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Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) overview
Samsung’s 2018 editions of the Galaxy A smartphones will soon be upon us, and the Galaxy A7 (2018) will succeed the Galaxy A7 (2017) as the bigger version of the Galaxy A5. What do we know about the phone? Well, let’s find out.
Design
If we go by the Galaxy A (2017) phones, the Galaxy A7 (2018) will carry the same glass and metal build as Samsung’s flagships, with water resistance of the highest possible rating. Where it’s all going to change and bring the A7 (2018) closer to the Galaxy S and Note flagships is at the front of the device: Samsung’s Infinity display will make for an (almost) all-screen experience, getting rid of the bezels and even Samsung’s traditional hardware home button.
Yes, that means the fingerprint sensor would be at the back, but rumours suggest Samsung has finally learned how to put that sensor below the camera module instead of next to the camera. Of course, nothing Is certain until the phone goes official, but the A7 (2018) should be as premium as its predecessor.
Display
It remains to be seen if the Galaxy A7 (2018) will carry a 5.7-inch AMOLED display like the A7 that came before it; it could be slightly larger as the elongated Infinity display will allow for more screen estate in a smaller form factor (and on-screen navigation buttons will also take up some space). Resolution will likely sit at Full HD, or Full HD+ as Samsung calls it on phones with the Infinity display, and it would be perfectly fine for both screen sharpness and battery life.
Internals
Like the A5 (2018), the Galaxy A7 (2018) should be powered by the Exynos 8895 processor and have 4GB of RAM, although how well the phone will perform remains to be seen. The Galaxy A7 (2017) was lacking on that front, so hopefully Samsung will focus its resources on optimization.
Storage out of the box should be 32GB, or maybe even 64GB in some markets, along with a microSD slot. For markets where dual SIM phones are popular, the phone should have both dual SIM slots and expandable storage (well, unless Samsung decides there’s not enough space for that because of the Infinity display).
Cameras
Nothing is known about the cameras on Samsung’s upcoming A series phones. A dual camera setup at the back is entirely possible given dual cameras have permeated even the budget end of the market, but again, we don’t know if that will be the case. For the front camera, the resolution will likely remain at 16 megapixels. If there’s a single camera at the back, that might be a 16-megapixel unit as well.
We just hope the cameras will be better than the 2017 Galaxy A devices when it comes to image quality. That’s another aspect that’s usually lacking on Samsung’s non-flagship offerings, but since the company has taken steps to fix that on some of its new budget phones, we’re hoping it will extend the courtesy to the A series as well.
Software
Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box? Unlikely, as even the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8 aren’t expected to get the Oreo update anytime soon. The A7 (2018) should, however, run the latest version of Android Nougat (7.1.1) and the Samsung Experience UX (version 8.5), matching the software found on the Galaxy Note 8.
When will Android 8.0 Oreo arrive? Well, it could be a wait until mid-2018, which would be long but in keeping with the time Samsung takes to bring major upgrades to mid-range and budget phones.
Battery
There’s no word on the battery capacity of the Galaxy A7 (2018), but it should have excellent endurance if we go by the A series’ history. At least a day and a half’s worth with medium to heavy usage is possible, unless we see a repeat of the Note 8 and Samsung opts to use a smaller battery compared to the A7 (2017). Fast charging is totally expected to be on-board, with a USB Type-C port for connecting the device to the charger (and, of course, a PC should you need wired transfer of data).
Release and pricing
The Galaxy A7 (2017) was released in January, and that’s when we could see the 2018 variant launch as well. A launch in December is also possible, and there’s no way to tell as Samsung usually makes surprise announcements of its A series phones.
Pricing will no doubt be higher than what it was for the A7 (2017), owing to the Infinity display. It could go as high as the Euro 600 mark (varying by market), and we will only find out once the phone goes official.