Sleek and Edgy: Samsung Galaxy A5 Review

Samsung has been a popular favourite owing to the affordable cost of mobiles that it offers the consumers. Most of the models target the mid-budget section and are populated with features that are attractive and useful for the daily needs of a person. Some time back, it launched the A-series, which had a metallic touché to the design. In continuation with this league is the Samsung Galaxy A5 with a metallic finish, which is simply difficult to observe. Apart from the design, it is backed up by good hardware and software that supports the system performance big time. One will also be happy with the camera quality as well as with the connectivity options as the 4G connectivity is levied in this model. So, let’s take a tour at the detailed analysis.

Specifications

Samsung Galaxy A5 key specifications are as follows:

• 5 inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen
• 2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410
• 2 GB of RAM
• 16 GB internal memory along with microSD card slot, which can be expanded up to 64 GB
• 13 MP primary camera with LED flash
• 5 MP VGA front camera
• 2G/ 3G/4G network support
• Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS and NFC
• 2300 mAh battery
• Android version v4.4.4(Kitkat) upgradable to v5.0.2(Lollipop)

Externals: Design and Display

One of the strikingly attractive features of Samsung Galaxy A5 is its design. Measuring 69.7X139.3X6.7 mm, this sleek phone is a marvel to the eyes. It encompasses a deep royal blue colour pane whose monochrome charm is simply attractive. Catering to the norms of A-series, the hot blue steel rim gels in with the metallic finish, which is quite mesmerizing. Though, it still has a plastic back panel, it very well complements the blue metallic tinge. The pearly hint gels in well and enhances the chamfered edges giving it a regal appeal. On the side, slot for nano SIM is provided along with a slot for inserting a memory card, if the need for expandable memory arises. The camera along with flash is provided on the top area of the backside panel while, on the front right side, one can see the front camera. The back-pane is plastic and is non-removable, which we think is quite great with the design. The entire body design is appealing to the eyes, and we think that Samsung has a done a marvellous job for this model. The model weighs a pretty 123 grams, which is quite lightweight in comparison to the other models in the market. Thin, sleek and manageable are the apt words to describe it

 The display of Samsung Galaxy A5’s is also quite attractive. A 5-inch super AMOLED screen is imbibed with a screen resolution of 720X1280, 294ppi pixel density. Some amazing photographs can be taken with sharp and contrasting 16-M colour palette.

The colour capturing power is quite superb, but there is a bit of blurring effect when exposed to sunlight. The front camera of 5-megapixels also does a good job of capturing selfies and video calling. Videos at the rate of 30 fps can be captured with a resolution of 1080 pixels, which is simply remarkable. Though image stabilization feature is missing in this model, the overall performance of the camera is quite adorable.

Internals: Hardware and Software

The hardware of Samsung Galaxy A5 is powered by 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410 processor, which does a great job at equipping all the relevant software’s and executing them in the 5-inch screen. Snapdragon is a trademark of Samsung, and hence there was no surprise in this segment. The chipset is clocked at 1.2 GHz, which speaks of the power pact performance of the model. With USB ports, a slot for Nano SIM, a slot for a memory chip, and jack for headphones, the hardware of Samsung Galaxy A5 can be rated as average. It is backed by a battery of 2300mAH (which is less than its flagship version) that provides a standby talk time for up to 15 hours.

As for the software, though the model comes with Android v4.4.4 KitKat, it has the flexibility of getting upgraded to v5.0.2 Lollipop. This expandable feature, which automatically updates the internal system, is the highlight of the phone.

Various applications can be run smoothly on the device without any major hassles. Accelerometer, proximity and compass are the standard. Though the resolution is not very high, it supports the graphics required for playing games very nicely. In the software department, we would rate this as above average.

Camera and Connectivity

For a mid-range phone, Samsung Galaxy A5’s camera is quite a hit. The 13-MP rear camera is capable of capturing myriad types of pictures with ease. In fact, the viewing angle of the display is also quite attractive. Though some blurring effect could be seen while capturing photos in dim light such as after sunset, overall the camera is quite appealing. A 5-Megapixels front camera is also provided which is designed in a way to help capture the best of the best selfie. The Camera does a decent job and is perfect for common man uses. Videos can also be captured at 1080p at 30fps, which is good for this model. Other additional features, which are included, are geo-tagging, face detection and panoramic view. We sure to miss the HDR feature; however, the overall result of the camera is good enough for this model.

Samsung Galaxy A5’s has the inbuilt 4G connectivity, which is one of its highlights. Though the speed is not at par with the higher range models, this feature itself is a great go ahead for the model. In addition, other connectivity channels such as 2G, 3G, NFC (in LTE) and GPS are also available. As far as connectivity is concerned, Samsung Galaxy A5 has no surprises.

Conclusion

All in all, one can conclude that this is a mid-range Android smartphone, which can be bought for its impeccable design. All its other features are standard. However, the model is power pact with myriad applications and the best part is the affordable range that it comes in.