New Samsung galaxy a5. Review of the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) smartphone: an updated dandy. Battery and autonomy

For Samsung 2016 promises to be another year of testing and struggle for profit and market share in smartphones. 2015 was a good year, although it did not live up to the “fat” year of 2013. The South Korean manufacturer even decided on a certain change in strategy, which included the release of metal smartphones. The first sign was the Galaxy Alpha, but it only had a metal frame. Where did Samsung go next with the release of the Galaxy A series?

All Galaxy A smartphones are made of metal. Entirely and completely, including back cover. Three models A3, A5 and A7, differing in characteristics and screen diagonal, began to be positioned as fashion products, and this does not mean the lowest cost. However, their sales were higher than expected. It’s not surprising that in 2016 Samsung decided to continue the successful line.

The second generation Galaxy A was named simply and unpretentiously - they added the postscript “(2016)”. Yes, just like that and in parentheses. The new items also received three modifications, and at the same time their design underwent changes. In this review, we take a look at the middle representative of the series – the Galaxy A5 (2016), also known as the SM-A510F model.

Galaxy A5 (2016) video review

As always, we'll start with a video review. Samsung Galaxy The A5 (2016) is a very interesting phone, and therefore worth a look at the video.

Design

It was Samsung that relied on design in the Galaxy A series. Although it would seem that where is Samsung and where is design - its smartphones for a long time were simply “nothing” in this parameter. Not scary, but boring and uninteresting. Although they all used and still use a certain unified design concept, which is why the devices have become well recognizable.

The first Galaxy A looked like a typical Samsung, but with pointed edges and was made of metal. Moreover, the body became non-separable. These tubes feel great in the hand; the metal, as always, pleasantly cools the hand. What about the 2016 models? Well, at least the metal hasn't gone anywhere.

True, there is noticeably less metal - it is now only on the side ends. However, do not panic ahead of time - a glass plate was installed at the back, like on tubes. The designers clearly took inspiration from 2015's flagship products.

It turned out to be really interesting, even quite interesting. Someone reproached the Galaxy S6 for its similarity to the iPhone 6, but such thoughts simply do not arise about the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016). It would seem that it has a lot in common with the Galaxy S6: chopped sides, the bottom end with a speaker, 2.5D glass protruding from the body. But the device still has its own individuality, which is absent from all other Samsungs. The new product has a thinner round screen frame and is designed more strictly.

On the back, under the glass, the Galaxy A5 (2016) does not have metal shimmering in different colors, as was done in all the flagships Galaxy S6 and. The coloring is solid, without any frills. In our case, it is black, but the phone is available in at least four different versions: Galaxy A5 (2016) black, Galaxy A5 (2016) white, Galaxy A5 (2016) pink (pink - hello iPhone 6s!) and Galaxy A5 (2016) gold.

Another thing worth noting is the increase in size and weight of the Galaxy A5 (2016) relative to its predecessor. This is partly due to the increase in screen diagonal (from 5.0" to 5.2"), and partly due to the installation of a larger battery (2900 mAh instead of 2300 mAh). As a result, the thickness of the device increased from 6.7 to 7.3 mm, and the weight increased from 123 to 155 grams. In principle, nothing critical, but if you take two tubes at once, the difference between them will be visible. However, I am glad that the width and height have grown literally by a couple of millimeters, so in terms of ease of use, nothing has changed.

And, finishing the section on design, let’s add that the build of the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) is simply excellent. However, it is easier to achieve this result with a non-separable case. On the other hand, we are talking about an expensive fashion series, so we didn’t expect anything else.

Connectors and controls

Despite the design update, the ergonomics of Samsung smartphones continue to remain unchanged, which is an additional plus for fans of these products.

Above the screen there is a speaker, a front camera, light and proximity sensors.

Below, under the screen, there are touch-sensitive buttons for the task manager and back, as well as a traditional mechanical home button. The latter this time is located close enough to the screen, so that sometimes pressing on it, the finger touched the sensor on the display. And so it now has a built-in fingerprint scanner - this is another difference compared to the previous generation Galaxy A.

The fingerprint sensor parameters are set in the settings in the “Lock screen and protection” section. As always, the fingerprint is added with a few taps, and after that it can be set to unlock the smartphone. In case you are unable to use it, you are prompted to enter a backup password.

And Samsung also suggests using fingerprints for authorization on websites and in account Samsung. Our short video will show you how this all looks in practice:

The touch buttons are backlit. Without it they are not visible at all.

At the back, all elements are grouped at the top. In particular, this is the manufacturer's logo, a slightly protruding camera lens and an LED flash.

Volume control buttons are placed on the left side. They are also metal.

On the right is the power button and a compartment for SIM cards and microSD cards. We were dealing with the Galaxy A5 (2016) Duos.

The card holder is removed using an ejector or thin paper clip. Two important details should be noted here: only nanoSIM cards are supported and a memory card is installed instead of one SIM card. That is, you can choose one of two options: SIM+microSD or SIM+SIM. Our short video will show you how to properly install SIM cards and a microSD card in the Galaxy A5 (2016):

The top end is almost empty. Antenna inserts and a microphone for noise reduction are located here.

At the bottom there is a second pair of antenna inserts, and an external speaker, a conversational microphone, a microUSB port and a 3.5 mm mini-jack for headphones and headsets are also moved here. Note that placing the audio connector at the bottom is a very good solution - it’s much more convenient.

Overall, we are completely satisfied with the ergonomics of the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016). All the buttons are in the usual places, the connectors are located as conveniently as possible, and the manufacturer did not refuse a slot for a memory card. The only pity is that the case is not removable.

Case for Galaxy A5 (2016)

At the time of writing this article, few covers for the Galaxy A5 (2016) had been released, which is logical - the device is quite new.

There is a book-like case for the Galaxy A5 (2016) immediately on sale, which you can buy for about 900 rubles.

We are sure that over time there will be a fair number of cases, including from Samsung itself.

Screen

Galaxy A is a series of fashion smartphones, that is, not cheap. Of course, the emphasis is on design and materials, but equipping the handsets with a bad screen would not be comme il faut at all, especially for Samsung. So even the first generation of the A line is equipped with Super AMOLED screens, however different versions phones differed in resolution. And in this parameter, the Galaxy A5 (2016) has grown significantly.

The point is that the resolution has increased from 1280x720 for the first Galaxy A5 to 1920x1080 pixels for the current one. At the same time, the diagonal has also grown from 5.0" to 5.2", but the screen frame has become thinner, so the dimensions of the devices are extremely similar. The display provides a final pixel density of 424 ppi (versus 294 ppi for its predecessor), which, although not the maximum by modern standards, is still quite a decent figure.

The screen of the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) is very cool. This is if it's subjective. It can easily be compared with the matrices used in the company's flagships like the Galaxy S6. Undoubtedly, the latter has a better display, but unless you put both smartphones next to each other, you are unlikely to notice the difference. So the new Galaxy A5 performs well in the sun, has a decent amount of brightness, deep blacks and wide viewing angles.

More specifically, we measured the screen brightness at 374.35 cd/m2, which is quite good. Due to the peculiarities of OLED technology, it is pointless to measure the brightness of the black point - it can be said to be zero. In other words, black looks truly black, and contrast tends to infinity.

The color gamut of the AMOLED display may vary depending on the profile selected in the settings. By default, Samsung phones are set to Adaptive. As you can see, in this case its coverage significantly exceeds the sRGB color space and approaches professional AdobeRGB. The image in this case is very bright and saturated. If you are attracted to the calmer shades typical of IPS matrices, then it is better to choose the “Main” profile. Even though the color gamut narrows to sRGB, you still won’t see the difference.

Another advantage of the “Basic” profile is that the color temperature is closer to the optimal value. Let us remind you that a value of 6500K is considered comfortable, and in the “Basic” profile it varies in the range of 6400-6900K. That is, the picture looks warmer and more natural. The “adaptive” profile, in turn, provides a higher color temperature at 7800-8000K, that is, the image is cooler.

The screen's gamma curves look good. They almost merge with the reference curve 2.2, only the “Main” profile curve barely protrudes in the middle. That is, image fragments with average brightness (gray and the like) are displayed a little lighter than necessary. It's still not noticeable to the eye.

The screen recognizes up to five simultaneous touches, which is strange - usually AMOLED displays have support for a dozen touches. It is possible that this is a software limitation.

Screen settings, and in particular profile changes, occur in the “Display” section system settings. Next you need to go to the “Screen Mode” subsection. There are also profiles “Movie AMOLED” and “Photo AMOLED”. By their name it is already clear which one is intended for what.

As you can imagine, we liked the screen of the Galaxy A5 (2016). Him good resolution, excellent color rendition, wide viewing angles, it is protected by Gorilla Glass 4, and it also has the ability to change the color profile.

Camera

The camera resolution of the Galaxy A5 (2016) has not increased compared to the first model - it is 13 MP. However, this did not stop us from installing a more advanced sensor and lens. In particular, the new smartphone’s camera is equipped with an image stabilizer.

The camera app is standard for Samsung phones. However, compared to flagships, it is lighter on the Galaxy A5 (2016). But the most basic effects and features are present here, including the popular HDR mode.

But there are clearly fewer shooting modes than top products. And in Pro mode, you can only adjust white balance, ISO sensitivity and exposure compensation. In the “full” version, you can also adjust the color palette, focusing distance and shutter speed.

The resolution can be changed in the settings. Another noticeable difference from the flagships is that the maximum image resolution is achieved with a screen aspect ratio of 4:3, rather than 16:9.

Photos from the camera of the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) look pretty decent. Sometimes she has mistakes with focusing, but for the most part everything is decent for an “above average” rating. Everything looks especially good in daylight, but that's not surprising. In poor lighting conditions, if you try not to move your hands, the shots will turn out more than successful.

Video resolution, unfortunately, is also artificially limited to Full HD, while 4K is still left to flagships.

The video looks decent, with good white balance, not overexposed, and quite clear.

The front camera has its own shooting modes, although there are even fewer of them. But the “Group Selfie” will definitely not be out of place.

The resolution of the facial sensor is 5 MP and it is also achieved with an aspect ratio of 4:3 frames.

The shooting quality of the front camera is very decent. Photos are quite sharp, not overexposed, without disturbing the white balance. Only the night shots are blurry and noisy.

The video resolution is the same as the rear camera - Full HD. For a front sensor this is a very good option.

You know, it’s not so easy to distinguish video from the front camera from video from the main, rear camera. Overall it looks no worse.

Overall, we liked the cameras of the Galaxy A5 (2016). They take good pictures, even in poor lighting conditions. Photos and videos turn out clear, with the correct white balance and the work of the stabilizer is visible.

Characteristics of Galaxy A5 (2016)

The Galaxy A lineup for 2016 largely consists of the previous core models: A3, A5 and A7. At the same time, there are also A8 and A9 for individual local markets. They are not yet supplied to us and it is not clear whether they will be. At the same time, the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) is available in both a version with one SIM card and two (Galaxy A5 (2016) Duos). The model we received was SM-A510F/DS.

The Galaxy A5 (2016) has a lot of changes compared to its predecessor. This is both an improved processor and new video card, and a screen with a higher resolution, and at the same time a battery of increased capacity. Add to this list a completely different design. In general, the new product has a lot of arguments to switch to it from the older model.

The processor in the Galaxy A5 for 2016 uses a relatively new one, Samsung Exynos 7580. We first met it in the summer of 2015. This is a chipset for mid-range smartphones, equipped with eight Cortex-A53 cores operating at 1.6 GHz. In principle, a fairly productive solution for a wide range of products. It will certainly be faster than the quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 installed in the Galaxy A5 for 2015.

The only complaint about the Exynos 7580 is its graphics card. Mali-T720 MP2 is a modern accelerator, but it is based on the architecture for inexpensive chipsets. In addition, only two execution units are installed there. Competing solutions from MediaTek usually add a Mali-T760 graphics chip to eight similar Cortex-A53 cores, which is noticeably faster. No, we don’t want to say that the proposed option is slow, but to balance the power it should still be made faster.

Random access memory 2 GB is present - no progress has happened here. However, it is not required here yet, since 3 GB is still a relevant volume for flagships, which the Galaxy A5 (2016), despite its parameters, is not. Exactly the same can be said about the amount of built-in memory, which is 16 GB. It’s too early to install 32 GB in a mid-level smartphone, even a fashionable one. But, unlike the Samsung flagships of 2015, the memory in our phone can be expanded with microSD cards.

Otherwise, the capabilities of the Galaxy A5 (2016) are quite consistent with the positioning. In terms of communication, everything you need is supported: Bluetooth 4.1, 802.11n, LTE category 6 and NFC. Let us also remind you that there is a fingerprint scanner, which the first generation A5 does not have. So what's in front of us modern smartphone With good characteristics, decent design and excellent performance. But how fast is he really?

Performance testing

Unfortunately, get acquainted in due time with first Galaxy We failed A5, and therefore we will present the test results in comparison with. This smartphone has many of the same characteristics as the A5 - they only have different amounts of memory, which does not significantly affect performance during testing.

The old Smartbench 2012 test showed parity in system-wide tasks, obviously not being able to effectively use many processor cores, and in games it gave victory to the Galaxy A5. Apparently, the Mali-T720 is not such a slow video card.

Another “old school” benchmark, Quadrant Standard, was able to distribute the load more efficiently and clearly showed the victory of the Galaxy A5 (2016) - the difference is almost twofold.

But Basemark II, on the contrary, somehow could not “cope” with all the cores of the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) and showed a significant lag.

However, according to the SunSpider browser test, it is clear that the new Galaxy A5 is still faster.

The old Nenamark2 gaming test, despite its relative “simplicity,” was still able to reveal the winner in the “fresh” smartphone Galaxy A5 (2015).

The new and up-to-date 3DMark shows yet another superiority of the current phone. In general, although the Galaxy A5 (2016) and its Mali-T720 MP2 graphics card are not the best, their speed will be sufficient for most use cases.

In his Galaxy time The J5 and especially the Galaxy J7 surprised us with their battery life. The Galaxy A5 (2016) should also have a decent battery, given the capacious 2900 mAh battery - this is noticeably more than the 2300 mAh of its predecessor. And so it happened – the autonomy of the new smartphone is at a very decent level. It's not as good as the J5, but on average it's better than most of its peers.

Here you have a “weak” video card. As you can see from the diagram, it is 3D games that account for the maximum energy consumption. Next in terms of gluttony is surfing the Internet via Wi-Fi or cellular network, as well as two-dimensional games. Video and reading consumption are approximately the same, no matter how strange it may sound.

In the settings you can view statistics on battery usage. There is also an extreme power saving mode, which allows you to get several hours of operation with a low battery charge. True, in this case everything will become black and white - a feature of AMOLED screens is used, in which only that part of the display that is active, that is, other than black, consumes energy.

Overall, the Galaxy A5 (2016) is a smartphone with good performance and decent battery life.

Gaming on Galaxy A5 (2016)

In theory, games on the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) should not slow down. However, do not forget that the smartphone’s video card is not top-end, and the screen resolution is high, Full HD.

• Riptide GP2: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• Asphalt 7: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• Asphalt 8: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• Modern Combat 5: Blackout: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• N.O.V.A. 3: Some delays are visible;

• Dead Trigger: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• Real Racing 3: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• Need For Speed: Most Wanted: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• Shadowgun: Dead Zone: excellent, the game does not slow down;
• Frontline Commando: Normandy: did not start;
• Frontline Commando 2: did not start;
• Eternity Warriors 2: did not start;

• Eternity Warriors 3: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• Eternity Warriors 4: Some delays are visible;

• Trial Xtreme 3: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• Trial Xtreme 4: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• Plants vs Zombies 2: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• Iron Man 3: excellent, the game does not slow down;
• Dead Target: did not start.

Minor "lags" have occurred in N.O.V.A games. 3 and Eternity Warriors 4. But these games are quite heavy in terms of graphics, so it’s not surprising. And don’t pay attention to several games marked “won’t start” - our copy of the smartphone had a non-final firmware version, which is why they didn’t want to start. The retail version should be free of this flaw.

BY

The Galaxy A5 (2015) comes with a new one, which is almost guaranteed to be updated to - in this regard, Samsung behaves very well, especially when dealing with expensive smartphones.

As always, the TouchWIZ shell is installed on top of the Google system. Samsung has one for all smartphones, but its content differs from pre-installed applications.

There's even a dedicated Galaxy Essentials section in the Galaxy Apps app store. Here are links to download the S Translator, Optical Reader text recognizer, child mode, Soundcamp audio editor. It should be noted that Samsung flagships have even more applications, and at the same time there is a Galaxy Gifts section with a complex of subscriptions to various services.

And so the set of pre-installed applications has something from the flagships.

In particular, this is the S Health sports activity diary application. True, on top Samsung products you can still measure your heart rate here, while the Galaxy A5 (2016) does not have a built-in heart rate monitor.

Still available voice assistant S Voice, which the South Korean company continues to develop, despite Google Now and the release of Microsoft Cortana on Android. Moreover, according to the latest information, Samsung does not yet intend to curtail this development.

Smart Manager is no longer “exclusive” - it’s the norm for everyone Samsung devices. Let us remind you that this application allows you to monitor the consumption of RAM, built-in flash drive, battery consumption, and at the same time includes Knox app, which improves the security of the device.

Microsoft apps on smartphones and Samsung tablets are also not something special - they are here by agreement between the companies. Moreover, Word, Excel and PowerPoint will have to be downloaded separately, for which special thanks - they take up a lot of space! Also pleasing is 100 GB of space in the OneDrive cloud.

A set of standard applications consisting of file manager, calculator, clock, calendar, voice recorder, FM radio and so on are also present. In a special redesigned version from Samsung.

The notification panel, compared to Android 5.x, has been noticeably changed. More precisely, they replaced the panel quick settings– it does not extend by pulling down, but scrolls horizontally. Notifications are displayed as usual.

There is also the traditional MultiWindow mode, which allows you to run two applications on the screen at once. Moreover, you can drag and drop data between them. Something like this has long been expected as a standard feature in Android, but it certainly won’t appear there before Android 6.1.

The settings have been redrawn and offer their own version of the interface. In particular, a customizable list of quick parameters is displayed at the top, and then follows their full set.

In terms of software, the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) is a slightly “simplified” version of the company’s flagship. There is a proprietary shell, some proprietary software, and in the future we can expect the release of Android 6.0 for the Galaxy A5 (2016).

Conclusion

We like the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016). Just like good smartphone– it immediately attracts attention, you want to pick it up, touch it yourself, see what is installed, and so on. From a design point of view, everything is good here: metal and glass, everything is stylish and beautiful, so the effect is appropriate. It's really nice to hold the handset - it feels like a reliable metal bar.

At the same time, the smartphone turned out to be more than practical. For the sake of appearance, the designers did not compromise, giving up ease of use. The only complaint here is the non-separable case and the inability to change the battery yourself. And so, compared to Samsung flagships of 2015, even memory cards are supported!

In terms of speed, the Galaxy A5 (2016) is not a record-breaker, but its performance is high, thanks to the 8-core Samsung processor. Although its characteristics are not maximum, they are enough for games and smooth interface animation. The phone is excellent for everyday use from all points of view, including in terms of autonomy - everything is fine here. But how much does the Galaxy A5 (2016) cost?

Galaxy A5 (2016) price

It was not possible to buy the Galaxy A5 (2016) at the time of publication of this article. However, you can still estimate its cost - it will be somewhere between the Galaxy A7 and Galaxy S6, that is, about 25-28 thousand rubles. Quite a lot, but this is to some extent a simplified version of the flagship. What alternatives are there for this amount?

It may well compete with the Galaxy A5 (2016) Samsung flagship from 2014 – . Let us remind you that it has a very productive 8-core processor, an excellent AMOLED screen with Full HD resolution and a diagonal of 5.1", an excellent camera, a heart rate monitor, a fingerprint scanner and even moisture protection. A good device, and not very expensive at the price - around 23-25 ​​thousand.

This 2015 flagship from Huawei also looks decent. The P8 has a metal body and a good 5.2-inch Full screen HD, a good 13 MP camera, a fast 8-core processor and 3 GB of RAM. But it costs more – around 30 thousand so far.

Sony Xperia The M5 is no longer quite a flagship, but a little lower in positioning, like the Galaxy A5 (2016). The device is made on the basis of an 8-core top-end MediaTek Helio X10 processor, has 3 GB of RAM, a 21 MP camera, and a 5-inch Full HD screen. But the screen, believe me, is Samsung smartphone noticeably better. And the Xperia M5 costs a decent amount – around 27-28 thousand.

Pros:

• interesting design;
• glass and metal body;
• excellent assembly;
• fingerprint scanner;
• good cameras;
• high performance;
• excellent SuperAMOLED screen;
• good autonomy;
• Conveniently located bottom audio jack.

Minuses:

• non-separable body;
• The video card could be more powerful.

Line A in Samsung’s portfolio is a kind of continuation and rethinking of the idea of ​​“mini” flagships, which over time was picked up by almost the entire market. If the history of the Galaxy S-(serial number)-mini is about strong marketing with weak characteristics (from the flagship the devices had a couple of software features, the name and appearance of the case), then the A line, which originates from the model, is beautiful stylish smartphones for those who do not need top-end hardware with a fairly sincere positioning. Today we look at the middle model in the 2016 A line -.

What is this?

The 2016 Galaxy A line is represented by three models - , , , and coming. The price on the Ukrainian market is 8, 10 and 12 thousand hryvnia, respectively (for Russia this is approximately 20-25 thousand rubles). And although the models do not pretend to be considered technologically advanced, they are equipped very well. This review will focus on the Galaxy A5 (2016), the mid-range model in the series. The smartphone has a 5.2-inch FullHD display, an Exynos 7580 processor, 2 GB of RAM, a fingerprint sensor and a 2900 mAh battery. The screen, as is now fashionable, is covered with 2.5D glass. Considering that all this is under the Samsung brand, which is not the cheapest nowadays, the device is not bad for the money. Its target audience is not geeks, people who care about brand and design, but are not at all interested in ultra-modern fancy devices.

Last year's "metal" A-series did not look much like the first-born Alpha and was not at all similar to the flagship of its time Galaxy S5. But this year’s product is almost a copy, that is, very beautiful and technologically advanced (I’m talking about materials now) devices. Taking into account that the diagonal Galaxy screen The A5 is almost the same as the Galaxy S6 (5.2 inches versus 5.1), it’s very difficult not to confuse the smartphones. Especially in the wrong hands. In fact, the A5 is larger and heavier than the flagship. The model fits very nicely in the hand, you can feel the breed in it. I no longer remember the feeling of the Galaxy S6 (except for the fact that I absolutely did not want to let go of the smartphone), but the Galaxy A5 is also perceived as an expensive, high-quality thing. The device is perfectly assembled, there are no creaks or backlashes. The metal ends feel pleasantly cool on the hand. And the glass back does not collect fingerprints as intensely as the back of other “glass” smartphones. It looks and feels more expensive in the hand than it costs. We reviewed the Galaxy A5 in black, but in general the entire line is also available in white, pink and gold. It’s already clear what Samsung’s glass “golden” smartphone is; it has a rather interesting and not vulgar color. Pink would be interesting to see with your own eyes.

The Galaxy A5 can be distinguished by eye from the flagship by two things - a different flash on the rear panel (here it is single) and more “rectangular” outlines. For the rest - well copy of Galaxy S6.

This smartphone has dual SIM support, but the second slot can only be used instead of a microSD card. Most likely, you will need it because the storage capacity of the smartphone is 16 GB. In any case, after recording one video 6 minutes long and loading several gigabytes of music into the smartphone’s memory, I was faced with a lack of space. The card slot is hidden under a cover, since the smartphone body is non-separable and there is nowhere else to hide cards. Above the SIM hole is the screen lock button. On the opposite end there are volume control keys. In my opinion, it would be more convenient if they were placed below. But this can be survived.

On top there are only plastic inserts, which apparently contain antennas.

At the bottom there is a speaker (excellent in quality, and also loud), audio output, microUSB.

They did not fail to decorate the front panel with a logo, above which the speaker and camera eye can be seen. At the bottom is the “Home” key with a fingerprint sensor (either we had a too “test” sample, or in this model it works the same way every other time as in the first Samsung smartphones with this function. Two keys – “Back” and a button context menu– are highlighted only when you click on them or turn on the screen. Usually, in the settings of Samsung smartphones, the backlight can be turned on, but perhaps this option was hidden (in the kilometer settings menu Galaxy smartphones It’s not always possible to find the desired function on the first try), or it was simply removed. It's a shame. But you can get used to it.

The bezels around the screen are thin. I would say the finest. And either because of their thickness, or because we had a sample on our hands, or because of the 2.5D glass, or a flaw, but every now and then I encountered false clicks. All you have to do is place your finger incorrectly on the end of the smartphone - and now the sensor has worked, the phone has taken on a life of its own: it goes to open applications, add widgets to desktops and do other nonsense. I hope that this is a glitch specifically in our sample, because otherwise it is a significant drawback. The Galaxy Note Edge had the same problem with false touches.

How's the screen?

Galaxy A5 is equipped with a 5.2-inch display with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels (pixel density - 424 ppi). Matrix – Super AMOLED. The screen is very bright, the colors are saturated as usual, for some – even too bright (but the display settings traditionally have several modes). The “Basic” mode “warms up” the color temperature nicely. But in general, to my eye, “Adaptive” seemed quite acceptable (alas, it didn’t come to the colorimeter).

There are no problems with brightness either. It looks like the display will remain readable in the summer sun. The oleophobic coating, even in the sample, is beyond praise. There is no separate mode for working with gloves, but the screen responds to touches through a thick layer of fabric. Perhaps this is the reason for the excessive sensitivity of the display on bends. And another bonus of Samsung smartphones is the excellent work of auto-adjusting screen brightness.

How long does the battery last?

The smartphone is equipped with a 2900 mAh battery. For a 5.2-inch FullHD display - more than enough. I usually used the Galaxy A5 with a smart bracelet or smart watch, that is, Bluetooth, although energy efficient, was still constantly on. Telephone conversations or calls via the Internet - no more than 20 minutes a day, two hours of music, about an hour of a game that does not require resources, chatting on Viber or Skype in a sluggish mode - in such conditions the battery lasted for a day and a half, and sometimes two. In general, excellent autonomy, no questions asked. The test results confirm my feelings.

While using the Samsung Galaxy A5, I did not turn on the power saving mode; I don’t like to use them unless absolutely necessary. In theory, with it the battery would last several hours longer. In this mode, the smartphone “optimizes” applications. And for the most desperate users, TouchWiz always has a super battery saving mode, when only the dialer functions remain available.

The smartphone supports fast charging.

How are things going with productivity?

By saying that the A series in the Samsung smartphone line is not positioned as a productive solution, I do not mean that one can give up on the “stuffing” of the device. Exynos 7580 (eight Cortex-A53 cores, 1.6 GHz, Mali-T720 MP2 graphics) is a decent modern mid-range processor, you can play games with it, you can “load” it big amount applications, FullHD video, a smartphone can handle a lot of things. Unless the most resource-intensive games will be too tough for him. 2 GB of RAM with this equipment is a normal solution. Although B-brand devices in the same price range also have 3 GB.

During the test, I managed to install perhaps a dozen programs on it, and until the last one the interface did not falter. And when I started, forced memory cleaning using the built-in Smart Manager utility returns the interface to its former agility. Although, of course, the smartphone is far from a star in benchmarks. And its obsolescence will come earlier than the aging of the Galaxy S6.

That is, if you are not a gamer or a user of some specific resource-intensive programs (although I don’t even know what can be given as an example), most likely, the performance of the smartphone will suit you.

Is the camera good?

Samsung Galaxy A5 is equipped with a main 13-megapixel camera with an aperture of 1.9, flash and autofocus, optical image stabilization and the ability to record video in FullHD. Front-camera– 5 MP, f/1.9, video recording in FullHD.

IN Lately Even in smartphones up to $400, there are cameras with a resolution higher than 13 MP, so users who are not experienced in the nuances of photo and video shooting on a smartphone will probably be upset that Samsung offers them “only” 13 MP. In fact, the camera in this manufacturer’s smartphone is traditionally excellent. Focuses quickly, shoots instantly (0.3 ms). Particularly impressive, of course, are the shots taken in the dark or at twilight - they are very good for a smartphone. Moreover, a smartphone for that kind of money. In fact, Galaxy camera The A5 can handle any mode, and in any lighting conditions it will perform better than competitors' cameras. If night and twilight are your natural habitat, then you will appreciate the camera of this smartphone.

An example of a photo in twilight (in original resolution on Torba).

Example of macro photography (in original resolution on Torba).

HDR example (in original resolution on Torba).

And a few more pictures taken Samsung camera Galaxy A5 (in original resolution on Torba).

With video it’s the same story. Excellent video quality for a mid-range smartphone.

Of course, Samsung's current flagship will shoot better (as well as LG's current flagship, Lenovo Moto, and LG Nexus, Huawei Nexus), but they are all more expensive. There is a chance that only Lenovo Moto X Play will be able to give the camera of this model a beating when it goes on sale (and this will happen, let me remind you, at the beginning of the second quarter of 2016).

Camera interface: everything unnecessary, according to Samsung, has been hidden. We left a minimum of shooting modes; additional ones must be downloaded from the Galaxy Apps app store.

What are the alternatives?

First-tier manufacturers, including Samsung itself, have recently significantly reduced their product lines. Therefore, the Galaxy A5 does not have many competitors among A-brands. But in price category 10 thousand hryvnia (or 30 thousand rubles) for the model there are literally tons of alternatives from simpler companies with more powerful characteristics. The only caveat is that Chinese manufacturers have a fashionable screen diagonal of 5.5 inches, and not everyone needs a shovel.

From what is currently on the market, an alternative to the Galaxy A5 could be the Sony Xperia M4 Aqua. The smartphone is almost close in characteristics (processor of about the same level, the same amount of RAM, camera resolution, but the screen is 5 inches, HD, and the battery is 2400 mAh). Today this model costs one and a half times less. It is inferior to the hero of this review in terms of photography quality, body materials and the ratio of the screen area to the front surface. But the autonomy of the Xperia M4 Aqua is no worse, and the body is protected from moisture, the screen does not have tricks with false clicks, and the high sensitivity mode is disabled in the settings. Well, the Sony brand still has a handful of fans left. If you are choosing a smartphone for a lady as a gift, ask her which brand she prefers, this will make it easier to choose. And read our review at the same time.

In addition, in the same price category is now Sony flagship last generation – Xperia Z3. The design and materials of the case are very close, although the Sony clearly lacks compactness. Autonomy, diagonal and display resolution are all similar. But this device will quickly become obsolete, since it was introduced a year and a half ago. And one more thing – Samsung has a better camera.

Bottom line

In the last six months, first-tier manufacturers have completely abandoned middle class smartphones, entering the race for the most flagship flagship. And now Samsung has released fairly balanced models. They place a lot of emphasis on design and “just enough” performance, and this is perhaps one of those cases where both positioning and equipment coincide with each other. If you need an A-brand smartphone at an affordable price, then the A line, in particular the A5 model, will be a good solution. There is style, a camera, autonomy, and performance sufficient for most tasks. If you can afford to add 2-3 thousand hryvnia to your purchase, then it makes sense to aim for something flagship.

4 reasons to buy Samsung Galaxy A5:

• the device looks and feels expensive;
• the display supports operation with gloves (lately this option has been somehow ignored);
• it looks like he has best camera for their money;
• and autonomy is also nothing!

3 reasons not to buy Samsung Galaxy A5:

• you can afford a Galaxy S6 or another flagship smartphone;
• high screen sensitivity at the edges is sometimes wildly annoying and leads to unexpected consequences;
• you didn’t care about brands - so for the same money you would prefer a more technologically advanced device.

Specifications Samsung Galaxy A5
operating system	Android 5.1+TouchWiz
SIM card	nanoSIM, two (the second uses the microSD slot)
Display	Super AMOLED, 5.2 inches, 1920x1080 pixels, 424 ppi, support for working with gloves
Frame	dimensions 145x71x7 mm, weight 155 g
CPU	Exynos 7580, eight cores Cortex-A53, 1.6 GHz, 28 nm, Mali-T720 MP2 graphics
RAM	2 GB
Flash memory	16 GB, support for memory cards up to 128 GB
Camera	13 MP, autofocus, optical image stabilization, 1080p video recording HDR mode, LED backlight; 5 MP front camera, 720p video recording
Wireless technologies	Wi-Fi a/b/g/n (2.4/5 GHz), Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 4.1 (A2DP), NFC
Navigation	GPS, GLONASS
Battery	2900 mAh

Fast, functional and high-quality - this is how you can characterize the Samsung A5 2016. It is worth noting that the device has an eight-core processor of its own production and 2 GB of RAM, this configuration is enough to use the phone for most undemanding applications, as well as games. Regarding the matrix, everything is fine with color rendering and viewing angles, but high quality sound and a large number of chips from the manufacturer only add points to the basket. In general, we will recommend the Samsung A5 2016 for a closer acquaintance

Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) SM-A510F: specifications and price

Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) SM-A510F: reviews

— A huge number of positive reviews from owners of this smartphone;

— Decent autonomy;

- Modern design;

— Fast operation thanks to the eight-core processor;

- Beautiful design;

- Ideal size, therefore fits comfortably in the hands;

- Long battery life;

— During long-term operation it practically does not heat up;

— Availability of fast charging;

— Samsung Pay support;

— Excellent work with 4G networks;

— Pleasant sound;

— The quality of the cameras could be better;

— Slim body;

— Excellent assembly materials;

— Fast work fingerprint scanner;

- Impact resistance is a plus;

— Support from the manufacturer;

— Software update;

— If desired, the device can be used as a navigator;

— High-quality assembly, the same can be said about the quality of assembly materials;

— I would like more built-in memory, but there is always the opportunity to install another SD card;

— By the way, the slot is combined;

— There is no moisture protection and this must be taken into account;

— NFC support;

— Samsung Pay support;

— Cameras with optical stabilization;

— Weak graphics chip, so it’s unlikely to be possible to play modern games;

— The set includes good headphones;

— Some users’ batteries began to swell after a year of use;

— The glass will not collect scratches;

Conclusion

Excellent value for money, matrix, pleasant sound - this is not the whole list of advantages of the Samsung A5 2016. Based on the material described above, we conclude that the phone has decent performance characteristics, as well as great functionality.

Pros:

• High-quality matrix;
• Not bad cameras;
• Convenient location of jack 3.5;
• Aluminum edging around the body;
• Modern design and assembly materials;
• Nimble work;

Minuses:

• Slips in your hands;
• Battery swelling may occur;
• Little built-in memory;
• No water protection;
• No gyroscope;
• Not the best graphics chip;

The design was designed with an eye on the previous generation of the A line and the flagships of last year (well, and a little more on some devices from other companies). Now in more detail, the smartphone has a metal frame, and the back side is covered with Gorilla Glass 4. What’s striking is how thin the frame around the screen is, which looks very stylish and modern. Therefore, the device will fit very well in any hand, be it a man’s palm or a woman’s. The smartphone is universal and there are a lot of color options.

Sometimes the case slips in the hand, another drawback is that it is not removable, and it’s somehow scary to drop such a smartphone, since it’s glass. And it’s quite easy to drop it, because it weighs 155 grams.

In general, the appearance was a success, the smartphone is excellent, without unnecessary bells and whistles. Premium materials used. But appearance is far from the most important thing, because not all people buy smartphones purely because of their impressive appearance. One of the design features is the presence of a fingerprint scanner; it is built into the “Home” button.

Width

Height

Thickness

Weight

Shell

Well, since we started talking about the scanner, let's continue. It works great, thanks also to the software. The smartphone with Android 5.1 (at the time of writing this review) is preparing to be updated to 6.0. There’s not much to say about the shell itself; anyone who has used TouchWiz knows all its advantages and disadvantages. For those who haven’t used it, I can only say one thing: it doesn’t look like “naked” Android, Samsung has put enough of its “own” into it. This includes a redesigned settings menu, a curtain with notifications, etc. You only need to know one thing - everything is clear and understandable. There are a lot of pre-installed services from Samsung, you can use them or not, it’s up to you, although among them there are many interesting and useful things, s health, s voice, for example.

Specifications

• CPU

  Samsung Exynos 7580, 8 cores, 1.6 GHz

• Video processor

The smartphone is moderately productive. Its power is enough for the vast majority of games, but there are games with which it will be very difficult. BUT these are games, not everyone plays them. Here as a regular smartphone for routine tasks this device will fit perfectly. The interface works smoothly, there are no delays in operation.

Memory

I believe that there will be enough memory for every A5 owner, because 16 GB of internal memory, plus support for microSD (up to 128 GB) sounds quite tempting, and 2 GB of RAM is quite an acceptable figure for such a device.

Connection

You can put two SIM cards in a smartphone, but then you have to make a sacrifice by sacrificing a memory card. Yes, the A5 has a double slot, which is inconvenient. And so, in terms of networks and their support, everything is very good. The smartphone works with LTE standards and works great when used as a GPS navigator.

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Contents of delivery

• Telephone
• Charger
• SIM tray eject tool
• Wired stereo headset
• Instructions

Specifications

• Android 5.1.1
• Screen 5.2 inches, 1080x1920 pixels (424 ppi), SuperAMOLED, Corning Gorilla Glass 4, with 2.5D effect
• 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal memory (10.7 GB available to the user), cards microSD memory up to 128 GB
• 8-core Exynos 7580 processor, frequency up to 1.6 GHz, Mali T720 graphics coprocessor
• Battery Li-Pol, 2900 mAh, fast charging in 105 minutes to 100 percent, video playback up to 14 hours, in 3G or LTE - up to 14 hours, talk time - up to 16 hours
• Front camera 5 megapixels (f/1.9), main camera 13 megapixels (f/1.9)
• NFC (for LTE models)
• FM radio
• Fingerprint sensor
• Two nanoSIM cards, instead of one SIM card you can install a memory card
• USB 2.0, BT 4.1, ANT+, 802.11 a/b/g/n 2.4+5.0 GHz, HT40
• Case colors gold / black / white / rose gold
• Sensors – accelerometer, geomagnetic sensor, Hall sensor, proximity sensor, light sensor
• SAR value for Europe 0.29 W/kg (head), 0.47 W/kg (body)
• Dimensions – 144.8x71x7.3 mm, weight – 155 grams

Positioning

In 2015, the A-series from Samsung turned out to be a bestseller, both in Russia and around the world. Consumers chose these devices for two reasons: on the one hand, they looked like the flagships of the previous season, on the other hand, they could choose the required screen diagonal and, as a result, size. What also spoke in favor of the A-series was that for a decent design they did not ask for as much as in flagships; many looked at these devices as a reasonable compromise. In 2016, Samsung decided to strengthen this area and proposed a design in the A-series that is as similar as possible to the company’s current flagship, the Samsung Galaxy S6. Externally these are the same materials, internally similar solutions that are becoming widespread and distinguish this device from the inexpensive J-series, which can safely be considered more budget-friendly, even if its devices start costing from 10,000 rubles. I view the A-series as the golden mean for the average person who is not chasing the latest technologies, processor speed in virtual tasks, but does not want to sacrifice the smoothness of the interface, the ability to work for a long time and quickly charge the battery.

If we talk specifically about the A5 2016, the solution turned out to be very balanced and of high quality, to some extent it can be called a Russian flagship, since these are the solutions that people will choose in 2016 with the prospect of using it for 2-3 years. Unlike the same A3, a fingerprint scanner has already been added here, which makes the device noticeably more interesting, and the screen diagonal is closer to the most common on the market. A sort of golden mean.

Considering that the model costs about 26 thousand rubles, it cannot be considered as a competitor to the same S6, the price of which starts at 40 thousand rubles. At the same time, for many, this model will become a competitor to the ancient iPhone 5s 16 GB, which in Russia costs about the same, but has worse characteristics in almost all aspects. The only advantage of the iPhone is that it is an iPhone, albeit from three years ago. To understand the gap between three generations of devices, you don’t need to be Einstein; electronics have moved far ahead during this time, which I will show using the example of these two devices a little later.

Design, dimensions, control elements

As already mentioned, the design of this solution is directly borrowed from the company’s flagship – Galaxy S6. A metal case in which not only the screen is covered with glass, but also back panel. The glass has a slight curvature, this is 2.5D, fashionable in the last year, the glass itself is Corning Gorilla Glass 4.

Considering that the device is aimed at the widest possible audience, it comes in four colors at once - gold, black, white, rose gold.

Each color has a metallic tint and plays well in the sun. Hand marks remain on the back panel, they are clearly visible indoors, those who are disgusted by this will not be happy with the phone. The slight bevels of the panels are pleasant in the hands, but on a table or inclined surface they do not create a sliding effect; the device lies well.

Phone dimensions – 144.8x71x7.3 mm, weight – 155 grams. I like both the materials and the workmanship of the device; there are no complaints here and cannot be. It fits well in the hand, is well assembled, there are simply no rough edges. There is a microphone on the top and bottom ends, and there is a noise reduction system that works well in noisy conditions.

Two separate volume keys are on the left side, and the on/off button is on the right. There is also a slot for two SIM cards (nano), instead of one of them you can install a memory card.

On the back panel you can see a 13-megapixel camera; it protrudes above the body, which does not interfere with life one bit. Nearby is an LED flash. At the bottom there is a 3.5 mm headphone jack, as well as a speaker hole.

You will see a proximity and light sensor above the screen, but below it there is a physical key, and on the sides there are two touch ones. This key has a built-in fingerprint sensor, it works quickly and well, just touch it. For the sensor to start working, the phone must be woken up; placing your finger from rest mode is pointless; this is a deliberate step to avoid increased power consumption or complication of the design.

Display

The technical characteristics of the screen are as follows: 5.2 inches, 1080x1920 pixels (424 ppi), SuperAMOLED, Corning Gorilla Glass 4, with 2.5D effect. Let me remind you that 2015 became interesting from the point of view that literally all notable players began installing AMOLED matrices in their flagships, since Samsung began selling them externally. Lagging behind own Samsung screens was for several generations, but this did not stop manufacturers; they saw more advantages than disadvantages in this.

In the A5 2016, it’s almost impossible to find fault with the screen; it’s very high quality and performs well in all usage scenarios, be it reading texts or working in bright sunlight. Traditionally, in the settings you can set different color display options (Adaptive screen, Movie AMOLED, Photo AMOLED, main). Those who prefer muted, natural colors can get them, those who want a brighter picture can also choose it. This is a matter of your choice, not the restrictions imposed by the manufacturer.

Automatic brightness adjustment works correctly, I use it all the time and have no problems. One of the advantages of using it is that outdoors in this mode the screen becomes readable; in manual mode the backlight brightness is limited to lower values.

You can blame, and only theoretically, the screen resolution; FullHD is not so much, especially since the flagship has a QHD resolution. On the other hand, you simply won’t notice this difference; no dots are visible on the screen, even if you bring it close to your eyes. Some people claim that they see something like this, but this is more a belief than an objective reality. Another horror story people love to tell is that AMOLED screens burn out. Considering how I use phones, and the fact that they work during the day for 3-4 hours with the screen on, or even more, this should have happened to me a couple of years ago on older and more primitive screens. But it didn't happen. Yes, and in services such a problem was encountered in isolated cases. Although in demo samples that operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, this occurs after a couple of weeks of operation.

Whatever one may say, the screen in this device is one of the best on the market, which is worth a lot, since you will have to work with it for a long time.

Battery

For me, the operating time of the phone is critical, I think the same can be said about any person. Working time is a parameter that is important for each of us. This device has a battery capacity of 2900 mAh (Li-Pol), which does not look anything special compared to Chinese devices; they already have batteries with 4000, 5000 and even 6000 mAh. But how the Chinese differ from A-brands, and in this case A5, is that with a large battery capacity they compensate for the shortcomings of chipsets, the fact that they assemble their devices from publicly available cubes and do not work with them to optimize energy consumption.

During the test, we always look at how long the video device can run (AVI, FullHD, MX Player, maximum brightness). And here comes the moment of truth, most Chinese people break down on this test, they show a result of 5-7 hours with a battery capacity of about 3000 mAh. The same A5 2016 works up to 14 hours.

It is clear that in real life the scenarios for using a telephone are very different; we use the Internet, social networks and other possibilities. My experience with the A5 is that it provides two to three days of work, depending on the load you have. For example, for those who use calls and SMS and surf the Internet for a short time, this will be about 3.5 days of work with an hour of calls in total and up to two hours of screen time! As for me, this is a very, very good result. For more active people, it will take about two days of phone operation, 3 hours of screen on and up to an hour of talk time. The audience that buys such solutions will be very pleased with how long the phone lasts.

Traditionally, there is fast charging, which allows you to charge the battery to one hundred percent in 105 minutes. In half an hour you can get a little more than half the charge, which is nice.

There is also an energy saving mode, when the screen backlight and processor frequency are limited. In this mode, many will not experience problems with the operation of the device, but the operating time will increase by at least 20 percent. In maximum energy saving mode, everything on the screen turns gray, and the device can provide hours of operation even with a small charge.

I am pleased that technologies that were the province of only flagships have moved into the middle the lineup and made this model remarkable. The operating time in different modes is its strong point.

Memory, RAM, performance

Samsung is consistently refusing to use Qualcomm chipsets, and this also affects mid-segment models. A year ago, the A5 model had Snapdragon 410, which belonged to the middle segment and in every sense did not have the most outstanding characteristics. The transition to the Exynos 7580 gave the company the opportunity to dramatically increase the performance of the A5 in 2016, that is, the model became interesting from this point of view. It’s pointless to compare it with its predecessor; I’m rather saying that compared to other devices in this price niche, the 2016 A5 began to show results close to the maximum. And that's not a bad thing. I was surprised that, despite the 28 nm process, the power consumption of the processor is low. It hardly heats up under load, this is only noticeable when transmitting data via LTE; there is heating in the area near the camera.

In synthetic tests, this processor performed well.

The device has 16 GB of internal memory (10.7 GB available to the user), but there is also support for memory cards, which is something no Samsung flagship can boast of. It is this moment that surprises me, since it is a competitive advantage that was voluntarily abandoned. However, the A5 is fine with this, so you can install a memory card up to 128 GB and not have any problems.

RAM 2 GB, it is enough for all tasks. Despite the fact that flagships receive 3, 4, and some even 6 GB of memory, this does not matter for most tasks. Considering the positioning of this device, a memory capacity of 2 GB is enough for the eyes, none of the users will experience any difficulties.

Once again I want to emphasize that from the point of view of the chipset, the solution turned out to be balanced, a powerful processor with good performance, but it does not work like a stove and does not eat up the battery.

Communication capabilities

Everything is quite typical, USB version 2, there is support for NFC, Ant+, 802.11 a/b/g/n 2.4+5.0 GHz, HT40, BT 4.1, built-in LTE modem supports LTE Advanced Cat.6.

Camera

The front camera does not have autofocus, but has a resolution of 5 megapixels, which is not bad, it is light sensitive (f/1.9).

The main camera is 13-megapixel, its characteristics are similar to the cameras that were in last year’s flagships, it says good quality pictures, as you can see for yourself. The main improvement compared to the previous season is that the pictures turn out pretty good even in the dark. There are a number of modes missing that are available on flagships; there is no HDR mode for full resolution (only for 8 megapixels). But, in general, the camera has grown head and shoulders compared to the previous generation and will satisfy even the most demanding user.

Software

The model went on sale on Android 5.1.1, but at the end of spring it will receive an update to Android 6. Inside we see a lightweight version of TouchWiz, the same one was on the Samsung S6, most of the menus and settings are the same. You can see detailed video, which describes all the nuances of how this shell works.