Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) smartphone - advantages and disadvantages

In January 2017, the Korean company Samsung announced three new versions of smartphones: A3, A5 and A7. They did not change the name, leaving it the same as that of its predecessors, adding only the year of issue (2017). Each of these models is worthy of a detailed review, but today we'll take a look at the pros and cons of the Galaxy A7.

Equipment

The smartphone is packed in a white box with a minimalistic design. It looks very stylish.
Package Included:

1. Cable;
2. Headphones;
3. Documentation;
4. Charger;
5. Type-c adapter.

Considering that in 2018 rarely any manufacturer puts a wired headset in the kit, then I would like to thank the creators of the A7. Plus, in USB Type-c, the convenience of which will be surely appreciated by the user. Below is a little more about it.

USB Type-c

At first, the type-c connector format may seem useless and incomprehensible - all its advantages will be revealed later.

For example, when there was no charger at hand, you no longer need to run to all nearby stores in search of charging - this connector will help out. You can also charge from a USB cable.

Design

The body of the device is made of metal around the perimeter, and the back cover is made of rounded glass. There is no oleophobic coating on the back of the smartphone. This is both a plus and a minus - fingerprints are collected strongly, but the smartphone is tighter in the hand, and it has fewer options to slip out.

The Galaxy A line is positioned as a fashion line, that is, more attention is paid to the design and appearance of the device than to the hardware platform and filling.

The external speaker is located on the top, on the right side of the phone case. The convenience of this solution is felt while watching a video - holding the phone with both hands does not close the sound.

A fingerprint scanner is built into the home button. This location is very convenient - it is almost impossible to miss.

Water and dust resistant

The smartphone has received IP68 protection against water and dust ingress. This means that it can withstand immersion in fresh water to a depth of one and a half meters. The time it is safe for the device to swim is 30 minutes.

Screen

Since the A7 is the oldest model in the A line, it has the largest display with a Full HD resolution and a diagonal of 5.7 inches. There are no complaints about the quality, the viewing angles are maximum, and the colors are saturated and bright. The pixel density is 386 ppi. Supports up to ten simultaneous screen touches using multitouch technology.

In the screen settings, there is a blue color mode adjustment. This feature allows your eyes to rest while watching content in the evening. You can move the slider and the screen color will take on a warm tone.

The display of white color is not satisfactory - the shade does not go into pink or blue. This is important because some brands have had this flaw.

Using the smartphone in the sun will also be comfortable due to the special anti-reflective coating.There are no problems with the readability of the display. A high-quality matrix and good light filters did their job.

Always on display

The function of the active screen in rest mode has not disappeared anywhere. The 2017 A7 also has an option.

If the display is off, then you will not miss an important event anyway. The screen displays information about missed notifications, calls, calendar events, date and time.
Always on Display will help out at a business meeting, or when there is no way to pick up the phone, but you need to monitor incoming calls.

Main characteristics

Processor and RAM

The smartphone boasts an eight-core Exynos 7880 processor clocked at 1.9 Ghz. Responsible for the graphics chip Mali-t 830.

In operation, the A7 shows the capabilities of a device you can trust. He reacts quickly to the assigned tasks, skillfully solving them.

The amount of RAM is three gigabytes. Considering the model and price segment of the smartphone, this is optimal.

According to the result of synthetic tests, the smartphone cannot boast of high performance. But if you go beyond Antutu into real life, it copes with most modern toys. At maximum settings, it slows down a little, but this does not reduce the pleasure of the game.

The device hardly heats up even under long loads. The case remains cool, which is good news.

The volume of built-in memory is 32 gigabytes. The system takes about 19 GB for itself, and the user is left with 13. Not enough, but to expand the memory it is possible to insert a Micro SD card up to 256GB - this will be useful.

operating system

Out of the box, the Galaxy A7 received the Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow operating system. Of course, it would have been nicer to get hold of Android 7 Nougat, but the manufacturers decided otherwise.

The latest OS can be easily downloaded and installed by yourself. Fortunately, with the release of update packages for devices, Samsung has everything quickly and debugged.

Interface

The standard interface is minimalistic and easy to understand. All the necessary shortcuts are easily placed on the desktop and collected into folders at the user's request. Samsung's proprietary shell only looks minimalistic, but when using it it becomes clear that it is simply "stuffed" with useful options.

A separate setting item is designed to optimize the operation of the device. The smartphone itself monitors the usage parameters and advises how to improve them.

It is possible to run applications in different "windows" by dividing the screen in two. This is convenient if you are chatting with friends in the messenger and at the same time flipping through the news feed. This will make both applications visible.

Useful functionality

To make the device easier to use and the user's comfort, Samsung comes up with various useful functions.
In A7 (2017), these include:

• One-handed operation support;
• Smart shutdown - this function does not allow the screen to go out and lock while you are looking at it;
  
• Palm screenshot:
  

Yes, you can take a screenshot by simply swiping your hand over the display. Editing of the resulting image is available. You can write a note on it, crop it and send it to the desired addressee, or to a third-party application.

S Health, Microsoft Office and Google Services

Built-in program from Samsung Apps to monitor the health of the user. Helps control the rate of water and caffeine intake. Monitor blood sugar and blood pressure readings. Track your daily activity and adjust your load. Enter your details into the app and it will give you tips on how to stay healthy.

Microsoft applications come in handy when you need to save, print or edit documents. By logging into your account through One Drive, you can access all the files saved on other devices.

The built-in set of applications from google will also pleasantly surprise. Chrome browser is suitable for surfing the Internet; YouTube - for watching your favorite videos. Gmail will help you to group all your inboxes in one place and not miss an important letter.Google Maps won't let you get lost, and Play Music will collect all your favorite songs in one library and help you find new genres and artists.

There is also a personalized Flipboard news feed. It collects and displays only those news and events that the user wished to see, having previously configured them for himself.

The Samsung Themes app lets you download themes, wallpapers, and desktop icons to personalize and express your personal style.

Autonomy

The smartphone has a 3600 mAh battery. With a good load - calls, social networks, use of a GPS navigator and active data transfer - the A7 lasted 9 hours.

If desired, the phone can last a day and a half - it all depends on the activity of use. There are two levels of economy mode. Choosing the maximum energy saving will turn the device into a regular "dialer", but will save the battery power. The function will be useful in the forest or on a fishing trip, when the full range of smartphone capabilities is not required.

Main and front camera

The main emphasis on the quality of cameras in the Korean company is made in the flagship models. The A-Series gets basic shooting capabilities because it positions itself as a mid-price segment, between the S-series flagships and the J-series “budget employees”.

Rear 16-megapixel camera. With a focal length of 27 mm. F / 1.9 aperture with autofocus and flash.

The front camera is also 16 MP and f / 1.9 aperture. There is no optical stabilization. There are a number of modes in the settings (panorama, food, night).

The camera app is easy to use, so you don't need any additional photography knowledge. You can even start the camera from the locked screen.

In the daytime, in good light, takes decent photos. For an ordinary, undemanding user, it will work well.

How to take pictures during the day:

Shooting in the dark also showed good image quality.

How to take pictures at night:

Video

Video filming is available in Full HD resolution. The model has not yet grown to 4K, but this is quite enough. The built-in player for watching videos can be found using the file manager. Most of the popular formats are supported and playable.

Volume and sound

The external speaker does not shine with a high volume level. Even the location on the top of the case did not save it. With an average noise level, you won't be able to hear the phone ring immediately.

There is no built-in music player. You can listen and download songs through the Play Music application - it is preinstalled in the device by default.

Headphones

If you use a wired headset, the A7 produces a pleasant sounding, spacious and elastic bass. The built-in equalizer is present in the model and contains many functions to improve the current sound.

The headphone jack was left 3.5 mm in size, for which special thanks to the developers. Some manufacturers, for example, Apple, are beginning to actively abandon the standard jack in favor of wireless headphones. Samsung is still listening to the wishes of consumers.

An interesting feature hidden in the sound settings is adaptive sound. The user is offered three sets for people of different age categories - under 30 years old, from 30 to 60 years old and over 60. Having chosen a suitable profile, the device automatically adjusts the recommended sound and volume level.

The spoken speaker clearly conveys the speech of the interlocutor - it is audible loudly to the opponent too.

Wireless interfaces and specifications

The Galaxy A7 is fine with its wireless connectivity. There is Wi-fi and wi-fi direct, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, GLONASS. The NFC antenna and Samsung Pay will help to use mobile payment systems - you can pay for the purchase with a smartphone.

Dual sim

The Korean company loves when consumers are happy, and therefore made a separate slot for a microSD card and two slots for nano-sim in the A7.

Now the customer does not have to make a painful choice between expanding memory and using a second number. Thanks to Samsung for that.

Price

According to data for 2018, the cost of the Galaxy A7 version of 2017 in Russia varies from 16,500 rubles to 17,100 rubles, depending on the region.

Advantages vs. disadvantages

Taking a closer look at all the main functions of a smartphone, you can confidently highlight its pros and cons. Let's start.

1. Two separate slots for SIM cards + slot for Micro SD;
2. Screen;
3. Protection against water and dust according to IP68 standards;
4. Design;
5. Build quality;
6. Lack of body heating;
7. NFC antenna.

1. Quiet external speaker;
2. The main camera would be better.

Outcome

It is pleasant to use the phone, a large 5.7-inch screen, high-quality body materials. The performance is enough to work with the device without problems.

The Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) boasts a balance of modern design and decent performance in 2018.

For a middle-class model, it has optimized software, a processor that does not heat up under load. The cost is justified if you want to use a quality smartphone and do not chase the latest innovations.

The overwhelming number of pluses and the manufacturer, which took first place in the mobile phone market in 2018 in the Russian Federation, will help you make a decision on the purchase and make the right choice.