Samsung A3, A5 & A7 2016 Edition: New Mid-Range Smartphones Packed with Powerful Specs & Features [Details]
There's a new "A" team in town, and no, it's not the creepy stalker from "Pretty Little Liars" (although we wouldn't put it past them to give the girls another enemy).
No, this time, the "A" team is from Samsung, in the form of the Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, and A7 -- the midrange line whose looks specs are definitely worth every buck.
In a report by CNet, Samsung's mid-range line is filled with features designed to give the company an edge over their biggest competition, with the 2016 editions of the phone sporting different sizes, screen resolutions, high-res displays, and more than decent cameras.
That's not the best part, though. For those who think that they have to buy premium phones to get Samsung Pay, fear not: the new Galaxy A models offer the mobile payment system as well.
This is Samsung's attempt to offer affordable phones with premium features to compete with Chinese rivals Xiaomi and Huawei. Due to the company's dwindling market share, it will make sense for them to be more customer-friendly with budget phones for their customers.
So what can consumers expect from the Galaxy A line?
As Engadget noted, the 4.7-inch A3, 5.2-inch A5 and 5.5-inch A7 are sleeker than the previous models, with narrow bezels that look similar to the Galaxy S6. The A5 and A7 also support Samsung Pay -- the first non-premium models to do so.
All three phones have sharper displays as well: 720p for the A3, 1080p for the A5 and A7, and all have faster processors (1.5GHz quad-core and 1.6GHz octa-core). GSM Arena added that that it also has a bigger 3.300 mAh battery and can support fast charging.
For those who love social media, the two higher-end models promise better photos and clearer videos as well. The phones are equipped with optical image stabilization with their 13-megapixel shutter, and a 5-megapixel front shooter for selfies.
The Samsung phones also boast of a 16GB storage memory with a microSD card slot for expansion.
China will be the first to get a crack at the new Galaxy A series in December, and the company will slowly roll out to other countries after.
Samsung has not yet released official prices for the new phones, although CNet noted that a company representative divulged that the A3 will cost $346, while the A5 will go for $421. The said rep did not say how much the A7 will cost, but it is expected that the higher-end model will be more expensive, at $495.
What do you think of Samsung's new range of mid-priced phones so far?