In 2017, famous South Korean manufacturer Samsung decided to update its line of mid-range smartphones. It turned out quite well for them, I must say. Phones that previously quite reliably occupied the middle niche in the mobile technology market, after the update began to claim the role of budget flagships of a higher level. Let's see what characteristics the so-called senior A-series model offers - Samsung Galaxy A7 2017.
Main characteristics
First of all, it is worth noting that the older model assumes the greatest and best technological “package”. However, the developers did not spoil us too much. The equipment of the 2017 A7 model is very slightly superior to its younger colleague - the updated Samsung Galaxy A5. The main differences are the battery capacity and, of course, the screen size. Well, what else, exactly, should smartphones measure against?
Frame
It is quite noticeable that the Koreans sought to bring the A-line as close as possible to their more luxurious S-series relatives. The design of the updated A7 is in many ways similar to the Samsung Galaxy S7 - rounded edges, glass upholstery, minimalism, identical layout of keys and speakers. However, such imitation does not harm the appearance of the phone at all, but, on the contrary, gives it a more elegant and stylish look.
- The body of the updated model is covered with glass on both sides. The front is protected by 2.5D glass, while the back is protected by 3D coating. The edges are framed by an elegant metal rim.
- The phone measures 156.8 x 77.6mm and is almost 7.9mm thick. Weight is 144 g.
- The phone is available in several color variations: standard black, elegant gold, soft blue and pale pink.
Technical stuffing
Of course, even the updated A7 cannot compete with the luxury analogue of the Samsung Galaxy S7 in performance. However, you just have to remember for what niche the smartphone was developed. Galaxy A7 2017 is a good candidate for the title of flagship among mid-class phones, so specifications he has quite decent ones.
It has a more powerful eight-core Exynos 7880 processor with a clock frequency of 1.9 GHz compared to the version of that year. The graphics rest on the “shoulders” of the three-core Mali-T830 chip.
Initially, the phone is installed with Android version 6.0 Marshmallow, but the developers guarantee to update the software to the next “sweetie” - Android 7.0 Nougat.
The user interface of the local sixth android uses the Grace UI graphical shell. Which, as you know, promises its users the ability to work in multi-window mode.
CPU new Galaxy A7 shows relatively good data when working with almost all tasks 
However, for resource-intensive programs, for example, for demanding games, the settings will have to be launched with lower graphics parameters 
The GPU test shows very good results 
The results of the performance test of the updated processor are at the same level. 
On other tests the device produces similar numbers
Screen
The 2017 version of the Samsung Galaxy A7 pleases us with an expanded Super AMOLED screen of 5.7 inches. The display resolution is 1080 x 1920 pixels per inch. Agree, a very standard characteristic for modern smartphones. However, the big plus is that the screen takes up about two-thirds of the entire front of the phone. The remaining minimum falls on mechanical button“Home” controls, invisible touch screens “Return” and “Applications”, as well as on the speaker, front camera, proximity sensor and the famous Samsung inscription.
It is important to note that the Samsung Galaxy A7 2017 has a screen calibration menu with a specific set of modes. Each of them demonstrates an impressive 100% color space coverage. Temperature, gamma and backlight also show extremely pleasing results.
The developers have taken care of optimizing the use of SIM cards
Now the smartphone has separate slots for both SIM cards and a memory card, which is very convenient
Memory
As for the available space on the phone, here too the updated version has undergone some changes. The phone's RAM remained at the same level - 3 GB, but the built-in memory has doubled and is now 32 GB versus 16 GB in last year's version. Considering the space they occupy system files, the available space in general will, of course, be several gigabytes less. However, in this case you can use microSD. Now the fresh Samsung Galaxy A7 2017 supports flash cards up to 256 GB instead of last year’s 128 GB. So even the most kilobyte-intensive users will not be offended.
Battery
Now the latest brainchild of the South Korean developer also has a more powerful Li-Po battery - 3600 mAh versus last year’s 3300 mAh. In addition, the phone has Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging. Due to it, the manufacturer promises to reduce the time spent on battery restoration to one and a half hours.
In offline mode, your phone will work for as much as 380 hours (which, in terms of a day, promises us an incredible almost 16 days). In talk mode, the device will work for 18 hours, listening to music can last up to 48 hours, and watching videos - up to 9. But wireless charging still not on the phone. Even though this is the older model of the line.
Other "goodies"
The smartphone also supports the Always On Display function, which means that notifications, clock and date are displayed on its screen even in inactive mode.
There is no longer a need to endlessly turn on your phone and check notifications. Now all important notifications (as well as the clock, calendar, etc.) are visible even in offline mode
This option consumes little energy and looks quite stylish.
This year's updated line of Samsung Galaxy A smartphones can also boast that its body is made according to the IP68 standard and is now reliably protected from moisture and dust. You can absolutely easily get your phone wet in the pouring rain or even drop it into huge one and a half meter puddles. Yes, yes, this is not a joke. The latest version of the Galaxy A7 can withstand up to 30 minutes at a depth of up to 1.5 meters.
But once upon a time, such photos could only be taken in Photoshop.
This year's models also feature a modern two-way port USB Type-C. Now you don’t need to waste time and nerves on endless attempts to get the right side into the charger connector. You can successfully insert the USB cable into the socket almost with your eyes closed and in complete darkness.
Two-way USB input seems like an incredible convenience, doesn't it?
One-handed operation is one of the assistant options that make using the phone easier and making this process more comfortable. This function allows you to triple-click the Home button to activate one-handed control mode, in which active windows are shifted to one side of the display.
Perfect for both right-handers and left-handers (and even more so for ambidextrous people)
Smart Capture is another similar feature that makes it easier to work with screenshots.
Fingerprint's scanner. However, we advise you to be careful with this option, since, despite the fact that the sensor itself is quite responsive, it requires quite careful configuration. Don't be discouraged if your device doesn't recognize all touches at first, and just try calibrating the scanner again.
In general, the applications and functions installed in this version largely duplicate the sets of other Samsung models: standard Galaxy Apps, S Health fitness program, Samsung Members online support service, of course. voice assistant S Voice and much more. So, if you have already had experience with other versions of South Korean phones, many things will seem very familiar to you.
The main and front cameras are another nice feature
The smartphone camera gives its users a strong 16 megapixels in both the main camera and the front one. Yes, yes, the front camera on the Galaxy A7 2017 is no worse than the main lens. The aperture on both sides is F/1.9, the focal length is 27 mm. The lens is equipped with autofocus and, of course, a flash. Compared to the model of that year, the current camera produces a larger number of working pixels, but the smartphone has lost a rather important option - optical image stabilization. This quite noticeably leads to a small problem: during the day you can easily take quite good pictures with excellent light sensitivity and detail, but in the evening, when natural light gives way to artificial light, noise and noticeable blurriness appear. The deterioration of the image is accompanied by an increasing focusing time.
Taking a picture at night, even with the “Night” mode set on the phone, produces far from the best results
But selfies indoors come out quite decent. The matrix resolution of the front camera is not inferior to the main lens - the same 16 megapixels. However, its tasks are much simpler: portrait photography at close range. In addition, the front camera, like the rear camera, has its own flash. The creators of the updated version of the Galaxy A7 decided to use soft white lighting from the phone screen.
Thanks to the soft lighting from the phone screen, selfies even in a dim room turn out detailed and not blurry.
True, some users complain that the front camera greatly blurs everything that is more than one meter from it. Those. Taking a selfie against the backdrop of something far away or large will initially be difficult for you.
Among other things, the video here is recorded in Full HD resolution. Now we must remember that even last year’s version of the luxury Galaxy S7 had the ability to shoot videos in 4K resolution. And optical stabilization was available on the outdated Galaxy A7 2016. This suggests that despite the improved parameters of the processor, memory, battery and other things, the camera, on the contrary, began to perform worse. The number of pixels has increased, but this cannot compensate for the lack of optical stabilization. And if during the day the camera produces quite decent picture quality, then in the evening and even more so at night, it is better to replace the phone with its analogue from last year.
Absolutely all smartphones from the Galaxy A line, of which there are more than a dozen, if you start counting from 2014, were made with design in mind. It is quite obvious that the flagship ones were taken as a basis Samsung models, and therefore this time the Galaxy S7 was “copied”.
But, of course, the Galaxy A7 (2017) is not as similar as the A5 (2017). Can you guess what's going on? Okay, I won’t bore you: the S7 has a screen diagonal of 5.1", and our hero has a 5.7", that is, the same as Galaxy Note. No, don’t think, the new product will not be a kind of replacement for the infamous Galaxy Note 7 - they have fundamentally different positioning. And the laptop looked cooler.
The Note 7 looks cooler, but the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) looks good too. If we stop comparing it to expensive top models, we will get a stylish device made of glass and metal. It is all so convex and rounded, thanks to the 2.5D glass.
At the back, the tube was bent at the edges so that it fits better in the hand. Well, what can I say, the palm doesn’t expand very much, but it still expands. You can’t hide physics anywhere - 5.7 inches is 5.7 inches. I’ll immediately add that the tactile sensations from the case are excellent - the massive, weighty block of the phone is very well assembled, there is no doubt about its reliability.
The front and back of the smartphone is covered with Gorilla Glass 4, so although it is possible to break it, it is not so easy. And he shouldn't be scratched. The device also has protection according to the IP68 standard - it is now also difficult to drown it.
However, the addition of moisture protection did not come free to the Galaxy A7 (2017) - its thickness has increased to 7.9 mm (it is 7.3 mm), as well as its weight, which is now around 180 grams. The latter parameter was also influenced by a more capacious battery and a 0.2" larger display.
In general, what can we conclude about the appearance of the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017)? Stylish, beautiful, interesting. I had the black Galaxy A7 (2017) black in my hands, but the pink Galaxy A7 (2017) ping, the gold Galaxy A7 (2017) gold and the blue Galaxy A7 (2017) blue will also be sold - for all tastes, so to speak. At the same time, the device is perfectly executed, well protected both from scratches and from moisture and dust.
Connectors and controls
In terms of ergonomics, the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) has not changed very much. All the usual elements are in place, although one has been replaced entirely.
Above the smartphone screen there is a front camera lens, light and proximity sensors, and a speaker. The latter is painted black and the paint may come off over time - not the most pleasant moment. The phone also does not have an LED event indicator. For now he only stayed with Samsung flagships, although for the entire Galaxy A line for 2017 it can be replaced by the Always On function - I’ll talk about it in the section about the screen.
Below the display are the traditional “Korean” buttons Home, Back and recent applications. The last two are touchscreen and are not visible until they are backlit, and the first is mechanical, with a built-in fingerprint scanner.
Fingerprints are added in the “Lock screen and security” section Galaxy settings A7 (2017). But, as usual, you must first ask alternative way unlocking: with a pattern, PIN code or password.
To save a fingerprint, you need to touch the sensor a little more than a dozen times. Afterwards, you can set parameters for what else can be unlocked with it, and the smartphone itself is already configured to work with your finger. We have a short video about this whole process:
The backlighting of the buttons is bright and clearly visible.
At the back of the Galaxy A7 (2017) there is a camera and an LED flash.
On the left side there are the usual volume buttons. And just below them, in a not so “usual” way, there is a compartment for the first SIM card.
The Galaxy A7 (2017) and its younger brother A5 (2017) have two separate slots for nanoSIM cards; there is no combination with the memory card compartment.
The second tray is placed on the upper side, not the opposite side from the microphone for noise reduction.
Here the holder is longer - for two cards: for nanoSIM and microSD. If you suddenly don’t figure out how to manage all this “economy”, I recommend watching our video:
Meanwhile, on the right side, in addition to the power button, there is now also a speakerphone. Previously it was below.
And at the bottom there remains a 3.5 mm mini-jack for headphones and headsets, a conversational microphone and a USB Type-C connector - it is this “element” that has been replaced “entirely.” Samsung has installed it on the entire updated line of devices, which is cool in my opinion. Yes, there are few such cables yet, but the situation will change every day.
So what comes out: the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) has two full-fledged compartments for SIM cards, it supports USB interface Type-C, the external speaker moved to the left side, where it is more difficult to close, but all other elements remained in place. Overall, it turned out great!
Case for Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017)
It was impossible to buy a case or cover for the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) at the time of writing this article - this device has not yet gone on sale. However, this model is popular, so there will be quite a lot of offers for it.
For example, a case for the Galaxy A7 (2017) of this type will probably cost about 1,000 rubles.
This book case for the Galaxy A7 (2017) will cost about 1,200 rubles.
Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) screen
The quality of screens in Samsung smartphones is increasing every year. Even in flagships, where it would seem there’s nowhere better. Of course, the growth is not dramatic, but it is there. Meanwhile, flatter models also get new-generation displays. So is the Galaxy A7 (2017) - its predecessor already had a good image, and now it looks even nicer. However, this can only be seen if you put two devices side by side and start looking closely.
On the other hand, the point density Samsung screen Galaxy A7 (2017) dropped from 401 to 386 ppi, if we take the previous phone for comparison. It's all about the increased screen diagonal - it was 5.5", but became 5.7", that is, like the Galaxy Note. It is unlikely that the company will in this way compensate for the untimely death of Note 7; rather, the increase in size is caused by the desire to further differentiate the Galaxy A5 (2017) and A7 (2017) - previously there was a difference of 0.3" between them, and now - 0.5".
And yes, as you might have guessed, the display resolution remains the same: 1920x1080 pixels or Full HD. For me, this is more than enough for everyday life. The picture still remains clear, no nicks or other interface irregularities are visible. Subjectively, I like the image on the Galaxy A7 (2017) screen. Super AMOLED is Super AMOLED - a high-quality matrix, with bright colors and wide viewing angles, almost no blinding in the sun. And if you think that the colors are too eye-catching, then changing the profiles will help solve the problem, but more on that below.
Meanwhile, objective measurements indicate screen brightness at 413.81 cd/m2, which is quite good. Coupled with a high-quality anti-reflective coating, this provides that very good “resistance” to the bright sun. Let's add here the feature of OLED technology, namely deep black color and, therefore, excellent contrast.
The color gamut of the Galaxy A7 (2017) display is, as always, maximum and noticeably higher than that of the best IPS matrices. When the Adaptive profile is activated, it noticeably outperforms the sRGB color space and comes close to covering professional Adobe RGB. Well, the “Main” profile, which is more “calm” in terms of saturation, produces a smaller number of colors, which is in no way noticeable to the eye.
The gamma curves generally look good. Not ideal, but very close to the standard curve 2.2: in the case of the “Adaptive” profile, the curve was slightly lower than the standard, and for the “Basic” it was higher. In the first case, this means a slight darkening of the image, or rather its output is slightly darker than necessary, and in the second - lightening. But again, you won’t see it by eye.
The white balance is, as always, very good for the “Main” profile, but in the case of the “Adaptive” it is compromised towards a cooler picture. But in general, most smartphones have this problem, it’s even a kind of “norm”.
The Galaxy A7 (2017) screen recognizes up to 10 simultaneous touches. This is a small thing, but younger models support no more than 5 touches at once.
And here are the screen profiles, they are selected in the settings. The default is Adaptive, but you can choose the one that suits you best. Moreover, in this generation of the device, you can additionally adjust the gamma of individual color components.
The Galaxy A7 (2017) also has the coolest feature – Always On, which literally translates as “always on”. The screen always shows the time, as well as notifications. You can choose a background for the clock, replace it with a calendar or just a pattern. It would seem that this is nonsense, but you get used to it so quickly and “firmly” that you decide right away: the next smartphone will have Always On! I have it, but you can buy it for yourself right away, yes. The battery life of this thing is very small - if consumption increases, it is by a couple of percent per day. Moreover, the autonomy of the Galaxy A7 (2017) is wow! But more on this later, in the testing section.
To sum up, I can conclude that the screen of the Galaxy A7 (2017) is excellent, with a good picture, bright colors, the ability to fine-tune and very convenient function Always On.
The Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) also received an updated camera, as did the Galaxy A5 (2017). The predecessor had 13 megapixels, but now it is 16 megapixels. Although, of course, this did not affect the quality in any way - the shooting resolution only increased. But the update of frame processing algorithms has had an effect, so the smartphone takes better pictures.
The application that controls the camera has changed its interface. As always, insignificant, but noticeable. So filters are now pulled out with a slide gesture on the right, and shooting modes on the left.
From interesting modes There is Pro, where you can set photosensitivity, white balance and exposure compensation. Also useful will be HDR, hyperlapse - shooting slow-motion video (don't forget to put your phone on a tripod!), as well as Food, where they'll give you cool bokeh.
Maximum resolution, as always, is achieved with an aspect ratio of 4:3.
As you can see, the Galaxy A7 (2017) shoots decently. The frames are sharp, with good white balance, without flare. Overall, I liked it. Even in the evening the result is good.
The video is shot in Full HD resolution. 4K is still not available for Samsung smartphones unless it's a flagship.
The video also turned out well, although not in the newfangled 4K resolution.
The front camera also has its own modes, although there are significantly fewer of them.
The resolution of the front sensor has been noticeably increased - up to 16 MP, that is, equal to the rear one.
The shots from the front camera are also good, the colors are correct, and the white balance is not affected. True, there is a nuance - the lens is set to focus close, and therefore the photos came out so “blurred”.
The front camera also shoots video in Full HD.
The problem with video is the same as with photos - it’s good, but blurry if you don’t shoot close objects.
Basically Galaxy cameras I liked A7 (2017). The rear one takes pictures very well - it will suit many people. There are complaints about focusing on the front, but perhaps this will be fixed with a firmware update.
The Galaxy A line for 2017 includes three models: Galaxy A3 (2017), Galaxy A5 (2017) and Galaxy A7 (2017). Our type is like “senior”. And it’s not “like”, but it is – this is the most expensive model, although its characteristics correspond in every way to the Galaxy A5 (2017). Therefore, it is much more interesting to find out how they have changed in comparison with the Galaxy A7 (2016).
The most interesting thing is that the Galaxy A7 (2016) differed in terms of characteristics from the Galaxy A5 (2016) more significantly - the largest device had 1 GB more random access memory. Now this difference has been leveled - only the screen diagonal and battery capacity remain.
Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) has an Exynos 7880 Octa processor. It has eight Cortex-A53 cores operating at 1.88 GHz. The chip is manufactured using a 14-nm process technology, and therefore heats up less than the 28-nm Exynos 7580 of its predecessor. The frequency has increased noticeably - all cores operate at the same frequency. In principle, this is not the fastest chipset on the market, about “above average”, but its speed should be enough for everyone.
There are, however, some questions regarding the video card. Mali-T830 MP3 is a three-pipe accelerator, operating in this case at a frequency of 750 MHz. This mid-budget solution is not the slowest, but it’s not so easy to classify it as productive either. Of course, compared to the Exynos 7580 with its Mali-T720 MP2, the new video card has become noticeably better, but it still has to deal with Full HD screen resolution. Although, on the other hand, I did not notice any problems with performance.
The amount of RAM has not changed - it is still 3 GB. Obviously, they did not increase it to 4 GB, so as not to create unnecessary parallels with the Galaxy S7. Moreover, the Galaxy A7 (2017) has 32 GB of flash memory - a twofold increase here, which I strongly welcome.
The remaining characteristics are less significant, but still. So LTE is supported by category 6, that is, data reception can reach up to 300 Mbit/s. Bluetooth has been updated to version 4.2, Wi-Fi is now compatible with the high-speed 802.11ac standard. But USB Type-C is just a new fashionable connector, while the interface behind it is the old one, USB 2.0.
Generally Samsung specifications I rate the Galaxy A7 (2017) as good. The smartphone clearly does not use the very best components, and someone will say that some Xiaomi will offer a flagship for the same money. Well, let him offer it, but the value of a Korean phone is not only in its hardware, although it is good. Now see for yourself.
Performance testing
Now we'll find out how good the Galaxy A7 (2017) is compared to its predecessor, the 2016 model.
Well... both the old and the new system-wide tests showed a noticeable increase in performance.
There is no difference in the SunSpider browser test - obviously, it was not able to fully load the new chipset.
But three-dimensional tests show a noticeable increase in speed. I shouldn’t have blamed the video card; it has become much faster, which is good news.
Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) in Antutu
Now let's take a look at what the popular Antutu benchmark shows.
As you can see, here too the Galaxy A7 (2017) has become significantly faster than last year’s model. Although someone will say that “less than 100 thousand is nonsense.” Well, what can I say to that? This is nonsense, but in my opinion all these “parrots” are a very arbitrary thing. Moreover, if you consider what amazing autonomy the smartphone showed.
As always, I conduct the main test of autonomy.
The result obtained is not that much, but still noticeable better than Galaxy A7 (2016) – the new handset lasts longer and this is visible to the eye. It has almost a record value of all the tested devices. Better, perhaps, only .
The Antutu autonomy test shows a slightly different picture - the Galaxy A7 (2017) is almost twice as good as its predecessor. The tube really lasts a long time. It has the best performance of the entire Galaxy A line, and in general it will be difficult to find a smartphone on the market whose performance will be comparable. We won’t take bricks with mega-batteries into account, okay?
As is usually the case, most energy is consumed 3D games. All other tasks consume more or less the same charge.
In addition to internal optimizations, Samsung gives you the opportunity to customize energy consumption yourself. In the settings there are modes for increased energy saving, and optionally, individual applications can be allowed to work without restrictions.
So it turns out: Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) is a smartphone with decent, although not top-end, performance, as well as excellent battery life. The autonomy is really cool - one of the best.
Games on Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017)
Games on the Galaxy A7 (2017) run reliably, and there is enough memory for them.
- 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: excellent, the game does not slow down;
- N.O.V.A. 3: excellent, the game does not slow down;
- Dead Trigger: excellent, the game does not slow down;
- Dead Trigger 2: excellent, the game does not slow down;
- Real Racing 3: excellent, the game does not slow down;
- Need For Speed: No Limits: excellent, the game does not slow down;
- Shadowgun: Dead Zone: excellent, the game does not slow down;
- Frontline Commando: Normandy: excellent, the game does not slow down;
- Frontline Commando 2: excellent, the game does not slow down;
- Eternity Warriors 2: excellent, the game does not slow down;
- Eternity Warriors 4: excellent, the game does not slow down;
- Trial Xtreme 3: excellent, the game does not slow down;
- Trial Xtreme 4: excellent, the game does not slow down;
- Dead Effect 2: excellent, the game does not slow down;
- Plants vs Zombies 2: excellent, the game does not slow down;
- Dead Target: excellent, the game does not slow down;
- Injustice: Gods Among Us: excellent, the game does not slow down.
As you can see, none of the tested games slow down in any way.
BY
Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) received Android 6.0.1. To be honest, I expected more. It would be nice if it were a budget smartphone, but this model is only one step below the flagship – it’s a mess! In general, I wanted Android 7.0 out of the box, but I’ll have to wait for the update, I think, somewhere until the spring-summer of 2017.
Meanwhile, the phone has a proprietary TouchWIZ shell installed, in its most latest version. However, the desktops here have not changed in any way: on the left, as always, is the Briefing ribbon, and the rest are normal, with shortcuts and widgets.
But the notifications and quick settings panel has been updated, turned white and with new icons. There’s nothing fundamentally new here, it’s rather refreshed appearance. But the lock screen and task manager remain completely the same.
From the task manager, as always, you can activate the MultiWindow mode - splitting the screen into two parts, in each of which an application opens. Very relevant for such a large smartphone.
The design of the settings has changed, there are a little more items, they have new icons, and each one is given a larger width, which was used to good effect: a brief description is given under the section name.
You can customize quite a lot. For example, notifications that come from applications in the status bar have the ability to disable “cluttering”. Additional features include manual processing of screenshots, as well as advanced options for games where all notifications and something else are turned off.
Samsung also thought about a one-handed control mode a long time ago - let me remind you that it was the Koreans who came up with shovel phones. In general, on the Galaxy A7 (2017) you can shrink the keyboard and move it to the side, and also display the image in a smaller window.
Hidden in the “Optimization” section is what was previously called Smart Manager, and on other devices “Phone Manager” and the like. In fact, this application is an optimizer for RAM and flash memory consumption, as well as energy consumption. Knox Protected Mode is also activated here.
Samsung is also developing its own service, Samsung Cloud (an extremely original name!), in which you can store a backup copy of data from the device.
They also hid the theme configurator in the settings. Here you can download additional ones from the Internet, customize wallpapers and icons.
There are not many applications installed on the Galaxy A7 (2017). More precisely, not much, besides the standard set of calendar-calculator-hours-and-so-on. There is a set of utilities from Samsung, Google and Microsoft. From the latter - Skype and Microsoft Office.
Some proprietary programs can be downloaded from the Galaxy Apps store - Samsung did a very smart thing by placing them in a separate section of its store, rather than cluttering up the smartphone’s memory with them. Whoever needs it will download it. This thing is hidden under the Galaxy Essentials shortcut widget. There is a “Children” mode, a music player and music editor, business card and text recognition in general, an S Translator, and a simple graphic editor.
Of the installed ones, I would like to note the “Secure Folder” program. The name suggests what it does - it creates an encrypted folder that integrates with a standard file manager.
Also installed on the Galaxy A7 (2017) is a payment service application Samsung Pay– the company begins to actively distribute it.
There is a separate Samsung Notes application where you can create notes. It has been modernized and now it has become much more functional.
Other programs are the most common alarm clock, stopwatch, file manager and similar things that are on any smartphone.
I'll be honest: I'm subjective. I got used to the Samsung shell and once again it got better. So, fans of this company’s products, the Galaxy A7 (2017), and other representatives of this line, will not be disappointed. Well, as for the rest, it seems to me that everything is good and convenient, but if you are already accustomed to something specific, then the difference will begin to be felt. And so TouchWIZ, in terms of its operating logic, is not very different from “naked” Android.
Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) is impressive. Yes, it just “makes an impression” - it’s such a huge shovel, somewhat larger in size than any of the Galaxy Notes. In other words, if you wanted a phablet with good specifications, high build quality and great design, then this is here for you. It also has water protection, yes.
The device definitely has some disadvantages, and in my opinion, the main one is the identical characteristics of the Galaxy A5 (2017). It turns out that the older model differs only in screen diagonal and battery capacity, and costs significantly more. Someone else will not like the non-separable case and the lack of an LED indicator, although it is now well replaced by Always On.
Always On, by the way, is a very cool thing. And the rest of the smartphone is very good. Among the unmentioned advantages, I will cite a high-quality Super AMOLED screen, a USB Type-C connector (although some will write this down as a disadvantage), a fingerprint scanner, an excellent camera, and also excellent battery life. So how much is all this happiness worth?
Galaxy A7 (2017) price
You can buy a Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) for 33 thousand rubles. For the Galaxy A5 (2017) they are asking 28 thousand rubles, that is, the difference is 5 thousand - and this, I repeat, is only for the increased screen diagonal and increased battery capacity. In the meantime, what are competitors offering?
Meizu U20 is noticeably cheaper - only 20 thousand, but the characteristics are similar: 5.5-inch Full HD screen, 8-core MediaTek Helio P10 processor, 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal memory, the body is made of metal. What's wrong here? Well, look, a 3260 mAh battery plus a not so economical MediaTek processor - battery life will obviously be lower. There is also no water resistance and a fingerprint scanner, and the camera is 13 MP.
Motorola Moto Z Play sells for 30 thousand, that is, it costs more. There is a 5.5-inch AMOLED screen (worse than Super AMOLED from Samsung), a Snapdragon 625 chipset, 3/32 GB of memory, and a 3510 mAh battery. You can also mount external modules on the back - this is a feature of the entire Moto Z series. This is such an interesting image-functional model.
If it competes with the Galaxy A5 (2017), then the Nova Plus is the rival of the A7 (2017). The price here is lower, around 25 thousand, and the characteristics are comparable: Full HD IPS screen, Snapdragon 625, 16 MP camera with the ability to record 4K video, 3/32 GB of memory and a 3340 mAh battery. And yes, add here a stylish appearance and a metal body. But without moisture protection.
Pros:
- excellent design;
- excellent assembly;
- high-quality Super AMOLED screen with customizability;
- good cameras;
- The case is protected according to the IP68 standard;
- Fingerprint's scanner;
- USB Type-C connector;
- conveniently located audio jack;
- Always On function;
- very good autonomy.
Minuses:
- Android 6.0 out of the box (there will be an update to 7.0);
- the paint will rub off from the speaker;
- non-separable body;
- no LED event indicator above the screen;
- The specifications are no different from the Galaxy A5 (2017).
For some reason, there is an opinion among buyers that buying a smartphone in the mid-price category deprives them of many of the opportunities that they could get by purchasing a flagship of a similar brand. Samsung has tried to break this stereotype with its new A line.
On the agenda is a review of the Samsung Galaxy A7 2017. Unlike some, this model is protected from moisture and dust, supports Samsung Pay, has a cool camera and a high-quality display with the Always On function. But first things first.
Price and main characteristics
A7 is more expensive than other smartphones in this model line. You will have to pay about $580 for the device. 
Specifications:
- display: 5.7″ Super AMOLED, Full HD 1920*1080 px, 386ppi;
- processor: Samsung Exynos 7880 (1.9 GHz) + Mali-T830 MP3 video accelerator;
- RAM: 3 GB;
- internal memory: 32 GB + microSDXC flash cards up to 256 GB;
- camera: main – 16 MP, front – 16 MP;
- communication: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS, GLONASS, LTE;
- battery: 3600 mAh;
- dimensions: 156.8 x 77.6 x 7.9 mm;
- Weight: 186 g
IN model range Galaxy A 2017 A7 is the largest smartphone, so the choice of all users who want to purchase a phablet from the Korean company one way or another comes down to this model.
Equipment and appearance
Compared to last year's model, the A7's packaging remains virtually unchanged. The only difference is the 2017 designation on the right top corner boxes. The main technical characteristics of the device are highlighted at the back. 
The smartphone comes with a solid set of accessories: an in-ear headset, a charger, a Type-C cable and an OTG adapter. To ensure that owners of old microUSB cords are not left behind, a TypeC-MicroUSB adapter was also included in the box. 
By tradition, A series phones adopt the features of Samsung flagships of the previous generation. This time, the look of the A7 is almost copied from the Galaxy S7. Compared to last year's A7, the edges of the smartphone have acquired a slightly more rounded shape, and the metal frame around the body is now painted in the main color of the device. 
In Russia, only three color options are currently available: black, milky blue and gold. They may be joined by a pink version, which should hit shelves soon. 
The back and front panels of the phone are covered with glass. Its edges are smoothly rounded towards the aluminum frame. The design is monolithic, there are no gaps between individual materials. 
Under the 5.7-inch display on the front plane there is a familiar mechanical “Home” key with a built-in fingerprint scanner. On the right and left there are two touch pads: “Back” and “Switching applications”. 
The Samsung brand designation immediately catches the eye. It is located just below the earpiece strip above the screen. Here you can also see a proximity sensor and a 16-megapixel front camera. 
At the top there is a perforation for a microphone, as well as a slot for SIM and MicroSD cards. One of the indisputable advantages of the A7 is full support for two SIM cards and a memory card. 
The place for the second SIM card is located on the left side of the A7. Just above the slot there is a volume rocker. 
The screen activation button and multimedia speaker are located on the right side of the smartphone. 
On the bottom edge of the device there is a USB Type-C port, a conversational microphone and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. If you look closely, you can see two thin stripes - these are plastic antenna posts. 
Behind the 3D glass on the back panel there is a built-in 16-megapixel main camera with LED flash. Even lower is the Samsung logo. The 2017 A7 has a slightly different camera design. It has shrunk and now does not protrude above the body at all, which is why the back panel looks somewhat empty. 
During use, the relatively large size of the smartphone constantly makes itself felt. It can sometimes be difficult to operate it on the go with one hand, and because of the glass coating on both sides, the device tends to slip out of your hands every now and then. 
A7 2017 is certified according to the IP68 waterproof standard, thanks to which it is reliably protected from dust or water getting inside. The A7 can withstand a half-hour dive to a depth of 1.5 meters.
Screen
Since the A7 is the older model in the line, it is equipped with the largest 5.7-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1920*1080 pixels. Traditionally, pixels are placed using PenTile technology, but the looseness of fonts and pixelation of the image are absolutely not noticeable during standard use of the smartphone. Multi-touch supports up to 10 touches. 
The quality of the smartphone display, as always in older Samsungs, is at the highest level. Colors are not distorted and do not lose brightness when viewing angles change, the picture is contrasty, rich and rich. 
Screen color reproduction can be adjusted by changing preset modes. In the settings, “Adaptive screen”, “Cinema AMOLED” or “Photo AMOLED” are activated. Modes change colors from bright and saturated to more natural. There is also a blue light filter to reduce eye strain. 
The AlwaysOn Dispay function, first tested on flagship devices, has now appeared in the A line. The smartphone can display the date, time, battery charge and other basic information on the switched off display. AlwaysOn Display has virtually no effect on time battery life devices.
Performance
The Galaxy A7 is equipped with an octa-core Exynos 7880 processor, Mali T830MP3 graphics and 3GB LPDDR3 RAM. For applications and multimedia, there is 32 GB of internal memory, which can be expanded with microSD cards. 
The smartphone's hardware platform copes well with regular applications, smooth interface animation and most modern games. In WoT Blitz at maximum settings, we got a stable 35 frames per second in the most dynamic scenes. Results in AnTuTu: 
Of course, the A7 is not a gaming device. However, the smartphone is able to satisfy the needs of the vast majority of users. The Grace UX shell based on Android 6.0.1 works without lags or freezes, and the fingerprint scanner almost instantly recognizes the owner’s finger.
Camera
A-series smartphones are positioned as devices for active young people who regularly use the multimedia capabilities of their gadgets. The A7 relies on two 16-megapixel modules on the rear and front panels. 
The main camera is equipped with phase detection autofocus and LED flash. The optics have an aperture of f/1.9, but in terms of night photography this is far from the flagships. First of all, the lack of optical stabilization affects it. Samsung's decision not to implement this feature is doubly strange considering that last year's A7 had it.
During the day, you can take excellent photos in automatic and HDR modes. The second one copes well with shots against the sun, significantly expanding dynamic range. There is a panoramic shooting mode.
The front camera module is slightly inferior to the main one. However, it still shoots better than most other smartphones. Overall, the A7 is roughly in line with the S6 flagship launched two years ago.
Video examples:
In the native camera application, navigation is carried out mainly by swipes. Even a beginner can understand how to change a mode or some parameter thanks to the intuitive interface. For example, to go to a selfie, just swipe from top to bottom. Available shooting modes “roll out” when you swipe from left to right. 
Speaker, sound quality
The multimedia speaker is located on the right side of the smartphone, which is why the sound does not overlap in a vertical or horizontal position. The sound itself is a little muffled due to the moisture-proof membrane in the speaker. Samsung decided to sacrifice this component to protect the device. 
But the music sounds great in headphones. The standard headset delivers soft bass and clear highs. Individual parameters can be configured in the equalizer. There are UHQ upscalle and SoundAlive audio effects. With Adapt Sound technology, the A7 tailors sound to suit your needs hearing aid owner, so those who like to play with the equalizer will not be disappointed.
Battery
The A7 combines a 3,600 mAh battery with an energy-efficient processor and a SuperAMOLED screen to give the phone about 2 days of battery life. normal mode and 10 hours in a stress test (Wi-Fi on, maximum screen brightness, watching video). 
You can charge your smartphone using either a new cable or miniUSB. The kit includes an adapter for the new USB Type-C standard. Supported fast charging Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging, which fully charges the device in an hour and a half.
Communication and Internet
The Wi-Fi module of the smartphone operates using a\b\g\n\ac protocols. Using MIMO technology, you can significantly speed up the data exchange process. In this mode, the device simultaneously uses both antennas. Supports Bluetooth 4.2 with low power consumption technology. 
You can pay with your smartphone using Samsung Pay. To do this, the A7 was equipped with an NFC module that simulates a bank card. The connection between the device and satellites works flawlessly, the connection occurs in just a few seconds. GPS and GLONASS are used here.
Video review of Samsung Galaxy A7
Competitors, conclusion
- Good build quality
- Waterproof IP68
- Always On Display
- Great camera
- Long battery life
- No optical stabilization
- The sound quality of the speaker is degraded due to the moisture-proof membrane
Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) is a solid competitor to many smartphones in the mid-price segment. It pleases with its excellent design, good battery life, high-quality screen, protection from moisture and a bunch of new features that have migrated from the flagship to a cheaper model.
Classmates
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Specifications
- Android 6.0.1 with Clean UI, upgrade to Android 7
- Screen 5.7 inches, SuperAMOLED, FullHD, 386 ppi, automatic brightness adjustment, automatic brightness adjustment to suit your habits, color profiles, Corning Gorilla Glass 4, AlwaysOn Display
- Chipset Exynos 7880, 8 cores up to 1.9 GHz (Cortex A53), GPU Mali-T830MP3
- 3 GB of RAM, 32 GB of internal memory (about 23 GB of memory is available to the user out of the box)
- Battery Li-Ion 3600 mAh, fast charging, operating time in mixed mode - 2 days (test result), in 3G/4G data transfer mode - 13/16 hours, video playback - up to 19 hours, talk time - up to 23 hours
- Installing two nanoSIM cards, as well as a card microSD memory(up to 256 GB)
- Front camera 16 megapixels, f/1.9, facial enhancements (eyes, skin color, face tone)
- Main camera 16 megapixels, f/1.9, LED flash, autofocus
- Two microphones, noise reduction system
- IP68 water protection, up to 30 minutes at a depth of up to 1.5 meters
- FM radio
- Fingerprint sensor located on the front panel
- USB Type C 1.0
- 4G FDD LTE - B1(2100), B2(1900), B3(1800), B4(AWS), B5(850), B7(2600), B8(900), B17(700), B20(800), B28 (700); 4G FDD TDD - B38(2600), B40(2300), B41(2500)
- GPS, GLONASS, Beidou
- ANT+, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 2.4+5 GHz, NFC, USB 2.0, Bluetooth 4.2
- Sensors - accelerometer, barometer, fingerprint scanner, gyroscope, geomagnetic sensor, Hall sensor, proximity sensor, light sensor
- Samsung Pay
- Color options: black (Black Sky), gold (Gold Sand), blue (Blue Mist), pink (Peach Cloud)
- SAR value - 0.21 W/kg (head), 1.33 W/kg (body)
- Dimensions - 156.8x77.6x7.9 mm, weight - 186 grams
Contents of delivery
- Smartphone
- Charger with USB Type C cable
- Instructions
- Wired stereo headset
- “Paper clip” for removing the SIM tray
Positioning
In the A-series, phablets have always been in demand in smaller volumes than younger models with index 3 and 5. The most popular and in-demand form factor is devices with a diagonal of 5 inches, hence the maximum sales for A5, which is confirmed annually. At the same time, the Samsung A7 remains in demand, but it has much higher competition with Chinese flagships, of which there are a huge number on the market in a similar form factor.
Considering Samsung's position and weight in the market, the A7 can be considered a competitor to the iPhone 6 Plus; they are sold at the same price and occupy approximately the same position in the eyes of consumers. In Russia, the iPhone 6 Plus is sold as new (refurbished devices, that is, used), they have the same price as the 2017 A7. But these three-year-old devices have a plus in the form of an image component and a cart and a small cart of functions that are missing at the hardware level. We’ll talk about this in the conclusions, but for now I’ll focus on the fact that in the eyes of consumers these are equivalent devices.
Apple iPhone 6Plus
At the same time, Chinese brands in this price group are chosen not for the brand, but rather for the opportunities that they provide. And believe me, there is plenty to choose from, but often such models cost comparable and offer plus or minus the same functions, somewhere they have their own features, somewhere they are inferior to the A7 2017. But the model from Samsung definitely turned out to be successful for everyone who chooses a device from an A-brand for quality and reliability, as well as understandable and intelligible service maintenance. Sales of this model have already proven that it has succeeded; it is ahead of all competitors in its segment. Technically, the A7 is almost a complete replica of the 2017 A5; the battery and operating time, body size and screen diagonal differ, but otherwise it is the same good device.
Design, dimensions, control elements
In the A-series, the design is to some extent inherited from older models, the same body materials, no noticeable simplifications or savings. A7 models look expensive and stylish, regardless of what color you choose. There are four color options in total; there are no pink phones in Russia yet.
The mirror surface of the phone reflects the world around it, plays in the light, the device looks very interesting, and hand marks are practically invisible. I’ll add here that the screen with a splash screen can always work (AlwaysOn Display function), which almost none of its competitors have. In the end, we get an unusual device that has no analogues on the market; it can be distinguished from any other at first glance.
If we talk about which color is the best, then I like blue, it is a delicate shade, very unusual, perfect for girls, however, look for yourself.
Please note that the front and back panels are the same color, as is the side metal edging (6000 series aluminum). The device also looks good in pink, but it is definitely only for girls.
The gold phone is somewhat rustic, but everyone has their own tastes.
The fact that the device has a glass back and front does not hinder it at all, since Corning Gorilla Glass 4 is quite reliable and protected from accidental falls, although depending on your luck. This device is completely identical in mechanical protection to the Galaxy S6 EDGE, the quality is at the same level. I once recorded a video about how this phone survives collisions with sharp objects or asphalt, you can watch this video.
The innovation of the A-series in 2017 was water protection, which was taken from the S7/S7 EDGE, the implementation is exactly the same. The SIM card tray is protected by rubber gaskets, there are membranes on the microphones and speaker, the protection level is IP68, which allows the phone to be kept at a depth of 1.5 meters for up to half an hour. This does not mean that the phone needs to be washed under water, much less with soap or something similar. But if you drop it in water, nothing will happen to it. There are practically no models with water protection in this price segment.
Now about the control elements. Under the screen there is a mechanical key, it contains a fingerprint sensor, it is simplified compared to the S7/S7 EDGE, it works a little slower, but there are no problems because of this. Good decision, which just works. On either side of it are two touch keys.
On the left side there are two volume keys, on right side- on/off button. There is a microphone at the bottom and top ends, there is a noise reduction system, it does its job perfectly, you can be heard well in any conditions, even when the wind blows strongly in your face.
At the bottom there is a 3.5 mm jack for a headset or headphones, as well as a USB Type C connector for the charger. On the upper end and left side you can see trays, in the upper one a nanoSIM card and a memory card are installed, in the lower one there is a second nanoSIM card. In the A3, for example, installing two SIM cards and a memory card is impossible; it has a combined slot.
The speaker is located on the right side surface, due to this it can overlap in the pocket, and it will not be heard very well. The speaker itself is average in volume, but very pleasant.
The phone dimensions are 156.8x77.6x7.9 mm, weight - 186 grams. Like any phablet, it is quite large and fits well only in a wide man’s hand, but compared to its classmates it is quite compact, the roundness of the body plays a role. The device is not slippery, it is not at all necessary to use a case, but if you have a habit of letting go of the phone from your hands, then it is better to purchase a case.
Display
The presence of a SuperAMOLED screen has always been an advantage of the A-series; the technical characteristics of this display are as follows: 5.7 inches, SuperAMOLED, FullHD, 386 ppi, automatic brightness adjustment, automatic brightness adjustment to suit your habits, color profiles, Corning Gorilla Glass 4, AlwaysOn Display.
For my taste, the quality of the screen is excellent for its class, it has a large reserve of brightness in automatic mode, the display is easy to read in the sun, just like the previous year’s model (in the S7 EDGE the screen has greater brightness, as a result, it is even better in the sun) .
The screen has an AlwaysOn Display option, that is, you can see application icons, clocks or pictures all the time, the screen operation does not drain the battery much, in 12 hours it’s a couple of percent. Until now, this function has not been widely available in the mid-price segment, which noticeably makes the 2017 A7 stand out and puts it on par with Samsung flagships.
In terms of all its characteristics, the screen in the 2017 A7 outperforms its competitors; there is nothing better in this segment. As a result, this is one of the strengths of the model. I also like the fact that they introduced automatic brightness adjustment to suit your preferences; in the first two weeks, the phone “gets used to” you and adjusts to your taste.
Battery
The built-in Li-Ion battery has a capacity of 3600 mAh, supports fast charging (1 hour 35 minutes). There is no built-in wireless charging, which is found in flagship models.
In mixed mode, the device lives quietly for two days with 3-5 hours of screen operation, data transmission in LTE and two hours of calls.
Play unconverted video in HD quality in MX Player at maximum brightness - up to 19 hours! This is an excellent indicator considering the size of the battery; many Chinese show comparable results on a 5000 mAh battery.
The operating time of the 2017 A7 becomes its strong point; even with a heavy load, it will not be possible to discharge it faster than in a day; on average, this is two days. Those who use only calls can easily count on 5-6 days of work; of course, it all depends on the operator and the number of these calls. But in general, we can state the fact that operating time is the strong point of this model.
Traditionally, there is a power 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.
Communication capabilities
GPS/GLONASS works perfectly, a cold start takes about ten seconds, navigation works perfectly, there are no problems. By the way, this distinguishes A-brands from many Chinese companies, where the implementation of antennas is such that you can expect anything from typical functions.
Another strong point is the support of almost all necessary LTE frequencies, here the device also shows its strengths (analogues in this price segment cannot boast of this; as a rule, they save on antennas).
Finally, the device has NFC and ANT+ support, which will appeal to those who use sports sensors. Bluetooth version 4.2.
If we talk about Wi-Fi, then it uses 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 2.4+5 GHz, there is a repeater mode (distributing a Wi-Fi signal to other devices as an access point).
The version is USB 2.0, but the USB Type C (1.0) connector is used, so fans of modern connectors will be happy; for the rest, it’s time to come to terms with the transition to the new standard.
Memory, RAM, performance
Samsung uses its own chipsets in A-series models, which can be considered a plus; they are improving from year to year. For example, in 2016, chipsets in the A-series were made at 28 nm, now it is 14 nm, which gives an increase in performance and operating time. The chipset in the A7 2017 is Exynos 7880, 8 cores up to 1.9 GHz (Cortex A53), Mali-T830MP3 graphics processor.
In synthetic tests, this processor performed well. In real life, everything also works perfectly, you will not experience any shortcomings in performance, the model is at the same level, and the safety margin will last for at least a couple of years.
The device has 32 GB of internal memory (23.1 GB available), memory cards can be up to 256 GB. 3 GB of RAM, which is enough for most consumers. And given the screen resolution, everything becomes very good, this solution is balanced, and there are no noticeable compromises.
Camera
The front camera is 16 megapixels (f/1.9), as usual, there is no autofocus, so it’s worth finding the distance from which the pictures are best taken, this is about half a meter, that is, an outstretched arm. The quality of the front camera is good, but don't expect anything special from it; after all, the main camera is better. There is a traditional improvement in skin color and tone, you can enlarge your eyes, and at the same time make your face thinner. Girls will definitely like these “improvements”.
The main camera is 16-megapixel (f/1.9), of course, there is autofocus, as well as additional shooting modes, including PRO, but it differs from the flagships, since the camera is simpler. This camera is on par with the best Chinese manufacturers or a little better, that is, it gives good, rich pictures during the day and indoors; in the dark it is not so good, but this is generally typical for this segment. There is no 4K mode when recording video, but it is unlikely that consumers of this device need it so much, since recording regular FullHD video will completely satisfy them.
Look at the examples of pictures and videos, I think they themselves will tell you everything about the quality of the camera.
Software
The model was originally released on Android 6.0.1, but many interface elements are similar to what we see in Android 7 and Clean UI on S7/S7 EDGE. I advise you to read about what appeared in Android 7, since this model will soon receive this version OS.
I won’t describe the standard Android functions; you can read about them in a detailed review.
Unlike top models, there is a built-in FM radio, which looks like a nice bonus.
When using KNOX, you can install any program in duplicate, for example, install two WhatsApp messengers on one device and use them for each SIM card (two numbers, two messengers). You can even correspond with yourself. Exactly the same trick can be done with any software; not a single phone allows you to simultaneously work with two instant messengers on the same device with different numbers. Today, many Chinese manufacturers offer something similar in their smartphones, but the implementation is different everywhere.
Of course, this model supports the Samsung Pay service.
I will not dwell on standard software from Samsung, for example, S Health, you can find relevant articles on our website.
Impression
The vibration alert is average, the ringer volume is also average - perhaps I would like there to be more headroom, but the phone is still audible, and you can feel it in your pockets when it vibrates. Rather, there is no reserve in terms of volume, but how will anyone perceive this moment? The device cannot be called quiet.
In the 2017 lineup, the A7 stands a little apart, since it is a phablet and is bought primarily for its screen size. That is, those who are used to watching videos on a smartphone, playing games, are buying, and a person needs a long operating time on a single charge. Among the advantages that competitors do not have, of course, is AlwaysOn Display, excellent operating time on a single charge. But it’s impossible to say that this model has no competitors at all.
As mentioned at the beginning, such a competitor could be the three-year-old iPhone 6 Plus (and a refurbished one), its price is 29,990 rubles for the 64 GB version. Good amount of memory, but no IP68 protection, no memory cards, no FM radio and lower resolution screen. Moreover, Apple fans themselves are discouraging buying this model, since they consider its processor to be quite weak for the current moment and say that the iPhone 6 Plus was outright unsuccessful (three years would have to have passed to admit the obvious). On the other hand, for those who choose the brand, this iPhone can be a good purchase for a relatively reasonable price.
A very strong competitor is Meizu Pro 6 Plus, this device does not have memory cards (64 or 128 GB of memory), it does not have protection against water, but otherwise it is very interesting, since with the same diagonal it has a SuperAMOLED screen from Samsung, Exynos 8890, that is, more powerful processor, 4 GB RAM. It has a separate DSP for audio processing and it sounds very, very good. And it looks good, all this at a price of 35,000 rubles for the base model (you can easily find it for 5-7 thousand rubles cheaper, even cheaper if you order from China). As for me, this is a device of a slightly different class in terms of filling, it is worth paying close attention to.
For about the same 34,990 rubles (versus 29,990 rubles for the A7 2017) you can buy a Xiaomi Mi Note 2. It has a design reminiscent of Samsung flagships, with a curved glass front panel, 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal memory.
If we simplify the characteristics, then on the market you can find many models of phablets in the segment from 20 to 25 thousand rubles, they will be conditionally comparable to the A7 2017, but if you go into details, it will begin to become clear that they often do not have a fingerprint sensor, security from water, easier screens and so on.
You can choose the 2017 A7 for its screen size, 5.7 inches versus 5.2 in the A5. However, in other respects these devices are almost similar, everything is the same. In the table you can see how all A-series devices differ.
The price of the 2017 A7 in Russia is 29,990 rubles; for comparison, the previous year’s model costs 23,990 rubles. In my opinion, the advantage of the 2017 device is obvious, it is IP68 protection, AlwaysOn Display, updated Android and new operating modes, increased battery life, best performance. In a word, it’s worth finding the money and buying an updated model; it will definitely last longer.
The bottom line is that the 2017 A7 is a very nice device, and of course it has support for Samsung Pay, if that's a concern for you. For those who are accustomed to buying A-brands, believe that this is justified, and are not looking for any additional benefits, this device will suit the court and will not disappoint. It has no serious disadvantages, which has already been verified over several months of sales.
Samsung this year presented fairly high-quality Android devices in the mid-price category, releasing three A-series smartphones with water protection. In this review we will look at the largest of them, the Galaxy A7. Its specifications are in many ways similar to the Galaxy A5 smartphone, including the same 14 nm processor and 16 megapixel camera, but at the same time it has become half an inch longer along the diagonal of the screen and the battery capacity has increased by 20%. Is this enough to justify the price difference?
Contents of delivery
- Smartphone Samsung Galaxy A7
- User manual and warranty
- SIM Removal Tool
- USB-A cable>USB-C
- White Samsung OEM EHS64 headphones
- 15W charger
Design
On the table, the Galaxy A7 2017 looks like a standard black block, but when you pick it up, you immediately feel like a premium device. The smartphone is available in several color options, including a nice blue. Samsung has started producing smartphones made of metal and glass not only in the upper price category, as a result of which the Galaxy A7 has a dark metal frame between two glass plates. This is not Gorilla Glass 5; it is better not to put too much pressure on the glass to prevent it from cracking.
The Galaxy A7 is a fairly large smartphone, the screen size is 5.7 inches, so you need to get used to it and try not to drop it out of your hands. The main disadvantage of the device stems from its large screen, since working with it with one hand is not very convenient, especially if you also put a case on it.
The sides of the case are filled with various elements more densely than usual. Samsung has moved the speaker from the bottom to the right side above the Home button. Here it will be more difficult to accidentally close it with your hand, for example, if you are watching a video and holding your smartphone in landscape mode. The power button is located on the right side, the volume button is on the left and it is quite thin, but it is made of strong metal and does not vibrate, it is easy to find and press without looking.
The smartphone has two SIM card slots, at least in the tested version. These slots are not hybrid, so two SIM cards and a microSD memory card can be used simultaneously. In addition, SIM cards can be changed on the go, without having to turn off the smartphone. It is not recommended to do this with the second slot at the top, since the microSD is also located there; if something is written to it at this moment, the information may be lost.
Screen
It uses a 5.7-inch Super AMOLED panel with a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels. This resolution is enough to get a high-quality image without wasting energy, but you can complain about the viewing angles. At the slightest tilt of the device, the colors become too cold and bluish, which can be annoying.
Apart from this, when working with the smartphone in basic mode, it produces fairly accurate colors. By default, the adaptive screen mode is used, the colors here are too rich. The brightness of the screen is quite high, the reflection coefficient is low, so it is convenient to work with it outdoors.
There is also an Always On Display mode, which shows the time, date and notifications when the screen is off. Good text contrast makes it easy to see, but this mode reduces battery life.
Interface and functionality
Galaxy A7 runs operating system Android Marshmallow, on top of which is installed Samsung shell, which replaced TouchWiz. The interface is cleaner and more spacious, more connected and thoughtful. It resembles the updated interface of the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge on Android Nougat, which in turn borrowed elements of the Grace interface from the Galaxy Note 7.
Samsung has done a great job on the user interface. It not only looks good, but is also easy to use. The company has polished the core apps, which are much more enjoyable to use: Samsung's calendar is now faster, shows weather information, mail looks better and Gmail is easier to set up, the Weather app is great, the list goes on and on.
The new pull-down notification panel looks sleek and offers a few additional settings. New features include the ability to search for applications in the application list, two new shortcuts allow you to enter a search in the Play Store or in the store Samsung applications. The settings on this manufacturer's smartphones have always been confusing, but now they are clearer and more organized. The new manager detects malicious and energy-consuming applications and helps solve problems associated with them.
Secure folders, introduced for the first time in Galaxy Note 7, are now available. You can send important applications here so that only you can access them. Here you can even create a separate Google account.
Galaxy A7 2017 has a high quality keyboard. Samsung keyboard is one of the most accurate and fastest on Android, it is pleasant to type on, including because the buttons are clearly separated.
The only drawback of the Samsung interface is the lack of support for some useful gestures. For example, on most smartphones, the usual movement of your fingers opens the notification panel. On the large screen of this smartphone, such a movement would be very convenient. Double taps, swipes and other movements on the screen to unlock it are also not supported; you have to use a physical button. Rumors say that Android 8.0 will bring support for such gestures to everything Android shell How Android Nougat brought split-screen.
Processor, performance and memory
Galaxy A7 2017 uses new processor mid-level, which is 36% more efficient than its predecessor. This is an 8-core Exynos 7880 with Cortex-A53 cores, built on a modern technological process 14 nm FinFET. Nothing special to say about him, clock speeds he is inferior compared to the best Snapdragon processors, uses a simpler Mali graphics chip. The architecture tries to distribute work threads in a balanced manner.
Despite periodic slowdowns and lags, the operation of the smartphone is quite smooth, especially considering its functional interface. Device with clean Android version would work even faster, but it would have limited interface and graphics functionality. I would like to see 4 GB of RAM, as this would speed up the process of switching between applications and the speed of their launch.
The volume of built-in flash memory is 32 GB, 24 GB is available to the user. The Duo version has a microSD card slot.
Connection
The LTE 4G communication standard is supported, there is NFC, which allows you to work with payment system Samsung Pay. There is also dual-band Wi-Fi, which is useful in crowded cities. Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, Glonass, BeiDou and USB type C are available.
Camera
The Galaxy A7 has 16 MP front and rear cameras. There's a single LED flash on the back and an f/1.9 lens, but there's no stabilization and it doesn't support 4K video recording.
The smartphone has an excellent updated camera application. Supported quick start: Double click on Home button launches the camera. The application has become much cleaner, Samsung has removed all unnecessary things. Rarely used settings have been removed from the main screen, leaving only the shutter button, start video recording, gallery link, flash control, settings and a button to switch to the front camera.
If you need white balance or ISO, you'll need to swipe left and select Pro shooting mode, where manual controls are available. Swiping your finger to the right opens HDR, Panorama and other modes. There are also different filters available to change the color and style of your photos.
Photo quality
The quality of the resulting images is at a high level. Particularly impressive are the vibrant colors and good dynamic range of daylight photos. The camera is quite fast and focuses quickly in automatic mode. Unfortunately, photos come out soft and sometimes blurry because there is no optical stabilization.
In low light, blur and lack of stabilization are even more noticeable, resulting in blurry photos, so it's best to hold the camera as confidently as possible when shooting. As for the front camera, 16MP seems more like a marketing statement as the detail doesn't look particularly high. Photos turn out quite well when there is sufficient lighting, but difficulties often arise in complex dynamic scenes.
Video quality
The Galaxy A7 can shoot video with a maximum resolution of 1080p, since this is not the most best processor. However, the video quality even at this resolution is not very high. While colors are decent, as is dynamic range, every subtle hand movement results in shaky video. It looks as if there is not only optical, but also software image stabilization, so you need to hold the smartphone very firmly in your hands. Continuous autofocus is fast, although not as good as Samsung's Dual Pixel technology.
Sound quality
As mentioned above, the location of the speaker has been changed. It is located on the right side of the case, next to the power button. This was the right decision, since it is now difficult to block the speaker with your hand in any orientation of the smartphone. The sound quality of this little speaker is good, the volume is higher than expected and the sound is full, although it may lack depth.
Call quality
The top speaker on the Galaxy A7 2017 is also quite high quality, the volume is at a high level. The sound is clear, without unnecessary noise or distortion. Voices are easy to recognize and don't sound muffled like they do on waterproof ones. Sony smartphones, although there is also a waterproof seal around the earlobe.
The two microphones do a great job and capture your voice clearly and loudly, making it sound natural and understandable. There are two noise-canceling microphones that eliminate unnecessary sounds.
Autonomous operation
It is unknown what Samsung did with the batteries on Galaxy smartphones A this year, but they work for a very long time. Galaxy A5 2017 lasted 11 hours in tests with a 3000 mAh battery. The Galaxy S7 with the screen on worked 20% more, the battery capacity here is 3600 mAh. This means 13 hours with the screen on at 200 nits of brightness.
Apart from a few smartphones with 4000-5000 mAh batteries, the Galaxy A7's main competitor in this test was the Moto Z Play Droid, which doesn't have a waterproof case, charges significantly slower, and has a worse screen-to-body ratio for the same price.
A large battery and a 1080p screen provide long battery life, while smartphones with Quad HD screens can only last 6-9 hours. Because Samsung is the manufacturer and consumer of the screens, processors and memory of its smartphones, it is able to optimize them for improved energy efficiency. For example, the Honor 8 smartphone: it works with the screen on for 9 hours, uses a Huawei Kirin 950 16 nm processor, a 5.2-inch screen with a 1080p resolution, like the Galaxy A5 2017, while its operating time is 20% shorter with a similar battery.
So, if you're looking for a smartphone that can last you through the weekend, look no further than the Galaxy A3, Galaxy A5, and Galaxy A7. The Galaxy S7 charges from zero to 100% in 104 minutes.
Conclusion
As you can understand from everything written above, the Galaxy A7 2017 turned out to be quite successful. If it weren't for the camera's shortcomings of blurry photos and shaky video, it would be considered excellent across the board.
However, the device performs well in one of the main indicators, battery life. It is one of the highest among smartphones in the mid-high price category.
You can also note high quality calls, premium quality housing, sophisticated interface with extensive functionality. The icing on the cake is the protection of the case from water.
Based on the above, the user will have to decide whether such a smartphone is worth the $450 price. Without paying too much extra, you can buy a Galaxy S7 with Dual camera Pixel. Not counting the larger screen, the Galaxy A7 lasts almost twice as long, which for many is the highlight of a smartphone.
pros
- Battery life
- Call quality
- No need to turn off your smartphone when changing SIM card or memory card
- Elaborate functional interface
- Waterproof case
Minuses
- Blurred photos
- Shaking video
- No video recording at 4K resolution
- Large fragile glass body
- Changing color temperature when tilting the screen
