By now you should have heard of the newly released Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) and A5 (2017), not only do these two phones look good but both are equipped with IP68 water and dust resistance, as well as 16MP for the front and back cameras and Samsung Pay. Priced at RM1899 and RM1699, you may have some trouble to choose which one to get, asking what's the difference between the devices? Isn't the A7 (2017) better? Well, yes and no, but do read below to find out what we mean.
Tech-specs and performance - Barely any difference
If you're not sure what the specifications are of the two devices, you'd probably be surprised that the two devices are actually quite similar. Here's a list of the same tech-specs they share:
- 1.9GHz Octa-core processor
- 3GB RAM
- 32GB storage (expandable memory available up to 256GB via microSD card)
- 16MP rear camera (F1.9, LED flash) + 16MP front camera (F1.9, screen flash)
- Android 6.0.1 MarshMallow
Now that we've got that out of the way, what's the difference then? Well for starters, one is bigger and one is smaller and usually, the standard size would be 5.2-inch and 5.5-inch, but in this case; the A7 (2017) went over that limit and stands at 5.7-inch which is quite huge already (measuring at 156.8 x 77.6 x 7.9mm), while the A5 (2017) remains at the standard 5.2-inch display (measuring at 146.1 x 71.4 x 7.9mm). It's also worth noting that both displays are Super AMOLED and Full HD at 1920 x 1080 resolution.
Next, the battery capacity difference is quite far apart, as the A7 (2017) holds 3600 mAh and the A5 (2017) only has 3000 mAh and clearly the former will last longer. Both phones have fast charging technology and so far, the A5 (2017) provides about 1 day and a half of battery life, while the A7 (2017) is rumoured to go for 2 days and a bit more on a single charge.
It's also worth mentioning that the camera on the devices has impressed us well. Check out the pictures below!
Food mode, Galaxy A5 (2017) picture sample from Samsung's website
Galaxy A7 (2017) picture sample from Samsung's website
Galaxy A5 (2017) auto low-light shot
Galaxy A5 (2017) auto shot
Galaxy A5 (2017) selfie sample from Samsung's website
Galaxy A7 (2017) selfie sample from Samsung's website
Design and features - Same thing, just one bigger and one smaller
In this section, there's nothing much to discuss as both phones have the same features, such as a fingerprint sensor, IP68 water and dust resistance, Samsung Pay, Samsung Knox, S-Voice, Dual SIM slot, and USB Type-C. If we are making this sound boring, we are not, these features are actually great (water resistance!). Same goes to the design especially the back cover with the nice curves.
Price and conclusion - Depends which size fits you
With all the features and tech-specs mentioned above, there's barely any difference and this actually makes the price tag on the Galaxy A series (2017) quite worth it. Firstly, the A7 (2017) costs RM1899 and the A5 (2017) is RM1699. So which one should you get?
From our findings above, it depends on two factors - size and battery life. We think the A7 (2017) would be more popular since bigger sized phones tend to sell more than its younger brother in Malaysia, however, there are quite a fair number of users (like me) who like the smaller one as it's easier to fit in their hand or pocket. Both offer fairly good battery life, but if you want a longer lasting phone then the A7 (2017) would probably be the better choice.
So there you have it, we can't wait to get our hands-on review on the unit in the future to see how it lives up to the brand's name. Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more comparisons at Technave.com.
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