Samsung A5 description of buttons. Review of Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017): average with water protection and cool selfies

New smartphones are getting bigger, and their components are getting smaller. Nowadays nano-type SIM cards are used. If you have a new large SIM card, released after 2011, you can trim it with a special device. It is better to reissue old cards because they stop working after cutting.

To install a SIM card into the phone, we will use the included pin to pull out the compartment for the SIM card and flash drive. Next, insert the card and push it back into the phone. The compartment on the left side is intended for card No. 1. The upper compartment is for card No. 2. For clarity, I suggest watching the video:

How to take a screenshot on Samsung A5?

You can get a screenshot on the Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 by holding down the power button on the right side and the bottom button on the left side. After about three seconds, you will hear a sound similar to a camera shutter being released. The signal means that the screen has been photographed. The result can be found in the gallery.

How to set a ringtone on Samsung A5 2017?

To set a ringtone, go to the settings tab and from there to the “Sounds and vibration” item. We choose where you want to put a melody or sound - a notification or SMS for a call. A music tab will open, where we select the desired track. If you need a melody for a specific contact, then click “Phone” - “Contacts”. From the list we find the desired subscriber. Go to “Details” - “Edit” - “More”. At the very end of the list of parameters there is a “Ringtone” item. Click “Allow access to media data” (if not already allowed) and at the very bottom, in addition to standard melodies, the “Add from phone” button will appear. Next, select the track you like and you’re done. In order for the melody to be located in the general list, using any file manager we place it in the sdcard/Notifications folder.

As a last resort, use a hard reset, which is described below.

How to reset Samsung A5 to factory settings?

To reset all settings to factory settings, do the following:

1. A fully charged device must be turned off.
2. Press three buttons simultaneously: “Volume+”, “Home”, “Power”
3. When the logo appears, release all buttons.
4. After 5-10 seconds, you will enter the “Recovery menu” and the robot logo will appear. Press “Power” and “Volume+” at the same time. Release both buttons.
5. Go to the item “Wipe data / factory reset”. The cursor moves with “Volume”, you need to confirm with “Power On”.
6. Select "Yes - delete all user data" when prompted and then click "Power" once to reboot.

If there is any misunderstanding, watch the video on resetting the Galaxy A5 2017:

How to record a conversation on Samsung A5?

Without considering the legal and legal aspects of recording a telephone conversation, to enable this function, use third-party programs from the Play Market. For example, “Call recording - Automatic Call Recorder”, “C Mobile”, “lovekara” “CallX - Call/conversation recording”. The first program that recorded automatically helped me. Its only drawback is the abundance of various advertisements.

A highly overrated model with average performance in a metal case

Almost two weeks ago, the presentation of the new Samsung Galaxy A3 and A5 smartphones took place, around which there have been many rumors for a long time and which were awaited with special interest. The main highlight of the new series of mobile devices is the transition from the use of plastic, traditional for Koreans, in cases to real metal: both new products received all-metal aluminum cases. With this step, the company finally met the expectations of many, because the main reason for criticism of Samsung from users has always been the questionable design, as well as the stubborn reluctance to offer metal as a material in the production of mobile device cases.

But still, this is not the main sensation: the high price at which the Korean company is going to sell its new smartphones, which in all respects are not only far from the flagship ones, but even the “solid average”, is a stretch. The Samsung Galaxy A5 smartphone, which we tested, turned out to be built on an entry-level chip, equipped with a far from flagship screen with a resolution of 720p, lacking most of the functions and capabilities of its top-end counterparts, but is sold at the price of a full-fledged flagship.

Video review

To get started, we suggest watching our video review of the Samsung Galaxy A5 smartphone:

Now let's take a look at the characteristics of the new product.

Main characteristics of Samsung Galaxy A5 (model SM-A500F/DS)

	Samsung Galaxy A5	Huawei Ascend G7	Sony Xperia C3	LG L Bello	Acer Liquid Jade
Screen	5″, Super AMOLED	5.5″, IPS	5.5″, IPS	5″, IPS	5″, IPS
Permission	1280×720, 294 ppi	1280×720, 267 ppi	1280×720, 267 ppi	854×480, 196 ppi	1280×720, 294 ppi
SoC		Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (4 Cortex-A53 cores) @1.2 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 (4 Cortex-A7 cores) @1.2 GHz		MediaTek MT6582 (4 Cortex-A7 cores) @1.3 GHz
GPU	Adreno 306	Adreno 306	Adreno 305	Mali 400 MP	Mali 400 MP
RAM	2 GB	2 GB	1 GB	1 GB	1 GB
Flash memory	16 GB	16 GB	8 GB	8 GB	8 GB
Memory card support	microSD	microSD	microSD	microSD	microSD
operating system	Google Android 4.4	Google Android 4.4	Google Android 4.4	Google Android 4.4	Google Android 4.4
Battery	non-removable, 2300 mAh	non-removable, 3000 mAh	non-removable, 2500 mAh	removable, 2540 mAh	non-removable, 2100 mAh
Cameras		rear (13 MP; video 1080p), front (5 MP)	rear (8 MP; video 1080p), front (5 MP)	rear (8 MP; video 1080p), front (1.3 MP)	rear (13 MP; video 1080p), front (2 MP)
Dimensions and weight	139×70×6.7 mm, 123 g	153×77×7.6 mm, 172 g	156×78×7.6 mm, 150 g	138×71×10.7 mm, 137 g	140×69×7.5 mm, 110 g
average price	T-11755838	T-11030516	T-10958363	T-11036010	T-11168663
Samsung Galaxy A5 offers	L-11755838-10

• SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916), 4 cores ARM Cortex-A53 (64-bit), 1.2 GHz
• GPU Adreno 306
• Operating system Android 4.4.4
• Touch display Super AMOLED, 5″, 1280×720, 294 ppi
• Random access memory (RAM) 2 GB, internal memory 16 GB
• SIM cards: 2 Nano-SIM
• Support for microSD memory cards or a second SIM card
• Data transmission LTE Ca4 (150/50 Mbit/s)
• Bluetooth 4.0, NFC
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotspot, Wi-Fi Direct
• GPS/A-GPS, BDS, Glonass
• Position, proximity, lighting sensors, electronic compass
• Camera 13 MP (F2.0), autofocus, LED flash
• Camera 5 MP (F2.2), front
• Battery 2300 mAh
• Dimensions 139×70×6.7 mm
• Weight 123 g

Appearance and ease of use

Regarding the design, it can be stated that there are still no breakthroughs here. In appearance, the new devices are practically indistinguishable from their predecessors. This is especially true for the front panel - the easily recognizable style of Samsung smartphones has not changed at all.

As for materials, the devices actually received metal cases, and entirely made of this material. That is, the back wall and sides in such a case form a solid “trough”, and gluing occurs in the place where the glass of the screen adjoins the metal in the front part.

However, either the Koreans did not have enough experience in handling metal, or the design idea failed, but everyone recognized the fact: Samsung managed to make such a case out of metal that no one but themselves could notice it. The metal here is carefully primed and painted so that it gives the complete impression that this is plastic, both in appearance and to the touch. The presence of metal can be recognized only by surfaces that are colder than plastic, and by unpainted chamfers on the side edges. And this required confirmation from the company representatives themselves, because in previous models the Koreans very skillfully faked their plastic rims to look like real metal. And yet, why it was necessary to hide the metal so carefully under paint remains a mystery. The explanations of the company representatives - they say this was done solely for better grip on the palm - are hard to believe.

“I am very glad that Samsung honored me and invited me to participate in the announcement of the new series of Samsung Galaxy A smartphones in Russia. As an Olympic champion, I am especially pleased with this cooperation, since Samsung has been supporting the Olympic movement for many years,” said Viktor An, a Russian athlete, six-time Olympic champion in short track, during the presentation. “I am so proud of Samsung for creating great innovations that help Olympic athletes and millions of people around the world every day. I am confident that the Samsung A series smartphones presented today will, as always, be a great success!”

Distracting from Samsung's unusual behavior and moving on to a direct statement of facts, we can note: the Galaxy A5 device was not large, not heavy and not thick. The phone looks and feels similar to other sleek five-inch options like the Nexus 5, Lenovo Vibe X2 or Alcatel Idol X+. Due to its small size, the device fits well in the hand, although the hard, sharp and straight wide edges clearly do not add comfort when handling the device.

As already mentioned, the back wall and sides are made of metal, the case has no removable elements, and you can’t get to the battery on your own. Accordingly, the SIM card and memory card are installed in the side slots, sliding into them on a metal slide. According to the not very pleasant tradition that has developed recently, it is proposed to compromise and choose only one of the possible options for using cards: either install two Nano-SIM cards without the possibility of expanding the memory, or put a microSD card in the second slot, but then The device will not work with two SIM cards. This strange idea of ​​saving captured the minds of not only Chinese developers, but, as it turned out, Korean ones too. It is completely unclear what benefits such a solution should provide - after all, the market is full of devices with simultaneous support for two SIM cards and a memory card, and even with two “full-size” Mini-SIM cards, there is nothing special about it.

Despite the fact that the smartphone body is not super thin, the camera module nevertheless protrudes noticeably from the back wall. In this matter, the new Samsung smartphones turned out to be no better than the notorious Apple iPhone 6/6 Plus, which only the lazy did not “wash their bones” for this option of placing the camera module.

On both sides of the camera lens, the same square-shaped LED flash and chrome speaker grille are symmetrically distributed. Since the protruding camera module does not allow the grille to overlap with the surface of the table, the sound of a smartphone lying on the table is practically not muffled. But they didn’t provide a built-in flashlight mode for the flash; the flash module itself has only one section.

The front of the smartphone is completely covered with protective Gorilla Glass, adjacent directly to the metal frame, without any padding. A longitudinal hole is cut in the glass for the chrome speaker grille. The sensors and the front camera peephole are visible nearby. It’s strange, but there was no place in the device for such a useful element as an LED notification sensor.

At the bottom, under the screen, there is the usual oval mechanical key and two touch buttons on either side of it. The buttons have a bright white backlight with the ability to adjust the duration. The front panel under the glass has a dotted texture, which makes the smartphone prettier and more expensive.

On both sides there are mechanical volume and lock keys; the buttons are quite large, hard, and metallized; there are traditionally no complaints about the controls in Samsung devices. But this time the Micro-USB 2.0 connector and the audio output for headphones with a diameter of 3.5 mm are clustered on one, lower end, very close to each other. Accordingly, there is nothing on the top end except a second auxiliary microphone. It’s simply amazing, but the creators of a smartphone priced at 24 thousand rubles didn’t even bother to equip it with OTG (USB Host) support.

The smartphone is not protected from dust and moisture, does not support wireless charging, and there is no strap mount on the case. In addition to the white color option, there will also be a dark blue Galaxy A5 on sale, in which all elements, including the side frame and the front panel under the glass, are also painted in the same body color.

Screen

The Samsung Galaxy A5 smartphone is equipped with a Super AMOLED touch matrix. The physical dimensions of the display are 62x110 mm, diagonal - 5 inches. The screen resolution in pixels is only 1280×720 (dot density 294 ppi), such a resolution is low for a device in the price category that the hero of the review claims to be. The Galaxy A5's five-inch screen area is not that small, and the screen is made using Pentile technology.

The display brightness has manual and automatic adjustment, the latter based on the operation of the light sensor. There is also a proximity sensor that blocks the screen when you bring the smartphone to your ear. Multi-touch technology allows you to process 10 simultaneous touches. The side frames around the screen are not impressive: the distance from the edge of the body to the edge of the screen on the sides is about 4 mm, and on the top and bottom - approximately 14 mm. Unlocking the screen by tapping or any other gesture is not provided, and nothing is said about the possibility of working with the screen while wearing gloves.

A detailed examination using measuring instruments was carried out by the editor of the “Monitors” and “Projectors and TV” sections, Alexey Kudryavtsev. Here is his expert opinion on the screen of the sample under study.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface that is scratch-resistant. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are no worse than those of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) screen (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photograph in which a white surface is reflected when the screens are turned off (on the left is Nexus 7, on the right is Samsung Galaxy A5, then they can be distinguished by size):

The screen of the Samsung Galaxy A5 is slightly lighter (brightness according to photographs is 101 versus 98 for the Nexus 7) and does not have a pronounced tint. Note that the reflection from bright objects in the screen of the Samsung Galaxy A5 has a pale bluish halo that is slightly more pronounced in the transverse direction. The ghosting of reflected objects on the screen of the Samsung Galaxy A5 is very weak, which indicates that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen. Due to the smaller number of boundaries (glass-air type) with very different refractive indices, screens without an air gap look better in conditions of strong external illumination, but their repair in the case of cracked external glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be replaced. On the outer surface of the Samsung Galaxy A5 screen there is a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (very effective, noticeably better than that of the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed much easier and appear at a lower speed than in the case of regular glass.

When the white field was displayed in full screen and with manual brightness control, its maximum value was 340 cd/m², the minimum was 4.7 cd/m². You also need to take into account the fact that in this case, the smaller the white area on the screen, the brighter it is, that is, the actual maximum brightness of the white areas will almost always be higher than the specified value. For example, when outputting white on half the screen, the maximum brightness with manual adjustment increases to 360 cd/m². As a result, readability during the day in the sun should be at a fairly good level (there was no opportunity to test it). The reduced brightness level allows you to use the device even in complete darkness without any problems. There is automatic brightness adjustment based on the light sensor (it is located to the right of the front speaker slot). You can make adjustments to the operation of this function by moving the adjustment slider from −5 to +5 units. Below, for three conditions, we present the screen brightness values ​​for three values ​​of this setting - for −5, 0 and +5. In complete darkness in automatic mode, the brightness is reduced to 4.7, 9.6 and 21 cd/m², respectively (the first is a bit dark, the rest are normal), in an office illuminated by artificial light (approximately 400 lux) the brightness is set to 62, 147 and 297 cd/m² (a bit dark - just right - a bit light, which corresponds to the specified correction), in a brightly lit environment (corresponding to lighting on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or a little more) - rises to 340 cd/m² regardless of the slider position. This value is equal to the maximum for manual adjustment. In general, the result of the automatic brightness adjustment function is as expected. Only at medium and low brightness levels there is modulation with a frequency of 240 Hz. The figure below shows brightness (vertical axis) versus time (horizontal axis) for several brightness settings:

It can be seen that at maximum and close to it brightness, the modulation amplitude is minimal and its frequency is 60 Hz (screen refresh rate), as a result, there is no visible flicker. However, when the brightness decreases (somewhere to 70% and below), modulation appears with a frequency of 240 Hz and a large relative amplitude. Therefore, the presence of such modulation can already be seen in a test for the presence of a stroboscopic effect or simply with rapid eye movement. Depending on individual sensitivity, this flickering may cause increased fatigue.

This screen uses a Super AMOLED matrix - an active matrix on organic light-emitting diodes. A full-color image is created using subpixels of three colors - red (R), green (G) and blue (B), but there are twice as many green subpixels, which can be referred to as RGBG. This is confirmed by a fragment of a microphotograph:

For comparison, you can see the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.

In the fragment above you can count 4 green subpixels, 2 red (4 halves) and 2 blue (1 whole and 4 quarters), and by repeating these fragments, you can lay out the entire screen without breaks or overlap. For such matrices, Samsung introduced the name PenTile RGBG. The manufacturer calculates the screen resolution based on the green subpixels; based on the other two, it will be two times lower. The location and shape of the subpixels in this version is close to the case of the screen of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and some other newer devices from Samsung and not only with AMOLED screens. This version of PenTile RGBG is better than the old one with red squares, blue rectangles and stripes of green subpixels. However, some unevenness of contrast borders and other artifacts are still present. However, due to the fairly high resolution, they have a minimal impact on image quality.

The screen is characterized by excellent viewing angles, although white color, when deviated even at small angles, acquires a slight blue-green tint, but black color is just black at any angle. So black that the contrast setting is not applicable in this case. When viewed perpendicularly, the uniformity of the white field is excellent. For comparison, here are photographs in which the screens of the Samsung Galaxy A5 (profile Basic) and the second comparison participant, identical images were displayed, while the brightness of the screens was initially set to approximately 200 cd/m², and the color balance on the camera was forced to switch to 6500 K. White field:

Note the excellent uniformity of brightness and color tone of the white field. And a test picture (profile Basic):

Color rendition is good, however, the color balance of the screens is slightly different and the colors of the Samsung Galaxy A5 are a little more saturated (at least that’s how the image is recorded by the camera). The photo above was taken after selecting a profile Basic in the screen settings, there are four in total. Profile Adaptive display differs in some kind of automatic adjustment to the type of displayed image and environmental conditions, which is obtained by selecting the two remaining profiles shown below.

Movie AMOLED:

Saturation and color contrast have increased noticeably, the skin is excessively reddish.

Photo AMOLED:

Saturation is still high, but color contrast is back to normal. Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen (again profile Basic). White field:

The brightness at an angle for both screens has noticeably decreased (to avoid strong darkening, the shutter speed was doubled compared to the previous two photographs), but in the case of Samsung the drop in brightness is much less pronounced. As a result, with formally the same brightness, the Samsung Galaxy A5 screen visually looks much brighter (compared to LCD screens), since you often have to look at the screen of a mobile device from at least a slight angle. And a test picture:

It can be seen that the colors have not changed much on both screens and the brightness of the Samsung at an angle is noticeably higher. Switching the state of the matrix elements is performed almost instantly, but at the switching edge there may be a step with a width of 16.7 ms (which corresponds to a screen refresh rate of 60 Hz). For example, this is what the dependence of brightness on time looks like when moving from black to gray and back:

In some conditions, the presence of such a step can lead to plumes trailing moving objects, but in normal use these artifacts are difficult to see. Quite the contrary - dynamic scenes in films on OLED screens are distinguished by high clarity and even some “jerky” movements.

For profiles Photo AMOLED And Basic constructed using 32 points with an equal interval in the numerical value of the shade of gray, the gamma curve did not reveal any blockage in either highlights or shadows, and the index of the approximating power function is 2.21-2.23, which is very close to the standard value of 2.2 , while the real gamma curve deviates little from the power-law dependence (the captions in parentheses show the exponent of the approximating power function and the coefficient of determination):

For profile Movie AMOLED The gamma curve has a slightly pronounced S-shape, which increases the apparent contrast of the image, but shades are still distinguishable in the shadows.

Let us recall that in the case of OLED screens, the brightness of image fragments dynamically changes in accordance with the nature of the displayed image - it decreases for generally light images. As a result, the resulting dependence of brightness on hue (gamma curve) most likely slightly does not correspond to the gamma curve of a static image, since the measurements were carried out with sequential display of shades of gray on almost the entire screen. This image dynamism increases when you select the option Auto tuning screen brightness. In this case, on the graph of brightness (vertical axis) versus time (horizontal axis), when moving from black to white and back, a descending section appears, that is, the brightness of the white field begins to decrease after about 0.3 s:

Color gamut in the case of a profile Movie AMOLED very wide, but does not cover Adobe RGB gamut:

When selecting a profile Photo AMOLED the coverage changes slightly:

When selecting a profile Basic the coverage is significantly compressed, almost to the limits of sRGB:

Without correction, the spectra of the components are very well separated:

In case of profile Basic with maximum correction, the color components are already noticeably mixed with each other:

Note that on screens with a wide color gamut, without appropriate correction, the colors of regular images optimized for sRGB devices appear unnaturally saturated. Hence the recommendation - in most cases, watching movies, photographs and everything natural is better when choosing a profile Basic, and only if the photo was taken on an Adobe RGB setting, does it make sense to switch the profile to Photo AMOLED. Profile Movie AMOLED, despite the name, is the least suitable for watching movies or anything else.

The balance of shades on the gray scale is not ideal, but, in general, acceptable. Color temperature in profile Movie AMOLED above 6500 K, in the remaining two - close to 6500 K, while in a significant portion of the gray scale this parameter does not change very much. The deviation from the blackbody spectrum (ΔE) over most of the gray scale remains below 10 units, which is considered a good indicator for a consumer device, and also does not change much:

(The darkest areas of the gray scale can in most cases be ignored, since color balance there is not very important, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)

Let's summarize. The screen has a fairly high maximum brightness and has good anti-glare properties, so the device can most likely be used outdoors even on a sunny summer day without any problems. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable value. It is permissible to use a mode with automatic brightness adjustment, which works quite adequately. The advantages of the screen include a very good oleophobic coating, as well as a color gamut close to sRGB and an acceptable color balance (if you select the appropriate profiles). At the same time, let us remind you about the general advantages of OLED screens: true black color (if nothing is reflected in the screen), excellent uniformity of the white field, noticeably less than that of LCDs, and a drop in image brightness when viewed at an angle. Disadvantages include modulation of screen brightness. For users who are particularly sensitive to flicker, this may cause increased fatigue. However, overall the screen quality is very high.

Sound

The device has one main speaker; it produces a fairly loud sound, rich in the entire frequency spectrum. The smartphone sounds pleasant; at maximum volume the sound is not distorted. In conversational dynamics, the voice of a familiar interlocutor, timbre and intonation remain recognizable, the conversation is quite comfortable.

To play melodies, a proprietary player with the maximum number of settings is used as standard. All sound effects are combined with a technology called SoundAlive - although some of them are only available with connected headphones. The same applies to the sound optimization function. There are a lot of different virtual effects, visually they are combined into a matrix of squares.

An FM radio is included as standard with the smartphone, and there is also a voice recorder. The voice recorder is simple, unlike top Samsung smartphones, there is not such a variety of recording modes, everything is standard. The radio will not work without headphones connected as an external antenna, but it can record programs. The device cannot record telephone conversations from the line.

The main, rear 13-megapixel camera has an f/2.0 aperture, autofocus and LED flash. The settings menu is clear and intuitive; it is divided into equal cells, each of which is always visible and interactive. In addition, each cell can be pulled up and made into a shortcut for quick access in a separate top line. The icons are clearly drawn, everything is perfectly visible even in the brightest sunlight, and in general the implementation of the camera control menu in the latest Samsung devices is one of the best on the market.

However, the camera itself is not nearly as rich in capabilities as the cameras of flagship devices: there is no intelligent optical stabilization function (Smart OIS) and a selective focus mode for blurring the background, there is no slow or fast video recording, and there is no ability to shoot video in 4K or at 60 speed. fps. The only shooting modes are traditional panoramic, portrait, and night.

The video camera of the Samsung Galaxy A5 can shoot with a maximum resolution of Full HD 1920×1080 (30 fps); 4K resolution and 60 fps shooting speed are not supported here. The quality of video recording can be judged by the test videos below.

• Video No. 1 (42 MB, 1920×1080 @30fps)
• Video No. 2 (46 MB, 1920×1080 @30fps)

	Attention to detail quickly disappears as the shot is removed, but overall the sharpness is quite good.
	The branches are well done. In the lower left corner you can see a large area of ​​blur.
	Despite the considerable amount of noise reduction, the house looks good, and the inscriptions are well done.
	The center has excellent sharpness in all shots, but the left side of the image spoils the whole picture.
	Another confirmation that it is better not to place important details on the left side of the frame when composing - all plans on the right are good.
	“Smeared” noises are visible on the asphalt.
	Sometimes the noise reduction works quite softly on plain surfaces.
	But he doesn’t always succeed.
	The camera copes with macro photography.
	In close-ups, much more attention is paid to small details than in general ones.
	In insufficient lighting there is a very high probability of blurring. Shutter speed 1/33 second.
	The text is very blurry, and it's not a matter of sharpness, but a long shutter speed (1/25 second). It is better to shoot text indoors with flash.

Well, everything here is quite expected. Samsung has placed in the smartphone not a weak, but not the best camera, which corresponds to the positioning of the device. Moreover, in some places you can’t help but feel that the camera could have shot better, but it’s as if it wasn’t specially modified so that it wouldn’t stand out too much from the hardware around it.

However, the camera itself is quite good. They didn’t stand on ceremony with software processing here - they just took what was simpler and better, and we can’t say that this is a bad option. Sharping is noticeable, but very moderate, and occurs only in places. The camera doesn’t pay much attention to the details in the background, but it doesn’t spoil them with attempts to improve them. The noise reduction is quite functional and quite neat, but it can afford radical measures in the form of a banal “smearing” of noise over plain surfaces. There are areas of blur in the corners, but in the center the sharpness is decent. However, in low light, the camera resorts to relatively long shutter speeds (1/33 s), and images when shooting handheld come out blurry.

It’s still not worth using the camera for artistic photography, but it will cope very well with documentary photography.

Telephone and communications

The smartphone works as standard in modern 2G GSM and 3G WCDMA networks, and also supports fourth-generation LTE Cat4 networks with a maximum possible speed of up to 150 Mbit/s for reception. In practice, with a SIM card from the domestic operator MTS, the smartphone confidently recognizes and works with 4G networks.

Network capabilities are implemented modestly: there is support for NFC technology, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Display, and as a standard you can organize a wireless access point via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth channels. But unlike its flagship counterparts, there is no 2x2 MIMO mode, no support for the Wi-Fi 802.11ac standard, no ANT+ and DLNA. It also does not support connecting external devices to the USB port in OTG mode, and there is no MHL support.

The navigation module works with both GPS and the domestic Glonass system, and also sees satellites of the Chinese Beidou (BDS). There are no complaints about the navigation module; satellites are found very quickly.

The drawing of letters and numbers of virtual keyboards is quite large, it is also possible to change the size of the entire desktop, or you can separately reduce the virtual keyboard block and even move it to any place on the screen. The phone application supports Smart Dial, that is, while dialing a phone number, a search is immediately carried out by the first letters in contacts. For Swype fans, there is a method of continuous input using a stroke from letter to letter; for this you need to enable the T9 service in the settings.

The smartphone supports working with two SIM cards, and in general, working with them in the menu is organized according to a familiar principle: you can designate any of the SIM cards as the main one for organizing voice calls, transferring data or sending SMS messages. When dialing a number, you can also select the desired card by calling the context menu from the notification menu. A SIM card in any slot can work with 3G (LTE) networks, but only one of the cards can work in this mode at the same time (the second will only work in 2G). There is only one radio module installed in the device, however, the so-called “Active mode”, standard for all Samsung Duos models, is implemented here, which allows you to receive a call on the second SIM card when the first one is busy. This is realized by setting up cross-forwarding of the numbers of both cards to each other. Dual SIM active mode relies on carrier services such as call forwarding and call waiting/hold. After turning on the mode, the device prompts you to manually enter two numbers that will be forwarded to each other. For the function to work, the forwarding service must be activated on both SIM cards. You can read more about the implementation of “Active Mode”.

OS and software

Samsung Galaxy A5, even after the official release of the fifth version of Android OS, goes on sale and runs initially on the Google Android software platform version 4.4.4, an update to version 5.x is promised later. The proprietary TouchWiz graphical user interface is traditionally installed on top of the OS interface. The drawing of all elements, the internal arrangement of the shell, the location of menu items, settings sections and pop-up contextual submenus - everything is familiar and very similar to what is implemented in the same Galaxy S5 or Galaxy Alpha, with the exception of some flagship features that are missing in the new smartphone. For example, the Galaxy A5 has a very limited set of supported gestures.

The hardware and software complex of the hero of the review, unlike even the non-flagship Samsung Galaxy S5 mini, is simplified beyond recognition. There is no fingerprint scanner built into the front button, no infrared transmitter on the top end, and no familiar heart rate sensor, usually located on the back of top-end Samsung devices.

Accordingly, among the applications, even the favorite program of Samsung developers for monitoring one’s own health, called S Health, which could measure heart rate and stress resistance, is not preinstalled. The energy-saving mode, privacy mode, and the ability to work in two windows simultaneously remain in place. Added the Briefing news panel, called up from the left with a side swipe - an analogue of HTC Blinkfeed.

Performance

Like the Huawei Ascend G7, the hero of the review is one of the few middle-class mobile devices that operates on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 platform. The platform is quite new, 64-bit, but this is far from a top-end chip - rather, an entry-level solution that produces a very low performance. The central processor here has 4 Cortex-A53 cores operating at 1.2 GHz. Graphics processing is handled by the Adreno 306 video processor with a core frequency of 400 MHz. The device has 2 GB of RAM. The smartphone doesn’t have a lot of built-in memory - out of the nominal 16 GB of internal memory, about 11 are available to the user. The possibility of expanding the built-in memory is provided: you can install a microSD card in the smartphone, but then the second SIM card will have to be removed. But the device does not support the mode of connecting external devices to the USB port (USB Host, USB OTG) - you cannot connect an external flash drive.

According to the test results, if we compare the performance of the new 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 platform with the previous 32-bit SoC Snapdragon 400, no particularly noticeable increase is visible. There is, of course, a difference, but compared to the results of higher-level platforms, the significance of such an increase is leveled out. Here are the same modest results (up to 20K) in AnTuTu against the background of 45K and higher in top models and 30-35K in confident mid-level models. The graphics accelerator of the new product looks especially sad in comparison with its competitors. Even the modest Asus Zenfone 5 on the Intel Atom Z2560 platform, which even after the price increase costs only 10 thousand rubles, confidently outperforms the Snapdragon 410 with its Adreno 306 in all graphics tests.

So it’s a stretch to call devices based on the Snapdragon 410 platform, even 64-bit, “average”; their hardware performance is below average.

Testing in the latest versions of comprehensive tests AnTuTu and GeekBench 3:

For convenience, we have compiled all the results we obtained when testing the smartphone in the latest versions of popular benchmarks into tables. The table usually adds several other devices from different segments, also tested on similar latest versions of benchmarks (this is done only for a visual assessment of the obtained dry figures). Unfortunately, within the framework of one comparison it is impossible to present the results from different versions of benchmarks, so many worthy and relevant models remain “behind the scenes” - due to the fact that they once passed the “obstacle course” on previous versions of test programs.

Testing the graphics subsystem in 3DMark game tests,GFXBenchmark, and Bonsai Benchmark:

When testing in 3DMark, the most powerful smartphones now have the ability to run the application in Unlimited mode, where the rendering resolution is fixed at 720p and VSync is disabled (which can cause the speed to rise above 60 fps).

	Samsung Galaxy A5	Huawei Ascend G7 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 410/Adreno 306)	Sony Xperia C3 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 400/Adreno 305)	LG L Bello	Acer Liquid Jade (Mediatek MT6582/Mali-400MP)	Asus Zenfone 5 (Intel Atom Z2560/PowerVR SGX 544MP)
3DMark Ice Storm Extreme (more is better)	2624	2620	2855	2127	2050	3596
3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited (more is better)	4386	4452	4668	2881	2817	5697
GFXBenchmark T-Rex HD (C24Z16 Onscreen)	9.6 fps	9.8 fps	4.0 fps	9.8 fps	7.2 fps	12.4 fps
GFXBenchmark T-Rex HD (C24Z16 Offscreen)	5.4 fps	5.3 fps	—	4.2 fps	4.1 fps	7.0 fps
Bonsai Benchmark	1726 (25 fps)	1707 (24 fps)	1290 (18 fps)	2112 (30 fps)	1290 (18 fps)	3321 (47 fps)

Browser cross-platform tests:

As for benchmarks for assessing the speed of the javascript engine, you should always make allowance for the fact that their results significantly depend on the browser in which they are launched, so the comparison can only be truly correct on the same OS and browsers, and this is possible during testing not always. For Android OS, we always try to use Google Chrome.

Playing video

To test the omnivorous nature of video playback (including support for various codecs, containers and special features, such as subtitles), we used the most common formats, which make up the bulk of the content available on the Internet. Note that for mobile devices it is important to have support for hardware video decoding at the chip level, since it is most often impossible to process modern options using processor cores alone. Also, you shouldn’t expect a mobile device to decode everything, since the leadership in flexibility belongs to the PC, and no one is going to challenge it. All results are summarized in a single table.

According to the testing results, the subject was not provided with full support for all the necessary decoders, in this case, audio ones. To fully play most of the most common files on the network, you will have to resort to the help of a third-party player - for example, MX Player. True, even in it you will first have to change the settings, switching from hardware decoding to software or to a new mode called Hardware+(not supported by all smartphones). By the way, in the latest versions of the program, unfortunately, due to licensing problems, support for the AC3 sound codec, used in the vast majority of video content on the Internet, was removed, so that users lost sound when watching their favorite TV shows and films. But there is a way out of this situation: you need to manually connect the codec, downloaded for a specific processor model in the smartphone by the user himself. Here is a short guide for those who encounter this problem:

In the MX player settings, select the “Decoder” → “Download custom codec” section (bottom line). After this, a page should open in your browser asking you to select and download the desired codec for your phone (the player itself will tell you which version to choose). After downloading, we return to the MX player settings, again go to the “Decoder” section, only now select the penultimate item “Select a custom codec”, a list of internal folders will open, from which you need to select the folder where you downloaded the codec. Select it and confirm your choice. The sound will appear again.

Format	Container, video, sound	MX Video Player	Standard video player
DVDRip	AVI, XviD 720×400 2200 Kbps, MP3+AC3	plays normally	plays normally
Web-DL SD	AVI, XviD 720×400 1400 Kbps, MP3+AC3	plays normally	plays normally
Web-DL HD	MKV, H.264 1280×720 3000 Kbps, AC3		plays without sound
BDRip 720p	MKV, H.264 1280×720 4000 Kbps, AC3	plays fine with custom codec	plays without sound
BDRip 1080p	MKV, H.264 1920×1080 8000 Kbps, AC3	plays fine with custom codec	plays without sound

Tested video output features Alexey Kudryavtsev.

We did not find the MHL interface, like Mobility DisplayPort, in this smartphone, so we had to limit ourselves to testing the output of video files on the screen of the device itself. To do this, we used a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see “Method for testing video playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices) Red marks indicate possible problems associated with the playback of the corresponding files.

According to the criterion of frame output, the quality of playback of video files on the screen of the device itself is good, since frames (or groups of frames) can be output with more or less uniform alternation of intervals and without skipping frames. When playing video files with a resolution of 1280 by 720 pixels (720p) on a smartphone screen, the image of the video file itself is displayed exactly along the border of the screen, one to one in pixels, that is, in the original resolution. The worlds show the peculiarities of PenTile - the vertical world through the pixel looks like a grid, but the horizontal world with stripes through the pixel does not have the typical greenishness. The brightness range displayed on the screen actually corresponds to the standard range of 16-235 - in the shadows only a couple of shades merge with black, but in the highlights all gradations of shades are displayed.

Battery life

The capacity of the lithium-ion battery installed in the Samsung Galaxy A5 is not the largest - only a modest 2300 mAh. However, the smartphone performed quite well when tested in traditional load modes, which, in general, is not surprising - after all, there is neither a powerful productivity platform nor an energy-intensive high-resolution screen. The new product does not break autonomy records, but everything is at a very decent level.

	Battery capacity	Reading mode	Video mode	3D Game Mode
Samsung Galaxy A5	2300 mAh	14:00	11:00 am	4 hours 20 minutes
Huawei Ascend G7	3000 mAh	20:00	13:30	6:30 a.m.
Sony Xperia C3	2500 mAh	14:30	9:30 a.m.	5 hours 50 minutes
LG L Bello	2540 mAh	14:00	10:20 am	4 hours 50 minutes
LG L Fino	1900 mAh	10:00 am	7:00 am	4 hours 10 minutes
LG L90	2540 mAh	15:20	10:00 am	4 hours 50 minutes
Acer Liquid Jade	2100 mAh	13:20	8 hours 40 minutes	4 hours 30 minutes
Wexler Zen 5+	2000 mAh	8 h. 10 m.	5 h. 30 m.	3:00 am
Alcatel Idol 2 mini S	2000 mAh	15:50	9:00 a.m.	4:00 am
Huawei P6	2000 mAh	14:50	7 h. 10 m.	4:00 am
Asus Padfone E	1820 mAh	15:20	7 h. 10 m.	3 hours 50 minutes
Samsung S4 mini	1900 mAh	16:40	10:30 a.m.	4 hours 40 minutes
LG G2 mini	2440 mAh	16:00	10:00 am	5:00 a.m.
Motorola Moto G	2070 mAh	15:20	8:00 am	4 hours 20 minutes
ZTE nubia Z5 mini	2300 mAh	11:05 am	8:00 am	3 hours 50 minutes

Continuous reading in the FBReader program (with a standard, light theme) at a minimum comfortable brightness level (brightness was set to 100 cd/m²) lasted about 14 hours until the battery was completely discharged. When continuously watching video in high quality (720p) with the same brightness level via a home Wi-Fi network, the device lasted 11 hours. In 3D gaming mode the device worked for almost 4.5 hours. Full charging time is just over 2 hours.

Bottom line

Something strange is going on with Samsung’s marketing, and it seems that it’s due to declining revenues lately and more complicated competition with seasoned Chinese manufacturers who are nipping at their heels. The Koreans released a smartphone that was completely simplified on all fronts, cutting out everything possible from it, and now they are trying to sell it at the price of a full-fledged flagship. Doesn’t Samsung seriously think that just because of the appearance of metal in the body, users must put up with poor performance, a screen resolution that is far from the flagship, a crippled user interface, and pay 24 thousand rubles to the cash register for this? And this despite the fact that, even unlike its cheaper brother, the Galaxy S5 mini, the hero of the review has neither a fingerprint sensor, nor a heart rate sensor, nor an infrared transmitter, nor moisture protection. There is no time to even mention that the smartphone lacks a lot of such fundamentally useful little things as an LED event indicator, a flashlight, support for USB OTG and a second Wi-Fi band (5 GHz), etc., etc. O there is no need to talk about competitors: for the same 24 thousand, almost at the same time, an excellent, true flagship, maximally rich in functions and capabilities, HTC Desire Eye, was presented, and even for a much smaller amount you can still buy a twice as productive Lenovo Vibe X2 with a Full screen HD. The Samsung Galaxy A5 smartphone, although it is made of high-quality materials with the company’s characteristic high level of performance, is still very simple in its capabilities and characteristics, and its place is in a completely different price category.

As the review suggests, it's a very attractive metal and glass smartphone that combines premium flagship style with very powerful mid-range specs, an IP68 water and dust resistance rating and long battery life. However, if for one reason or another the Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 is not for you, there are several convenient options. For example, you could start with this year's low-end model.

Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017)

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You might consider the Galaxy A3 (2017) for its compact size, but you'll just have to consider that it has a lower resolution (and lower pixel density) display, a much slower chip, less RAM and storage, and an inferior camera. The smartphone offers important features including a MicroSD slot (hybrid version), IP68 rating, and excellent display and battery life. The phone is also significantly cheaper.

—
Or you could step up and opt for the 5.7-inch Galaxy A7 (2017) if it's already available near you. There are far fewer compromises here - the hardware is almost identical, but you'll have to pay a little more for the extra diagonal and battery (the phone will probably offer better battery life). One caveat - Samsung will not sell the A7 in Europe, which makes it not available to all Russian-speaking users.

Samsung Galaxy S7

—
There is another option that needs to be noted and it is none other than the Galaxy S7. Of course, it's significantly more expensive at the moment, but it will be replaced by a new flagship within a few months, so if you're willing to wait, the Galaxy S7 certainly offers significantly more features. A5 (2017) does not offer flagship features - all the strengths in comparison with the Galaxy S7 are zero, this is on the market.

Sony Xperia X

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The Sony Xperia X is very close to the Galaxy A5 (2017) for the money. This is a model that is close to the one year mark, if you count from the announcement, and also half that time since the start of sales.

The Xperia X Performance is one of a select few devices that can offer an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, so the A5 leads the way in this area. There is no need to highlight the battery life either - Sony was not close. The phone boasts a Snapdragon 820 chipset, and its advantages in the field of mobile gaming are undeniable - it is much better suited for this task than the Exynos 7880 in the A5.

—
Huawei offers several phones to rival the A5 (2017) for you to choose from. And we'll start with the flagship, although the P9 is a little more expensive, it boasts an excellent dual 12-megapixel camera (color + monochrome) on the back and a slightly more powerful chipset (which still doesn't support 4K video recording). The A5 is protected from water and dust, however, its battery performs better than the 3000 mAh in the Huawei P9.

—
Look at the Huawei Nova, which will save you some money even though you're getting a mid-range premium phone - all metal. Unlike the P9, the Nova uses a single camera (like the A5), only the Nova can record 4K video. Battery life isn't half as good, but it's no marathon runner A5; the Samsung phone's display is significantly superior to its Chinese competitor. Did we mention the IP68 rating in the A5 (2017)? Well, now you know everything.

—
Priced identically to the Galaxy A5 (2017), the OnePlus 3T deserves its place among the competition. Of course, you may not find it in your local store, and warranty repairs will require some hassle, it's hard to beat OnePlus smartphones in terms of price/quality ratio. Packed with one of the most powerful chipsets available on the market, the 3T also comes with plenty of RAM and internal storage. The latest OnePlus 3T has dual 16-megapixel cameras, each slightly better than the one you'll find on the A5, capable of capturing 2160p.

Compared to the latest OnePlus, our Galaxy A5 (2017) has its own strengths to offer - 32GB of memory may look modest on the OnePlus' 64/128GB, but a 256GB MicroSD card easily fixes this, and the 3T doesn't offer any room for expansion. You may be tired of reading about the Galaxy A5's water resistance and battery life, but that's because no competitor can match the A5 2017's numbers, and most competitors can't even match those numbers. OnePlus 3T can't do the same.

If you look at the numbers that accompany the new Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017), it's easy to pick out the negative aspects. No recording for 2160r. The price is 28,000 rubles. Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. Even his name does not invite more - A5 (2017).

All these numbers can easily be contrasted with several other numbers that sound much more beautiful, but let's not get hung up on the numbers. The facts are: Galaxy A5 (2017) is a beautifully designed phone; it will easily survive the rain; It uses a screen that can only be surpassed by Samsung's flagships, and it offers battery life that's hard to argue with. Of course, the phone is not perfect, and it is not a cheap smartphone, but you will have a hard time finding something radically better among the competition. Well, unless you're ready to dig even deeper into your pocket.

Formally, the A5 is the middle of Samsung's mid-budget line, which should not deviate much from the market median. In fact, it turned out to be an interesting model, which intertwined aspects that clearly deserve improvement, such as a fingerprint scanner, quite decent hardware, and materials worthy of a flagship. And of course, for the Samsung Galaxy A5 2017, the review would be incomplete if we remain silent about the almost complete protection against dust or water-related troubles.

The developers of the Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 used the classic body shape - almost a rectangle, if not for the rounded corners. The dimensions are quite comfortable for the middle class: width 71.4 mm, length 146.1 mm and thickness 7.9 mm. The model is presented in three colors: black, gold and blue tones. There is also a pink version, but it is not available in all markets.

The main part of the front panel (almost 3/4) is occupied by the display, limited on the sides by narrow frames. Above it there is a speaker, camera and sensors, below there are a pair of touch keys and a hardware Home button with a fingerprint scanner between them.

The volume keys are located on the left side of the device. The power button remains in its traditional place on the right. Next to it, the developers placed the main speaker. The decision turned out to be ambiguous. On the one hand, in the normal position it will not be possible to accidentally block it. On the other hand, if you take the smartphone horizontally, your finger can rest right on the speaker. However, you can get used to it.

The location of the SIM card trays is also interesting. The model supports 2 of them (both nano), and you can also install MicroSD at the same time. To accommodate all three parts, the trays were divided. The first SIM is inserted on the left, next to the volume buttons. The second and memory card are on top. The USB output, microphone and 3.5 mm headphone input are located at the bottom end.

The back of the smartphone is decorated with a logo. Above it is the flash and the main camera. The latter was optimized and recessed into the body, so that now the optics do not protrude from the body at all. As a result, the smartphone fits seamlessly on any horizontal surface.

Design and ergonomics

The design approach to the A5 can be described in one word – minimalism. Decorative elements are kept to a minimum; there are no additional decorations. All parts of the smartphone except the display are designed in the same color scheme. After all, the body itself is beautiful.

The side frame is made of high quality aluminum. But the front and back are glass. And if in front it is half 2.5D on the display, then in the back it is full 3D. As a result, the model looks impressive, quite at the level of a flagship.

But the desire for elegance played a cruel joke on her. Almost the entire body is smoothed out, there are no prominent edges, so it lies comfortably in the hand. But for the same reason, the device can noticeably slide. So it’s better to immediately wrap it in a case.

However, the most important thing in the design is full IP68 level protection. In other words, dust has no chance of getting inside, especially since the assembly is really good and there are no gaps. And water gives in: the smartphone can easily withstand swimming for up to half an hour at a depth of 1.5 meters, not to mention trivial splashes or washing under the tap.

You just need the water to be fresh: after sea moisture, the USB connector may become covered with a crust of salt, so charging will stop working. In this case, it is recommended to rinse and dry it.

To achieve such security, the developers added rubber gaskets to the SIM trays and placed membranes on the speakers and microphones. This had virtually no effect on the weight of the device - only 159 g, an excellent result for a water-resistant smartphone.

Display

The true pride of the model is the screen of the Samsung Galaxy A5 2017. It has a 5.2” Super AMOLED matrix with exceptionally rich colors. You can even change the color profile in the settings to a more subtle one, otherwise the picture may seem unnatural. Or turn on blue filtering to protect your eyes from unnecessary strain.

The physical size of the screen is 132.2 mm diagonally, in pixels – 1920 x 1080, that is, at the FHD level. The resulting density is 424 ppi, so details are displayed perfectly. At the same time, the brightness and contrast are enough for use on the sunniest day: the picture is visible up to extreme tilt angles. Corning Gorilla Glass 4 is used to protect the matrix. The glass is made using 2.5D technology and is rounded towards the edges.

At the same time, the display treats the battery quite carefully, despite the Always on Display function that came from the flagships. It allows you to display the calendar and current time on the lock screen, as well as quickly show notifications. Even if the smartphone is in sleep mode, and the owner has been written to via messenger, this will immediately appear on the display.

Separately, it is necessary to note the intelligent behavior of the screen. First, it takes light data into account to adjust the picture. Secondly, during the first 2 weeks of use it “gets to know” the owner in order to adjust the brightness based on his habits.

Equipment

The smartphone comes with an adapter that connects to USB type-c.

The kit also included a wired headset, instructions for the device, and a needle clip used to open card trays. All other accessories - protective films, cases, etc. – must be purchased independently.

Specifications Samsung Galaxy A5 2017

Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 is built on the basis of the company’s own development – ​​the Exynos 7 Octa 7880 processor. It has 8 Cortex-A53 cores capable of operating at frequencies up to 1.9 GHz. The processor is 64-bit and is made using a 14 nm process technology. Thanks to this solution, it was possible to combine modern hardware requirements and moderate power consumption.

The calculation and display of the image on the screen is provided by the Mali-T830MP3 graphics module. All this is complemented by 3 GB of memory, which easily fits the OS with a proprietary shell, and another half of the RAM is left for application needs.

Internal memory is 32 GB. But you won’t be able to use all of it: a noticeable part is taken by the OS. As a result, a little more than 23 GB remains for the user’s needs. Relatively little, but there is also a MicroSD slot. And you can put a memory card up to 256 GB in it, solving the problem with free space for a long time.

Some data can be stored in your Samsung Cloud account. The smartphone owner is given 15 GB of cloud storage. They can be used for photos, contacts, calendar, and also to create backups of settings or the main screen. For private information, you can use the protected KNOX folder, which is created by system tools on the smartphone itself.

The set of sensors, in addition to light and proximity sensors, includes a gyroscope, barometer, accelerometer, as well as a Hall sensor and a module for reading the geomagnetic field.

Performance

Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 cannot be called a record holder for performance. Still, the Samsung Galaxy A5 2017's specs are good enough for all basic tasks. The OS runs smoothly, applications launch and switch without significant delays. And it’s not surprising - the performance test in AnTuTu shows a rating of 60 thousand.

The total power is enough to run almost all games. But it’s better to keep the settings at a medium level, otherwise FPS drops to indecently low values. Under load, the processor may heat up, but it does not reach excessively high temperatures; internal overheating protection mechanisms are activated.

The multimedia capabilities are quite good: the device can handle playing UHD video in 4K format at 30 fps. Together with support for screen casting via Wi-Fi Direct, this allows you to watch movies on an external display.

Cameras

The model was not without its sad moments. This is what the Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 camera has become - more precisely, not the camera itself, but the lack of optical stabilization in it. Perhaps there was not enough space for her in the new building, or maybe the marketing policy had an effect. In any case, this immediately lowered expectations for the level of quality.

Other parameters correspond to a good representative of the middle class: resolution up to 16 MP, f/1.9, there is an LED flash for shooting in the dark and autofocus.

Photo

Typical photos of the Samsung Galaxy A5 2017, provided there is full lighting (a clear day, the sun is shining), turn out to be quite decent; the camera justifies installation in a strong average market. Colors are rendered close to the original, details are visible. In addition, the software provides many filters, so you can freely experiment with frames. For example, take not just a photo, but a photo in rich mode. Or install a food filter that softens the environment.

But all this is true only for a static composition. Since there is no optical stabilization, shooting with movement is guaranteed to cause blurring, and the focus does not have time to achieve. Taking a good photo of children playing is quite a difficult task.

And if you add to this a lack of light (evening time or indoor photography), then noise will also be added, completely destroying small details. HDR somewhat saves you from overexposure.

For night photography, this may not be enough and you will have to manually adjust ISO/exposure/white balance. All these options are available in Pro mode. It is recommended to take several pictures at once, since some of them will almost certainly be damaged.

Video

When shooting video, you won’t be able to squeeze more than FHD at 30 fps. 2K/4K formats are not available, as is the frame rate increased to 60. Video in such conditions is obtained at a level acceptable for the middle class - as far as possible in the absence of stabilization. When shooting, it is advisable not to shake the smartphone again in order to minimize blurring.

The time-lapse mode somewhat softens the impressions: the camera periodically takes frames and then assembles an accelerated video from them.

Front-camera

The characteristics of the front camera of the Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 are almost identical to the parameters of the main module. It also uses a sensor that supports frames up to 16 MP at f/1.9 aperture. In fact, it works like a wide-angle lens: you can take a selfie of several people, while the faces will turn out to be quite detailed.

The camera can automatically adjust parameters to suit current conditions. If there is not enough lighting, the screen will be activated - it will be filled with white to illuminate the face. But there is no automatic targeting: only nearby objects will come into focus.

As a result, the quality of the pictures is lower than that of the main camera. However, you can work with the photo using various corrective effects - for example, to improve the appearance of the skin or change the tone.

The shutter button can be placed anywhere on the screen. This makes it easier to take pictures with one hand, especially if you need to take an original selfie pose.

Sound and music playback quality

There are no special complaints about the performance of the main speaker. The sound is quite clear, albeit with insufficient bass (which is not surprising for an average smartphone). You can try to correct it using the built-in equalizers or switch to headphones by connecting them to the 3.5 mm jack.

Comparing the Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 with other smartphones reveals a quieter sound. The sound of the speaker is influenced by IP68 certification. To prevent water from getting inside the device, we had to cover the hole with a special membrane.

The situation is similar with the speaker. But everything is in order with the microphones: the additional one is used for noise reduction, while the main one records voices with high quality. During the call, the interlocutor will be able to hear clearly.

Communication capabilities

In terms of connectivity, the Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 comes with a gentleman's suite of technologies. It can work in networks from 2G to 4G LTE inclusive. In this case, you can use both SIMs, which is convenient when traveling abroad. Certification of 4G module according to cat level. 6 provides data exchanges at speeds up to 300/50 Mbit/s.

The Wi-Fi module supports dual-channel operation according to 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac standards. In addition, it can send a picture to an external screen (Wi-Fi Direct) and relay the signal in access point mode. For peripherals there is Bluetooth 4.2 with reduced energy consumption and ANT+. The smartphone supports wireless payment via NFC and MST.

The navigation module works quickly with Beidou, GPS and GLONASS. Even with a cold start, it takes about 10 seconds to find a satellite.

A USB 2.0 output is used for communication with a PC or charging. The symmetrical Type-C connector can be inserted on either side, making connection exactly twice as easy.

operating system

Initially, Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 was released with version 6 of Android OS. After the release of updated editions, it was first transferred to version 7 and then to version 8, which is supplemented by the Samsung Experience shell. Thanks to it, you can flexibly customize the phone to suit the owner’s preferences: use different screen modes, operate with one hand, share a picture for multi-screen mode, and so on.

Unlike the most affordable models in the J line, there is full support for S Voice. The voice assistant can answer questions, launch the necessary applications, set reminders and make appointments. It can also work in navigator mode.

Another interesting feature is the use of both SIM cards to simultaneously work with two copies of popular instant messengers. Each instance functions independently of the second.

Autonomy

With a battery capacity of 3000 mAh, a single charge lasts for a day or two, depending on the activity of use. Fast charging is supported in an hour and a half.

Thanks for the autonomy should be said to the combination of a relatively economical screen and processor. In addition, you can additionally enable energy saving mode. At the basic level, the processor frequency and screen brightness are reduced, which reduces the operating time by about 20%. If you switch to extreme mode, at the cost of switching the display to a gray color scheme and other optimizations, you can keep the smartphone turned on even longer.

In standard mode, one charge will last for 53 hours of sound (or even 78 with the screen off), you can watch video for up to 19 hours, talk on a 3G network for up to 16. On the Internet, the smartphone will last 13/16/18 hours when connected via 3G/LTE /Wi-Fi accordingly.

Pros and cons of a smartphone

The analyzed characteristics and reviews of the Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 allow us to highlight the following advantages of the model:

1. excellent display with Always on Display support;
2. decent selfie camera
3. IP68 compliance;
4. Samsung Pay wireless payment support;
5. fast charging;
6. 2 SIM simultaneously with a memory card.

The disadvantages are:

1. camera without stabilization;
2. The fingerprint scanner is small and only works when the finger is positioned correctly;
3. limited performance.

Comparison with competitors

Based on the combination of strengths, the Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 model turned out to be quite successful. The Samsung Galaxy A5 2017's competitors may beat it in some specific areas (like a faster processor or more internal storage for the same money), but none of them have the same combination of characteristics.

Final review

The review of parameters and analysis of their combination puts the Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 smartphone among the leaders in the middle segment. Impressive autonomy, a beautiful and functional display, performance sufficient even for games, a voice assistant and a calm design - you simply cannot find an equally high-quality analogue at this price.

For quite a long time, Chinese flagships, Nexus and OnePlus, ruled the roost in the segment of $400 devices. Gradually, the situation has changed and today literally everyone is fighting for the wallet of a sufficiently wealthy buyer who does not want to spend money on a flagship. We look forward to announcements of such devices, because in this segment companies create truly balanced solutions that can offer good design, characteristics, cameras, and also operating time, noticeably longer than that of flagships. Today we will get acquainted with one of the most interesting such smartphones - Galaxy A5 (2017).

Design and usability

introduced in 2014. Back then, the main body material, at least for Samsung devices, was plastic (including the flagship Galaxy S5) and the angular metal device looked very fresh. Updated year turned out to be even better, because it was made similar to the Note 5 and Galaxy S6, and the design of Samsung flagships by this time had changed for the better. In turn, the Galaxy A5 (2017) was made similar to the Galaxy S7, although some features combine it with the affordable .

The general idea remains the same - the front and back panels of the smartphone are made of glass with rounded edges, and the frame is made of metal.

At launch, the smartphone is available in black, gold, blue and pink. Compared to the previous model, the shape of the body has noticeably changed. Now the corners are rounded, there are no chamfers on the frame, the “back” is curved like the Galaxy S7. The camera lens looks small and does not protrude, and all surfaces and elements of the body are painted the same color.

The perception of design is a very subjective thing, but the device may seem too calm and neutral, in some ways even boring. On the other hand, it is harmonious and we can say that it will suit literally everyone, regardless of gender and age. The buyer only has to choose the appropriate color.

The body shape is comfortable, the A5 (2017) fits perfectly into the palm, and the smartphone can be operated with one hand without any problems. Probably the only criticism of the design is the USB Type-C connector, which is not located in the center of the bottom edge.

The key layout is traditional for Samsung devices. The mini-jack remained on the bottom edge - this is convenient, but the SIM trays have noticeably increased. The main one is located on the left and is intended for installing the main SIM in Nano format. The second one is located on the top edge; you can install a second Nano-SIM and a MicroSD memory card into it. The slots are equivalent, so nothing prevents you from installing the main SIM card and memory card in the second one, and using the first one for a card when traveling.

As before, a fingerprint scanner is integrated into the mechanical key under the screen, and on either side of it there are two backlit touch buttons. The scanner has a small area, so it works a little worse than, for example, in the iPhone, at least in our test sample - we had to get used to placing our finger at the right angle.

Protection from dust and moisture

One of the main innovations in the Galaxy A series is the appearance of dust and moisture protection according to the IP68 standard. The smartphone can remain in fresh water at a depth of 1.5 meters for up to 30 minutes. To prevent moisture from getting into the case, the connectors are made hermetically sealed, the SIM receivers have rubber seals, and the speakers are covered with special membranes. This feature makes the line closer to the flagships and sets it apart from competitors who cannot yet boast of a protected design.

Screen

The Galaxy A5 (2017) has a 5.2-inch Super AMOLED display with Full HD resolution. It is covered with protective glass with a 2.5D effect and an oleophobic coating. Medium width side frames.

The minimum brightness is 2 cd/m² and allows you to read comfortably in the dark, the maximum when filled with white is about 400 cd/m². In real life, the maximum backlight level is much higher because the brightness changes dynamically depending on the output image and ambient lighting. Therefore, the image on the screen will be clearly visible even outdoors on a sunny day.

There are several color rendering modes. “Basic” offers almost perfect calibration close to IPS matrices.

"Adaptive" mode offers richer colors and adapts images based on the output image. A separate adjustment of color components has appeared for it, which will allow you to fine-tune everything to your liking and change the white balance in any direction. There is a setting to reduce the amount of blue so that your eyes are less tired while reading.

Considering the flexibility of settings, there are no complaints about the display. It has excellent viewing angles, enough brightness in any conditions, and automatic backlight adjustment works well. At the sharpest angles, the image appears to have a purple-greenish tint, but this is typical for all Super AMOLEDs and is unnoticeable during actual use.

It's nice that Samsung added an always-on screen mode for the A-series. It allows you to display a clock, calendar or pictures on the screen in standby mode. You can adjust the time the display is on, and the appearance of notification icons on the screen compensates for the lack of a traditional indicator of missed events.

Hardware platform

The smartphone is built on the Exynos 7880 SoC, which includes 8 Cortex-A53 cores operating at up to 1.9 GHz and Mali-830 MP2 graphics. The platform is made using a 14 nm process technology, which has a positive effect on power consumption and the absence of heating under load.

The amount of RAM is 3 GB, the built-in memory is 32 GB (23.5 GB available), you can simultaneously install two NanoSIM and a memory card up to 256 GB. Wi-Fi networks 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 + 5 GHz), Bluetooth 4.2, and FM radio are supported. The presence of NFC and MST allows you to use your smartphone for contactless payments (currently only Privat24 is supported, Samsung Pay may be launched later). Connection to a PC is carried out according to the USB 2.0 standard via a symmetrical Type-C connector.

The device shows average results in benchmarks, on par with smartphones powered by Snapdragon 625. In real life, the Galaxy A5 (2017) is fast and comfortable to use. There is no large margin of safety in terms of graphics performance, but all games available at the time of release will work with normal graphics settings and comfortable FPS.

Software platform

Out of the box, the smartphone runs Android 6.0.1 and the proprietary Grace UX interface, which replaced Touch Wiz and was announced simultaneously with the Galaxy Note 7. In the near future, the manufacturer should update the smartphone to Android 7.0, although I would like the device to be shipped immediately with the current OS version.

In the new version of the interface, the curtain of switches with notifications and the settings menu have changed. The design of built-in applications has been updated. There is a multi-window mode and support for themes. You can find a theme similar to stock Android 6.0 in the app store. Overall, the interface looks cleaner and easier.

Multimedia

The quality of music playback on the headphones is normal and comparable to its competitors. The sound is clear and quite detailed.

Like the J5 Prime, the single multimedia speaker is located on the right, above the power key. When held vertically, you can accidentally cover it with your finger, but in other situations this placement is convenient because the speaker does not overlap while playing games or watching videos, and is also a little less muffled in pockets. The volume is sufficient for games and videos. The quality is ok. Sometimes the sound feels slightly muffled because special membranes have to be used to ensure moisture protection.

Working hours

The smartphone runs on a built-in 3000 mAh battery. Compared to last year's Galaxy A5, the capacity has increased by only 100 mAh, but modern technology has made it possible to achieve more noticeable improvements.

With Always on display (AON) enabled, most users can expect up to two days of use under average load. By disabling AON, the result can be slightly improved. If you use the device “to its fullest”, then the charge will definitely be enough for a day of work. There is support for fast charging - the process takes about an hour.

Cameras

The 2017 Galaxy A5 received updated cameras. Both modules have a resolution of 16 megapixels and an f/1.9 aperture, although these are, of course, different modules. The main camera has fast and accurate autofocus and is equipped with a flash made from a single warm diode, which is not inferior in brightness to competitors equipped with two diodes. The equivalent focal length of the lens is 27 mm. Video recording capabilities are limited to shooting in 1080p 30 fps resolution. Compared to the Galaxy A5 (2016), the camera has lost optical stabilization, and the device is also formally inferior to some competitors due to the lack of the ability to shoot 4K video.

However, there are no particular problems with the quality of shooting. In good conditions there is nothing to complain about. The module provides good detail and has a wide dynamic range. In the evening and at night you can take a good photo, but the images show traces of aggressive post-processing, characteristic of most Samsung smartphones.

Conveniently, the camera can be launched by double pressing the mechanical Home key. The application has a simple interface. By swiping you can switch between the menu for selecting color filters and shooting modes, as well as to the front camera. There is a “Pro” mode, but it only allows you to adjust white balance, ISO, exposure compensation and exposure metering. There is no ability to control shutter speed and focus. There will be no problems with macro shooting, but I would like to see a full-fledged manual mode.

Site evaluation

Pros: body materials; Ease of use; screen; Always on Display function; IP68 protection; speed of work; modern platform; good cameras; operating time and fast charging; NFC and MST; updated interface

Minuses: the fingerprint scanner takes some getting used to; Android 6.0.1 out of the box; no optical stabilization (compared to A5 (2016)); the moisture-proof membrane slightly worsened the sound of the speaker

Conclusion: After the successful Galaxy A5 (2016), we expected that the new device would be at least as good and our expectations were justified. A5 (2017) is different from its predecessor, but most of the changes can be called evolutionary. We systematically increased the characteristics, made the device protected from moisture, and made it possible to simultaneously use two SIMs and a memory card. The design has become more universal, although it may not appeal to everyone. The development of the A-series is reminiscent of how the company changes its flagships; cheaper devices receive many unique features of the Galaxy S line. It’s nice that the price has remained virtually unchanged; the Galaxy A5 (2017) is worth the money and remains one of the best devices in its class. But within a year, competitors have made a noticeable step forward and narrowed the gap. Therefore, the question may arise - why should you choose Samsung? With comparable prices and features beyond features, design and branding, it's time to start looking at unique features. For the A5 (2017), these will be IP68 protection, an interesting color palette, a separate microSD slot, the Always on display function, potentially better integration with payment services and a larger selection of branded cases and accessories.

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