Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) smartphone - advantages and disadvantages

Mobile phones are an integral part of IT technology. Samsung deservedly occupies a leading position in the world of sales of electronic devices. They can rightfully be called the best manufacturers of these goods. The best known are smartphones of the Galaxy family, developed on the Android platform. The most popular Galaxy models are the J, A and S series devices. The Galaxy family is presented in all price segments (budget, medium and fashion). Series letters correspond to each price range.

The J-series are budget models made from inexpensive materials and equipped with a simple body, but at the same time they have good filling. Models of the A-series are in the middle category of price and quality. And the S-series gadgets belong to the fashion version.

In January 2017, Samsung introduced the third generation of Galaxy A-series smartphones to the general consumer. Samsung Galaxy A5 stands out among the new products in this line. The average price for Samsung Galaxy A5 in Russia is about 27,900 rubles.

The functionality of the Samsung A5 (2017) was generally good, but it seems that it was deliberately limited so that it would not be compared with the flagship S-series devices.

Smartphone appearance

The A5 is in many ways similar to other devices in the Galaxy family: it also has rounded corners, a square camera eye and an oval fingerprint scanner on the home key. Along the sides of it, there are still illuminated "task" and "back" keys. But instead of plastic, the body is now made of glass and metal. The 2017 model weighs a little more than last year's (157 g), but thanks to the rounded shape it is comfortable to hold in your hands. Not only the front, but also the back panel is made of 2.5D glass. There is a panel above the display, where the speaker is located in the center, and a light sensor eye and a camera are installed on the sides of it.

The back of the A7 is similar to the Galaxy S7, an advanced 2016 model, with the camera and flash rounded to the edges. On the right side there is a loudspeaker mesh, which was previously located at the bottom end, and under it is the power key. On the left there is a tray for one SIM card, which can be removed with a pin. Above there are volume control buttons. At the bottom are the 3.5mm headphone jack, microphone hole and USB Type C. In addition, the A5 is equipped with plastic strips to separate the antennas. At the top there is a slot for a SIM card and a flash drive, as well as a second microphone hole.

A5 (2017) is available in four colors - black (black sky), blue (fog blue), gold

(golden sand) and peach.

Various models of smartphone A5 (2017)

Specifications

Operating system - Samsung A5 runs on Android OS v6.0.1 Marshmallow with the manufacturer's proprietary interface. The curtain is better designed and color-coordinated with standard applications. In the previous version of Android, it is dark gray, and messages, dialer, contacts and settings are made in white.

Single sim (nano sim) or dual sim (nano sim, dual stand by) are used as SIM cards.

The RAM capacity is 3 GB (and it is filled with LPDDR3 chips). At the beginning of work, 1.5 GB are already occupied, and while using the smartphone, about 1 GB remains free, but there is nothing to worry about. Android is based on the Linux kernel. According to the policy of this OS, the RAM memory should not be empty, and if there is nothing there, then it should be loaded with secondary programs. But if the owner decides to play some heavy game, then the system will immediately allocate the necessary space for it. The transition between different tasks is smooth, invisible to the user.

The built-in memory capacity is 32 GB, of which 23.5 GB is allocated to the user section. There is also a separate microSD slot for cards, their capacity can be up to 256 GB. Also supports USB OTG function.

A5 (2017) has the following dimensions: 71.4mm * 146.1mm * 7.9mm (width-height-thickness).

Equipped with an eight-core 1900 MHz processor.

NFC and MST technologies support the Samsung Pay function, which allows the owner to pay for purchases with a smartphone in all shopping centers and in general make any payments. All transactions are protected with a fingerprint, so payments are absolutely safe.

Samsung Pay function

The A5 (2017) has two separate SIM card slots. They support all European networks from 2nd to 4th generation. Wi-Fi networks are supported by the wireless module. The navigator uses GLONASS and GPS satellites to determine the location. Stereo sound transmission and energy-saving mode are provided by Bluetooth version 4.2. The USB Type C port charges and connects various accessories.

Touch finger scanner

Built into the main hardware button. It was created to unlock your smartphone, make Samsung Pay payments and use a secure folder.

To set up the scanner, you must first set a password or pattern to unlock your phone.

Communication

The smartphone supports three navigation systems: American JPS, Russian GLONASS and Chinese BeiDou. Navigation works great both outdoors and indoors.

Design

The A5 (2017) has a well-thought-out ergonomic design that facilitates human interaction with this smartphone and reduces the likelihood of damage. It is made to fit your hand, and therefore all of its elements on the body can be operated without problems. And if it is still difficult to operate with one hand, then you can turn on a special mode, in which the menu will decrease in size. The scanner is located on the front panel and works smartly. The camera does not protrude from the body, which reduces the likelihood of damage. In addition, the phone can be placed on any surface without fear of dropping it, it will lie flat.

But the main advantage of the case is its dust and water resistance. The smartphone has maximum protection against dust and moisture according to the IP68 standard. The latter property is generally unique for such devices: A5 (2017) can withstand immersion in water to a depth of 1.5 m and time up to half an hour, and nothing will happen to it! True, this only applies to fresh water.

Photographing in water

After the smartphone has been in the water, the following text appears on the screen: “Port check. Moisture detected. To charge the device, the charging / USB port must be dry ”(see photo).

Moisture message

There is nothing wrong with this message. In order to continue using the smartphone, the user simply needs to dry this port.

Sound

Water resistance is great, but because of it, the sound comes out somewhat dull, especially with regard to bass. For a call, the sound will be sufficient, and you can use speakers and headphones to listen to music and movies. Sound saturation will depend on the quality of the headphones. For more detailed sound tuning, there is an equalizer with preset settings. The kit includes quite decent earplugs. Of course, there is an FM radio.

Screen

Multi-touch function

The screen diagonal is 5.2 inches. The display is made using Super AMOLED technology, has a resolution of 1920 * 1080 pixels (FullHD). There is touch control, the type of touch screen is multi-touch, i.e.it supports multiple touches at the same time (this device has 5).

The A5 (2017) is also equipped with a light sensor. The device has 16 million colors, with bright and juicy shades selected. True, they look like this if you look at the screen directly, and from the side the picture will "float" a little, but hardly anyone will consider it that way.

Always On Display

The device has an Always On Display function, that is, the screen is always on. When the phone is locked, the time and latest notifications are displayed.

In addition, this mode also displays two buttons for calls and photos. Thanks to Super AMOLED technology, this function consumes very little.

In addition to the color variety, the A5 (2017) screen has another important advantage - it saves battery power. This is achieved due to the fact that in AMOLED matrices, not the entire panel is illuminated at the same time, but each pixel is autonomous. The battery is used up in a sparing mode as black pixels are not lit. In this case, the correct transfer of black occurs. Therefore, compared to other smartphones with a similar battery, the A5 (2017) will work much longer. So in economy mode, this phone (as well as other Samsung models) is simply beyond praise.

The brightness is regulated by PWM (pulse width modulation), its flicker is noticeable at a reduced brightness, and at full brightness, the human eye does not see it (but this does not mean that it does not notice it). Thanks to the adaptive brightness on an AMOLED display, information in the sun is perceived and read much better than on an IPS display (another smartphone display technology).

The sensor is covered with an extra durable glass with an oleophobic coating that protects against stains and dirt.

Cameras

Samsung A5 (2017) is equipped with two cameras, rear and front, both 16 megapixels. Since the lens does not protrude from the body, it is necessary to use ISOCELL modules with small pixels (1 micron). There is autofocus, the focal length of the camera is 27 mm. There is a LED flash.

The main camera takes pictures very decently during the day, however, in somewhat cool shades (the white balance is not quite adjusted). At night, unfortunately, the pictures do not come out as good as during the day. However, this applies to all mid-budget people. So far, only the flagship Samsung S-series make excellent night photos.

The A5 (2017) has digital stabilization, but no optical. This means that the pictures will be beautiful only if you shoot still, and when shooting on the go, the picture is slightly blurred.

With a wide range of filters available, any Galaxy A5 (2017) user will feel like a professional photographer.

There is a smart button, thanks to which it has become very much to take selfies. You just need to choose the position of the shutter button on the screen.

Here's an example of a photo taken during the day:

Picture taken in the afternoon

And here's how he photographs at night:

A shot taken at night

The A5 (2017), like other smartphones, has standard applications.

In addition to the usual, he has the following applications installed

• Office suite Word, Excel, OneNote, PowerPoint, voice recorder converting voice to text.
• HTML5 (but no Java, on which almost all mobile applications are built).
• Payment systems Samsung Pay and uBank.
• Search engines Google and Yandex.
• Not only the Google Play Store, but also the store of Samsung itself.
• Samsung Club Apps - Samsung Gifts, Samsung Members, Essentials, Notes.

Autonomy

From the A5 outlet (2017) it charges 100% in about an hour and forty minutes. It takes 7-9 hours to charge from a computer. The rechargeable battery has a capacity of 3000 mAh. When browsing sites on the Internet and sitting in the social. networks, he will work for a day and a half. For games, the charge lasts less than a day.

In emergency mode, the phone will be able to work for the maximum time, if necessary, you can send a message or your coordinates.

Almost all games can be played on A5 (2017), all new items work perfectly. Just do not forget that with games the charge will end much faster than when reading some information on the Internet. By the way, A5 (2017) has no problems with the Internet, navigation is fast, sites do not freeze.

What's new in 2018?

As already mentioned, the A5 (2017) smartphone runs on Android 6.0.1 OS. In August last year, it was updated to Android 7.0, and in April 2018, smartphones of this line were launched based on Android 8.0.0.

Advantages and disadvantages of the smartphone A5 (2017)

• High speed internet;
• According to different users, the processor and display are just awesome;
• Large memory capacity (built-in memory 32 GB + microSD with a maximum capacity of 256 GB);
• Two cameras that allow you to take quite high-quality pictures;
• Waterproof (in fresh water);
• With Samsung Pay, you can make a variety of payments directly from your smartphone.

As you know, they are often a continuation of the merits, and this is once again confirmed by the features of A5 (2017).

• Due to the protective membranes that ensure water resistance, the sound comes out muffled, and the bass suffers more;
• Of course, thanks to the vibrant color palette, the quality of AMOLED displays is unrivaled, but many consumers complain that their eyes get tired quickly;
• As the same users write in their reviews, they were sometimes let down by the fingerprint sensor.

In general, summing up, we can say that the Galaxy A5 (2017) is the best choice in terms of price and quality.