment is immediately visible. The body of high-quality metal and glass Gorilla Glass 4 is assembled superbly, it is curved at the back along the edges, like the Samsung Galaxy S7. Thanks to this, as well as a fairly compact size, the device is very comfortable in the hand. The smartphone weighs only 159 grams, the body dimensions are 146.1 x 71.4 x 7.9 mm - excellent numbers for a device with a screen diagonal of more than 5 inches.
Under the screen of the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017), the backlit side touch buttons are habitually located (moreover, they are practically invisible without backlighting), as well as the central mechanical button with a fingerprint scanner. Above the display is the front camera and speaker. Behind the smartphone is only a camera with a flash and the Samsung logo. On the left side of the device are the volume buttons and the tray for the second SIM card, on the right - the power button and the speaker speakerphone. At the bottom, there are 3.5 mm headphone jacks and microUSB Type C, as well as a microphone hole.
On the top is a tray for SIM cards and Micro SD memory cards (up to 256 GB), as well as a noise reduction microphone. Unlike the Galaxy A3 (2017), the device supports two separate SIM cards, just like the Galaxy A7 (2017). Note that the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017), in addition to USB cable and charger, includes fairly high-quality vacuum headphones / headset.

Screen and cameras Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)

The new Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 (SM-A520F) received a 5.2-inch display with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels (pixel density - 424 ppi). The screen matrix is ​​Super AMOLED, the display shows one of the best pictures from the smartphones offered on the market today with a diagonal of more than 5 inches. Very juicy colors, a huge margin of brightness, absolute viewing angles are far from all the advantages of the A5 (2017) screen. The display is really great, there is not the slightest complaint about it, besides, it behaves great in the sun.
Both samsung cameras Galaxy A5 (2017) have 16 megapixel modules. The main camera is equipped with phase detection autofocus and optical stabilization. Her pictures can be rated as a solid five, the photo quality is very decent, even in low light conditions you can get a good photo. Nevertheless, despite the “extra” 3 megapixels, the photos of the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) are not too superior in quality to the pictures of the main 13-megapixel camera of the Galaxy A3 (2017). Although, in this case, it is rather a plus for the latter than a minus for the former.
The front camera works out its 16 megapixels with its head - in addition to good selfies, it will be enough for decent photo quality and decent quality video broadcasts. Both cameras of the device can record video in Full HD.

Features and performance Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) SM-A520F

The new smartphone Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) was equipped with a “nimble” eight-core Exynos 7880 processor with a frequency of 1.9 GHz. This processor is significantly more productive than the Exynos 7870, which Galasky A3 2017 is equipped with. If there were not the slightest performance complaints about the latter, then there are none for the A5 (2017), and even more so - everything “flies”.
The device is really very fast, all applications work with lightning speed, there are no slowdowns / lags in principle. The smartphone has 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of built-in flash memory. The ARM Mali-T830 MP3 video accelerator is responsible for the graphics. With such a filling, the device can be safely called a gaming one, in fact, all games can be safely launched at maximum graphics settings. In addition, the smartphone does not heat up even at maximum loads - for which the device is a separate plus.
In the main test AnTuTu Benchmark smartphone Galaxy A5 (2017) received 60743 points. GeekBench 4 gave the device a score of 751 in Single-Core and 3791 in Multi-Core - very good results. At the moment, out of the box, the Samsung Galaxy A5 Duos (2017) has an Android 6.0.1 operating system with an updated proprietary TouchWiz shell, but an update to Android 7 is expected in the near future. With regards to the new TouchWiz, it has been refreshed, the settings have been regrouped, and a number of new features. In general, it has become more convenient, and the interface is more pleasant.

Video review of Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 (SM-A520F) from Quke.ru

In addition to great design, excellent display and good performance, Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 (SM-A520F) has a number of nice and useful "goodies". Protection of the IP68 case allows the smartphone to safely transfer a 30-minute immersion in fresh water to a depth of one and a half meters. A 3000 mAh battery gives the device good autonomy, this is generally a separate plus of the updated A-line, the autonomy of the devices is on top. Batteries Galaxy A5 (2017) even with very intensive use should be enough for 2 days of use.
Another interesting "feature" of all models of the updated A-line of Samsung smartphones is the Always On Display function. In sleep mode, the device will display a number of useful information - the current time, calendar, latest notifications, battery level. Very comfortable and you get used to it very quickly.
Also note LTE support Cat 6 and Billing Samsung service pay.

What is the result and the differences from the Galaxy A7 (2017)

Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) has become more interesting than its predecessor. The smartphone received a fresher design and improved cameras, became much more productive, received a secure case and a fingerprint scanner. The device itself turned out to be very interesting. The advantages over the younger model Galaxy A3 (2017) are obvious - a larger display with FHD resolution, 3 GB of RAM versus two and twice as much internal flash memory, as well as more megapixel cameras and a separate slot for a second SIM card. But the device differs from the Galaxy A7 (2017) only in a smaller screen (5.2 inches versus 5.7 for the Galaxy A7 (2017)) and a less capacious battery (3000 versus 3600 mAh).
In general, in our opinion, the new Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) is close to the ideal of a modern smartphone. Perhaps the only nuance is that the price “bites” very much. Galaxy A5 (2017) can be purchased in 4 body colors - black, gold, blue and pink. The average price of a smartphone on the market is about $430. For this money, many Chinese brands offer their flagships with more interesting features. But these will be just numbers - in practice, it is unlikely that Chinese competitors will be able to really be more interesting than the new devices from Samsung. Happy owners new Galaxy A5 (2017) we invite you to leave feedback in the comments.

The Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 smartphone is another device of the rather successful Galaxy A series, the models of which belong to the middle price segment. They are beautiful, made of quality materials, although they are inferior in many respects, surprisingly.

By the way, the Korean company is a vivid example of what a manufacturer should be like. mobile devices. For many, Samsung is associated with reliability and quality. At the same time, the company does not focus on the production of only top phones. A user with not the highest level of income can pick up a smartphone or tablet of this brand, knowing that budget smartphone in terms of quality and reliable operation will not be inferior to the latest flagships of the brand. All this fully applies to our today's object of review - the Samsung A5 2017 phone.

The smartphone was introduced at the beginning of 2017 and immediately attracted attention with its pleasant appearance, good hardware and an adequate price.

Samsung Galaxy A5 2017: smartphone specifications

Let's be honest - flagship smartphones surpass many mid-range smartphones except for the latest generation chipsets, cameras, and fashionable innovations such as fast wireless charger, heart rate sensor and more. Otherwise, the middle peasants can fully satisfy the needs of the most demanding user, but without frills.

Specifications of Samsung A 5 2017 look impressive for a device in the middle price segment:

DisplayDiagonal 5.2 inches, Super Amoled, support for 16 million colors. The display resolution is
CPUOcta-core Samsung Exynos 7880
Graphic artsMali T830MP3
3 GB
32 GB, expandable with microSD cards up to 256 GB
Main camera16 MP
Front-camera16 MP
3000 mAh, support fast charging function
Operating system versionAndroid 6.0 Marshmallow upgradable to Android 7
InterfacesWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac; GPS; Bluetooth v4.2; USB Type-C 1.0; NFC 3.5mm headphone jack;
AdditionallyFingerprint scanner, Samsung Pay support, IP68 rating
The size146.1 x 71.4 x 7.9 mm
The weight157 g
Body colorsBlack, white, blue, golden

Smartphone autonomy

One of strengths smartphone - excellent autonomy. A screen with a small diagonal and not the highest resolution consumes energy economically. The Samsung A5 2017 is far superior in battery life to its top-end sibling, the Galaxy S7. At the same time, the manufacturer does not position the device as a device with a long-lasting battery.

In normal mode (calls, messages, Internet surfing, etc.), a smartphone with screen activity for 4-5 hours lives without recharging for two days. It is capable of playing continuously video in HD quality for about 19 hours. And this is really a great indicator.

If you use the Samsung A 5 2017 exclusively for calls, it may well last 4-5 days without recharging.

The 3000 mAh rechargeable battery, thanks to the fast charging function, can be charged up to 100% in about an hour.

Water and dust protection

Another feature of the smartphone is . The device without damage to it can be lowered into fresh water to a depth of one and a half meters. It withstands immersion for 30 minutes. He is not afraid of falling into the sand. The SIM card compartment is protected by rubber pads, and the speaker and microphone are membranes. Of course, washing a smartphone with soap under running water is not worth it, but falling into water does not scare him. By the way, in the price segment there are no analogues of the Galaxy A5 2017 with such protection.

Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 performance

As for the processor, it has become more productive compared to the previous model of the series, but inferior to the latest flagships of the company. Despite this, it is more than enough for hardware-demanding games. Slowdowns and hangs are not noticed. More than enough processor performance to work with applications. By the way, in the AnTuTu test, the smartphone scores about 60,000 points.

The amount of built-in memory is average. It should be borne in mind that out of 32 GB of ROM, about 23 GB is available to the user. For those who actively use the camera and install a lot of games and applications, this volume will not be enough. In this case, the possibility of expanding the memory up to 256 GB helps out. By the way, slot for microSD cards separate, which can not but rejoice. Now you do not need to sacrifice a second SIM card for the sake of increasing the phone's memory.

Smartphone package

The device is supplied in a discreet white box, on which the name of the device is printed in large print. The package is quite modest:

  1. smartphone,
  2. Charger,
  3. a special paper clip for ejecting SIM cards,
  4. USB Type C cable
  5. and instructions.

In addition, the user receives a proprietary wired headset.

The appearance of the smartphone Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)

Samsung Galaxy A5 2017, the review of which we present to the attention of readers today, looks similar to last year's flagship Galaxy S7. It looks just as good as its premium counterpart. They only issue it smaller size the main camera (it, like the Galaxy S7, does not protrude beyond the body) and the lack of a light indicator.

The front and back covers of the device are made of the latest generation of ultra-strong glass Gorilla Glass 4, which is resistant to falls on asphalt and concrete. The frame around the perimeter is aluminum. Antenna strips are located on the top and bottom of the case.

What Samsung always does flawlessly is the ergonomics of devices. The smartphone sits comfortably in the palm of your hand thanks to a small diagonal, although the glass panels make the device rather slippery. Protected glass body allows you to use your smartphone without protective glass, but in this case you need to hold it in your hands with extreme caution.

The location of connectors and buttons on the case is standard, except for the speaker - it was moved to the right side.

The edges of the body of the device are slightly curved. A successful combination of glass and metal gives the smartphone a stylish, but not flashy look. The design of the Samsung A 5 2017 can be described as premium. And do not forget that this is not a flagship device of the company, but a mid-range smartphone, the quality of which once again indicates that Samsung is one of the best manufacturers of mobile devices.

The mechanical Home button has a traditional location - under the screen. It has a built-in fingerprint scanner. And here we are waiting for one of the shortcomings of the smartphone. Since the button is rather narrow, the scanner does not always work correctly. There are no complaints about the speed of recognition, but it is not always configured.

Screen

The smartphone, by tradition, is equipped with a bright Super Amoled display. The screen diagonal is 5.2 inches, which is a lot, but at the same time the device does not look bulky and it is convenient to hold it in your hand. The picture is bright and juicy, the viewing angles are wide, the display is perfectly readable in the sun. The oleophobic coating does its job perfectly - no traces remain on the display.

One of the nice features of the smartphone is support for the Always on display function, which finally got to Samsung models in the middle price segment. The user can now display the most up-to-date information on the screen: notifications, date, time and battery status. Is it more convenient than a traditional indicator light? Without a doubt, yes. To find out the time or check notifications, there is now no need to constantly turn on the screen. A useful feature that does not consume much battery.

It should be noted that this function has not yet been used en masse in smartphones of the middle price segment, which makes the Samsung A 5 2017 related to flagship devices.

For those who are worried about eye health, the fact that in Galaxy screen A5 2017 has a blue color filter.

The minus of the display is support for not ten, but five simultaneous touches. Although, personally, we do not know such people who often poke at the screen of their mobile phone with both hands.

Smartphone cameras and photo quality

If in terms of battery life, the Galaxy A5 2017 can give odds to many flagships, take the same Galaxy S7, then the situation with photo quality is worse. The smartphone received a 16-megapixel rear and front cameras, both with f / 1.9 aperture. It must be remembered that for obtaining high-quality images, parameters such as:

  1. luminosity,
  2. stabilization,
  3. autofocus,
  4. processing algorithms.

A large number of matrix pixels alone will not provide a decent level of shooting.

During the day, the main camera of the device copes well, and the photos are of acceptable quality: bright, clear and saturated. Night shooting is just disappointing. There is no optical stabilization. Perhaps the algorithms for processing images taken in low light conditions are also to blame.

The front camera, on the contrary, will delight selfie lovers with decent photo quality.

Samsung proprietary shell and pre-installed applications, android version

Out of the box, the device runs , which can be upgraded to . Over the operating system, as usual Samsung smartphones, a proprietary Grace UI shell is installed, which replaced TouchWiz. It has a nice and easy-to-use interface with many branded software features, such as split screen into two parts, quick launch of the camera, one-hand operation.

Of the pre-installed applications, it is worth noting the built-in theme manager, document editor, S Health, S Voice, office suite, Samsung KNOX, which allows you to restrict access to certain files and Samsung Pay.

Cost and main competitors

The price of the Samsung Galaxy A 5 2017 is one of the main reasons to buy a smartphone. Mobile phone with premium design and practical flagship features in large electronics stores it costs about 22,990 rubles. If you search carefully, you can find more pleasant options and become the owner of one of best smartphones current year for 17,000-18,000 rubles.

You can compare the Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 in terms of features, performance and cost with Meizu Pro 6, Huawei P9, Honor 8, Huawei Nova, OnePlus 3 and. Yielding to some of them in hardware, it is definitely the leader in terms of battery life. In addition, none of the competitors offers dust and moisture protection.

Samsung Galaxy A5 2017: reviews

In the vast majority of cases, user reviews of the smartphone are positive. Among the advantages of the device, its owners note the high build quality without a single backlash, premium design, the ideal screen size that allows you to comfortably hold your smartphone in your hand, excellent autonomy and an economical AMOLED display. Users highly appreciated the presence of IP68 dust and moisture protection, like in flagship devices, the always-on display function, and the Samsung KNOX security system, with which you can be calm for the safety of personal data.

Among the shortcomings, users note a problem when working with a fingerprint scanner, which does not always work correctly, the lack of optical stabilization and, as a result, not very good image quality in low light conditions. Not everyone liked the glass case either - because of it, the smartphone turned out to be slippery.

Results

The Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 is undoubtedly one of the best smartphones in the popular Galaxy A series. It has a spectacular flagship design, a good screen, a 16-megapixel camera, excellent autonomy, and IP68 water and dust protection. The price of Samsung A 5 2017 is pleasantly pleasing. Now on the market in terms of price, performance and quality, this is one of the best options. For an amount of just over 20 thousand rubles, the user receives a well-assembled stylish device with almost flagship characteristics and branded accessories.

Disadvantages of the smartphone Samsung Galaxy A5 2017: no stabilization and . But compared to the above advantages, the disadvantages of the smartphone do not seem critical.


January of this year was marked by the renewal of the Galaxy flagship line And from the popular South Korean manufacturer Samsung. The developers tried to bring the “stuffing” of the latest versions of A3, 5 and 7 as close as possible to the more advanced and functional colleagues of the Samsung Galaxy S. At the same time, they managed to keep the title of “reliable middle peasants” of the market behind the models.

Key Features of Samsung Galaxy A5 2017

Frame

The developers released this year's version of the Samsung Galaxy A5 in three different colors: classic strict black, more elegant gold, and for the most stylish and those who like to stand out, they provided azure blue. The phone measures 146 x 71mm and is only 8mm thick. The weight of the phone is 159g.

Samsung Galaxy A5 - fresh model

Processor and stuffing

This version of the Samsung Galaxy has an octa-core Exynos 7880 Octa chip clocked at 1.9GHz. The software has been updated to Android Marshmallow version 6.0.1.

Specifications Samsung Galaxy A5

Screen

The display size is 5.2 inches diagonally, and the resolution is 1080 x 1920. According to the developers, the multi-touch is made using Super AMOLED technology, which allows the phone to maintain the brightness of the picture both indoors and on a brightly lit street.

Camera

The flagship camera has as much as 16 megapixels. At the same time, the front camera does not lag behind the main lens at all - the same 16 megapixels. In addition, the creators of the model took care of the post-processing of the photographs taken. There are several standard filters and modes built into the camera interface that are supposed to make your shots look amazing. We didn’t forget about high-quality selfies in low light conditions: there are flashes on both sides of the smartphone, so that even in the dark you can take beautiful portrait shots.

original photo

Variety of built-in filters

With this camera resolution, of course, it will not be news that the smartphone records video in Full HD quality.

Connection

You can insert two simultaneously working SIM-cards into your phone. At the same time, the Samsung Galaxy A5 also has a separate microSD slot, which many users found extremely convenient. Now there is no need to sacrifice one of the phone cards in the name of extra gigabytes of memory for several hundred photos and music tracks.

Memory

As for the amount of memory, the A5 boasts very average performance - 32 gigabytes of built-in and 3 GB of RAM. For needs ordinary user this is more than enough. Even though the actual memory that is not being used by any system files, remains only 23 GB. And yet, for those who prefer not to bother with deleting unnecessary information from the phone or just want to feel confident with a margin free space, a separate slot specifically for MicroSD is carefully provided. Maximum size additional storage can be up to 256 GB.

Battery

Fresh Samsung version The Galaxy A5 is equipped with a Li-Po battery with a capacity of 3000 mAh. The battery consumption of this model is no different from any other Samsung, so we advise you not to wait for cosmic indicators. 320 hours of standby time, 12 hours of talk time, up to 30 hours of continuous music playback, 8 hours of video. However, the phone supports fast charging mode. As the manufacturer promises, your smartphone will be fully restored in an hour. The rest of the characteristics are quite standard for modern smartphones.

The battery of the new smartphone is quite capacious, which means that it will last for a longer amount of time.

How the Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 is superior to the 2016 model

  • Appearance. The phone has not undergone cardinal changes. Case materials remained the same - metal and glass. The white color of the available panel options has changed to blue. Externally, the model began to look more stylish and serious, and also acquired some features of its premium counterpart Samsung Galaxy S7. And yet, the updated version of the 2017 Galaxy A5 has a slightly more interesting “stuffing” than its predecessor.
  • Convenient notifications. The Always On Display function has been added, due to which up-to-date information and notifications are displayed on the gadget screen. Even if your smartphone is in sleep mode.
  • Shooting. Improved camera. While maintaining the rest of the characteristics of the built-in lens, the main camera has risen from 13 to 16 megapixels. The front camera reached the same level - 16 megapixels - from the ridiculous 5 megapixel model of that year. Unfortunately, the updated Galaxy 5 lacks the optical stabilization promised at previews and presentations. In other words, thoughtful developers again did not take care that trembling in the hands did not affect the clarity of photos and videos.
  • CPU. At the same time, the manufacturer also updated the processor. To replace the Exynos 7580 clocked at 1.6 GHz and GPU Mali-T720MP2 came with a more modern and improved 64-bit Exynos 7880 Octa with a frequency of 1.9 GHz and a Mali-T830MP3 graphics core.
  • Memory. RAM the new model has 3 GB instead of 2 GB for the 2016 line. Built-in memory is now 32 GB, not 16. Available MicroSD has doubled its volume - up to 256 GB against last year's 128 GB.

    The latest version of the device will please with increased memory reserves

  • Software. Of course, the Galaxy A5 2017 has installed more new android. If the 2016 models could only boast Android Lollipop version 5.1.1, as well as the ability to upgrade to Android 7.0, the Galaxy A5 2017 already shows us Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. Also not the most advanced version of the software. And the possibility of installing a new one software here, however, it does not exceed the range of the previous model: the smartphone can only be upgraded to the seventh Android. However, in defense of the fresh Galaxy A5, we can say that the Koreans themselves are more willing to use the sixth version of Android than the latest, “seven”.

    About smartphone software

  • Battery. In addition to the 2017 Samsung Galaxy A5 named, slightly more powerful batteries were placed. Now their capacity is 3000 mAh, not 2900 mAh. As they say, a trifle, but nice. It is also impossible not to note the point that the users themselves are talking about: the process of charging the phone in 2017 has noticeably accelerated.
  • Other. The main difference (and part-time the main “trick”) of the updated Samsung is two things. Firstly, the re-released model was equipped with an extremely convenient two-way USB port. After all, it happened to everyone - you twist the cord this way and that, and try to insert it into the connector, but it magically does not fit. Luckily, the folks at Samsung have taken care of your nerves and now the latest Galaxy A5 lineup comes with USB Type-C. Secondly, the case of the brand new A5 is certified according to the IP68 standard, and this guarantees reliable protection of the phone from dust and moisture. According to the developers, the device can be immersed in water to a depth of 1.5 meters and kept there for up to 30 minutes. So, if you have a fresh model, you can safely drop this wonderful gadget into the bathroom or fountain. The main thing is to get it out before half an hour has passed.

    The new case of the smartphone better protects against external factors

The camera in the new version of the smartphone

In general, the camera copes well with its main tasks. Light sensitivity and white balance in daylight shooting are excellent. Exposure self-adjusts in seconds. The lack of optical stabilization can seriously spoil the picture. However, once you get used to the camera a little and start holding the phone in your hands more confidently, a little blurring will immediately disappear. Sufficiently high detailing of the picture also brightens up this defect a little.

If difficulties with a clear “non-shaking” picture arise even during the day with good natural light, imagine what happens at night or indoors. Although this is a problem for most smartphones, what can we say about the average representative of the market. Just be mentally prepared for a slightly “knocked down” exposure, noise and fine smearing of the edges. In extreme cases, console yourself with the thought of a properly working autofocus and white balance.

A positive counterbalance to the lack of stabilization was the selfie camera. Apart from high definition at 16 megapixels, it will delight you with sharp and high-quality portraits with excellent detail. In a room or in dim light, the developers suggest using the phone screen as a “flash”, which illuminates faces with soft white radiation and allows you to maintain the quality of photos.

Photo: examples of shooting on A5

Daytime shots show excellent quality Exposure and white balance are adjusted instantly and quite accurately

The Samsung Galaxy A series of smartphones last year was very successful in terms of design. They looked beautiful, although they were inferior in performance to numerous Chinese counterparts. Yes, Chinese phones become more and more popular, but Samsung is not a bastard. Excellent materials, high-quality cameras, a functional shell, but the brand also means a lot. I know people who believe in Samsung and only have this brand of phones. I think you will have such friends.

Those who sit on the Internet are aware of the eternal torment of choice: what to buy, the creation of an eminent brand or an almost top Chinese, budding brand? Judging by the successful sales of various Galaxy A last year, fans of this series were not stopped by the price, there were many who wanted to. Yes, and people still go to stores, try devices, twist them in their hands to get an impression of purchases, not all "Chinese" can be checked out live.

Slippery but not wet

The design surprised me, Samsung abandoned the angular forms and returned to the remnant features. Remember the old Samsung flagship Galaxy S3? The new A5 is very similar to it in shape, and the back panel looks very modest, I would add a pattern or pattern to it for a change, it would look better, but it looks like a state employee.

Here is a photo of A5 and S7 edge, compare the sizes and appreciate the difference in appearance.


The case is very slippery, you can walk with the phone without a case, but you need to use it carefully, otherwise you will drop it.

Glass front and back, glossy surface combined with a durable aluminum edge. You can’t fault the assembly, ergonomics too, all the buttons are in their places.

If you can’t manage the phone with one hand, then turn on the special mode, then the menu will shrink in size. The camera can be launched by double-clicking the button below the screen, very convenient.

But IP68 water protection, like the top-end Galaxy S7, is good and practical. The phone is not afraid of swimming in fresh water, maintaining a stay at a depth of up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes.

Screen with a twist

The phone, as usual for Samsung, with a bright Super AMOLED, the Always On Display feature now works when you see additional data on the screen in standby mode, and the backlight does not work at that time. To some extent, it compensates for the lack of a light indicator, although nothing simpler and more efficient than a flashing diode has yet been invented.


Diagonal 5.2 inches, resolution 1080x1920 - the picture is bright, everything is perfectly visible on the street, there are no traces on the display, an excellent oleophobic coating. It is strange that in a phone for almost 30 thousand rubles, multitouch detects only 5 simultaneous touches.

Samsung Pay is not working yet

The phone helps pay for purchases via Samsung Pay, but I couldn’t link the card to it, the service didn’t work during testing and advised me to wait a little longer. Well, OK. I note that the phone has an NFC chip, but it does not work with the Troika card, I tried several applications, but the smartphone does not show travel data through applications.

The camera is very good during the day

The camera on the back of the case does not protrude at all, it goes flush with the surface. Convenient: when you put the phone on the table, it lies and does not wobble.

The resolution of the main and front cameras is the same, both are 16 megapixels. Galaxy A5 (2017) perfectly shoots in automatic mode, in the settings you start manual mode or additional story profiles. Here are a few examples, and you can check out the rest in Google Drive. On the Samsung website, I did not find the characteristics of the model, but as I understood from the description in other sources, there is no optical camera stabilization, it was in last year's Galaxy A5.


Take a look at the work of HDR (on the left - with it, on the right - the effect is turned off).

The quality of video recording is limited to Full HD, the phone writes videos well, but it strobes a lot. Here is an example of shooting at the rink.

Not the most powerful, but fast

If you look at performance, then this is a typical middle class. 61 thousand points in AnTuTu, Exynos 7880 processor, 3/32 GB of memory and a slot for a microSD card. New 14nm processor with lower power consumption

Samsung's operating system is still gluttonous and consumes large amounts of RAM, out of 3 gigs, 1.3 GB remains for work, and when you also use applications, about 500 MB hangs free. You can live, but they don’t want to hear about process optimization at Samsung.

If you play WoT: Blitz at maximum graphics settings, then the phone gives out 30-35 fps, the performance margin is enough for modern games. The phone does not overheat and does not turn into a heating pad, which is good.

The phone has 2 SIM-cards, and there is a separate compartment for a memory card, you don’t have to sacrifice a second SIM, if you put a microSD here, it’s very practical.

Samsung pleased with the sound quality in the headphones, it plays cleanly, although the volume margin is not very large. The sound through the speaker is clear, but not loud. The old-fashioned way you can listen to FM radio if you plug in headphones, although now more and more listen Google Music or similar services.

Works one day like everyone else

The Galaxy A5 has a 3000 mAh battery, fast charging works, the phone works for a day and a half with my load with the Internet and other activities. In the menu, you can find functions to optimize the system, the device itself determines which applications do not allow it to sleep peacefully and violate the operating mode. USB-C is used for charging, it’s good that Samsung has finally begun to transfer equipment to a new port. True, finding a cable in the nearest stall is another problem, USB-C is still not held in high esteem by us, but in vain.

What is the price?

Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) sells for 27,990 rubles. Given that by adding 3 thousand rubles, you can buy last year's flagship Galaxy S6, you might wonder if you should take an old, but more fancy phone? Yes, there will be no protection against water and a slot for a memory card, but it has better camera, more interesting appearance. Want to save money, but buy Samsung? Then look at the Galaxy A5 (2016), it is still relevant, the filling is simpler, but it costs around 20 thousand.

Of the options for other brands, I can advise Honor 8 (), it costs like A5, it’s more a matter of personal attitude to brands, they are similar in characteristics, but Honor has a nicer design, for my taste. Another competitor is glass-metal ASUS Zenfone 3 () in a similar style.

Opinion

Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) pleased with a rare feature, there are few phones with water protection on sale. What else to surprise? Appearance, in my opinion, has become worse than that of the old generation, last year's Galaxy A3/A5/A7 line looked more interesting. Although everything is still worthy in terms of materials and assembly, and the filling has become even more powerful. I think that when prices drop in a few months, the phone will "go to the people."

Summing up, I will say that I liked the new Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) in terms of characteristics, but not in terms of design. Based on past experience, Samsung is capable of more. Otherwise, the model turned out to be good, and if you look at analogues from Huawei or ASUS, you will see comparable price tags, I can’t say that the overpayment for the brand will be too high, Samsung has an adequate pricing policy.

Did not like

  • slippery hull
  • Soap design
  • No indicator light
  • Limited NFC options
  • Old Android 6.0

Liked

  • good camera
  • autonomy
  • Water protection
  • Functional shell
  • Bright screen

For the smartphone provided for testing, I thank the friendliest gadget store biggeek. By promo code wylsacom There is a special discount for buyers.