Want to keep up with the latest in tech?
Tech Thursday: Samsung Galaxy A7
With pared down style and much more subtance, the Samsung Galaxy A7 could be the perfect smartphone for you
The Basics
Samsung's latest offering in their midrange series is the A7, a good-looking smartphone (we got our hands on the blue-gray version and it's beautiful) that stands out as one of the best in its range not only because of appearances but also for everything it has to offer.
Featuring a 1.9GHz Exynos 7880, the A7 runs pretty smoothly, even on 3D mobile games (the true test to its power if you ask the truly tech-savvy). Another one of its major assets is the 22-hour battery life. We used it moderately for web surfing, going on social media, taking photos and playing a few games but the phone managed to stay on for over a day. Meanwhile, other A7 users shared that even with hard use, the battery juice can last them a full day. The brilliant, full-HD display is noteworthy, too, as the screen is still visible even under bright sunlight. See the full specs below:
Display size and resolution | 5.7-inch; 1,920x1,080pixels |
Dimensions (inches) | 6.2x3.1x0.31 in |
Mobile software | Android 6.01 Marshmallow |
Camera | 16-megapixel |
Front-facing camera | 16-megapixel |
Video capture | Full HD |
Storage/RAM | 32GB/3GB |
Expandable storage | 256GB |
Fingerprint sensor | Home button |
Special feature | Water-resistant |
Accessories
The Samsung Galaxy A7 comes with a micro USB connector so you can use older charger models or plug in your USB to upload or download files.
You can also use and pair the A7 with the Samsung Gear S3, a smartwatch that does more than just tell the time and count your steps. The Gear comes with amagnetic charger, but are sold separately from the phone. Read all about the Gear S3 here.
Real Talk
Samsung has always excelled in the game of aesthetics and they surely didn't disappoint with the Samsung Galaxy A7. And while it has a lot of amazing features (mentioned above and more below), it's still running on an old software (Android 6.0 Marshmallow). Another area for improvement is the palm rejection because if you're using the phone one-handed, it will register all your brushes even when unintended.
Fun Features
Now onto the fun features! The A7, like most phones today, have a one-sided feature that allows you to text using one hand. And this smartphone allows you to do just that whether you're right- or left-handed. You can also reduce the screen size three times smaller than the display.
The graphics, whether you're looking at photos or videos, register vividly.
The phone runs as smooth as butter and allows you to play 3D mobile games without glitches!
The 16MP cameras—rear and front—take pretty amazing photos. See for yourself when you zoom in on the details of an image. It does, however, struggle a bit in low light. But overall, we give the A7's camera a thumbs up for its ability to capture the smallest details.
We mentioned in the first part of the review that the Samsung Galaxy A7 is water-resistant. And it does live up to its claim. We've sprayed, doused and put it under running water and the A7 survived. Other netizens have done much more extreme tests; one submerged it in water and left it there for 7 hours. No doubt this phone's durable alright.
The Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy A7 impressed with its clean and minimalist design, 16MP reaar and front cameras and 22-hour battery life. Meanwhile, the features are definitely better than what other phones in this range have to offer. And though it's not without flaws, it feels good to the touch and easy to use. We're placing our bets this could be the next it phone.
