Samsung announced the refresh to the 2016’s Galaxy A series early this year (2017) in January. The 2017 Galaxy A lineup incorporates several features that were preserved for Samsung’s top-of-the-line Galaxy S series, like the ability to make payments with Samsung Pay, IP68 certification for water and dust resistance, a curved glass back, USB Type-C and an Always-On display.
The new A series range of smartphones feature a fingerprint reader embedded in the home button and a new Secure Folder feature. The secure folder is a safe and hidden location within the A series to store all of your personal files and apps. You can even create separate app accounts, so you can keep sensitive information out of the wrong hands. The secure folder also supports biometric authentication (through the fingerprint reader) and is based on Samsung’s high encryption security platform known as KNOX.
“Samsung Electronics is always striving to ensure our customers have the most advanced products on the market, the latest Galaxy A series is a testament to this. We integrated our unique approach to design as well as the features Galaxy customers have come to love to provide added performance without compromising on style.” said Jung Hyun Park, Vice President and Managing Director, Samsung Electronics East Africa.
The specification of the three devices are as follows:
| Galaxy A7 | Galaxy A5 | Galaxy A3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 5.7” FHD Super AMOLED covered in Corning Gorilla Glass 4 | 5.2” FHD Super AMOLED covered in Corning Gorilla Glass 4 | 4.7” FHD Super AMOLED covered in Corning Gorilla Glass 4 |
| Operating System | Android 6.0.1 (Marshmallow) | Android 6.0.1 (Marshmallow) | Android 6.0.1 (Marshmallow) |
| Processor | Exynos 7880 Octa (Octa-core 1.9 GHz Cortex-A53) Mali-T830MP3 GPU | Exynos 7880 Octa (Octa-core 1.9 GHz Cortex-A53) Mali-T830MP3 GPU | Exynos 7870 Octa (Octa-core 1.6 GHz Cortex-A53) Mali-T830 GPU |
| Memory | 3 GB RAM, 32 GB internal,microSD, up to 256 GB (dedicated slot) | 3 GB RAM, 32 GB internal,microSD, up to 256 GB (dedicated slot) | 2 GB RAM, 16 GB internal,microSD, up to 256 GB (uses SIM 2 slot) |
| Camera | Primary: 16 MP, f/1.9, 27mm, autofocus, LED flash Front: 16 MP, f/1.9 | Primary: 16 MP, f/1.9, 27mm, autofocus, LED flash Front: 16 MP, f/1.9 | Primary: 13 MP, f/1.9, autofocus, LED flash Front: 8 MP, f/1.9 |
| Battery | Non-removable Li-Ion 3600mAh | Non-removable Li-Ion 3000mAh | Non-removable Li-Ion 2350mAh |
| Network | 4G LTE, Single/Dual SIM option (Nano-SIM) | 4G LTE, Single/Dual SIM option (Nano-SIM) | 4G LTE, Single/Dual SIM option (Nano-SIM) |
| Feaures | Always-on display, USB Type-C 1.0, Fingerprint (front-mounted), IP68 certified - dust/water proof over 1.5 meter and 30 minutes | Always-on display, USB Type-C 1.0, Fingerprint (front-mounted), IP68 certified - dust/water proof over 1.5 meter and 30 minutes | Always-on display, USB Type-C 1.0, Fingerprint (front-mounted), IP68 certified - dust/water proof over 1.5 meter and 30 minutes |
We have not received word on the official pricing yet, but going with the price of the A5 and A7 in India, we might see the A7 go for around KES.50,000 while the A5 around KES.40,000. Quite hefty if you ask me.
UPDATE: The price for these are as follows; Kshs 52,000 for the Galaxy A7 2017, Kshs 45,000 for the Galaxy A5 2017 and Kshs 35,000 for the Galaxy A3 2017.
