Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) Quick Review: Triple Camera Mid-ranger

Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) Quick Review: Triple Camera Mid-ranger

Samsung’s on the offensive!

Faced with increasing competition from its rivals in the mid-range market, Samsung’s mobile head announced a few months ago that they’ll be bringing new technologies and innovations to their mid-range smartphones first before it hits their flagship line. It’s not hard to see the rationale behind the decision, as the mid-range market is fast becoming the new battlefield for brands and has seen massive growth in terms of revenue compared to the low-end and flagship market.

The first product of Samsung’s bold new strategy is the Galaxy A7 (2018). It’s the first phone from the Korean brand that has three cameras at the rear, something that we haven’t seen in the mid-range market yet.

 

What is it?

It’s the first phone from the Korean company to have a triple camera module, beating out their more expensive Galaxy Note and S series to the feature. It’s aimed squarely at the mid-range market, a price band Samsung hasn’t been doing very well in.

 

The phone looks gorgeous.

It sure is. While it’s primarily made with a plastic frame, the back of the phone features real glass and not acrylic.

The glass and plastic construction of the Galaxy A7 (2018) looks and feels phenomenal, which isn’t surprising considering the phone’s pedigree. It is a Samsung-built phone after all.

The back of the phone features the triple camera module nestled on the upper left side, with an LED flash positioned right below it. There’s no fingerprint scanner on the rear, as it’s been repositioned on the right side, embedded inside the power button along with the volume rocker. The SIM slot sits on the left side.

Annoyingly enough, Samsung didn’t include a USB Type-C connector on the Galaxy A7 (2018), instead opting for an ancient micro USB connector. Speaking of ancient, the Galaxy A7 (2018) also runs Android Oreo 8.0 in a time where Android Pie 9.0 is a thing that should be on all phones.

 

No notch in sight!

Samsung’s still sticking with their notch-free Infinity display with their phones, with the Galaxy A7 (2018) sporting a 6-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED panel with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. The overall design looks pretty boss, and without a fingerprint scanner ruining the aesthetics of the front and rear, the Galaxy A7 (2018) has a real, cool monolithic vibe to it.

 

Those three rear cameras doe.

Yeah, the Galaxy A7 (2018) has three: a main 24-megapixel f/1.7 aperture, AI-powered camera, a secondary 8-megapixel 120-degree ultra-wide angle camera, and a 5-megapixel depth sensor. The new addition here obviously is the ultra-wide camera that allows you to take group photos and large, sprawling landscapes with ease. The wide-angle camera, unfortunately, can only be used within the camera app as third-party apps like Instagram don’t support it currently. Also, the wide-angle camera’s focus is fixed, which is a bummer.

Aside from that, the primary 24-megapixel shooter is able to take regular photos, and when combined with the 5-megapixel depth sensor, it’s able to apply software bokeh via Live Focus to your shots as well.

There’s also a 24-megapixel front-facing camera with a soft LED flash in the front for selfies.

We’ll have to see later on if the Galaxy A7 (2018) really delivers great photos as Samsung promises in our full review. For the meantime, here are a few shots we took:

 

What’s powering it?

The GalaxyA7 (2018) is powered by Samsung’s own 2.2GHz Exynos 7885 octa-core processor, and depending on the configuration, can have up to 6GB of RAM and up to 128GB of internal storage.

The phone felt quick and snappy. Samsung’s 2.2GHz Exynos 7885 isn’t as fast as say, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 660 chipset but it can hold its own, though it’s clear that the Galaxy A7 (2018) is geared towards people who value photography more than people who game on the go.

The phone has a rather average 3300mAh battery, so you’ll probably have to keep on eye on the phone’s battery meter as you’re using it through the day.

 

How much does it cost?

The Galaxy A7 (2018) is priced at Php 17,990, which places it at the same price band as offerings from its Chinese rivals. Will Samsung’s new triple-camera mid-range phone be the start of a new era for the company? Time will tell.

The Galaxy A7 (2018) will be available on October 27.

Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) specs

  • Exynos 7885 octa-core processor
  • 4GB of RAM
  • 6-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display
  • 64GB of expandable storage up to 512GB
  • Triple rear cameras: 24-megapixel f/1.7 main camera, 5-megapixel depth camera, 8-megapixel f/2.4 ultra-wide camera
  • 24-megapixel f/2.0 front camera
  • Dual SIM
  • 3G, LTE
  • Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS, side-mounted fingerprint sensor
  • 3,300mAh battery
  • Android Oreo

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