Samsung galaxy a7 approximate specifications. Review of the Galaxy A7 (2018) - the first smartphone from Samsung with a triple camera. OS and software

Fashionable slim model with a large screen in an all-metal case

Samsung Galaxy The A7 went on sale a little later than its brothers in the new line (Galaxy A3 and A5), and immediately stood at the head of this new series, the positioning of which, in fact, is not so obvious. Looking at the characteristics of any of the new devices belonging to the Galaxy A line, including their flagship, it becomes clear that these smartphones do not belong to the truly top level in most respects. Even the Galaxy A7 cannot compare in capabilities with the same Galaxy S5, which, even after almost a whole year of sales, remains a much more technically advanced device, being a true flagship. The new product has a much less productive platform compared to it, a simpler camera, a non-removable battery, no fingerprint scanner, no sensor heart rate, for some reason MHL was cut, and finally, there is no protection from water. So the Galaxy A7, like the rest new line Galaxy A can rather be classified as a middle class, but certainly not a top-end one.

Instead, the emphasis in the new line is largely on the image component. main feature The entire Samsung Galaxy A series is about the Koreans rethinking their approach to the choice of materials: instead of traditional plastic, metal has finally appeared in the cases. All models of the new family have all-metal bodies made entirely of aluminum, but at the same time, all smartphones in the series are similar to each other, like twin brothers - the difference can only be noticed by placing all three models side by side. Compared to its family brethren, the Galaxy A7 looks the most preferable - for starters, it has a slightly more productive hardware platform (the younger models in the series use a very budget platform as a filling entry level), although the Galaxy A7 is still far from the top solutions in terms of performance. A thin, metallic and lightweight body, as well as a large, bright Super AMOLED display are the main and most noticeable advantages of the device. Well-selected lightweight and durable modern materials, a large bright screen, as well as improved capabilities of the front camera for creating popular selfies - all this, according to the creators, should appeal to a young audience who loves to take pictures of themselves and spend their leisure time on social networks.

Video review

To get started, we suggest watching our video review Samsung smartphone Galaxy A7:

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

Main characteristics of Samsung Galaxy A7 (model SM-A700FD)

	Samsung Galaxy A7	Samsung Galaxy A5	Oppo R5	Fly Tornado Slim	Lenovo Vibe X2
Screen	5.5″, Super AMOLED	5″, Super AMOLED	5.2″, AMOLED	4.8″, Super AMOLED	5″, IPS
Permission	1920×1080, 401 ppi	1280×720, 294 ppi	1920×1080, 423 ppi	1280×720, 306 ppi	1920×1080, 440 ppi
SoC		Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (4 Cortex-A53 cores) @1.2 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 (8 cores ARM Cortex-A53) @1-1.5 GHz	MediaTek MT6592 (8 cores ARM Cortex-A7 @1.7 GHz)	Mediatek MT6595m (4x Cortex-A17 @2.0 GHz + 4x Cortex-A7 @1.3 GHz)
GPU	Adreno 405	Adreno 306	Adreno 405	Mali 450MP	PowerVR G6200
RAM	2 GB	2 GB	2 GB	1 GB	2 GB
Flash memory	16 GB	16 GB	16 GB	16 GB	32 GB
Memory card support	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, 2600 mAh	non-removable, 2300 mAh	non-removable, 2000 mAh	non-removable, 2050 mAh	non-removable, 2300 mAh
Cameras		rear (13 MP; video 1080p), front (5 MP)	rear (13 MP; video 1080p), front (5 MP)	rear (8 MP; video 1080p), front (5 MP)	rear (13 MP; video 1080p), front (5 MP)
Dimensions and weight	151×76×6.3 mm, 141 g	139×70×6.7 mm, 123 g	149×74×4.9 mm, 157 g	140×67×5.2 mm, 97 g	140×69×7.3 mm, 120 g
average price	T-11927009	T-11755838	T-11168103	T-11553831	T-11168521
Samsung Galaxy A7 offers	L-11927009-10

• SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 (MSM8939), 4+4 ARM Cortex-A53 cores, 1/1.5 GHz
• GPU Adreno 405 @550 MHz
• operating room Android system 4.4.4
• Touch display Super AMOLED, 5.5″, 1920×1080, 401 ppi
• Random access memory (RAM) 2 GB, internal memory 16 GB
• SIM cards: Nano-SIM (2 pcs.)
• Map support microSD memory up to 64 GB
• 2G communication: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
• 3G Communication: WCDMA 850/900/1900/2100 MHz
• Data transmission 4G LTE FDD (Cat4, up to 150 Mbps)
• Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n (2.4/5 GHz), point Wi-Fi access, Wi-Fi Direct
• Bluetooth 4.0, NFC
• USB 2.0, OTG
• GPS/A-GPS, Glonass, BDS
• Position, proximity, lighting sensors, electronic compass
• Camera 13 MP (F2.0), autofocus, LED flash
• Camera 5 MP (F2.2), front
• Battery 2600 mAh
• Dimensions 151×76×6.3 mm
• Weight 141 g

Appearance and ease of use

By design, as mentioned above, smartphones Galaxy series A are practically no different from each other, but that's not all. The main thing is that even despite the rethinking of the interests and aspirations of the modern market, despite the sharp transition from plastic to metal in manufacturing materials, the new Samsung smartphones still remain in appearance almost the same as they were before. That is, their appearance remained so recognizable that those who were somehow dissatisfied with the design of Korean devices are unlikely to see anything encouraging this time.

The easily recognizable design of Samsung smartphones has not changed much:

As for materials, the devices actually received metal cases, and entirely made of this material. 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. And yet, owners of new Korean smartphones will not have the opportunity to touch real metal and feel all its cold appeal. The fact is that all surfaces here are carefully covered with a special plastic coating so as to completely hide all the metal underneath. That is, the all-metal bodies of the new Galaxy A look and feel as if we were still looking at the same plastic. The presence of metal can be recognized, perhaps, only by the unpainted chamfers on the side faces.

Due to the matte finish, thin body and low weight, the device is held comfortably in the hand, does not slip out and does not collect fingerprints. New Samsung smartphones have become very pleasant to the touch, this cannot be taken away. Even with a huge display, the Galaxy A7 remains such a thin and light solution that the smartphone can easily be carried in your pocket, although the dimensions are certainly large.

The assembly does not cause any complaints; Samsung is fine with this. Having abandoned the removable cover for the first time, the developers resorted to a common solution for placing cards in the side slots: now here, too, you need to press in the hidden buttons with a paper clip in order to remove the slide with the SIM card and memory card. In place of the memory card, you can put a second Nano-SIM card, but then you will have to leave the memory card at home - a very controversial, and it is completely unclear how justified the decision of the developers was.

According to the not very pleasant tradition that has developed recently, here it is also proposed to compromise and choose only one of possible options using cards: either install two Nano-SIMs without the possibility of expanding the memory, or put a microSD card in the second slot, but then you will have to say goodbye to the second SIM card. This strange idea of ​​saving captured the minds of not only Chinese developers, but, as it turned out, Korean ones too. In marketing materials, this solution is usually presented as ideal: those who need a second SIM card will insert it, and those who need additional memory will choose a microSD card. However, nothing is said about those who may need both. 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 particularly thin, the camera module still protrudes quite noticeably from the back wall. In this matter, the new Samsung smartphones turned out to be no better than the notorious ones Apple iPhone 6/6 Plus, which only the lazy would not “wash their bones” for this option of placing the camera module. The same square-shaped LED flash and chrome speaker grille are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the camera lens. 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 back” is practically not muffled. However, since the main contact with the surface will be the glass of the protruding chamber, it will most likely be scratched first. There was no built-in flashlight mode for the flash; the flash module itself has only one section.

The front of the smartphone is completely covered protective glass Gorilla Glass. As in the case of the Galaxy A5, 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, like old smartphones Samsung.

The mechanical volume and lock keys are also made of metal, the buttons are quite large, the action is springy and responsive, and there are traditionally no complaints about the controls in Samsung devices.

For some reason, the Micro-USB 2.0 connector and the audio output for headphones with a diameter of 3.5 mm were clustered on one, bottom end, very close to each other. This is inconvenient if you have to use both sockets for connecting power and headphones at the same time. It’s good that, unlike the younger Galaxy A5 model, Micro-USB here supports connecting external devices and flash drives in OTG mode.

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, the dark blue and golden body colors familiar from previous series of Samsung smartphones are also offered. With a clear focus on the youth segment, the developers perhaps should have given their new products fresher and brighter colors, since they decided to cover the metal with a plastic coating that is easy to paint.

Screen

The Samsung Galaxy A7 smartphone is equipped with a large Super AMOLED touch matrix. The physical dimensions of the display are 68x122 mm, diagonal - 5.5 inches. The screen resolution in pixels is 1920×1080 (dot density 401 ppi), a decent figure, but do not forget that the screen here is made using Pentile technology.

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. 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. In the settings, you can enable support for working with the screen while wearing gloves (this was not the case in the Galaxy A5).

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 photo 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 A7, then they can be distinguished by size):

The screen of the Samsung Galaxy A7 is slightly lighter (brightness according to photographs is 102 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 A7 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 A7 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 A7 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 350 cd/m², the minimum was 1.9 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 410 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 brightness is reduced to 3.8, 10 and 18 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 76, 113 and 300 cd/m² (dark - in just right - a bit light, which corresponds to the specified correction), in a brightly lit environment (corresponds to lighting on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or a little more) - increases to 350 cd / m², regardless of the position of the slider. 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 below 75%), 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 A7 (profile Movie AMOLED) 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 reproduction is good, however, the color balance of the screens is slightly different and the colors of the Samsung Galaxy A7 are a little more saturated. 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 are noticeably increased.

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 (profile Basic). White field:

The brightness at an angle for both screens has noticeably decreased (to avoid strong darkening, the shutter speed was increased by 2.5 times 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 samsung screen The Galaxy A7 looks much brighter visually (compared to LCD screens), since the screen of a mobile device often has to be viewed 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 white 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 equal intervals according to 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 equal to 2.30, which is slightly higher than the standard value of 2.2, while the real gamma -the curve deviates little from the power-law dependence (the captions in parentheses show the exponent of the approximating power-law 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 0.4 s:

Color gamut in the case of a profile Movie AMOLED very wide, it almost covers the Adobe RGB gamut:

When selecting a profile Photo AMOLED The coverage decreases 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 sound of the Samsung Galaxy A7 is very decent. The smartphone produces a fairly loud sound, saturated with the entire spectrum of frequencies, the speaker is not deprived and low frequencies. The smartphone sounds really nice, at the maximum volume level the sound is not distorted, does not wheeze, there are no complaints at all. In conversational dynamics, the voice of a familiar interlocutor, timbre and intonation remain recognizable, the conversation is quite comfortable.

With headphones, the smartphone also sounds at the level of modern flagships; to play melodies, a proprietary player with a 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 (“normal”, “voice note”). 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.

Camera

Samsung Galaxy A7 is equipped with exactly the same two physical modules digital cameras, the same as the cheaper model in the line, Galaxy A5. The front camera here is equipped with a 5-megapixel module with an f/2.2 aperture; it shoots video at a maximum resolution of 1080p. For popular selfie-style entertainment, there are group selfie modes, as well as shooting with GIF animation. Animated Selfie mode allows you to take up to 20 continuous photos and automatically combine them into one animated GIF that replaces a short video. You can take pictures with the front camera without contacting the camera, using the open palm gesture.

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 of the cells 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 optical stabilization and 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 fps. Of the shooting modes, there are only traditional panoramic, portrait, night, and again, the notorious selfie, which can be taken here with the main camera too; a special auto-selfie mode has been invented for this.

The video camera of the Samsung Galaxy A7 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 video.

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

	Good sharpness throughout the entire frame, it drops a little in the upper corners.
	Good sharpness in distant shots.
	Details are lost when the shot is removed, especially at the edges, but the sharpness in the central part of the frame is quite good.
	The camera's sharpness problems are noticeable only in the upper left and lower right corners.
	Good sharpness in mid-grounds. At distances it’s noticeably worse, although it’s worth taking snowfall into account.
	Good job with noise.
	The camera works well with shadows.
	The license plates of cars that are not closest can be made out. The tree branches in the central part of the frame are well done.
	The sharpening on the wires is quite noticeable, but not very bright.
	The camera copes well with macro photography.
	The text as a whole is excellent, only slightly blurred in the upper left corner.

We also tested the camera on a laboratory bench using our method.

Overall the camera is of a fairly high standard. It has some shortcomings that do not allow it to be called a flagship, but they do not make it unsuccessful. Rare and not very stable, but good highlighting of details by sharpening the camera can be forgiven. But blur at the edges of the frame occurs quite often and spoils the impression. At the same time, the sharpness in the central part of the frame is excellent in most cases. The advantages of the camera can also be written down Good work noise reduction

Lab testing shows really good sharpness in the center of the frame and acceptable sharpness around the edges. And the very shape of the resolution curve in the center looks quite decent. But still, something is wrong in the cell. And the point here is not even a drop in sharpness towards the edges. Most likely, the algorithms used in software processing are somewhat outdated. But I want something new. At a minimum, you don’t want to see white sharpening stripes on contrasting borders, but at the same time it is desirable to see a good result of its work. Samsung can afford to work on this, but apparently the manufacturer treats this camera in a completely different way than it should treat a flagship one. However, the camera is well suited for documentary and art 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 as standard: there is support for NFC technology, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Display, you can organize a wireless access point via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth channels. Wi-Fi module supports operation in both frequency ranges (2.4 and 5 GHz). Supports connection of external devices to USB port in OTG mode, but there is no support for MHL and DLNA.

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 located very quickly. The device is also equipped with a magnetic field sensor, on the basis of which the magnetic compass of navigation programs operates.

The drawing of letters and numbers on virtual keyboards is quite large; for the convenience of quick typing, there is an additional row with numbers at the top. 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 telephone number A search is also carried out immediately using the first letters in contacts. For Swype fans, there is a continuous typing method using a stroke from letter to letter.

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 context menu from the notifications 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.

OS and software

Samsung Galaxy A7, like its brothers in the new line, even after the official release of the fifth version of Android OS goes on sale and runs natively on the Google software platform Android versions 4.4.4, an update to version 5.x has just been promised. A proprietary graphic is traditionally installed on top of the OS interface. user interface TouchWiz. 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 A7 has a very limited set of supported gestures. The energy-saving mode, privacy mode, the ability to work in two windows simultaneously, and the sidebar of virtual keys remain in place. The function of reducing the working area of ​​the screen is convenient for working with the fingers of one hand, including for left-handed people. Added the Briefing news panel, called up from the left with a side swipe - an analogue of HTC Blinkfeed.

Performance

The Samsung Galaxy A7 hardware platform is based on the latest eight-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 (MSM8939) single-chip system (SoC). This recently announced 64-bit platform is made using big.LITTLE technology, where four Cortex-A53 processor cores are adjacent to four of the same Cortex-A53 cores, but these “fours” have different maximum operating frequencies. Depending on the nature and degree of load, either 4 “junior” or 4 “senior” (up to 1.5 GHz) cores are turned on, which saves energy. The Adreno 405 video accelerator with a frequency of up to 550 MHz is responsible for graphics processing here. SoC Snapdragon 615 is made using a 28 nm process technology, belongs to the mid-level category, does not differ in particular power and performance, full list characteristics can be found.

The device has 2 GB of RAM. The smartphone doesn’t have a lot of built-in memory - out of the nominal 16 GB internal memory about 11 are available to the user. It is possible to expand the built-in memory: you can install a microSD card in the smartphone, but then the second SIM card will have to be removed. In addition, the device supports the mode of connecting external devices to the USB port (USB Host, USB OTG) - an external flash drive can be connected via an OTG adapter, purchased separately.

According to testing results, the eight-core hardware platform of the Samsung Galaxy A7 showed average results, far from truly top-end modern flagships. The performance of the Snapdragon 615 platform is approximately at the level of the alternative eight-core MediaTek MT6592, or even slightly lower. According to AnTuTu, the performance of the smartphone is at the level of 30K, while for top solutions this value is now 40-45K. There is nothing special to add here; the platform is far in its capabilities from the most productive modern Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 series platforms, just as it is far from the fresh flagship MediaTek MT6595. The destiny of devices with such filling is confident average level, no more. However, the smartphone we are describing today is powerful enough to not have to worry about not having enough power to complete most tasks for some time.

Testing in latest versions 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 test programs.

Testing the graphics subsystem in gaming tests 3DMark,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 A7 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 615/ Adreno 405)	Samsung Galaxy A5 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 410/ Adreno 306)	Oppo R5 (Snapdragon 615/ Adreno 405)	Fly Tornado Slim (Mediatek MT6592/ Mali 450MP)	Lenovo Vibe X2 (Mediatek MT6595m/ PowerVR G6200)
3DMark Ice Storm Extreme (more is better)	5373	2624	5527	5028	8566
3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited (more is better)	7700	4386	8055	7131	14067
GFXBenchmark T-Rex HD (C24Z16 Onscreen)	14 fps	9.6 fps	13.1 fps	16.3 fps	17.0 fps
GFXBenchmark T-Rex HD (C24Z16 Offscreen)	15 fps	5.4 fps	13.5 fps	—	17.8 fps
Bonsai Benchmark	1946 (28 fps)	1726 (25 fps)	1721 (24 fps)	2330 (33 fps)	3549 (51 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 equipped with all the necessary decoders that are necessary for full playback of most of the most common multimedia files on the network. To successfully play them, you will have to resort to the help of a third-party player - for example, MX Player. True, it is also necessary to change the settings and manually install additional custom codecs, because now this player does not officially support the AC3 sound format.

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		The video plays fine, but there is no sound¹
BDRip 720p	MKV, H.264 1280×720 4000 Kbps, AC3	The video plays fine, but there is no sound¹	The video plays fine, but there is no sound¹
BDRip 1080p	MKV, H.264 1920×1080 8000 Kbps, AC3	The video plays fine, but there is no sound¹	The video plays fine, but there is no sound¹

¹ sound in MX Video Player was played only after installing an alternative custom audio codec; The standard player does not have this setting

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. For this we used the set 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 related to 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 1920 by 1080 pixels (1080p) 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, the horizontal world with stripes through the pixel has a typical greenish tint. 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. Only in the case of very dark scenes with low average brightness on dark objects can you notice artifacts in the form of increased variation in hue and brightness, which reveals the inevitable scatter in the characteristics of the emitting LED pixels.

Battery life

The capacity of the lithium-ion battery installed in the Samsung Galaxy A7 is not a record, but quite modern - 2600 mAh. Thanks to the far from the most productive and, accordingly, more economical hardware platform, as well as a quite decent amount of built-in battery, the smartphone has proven itself worthy in terms of battery life, showing excellent autonomy in most standard usage scenarios. The developers themselves promise that the smartphone is designed for 17 hours of continuous use. telephone conversation in 3G networks, or 13 hours of work on the Internet via Wi-Fi network.

It should be noted that to save energy, the device settings traditionally contain two proprietary energy saving modes: normal and extreme. The maximum energy saving mode significantly reduces the level of energy consumption by turning off non-essential ones and saving vital ones. this moment functions, including converting the image on the screen to black and white.

	Battery capacity	Reading mode	Video mode	3D Game Mode
Samsung Galaxy A7	2600 mAh	22:10	12:00 pm	3 hours 20 minutes
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
Yotaphone 2	2500 mAh	12:00 pm	9:30 a.m.	3 hours 15 minutes
Samsung Note 4	3220 mAh	10:30 a.m.	8:30 a.m.	3 hours 50 minutes
Meizu MX4 Pro	3350 mAh	16:00	8 hours 40 minutes	3 hours 30 minutes
Huawei Mate 7	4100 mAh	20:00	12:30 pm	4 hours 25 minutes
Sony Xperia Z3	3100 mAh	20:00	10:00 am	4 hours 50 minutes
HTC One M8	2600 mAh	22:10	13:20	3 hours 20 minutes
Samsung Galaxy S5	2800 mAh	17:20	12:30 pm	4 hours 30 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 up to full discharge battery life is about 22 hours. When watching videos continuously high quality(720p) with the same brightness level through home network The Wi-Fi device lasted 12 hours. In 3D gaming mode, the device worked for almost 3.5 hours. Full charging time is approximately 2.5 hours.

Bottom line

In the Samsung Galaxy A series of smartphones, a lot of what was previously invented for the Galaxy S line was removed, and the oversaturation of various superpowers suddenly gave way to complete asceticism. It seems that the developers were tasked with simplifying everything possible, and they clearly overdid it. The fingerprint sensor, heart rate sensor are lost, the flashlight, notification sensor, removable battery, waterproofness, infrared transmitter are gone, MHL support is removed, a ridiculous compromise has appeared with the choice between inserted cards. But the most unpleasant thing is that they saved even on the holy of holies - the hardware platform: the smartphone, which is offered in official retail for 32 thousand rubles, did not even receive a decent processor from the Snapdragon 800 series usual for such cases, although at such a price it would be more than justified . And this despite the fact that the same Galaxy S5, which has everything listed above in stock, is offered at retail for 30 thousand rubles, that is, even cheaper! Galaxy A series smartphones are extremely overpriced, their level of technical equipment does not correspond to the level of prices set for them.

If you collect positive points, which are present in the new line of smartphones, we can note a nice thin, light and high-quality body, a good bright AMOLED screen, decent sound and long battery life. The camera quality is average, it is worse than that of the Galaxy S5, so there is nothing special to praise in this regard, except that the frontal shooting capabilities have improved. The fundamental characteristics are good, but they are not enough for the level to which Samsung is trying to push the modest line of fashion devices of the Galaxy A series.

In 2017, the famous South Korean technology 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 are offered by the so-called senior A-series model - 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 at all appearance phone, 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 its technical characteristics are quite decent.

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
Test GPU 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 rest of the minimum is the mechanical “Home” control button, the “Return” and “Applications” invisible touchscreens, as well as 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. If we take into account the space occupied by 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 in a fresh brainchild South Korean developer A more powerful Li-Po battery is also installed - 3600 mAh versus last year’s 3300 mAh. In addition, the phone has an accelerated Samsung chargers 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). The device will work for 18 hours in talk mode, listening to music can last up to 48 hours, and watching videos - up to 9. But the phone still does not have wireless charging. 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. As it, the creators of the updated Galaxy versions 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.

There is an opinion in society that when you buy a mid-range phone, you deprive yourself of many opportunities that are characteristic of exclusively expensive flagships, which not everyone can afford to purchase. The Samsung company, with its A-series, makes it clear that it does not have to be this way. This is especially true in 2017, when the model was improved in all areas and now the difference between it and more expensive flagships is practically not felt. Samsung Galaxy A7 review showed that in 2017 the phone gained protection from moisture and dust, as well as a separate tray for a microSD card, which many will appreciate.

Specifications:

• Screen: Super AMOLED, 5.7", Full HD 1920x1080, capacitive, multi-touch (up to 10 touches), Always On Display support
• Processor: Octa-core Samsung Exynos 7880 up to 1.9 GHz
• Graphics accelerator: Mali-T830 MP3
• Operating system: Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
• RAM: 3 GB (LPDDR3)
• Built-in memory: 32 GB
• Memory card support: microSDXC up to 256 GB (separate slot) + OTG (USB Type-C)
• Communication: GSM 900/1800/1900 MHz || UMTS 900/2100 || LTE 1, 3, 7, 34, 39
• SIM: 2x nano-SIM
• Wireless interfaces: WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (5 GHz) with MIMO support, Bluetooth 4.2 LE, FM radio, NFC (HCE), MST
• Navigation: A-GPS, GLONASS
• Cameras: main - 16 MP (LED flash, phase detection autofocus), front - 16 MP (fix focus)
• Sensors: light, proximity, Hall, accelerometer, microgyroscope, electronic compass, fingerprint scanner
• Battery: 3600 mAh, non-removable
• Dimensions: 156.8 x 77.6 x 7.9 mm
• Weight: 186 grams

Equipment

The 2017 Galaxy A7 comes in a white cardboard box, which remains virtually unchanged from last year's packaging. It can only be distinguished thanks to the inscription indicating that this is a 2017 device. The packaging looks very solid and presentable, you can feel the attention to detail.

The Samsung Galaxy A7 2017 review showed that the contents of the box were also pleasing, which turned out to be quite rich: headphones, an AC adapter, an OTG and USB-C cable, an adapter from microUSB to USB-C, thanks to which you can charge your smartphone even using an outdated cable , which is useful when, for example, you are visiting and there is simply no other option.

Compared to the previous generation, the Galaxy A7 2017 has a more rounded shape, which is a plus for its ergonomics. A metal frame runs along the entire perimeter of the case, adding rigidity to the structure. It is painted in the color of the body. On official sale in Russia you can find options with a black, gold or milky blue body. The body materials have remained unchanged for several years now - glass combined with metal. The result is a reliable and tactile solution that will appeal to most users.

The review of the Samsung Galaxy A7 a720f smartphone introduces you to the fact that the back side is made of glass, slightly curved at the edges. The manufacturer calls this technology 3D glass. On the front side, the more familiar 2.5D glass is used, which has already become a standard in 2017.

The space under the screen is occupied by a mechanical “Home” button, which, in addition to its main purpose, plays the role of a fingerprint scanner. On either side of it there are two touch navigation keys. They are invisible exactly until you click on them.

On the front side they left the Samsung company logo, above which there is a speaker mesh. The sensors are located to the left of it, and the front camera lens to the right.

Samsung sm a720f Galaxy A7 review showed that the top edge is occupied by an additional noise-canceling microphone and a slot into which a nano SIM card is installed. There is also a separate slot for microSD. The second SIM card is located in a different location, so it does not have to be sacrificed to expand the memory capacity.

Three were simultaneously brought to the bottom edge functional elements- a new type port - USB-C, a microphone and a 3.5 mm audio jack to which headphones are connected. At the ends you can see thin strips for antennas, made of plastic to improve the quality of communication reception. They are painted in the color of the body, so they are not so easy to see.

Another SIM card is installed in a separate tray provided on the left side of the case. Just above it we see a divided volume control rocker.

The power button and multimedia speaker are installed on the right. The solution is unusual, but in practice it is very convenient - no matter how you hold your smartphone, the sound will not be blocked.

On the back side, just above the corporate logo, is the main camera and its flash. The camera does not protrude beyond the body at all, which ensures its safety during operation.

Smartphone Samsung Galaxy A7 2017 sm a720f black review makes it clear that you need to use it very carefully - with a diagonal of 5.7 inches, it turns out to be quite large, holding it with one hand will not be so easy. In addition, glass is a slippery material, which is why the case tends to slip out of your hands.

The ergonomics of the phone are thought out to the smallest detail. A big plus is the presence of a USB-C port that supports fast charging, and in addition, the cable can be inserted into it from either side. The camera no longer protrudes from the body, which has always been typical for Samsung technology. What is no less pleasing is the presence of moisture protection according to the IP68 standard, which means you can not be afraid of getting the device wet in the pouring rain. It can withstand 30-minute immersion under water to a depth of 1.5 meters.

Display

Samsung Galaxy A7 2017 gold review showed that the older model in the A-series received the largest display with a 5.7-inch diagonal and FullHD resolution. As expected, a high-quality AMOLED matrix is ​​used with its inherent advantages and disadvantages. The pixel density is good, although it is far from record levels - 386 ppi. If you hold the screen close to your eyes, you may notice a slight graininess. But in general, the settings and fonts look clear; you are unlikely to look so closely at the phone during everyday use.

There are several screen modes in the settings, including “Adaptive”, “Cinema”, “Basic” and “Photo”. The first two make the colors oversaturated, while the latter make them closer to natural. If you are used to using IPS displays, then it is better to opt for one of the last two profiles.

A review of the Samsung Galaxy A7 a710f showed that it now has a blue filter mode. It reduces eye strain, so it will be useful when working with the phone for long periods of time. The function can be turned on manually or run according to a schedule you set.

There is another feature characteristic of Samsung technology - Always on Display technology. With its help, missed notifications and calls, the date and some other functions are displayed on the locked screen. All this works with minimal energy consumption, so it has virtually no effect on autonomy.

Performance Samsung Galaxy A7 2017

Full Samsung review Galaxy A7 2017 once again confirms that mid-priced smartphones may look like flagships, but cannot compare with them in terms of performance. The hero of our review may resemble the Galaxy S7 in its appearance, but it lags far behind in performance. Although the power is enough to quickly complete any tasks assigned by the user, including games.

Test in Antutu

Samsung Galaxy A7 2017 specifications are built on a self-made Exynos 7880 processor with 8 cores up to 1.9 GHz. It is designed using a 14nm process technology, which means that everything should be excellent with power consumption. The Mali T830MP3 is responsible for graphics processing. RAM - 3 GB, built-in - 32 GB, which may seem not enough to many, but the situation is corrected by a microSD card up to 256 GB.

The characteristics of the Samsung Galaxy A7 2017 cope well with any tasks that the user may encounter, but top games only run on average graphics.

Interface

A review of the 2017 Samsung Galaxy A7 showed that the smartphone uses the new Grace UX shell, based on version 6 of Android. Nothing speaks better about the interface than the screenshots we have provided below.

Sound

The multimedia speaker is located on the right side of the case, slightly above the power key. Due to this, you don’t block it when you watch a movie or play. But it sounds muffled, which is due to the use of a moisture-proof membrane, which is necessary to protect the case from water ingress.

The sound quality in the headphones is top notch. If desired, you can change the sound to suit yourself using an equalizer and proprietary Adapt Sound technology.

Autonomy

A review of the 2017 Samsung Galaxy A7 phone showed that it uses a 3600 mAh battery, which, combined with an energy-efficient processor and AMOLED screen, allows you to count on decent battery life results. When tested in PCMark at a brightness of 200 cd/m2, a full charge lasted for 9.5 hours. In an hour of playing Tanks, the Samsung Galaxy A7 2017 was discharged by only 14%. With average use, you can expect two days of battery life. Thanks to USB-C port Fast charging standard supported.

Cameras

The Samsung Galaxy A7 2017 camera review shows that the main 16 MP module has an f/1.9 aperture and a focal length of 27 mm. It was also equipped with autofocus and flash. Compared to last year's model, the number of pixels has increased, but not everything has changed for the better - electronic stabilization is used instead of optical stabilization.

A review of the Samsung Galaxy A7 camera showed that in daytime conditions you can get very impressive pictures, both in automatic and HDR mode. When shooting in HDR, saving images takes an order of magnitude longer, as processing time is required. This is also due to a lack of processor power.

Samsung Galaxy A7 2017 review in Russian demonstrates that when shooting at night, f/1.9 aperture plays an important role. It allows the sensor to capture more light, resulting in more detail in the frame in low light. But the pictures lack sharpness. Due to the lack of optical stabilization, blurry frames sometimes appear in low light.

The quality of the pictures can be compared with the Galaxy S6, which was once the company's flagship, which is very good, considering the cost of the device and its positioning.

Samsung Galaxy A7 2017 review showed that the front camera also received a resolution of 16 megapixels and an aperture of f/1.9. The quality of the pictures is at a very decent level.

Conclusion

Samsung Galaxy A7 2017 is a worthy representative of the mid-range, which in its capabilities is already as close as possible to the flagships. When you purchase it, you get moisture protection and all the necessary functions that were previously available exclusively to flagship models. The smartphone pleases with high-quality cameras, an easy-to-use interface, screen and battery life. For many, a separate slot for a flash drive will be a real salvation. The only shortcomings include the muffled sound of the main speaker and the lack of optical stabilization, which was in last year's model.

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Information about the make, model, and alternative names of the specific device, if available.

Design

Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Materials used, colors offered, certificates.

Width Width information - refers to the horizontal side of the device in its standard orientation during use.	77.6 mm (millimeters) 7.76 cm (centimeters) 0.25 ft (feet) 3.06 in (inches)
Height Height information - refers to the vertical side of the device in its standard orientation during use.	156.8 mm (millimeters) 15.68 cm (centimeters) 0.51 ft (feet) 6.17 in (inches)
Thickness Information about the thickness of the device in different units of measurement.	7.9 mm (millimeters) 0.79 cm (centimeters) 0.03 ft (feet) 0.31 in (inches)
Volume The approximate volume of the device, calculated based on the dimensions provided by the manufacturer. Refers to devices with the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped.	96.12 cm³ (cubic centimeters) 5.84 in³ (cubic inches)
Colors Information about the colors in which this device is offered for sale.	Black Pink gold Blue Golden
Materials for making the case Materials used to make the device body.	Aluminium alloy Glass
Certification Information about the standards to which this device is certified.	IP68

SIM card

The SIM card is used in mobile devices to store data that certifies the authenticity of mobile service subscribers.

Mobile networks

A mobile network is a radio system that allows multiple mobile devices to communicate with each other.

GSM GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) is designed to replace the analogue mobile network (1G). For this reason, GSM is often called a 2G mobile network. It is improved by the addition of GPRS (General Packet Radio Services), and later EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) technologies.	GSM 850 MHz GSM 900 MHz GSM 1800 MHz GSM 1900 MHz
UMTS UMTS is an abbreviation for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System. It is based on the GSM standard and belongs to 3G mobile networks. Developed by 3GPP and its biggest advantage is providing greater speed and spectral efficiency thanks to W-CDMA technology.	UMTS 850 MHz UMTS 900 MHz UMTS 1700/2100 MHz UMTS 1900 MHz UMTS 2100 MHz
LTE LTE (Long Term Evolution) is defined as a fourth generation (4G) technology. It is developed by 3GPP based on GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA to increase the capacity and speed of wireless mobile networks. The subsequent technology development is called LTE Advanced.	LTE 700 MHz Class 17 LTE 800 MHz LTE 850 MHz LTE 900 MHz LTE 1700/2100 MHz LTE 1800 MHz LTE 1900 MHz LTE 2100 MHz LTE 2600 MHz LTE-TDD 2300 MHz (B40) LTE-TDD 2500 MHz (B41) LTE-TDD 2600 MHz (B38) LTE 700 MHz (B28)

Mobile communication technologies and data transfer speeds

Communication between devices on mobile networks is carried out using technologies that provide different data transfer rates.

Operating system

An operating system is a system software that manages and coordinates the operation of hardware components in a device.

SoC (System on Chip)

A system on a chip (SoC) includes all the most important hardware components of a mobile device on one chip.

SoC (System on Chip) A system on a chip (SoC) integrates various hardware components, such as a processor, graphics processor, memory, peripherals, interfaces, etc., as well as the software necessary for their operation.	Samsung Exynos 7 Octa 7880
Technological process Information about technological process, on which the chip is made. Nanometers measure half the distance between elements in the processor.	14 nm (nanometers)
Processor (CPU) The primary function of a mobile device's processor (CPU) is to interpret and execute instructions contained in software applications.	ARM Cortex-A53
Processor size The size (in bits) of a processor is determined by the size (in bits) of the registers, address buses, and data buses. 64-bit processors have higher performance compared to 32-bit processors, which in turn are more powerful than 16-bit processors.	64 bit
Instruction Set Architecture Instructions are commands with which the software sets/controls the operation of the processor. Information about the instruction set (ISA) that the processor can execute.	ARMv8-A
Number of processor cores The processor core executes software instructions. There are processors with one, two or more cores. Having more cores increases performance by allowing multiple instructions to be executed in parallel.	8
CPU clock speed The clock speed of a processor describes its speed in terms of cycles per second. It is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz).	1900 MHz (megahertz)
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) Graphics processing unit (GPU) handles calculations for various 2D/3D graphic applications. In mobile devices, it is most often used by games, consumer interfaces, video applications, etc.	ARM Mali-T830 MP3
Number of GPU cores Like a CPU, a GPU is made up of several working parts called cores. They handle graphics calculations for various applications.	3
GPU clock speed Running speed is the clock speed of the GPU, measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz).	950 MHz (megahertz)
Volume random access memory(RAM) Random Access Memory (RAM) in use operating system and all installed applications. Data stored in RAM is lost after the device is turned off or restarted.	3 GB (gigabytes)
Type of random access memory (RAM) Information about the type of random access memory (RAM) used by the device.	LPDDR4
Number of RAM channels Information about the number of RAM channels that are integrated into the SoC. More channels mean higher data rates.	Dual channel
RAM frequency The frequency of RAM determines its operating speed, more specifically, the speed of reading/writing data.	1033 MHz (megahertz)

Built-in memory

Each mobile device has built-in (non-removable) memory with a fixed capacity.

Memory cards

Memory cards are used in mobile devices to increase the storage capacity for storing data.

Screen

The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.

Type/technology One of the main characteristics of the screen is the technology by which it is made and on which the quality of the information image directly depends.	Super AMOLED
Diagonal For mobile devices, screen size is expressed by the length of its diagonal, measured in inches.	5.7 in (inches) 144.78 mm (millimeters) 14.48 cm (centimeters)
Width Approximate screen width	2.79 in (inches) 70.98 mm (millimeters) 7.1 cm (centimeters)
Height Approximate screen height	4.97 in (inches) 126.19 mm (millimeters) 12.62 cm (centimeters)
Aspect Ratio The ratio of the dimensions of the long side of the screen to its short side	1.778:1 16:9
Permission Screen resolution shows the number of pixels vertically and horizontally on the screen. More a high resolution means sharper detail in the image.	1080 x 1920 pixels
Pixel Density Information about the number of pixels per centimeter or inch of the screen. Higher density allows information to be displayed on the screen with clearer detail.	386 ppi (pixels per inch) 151 ppcm (pixels per centimeter)
Color depth Screen color depth reflects the total number of bits used for color components in one pixel. Information about the maximum number of colors that the screen can display.	24 bit 16777216 flowers
Screen area Approximate percentage of screen area occupied by the screen on the front of the device.	73.85% (percent)
Other characteristics Information about other screen features and characteristics.	Capacitive Multi-touch Scratch resistance
	Corning Gorilla Glass 4 Always-On Display

Sensors

Different sensors perform different quantitative measurements and convert physical indicators into signals that a mobile device can recognize.

Main camera

The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on the back of the body and is used for taking photos and videos.

Sensor model Information about the manufacturer and model of the photo sensor used in the device's camera.	Samsung S5K3P8
Sensor type Digital cameras use photo sensors to take photographs. The sensor, as well as optics, are one of the main factors in the quality of the camera in a mobile device.	ISOCELL
Diaphragm	f/1.9
Focal length Focal length is the distance in millimeters from the photosensor to the optical center of the lens. The equivalent focal length is also indicated, providing the same field of view with a full frame camera.	3.6 mm (millimeters)
Flash type The most common types of flashes in mobile device cameras are LED and xenon flashes. LED flashes produce softer light and, unlike brighter xenon flashes, are also used for video shooting.	LED
Image Resolution One of the main characteristics of mobile device cameras is their resolution, which shows the number of horizontal and vertical pixels in the image.	4608 x 3456 pixels 15.93 MP (megapixels)
Video resolution Information about the maximum supported resolution when shooting video with the device.	1920 x 1080 pixels 2.07 MP (megapixels)
Information about the maximum number of frames per second (fps) supported by the device when shooting video at the maximum resolution. Some of the main standard video shooting and playback speeds are 24p, 25p, 30p, 60p.	30fps (frames per second)
Characteristics Information about other software and hardware features related to the main camera and improving its functionality.	Autofocus Continuous shooting Digital zoom Geographical tags Panoramic photography HDR shooting Touch Focus Face recognition Setting White Balance ISO Setting Exposure compensation Self-timer Scene Selection Mode
	Sensor size - 1/3.1" Pixel size - 1.0 μm

Additional camera

Additional cameras are usually mounted above the device screen and are used mainly for video conversations, gesture recognition, etc.

Diaphragm Aperture (f-number) is the size of the aperture opening that controls the amount of light reaching the photosensor. A lower f-number means the aperture opening is larger.	f/1.9
Image Resolution Information about the maximum resolution of the additional camera when shooting. In most cases, the resolution of the secondary camera is lower than that of the main camera.	4608 x 3456 pixels 15.93 MP (megapixels)
Video resolution Information about the maximum supported video resolution additional camera.	1920 x 1080 pixels 2.07 MP (megapixels)
Video - frame rate/frames per second. Information about the maximum number of frames per second (fps) supported by the secondary camera when shooting video at the maximum resolution.	30fps (frames per second)

Audio

Information about the type of speakers and audio technologies supported by the device.

Radio

The radio of the mobile device is a built-in FM receiver.

Location determination

Information about the navigation and location technologies supported by your device.

WiFi

Wi-Fi is a technology that provides wireless communication for transmitting data over close distances between various devices.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless data transfer between various devices of different types over short distances.

Version There are several versions of Bluetooth, with each subsequent one improving communication speed, coverage, and making devices easier to discover and connect. Information about the Bluetooth version of the device.	4.2
Characteristics Bluetooth uses different profiles and protocols that provide faster data transfer, energy savings, improved device discovery, etc. Some of these profiles and protocols that the device supports are shown here.	A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile) AVRCP (Audio/Visual Remote Control Profile) DIP (Device ID Profile) HFP (Hands-Free Profile) HID (Human Interface Profile) HSP (Headset Profile) MAP (Message Access Profile) OPP (Object Push Profile) PAN (Personal Area Networking Profile) PBAP/PAB (Phone Book Access Profile) HOGP

USB

USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that allows different electronic devices to exchange data.

Headphone jack

This is an audio connector, also called an audio jack. The most widely used standard in mobile devices is the 3.5mm headphone jack.

Connecting devices

Information about other important connection technologies supported by your device.

Browser

A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.

Browser Information about some of the main characteristics and standards supported by the device's browser.

HTML HTML5 CSS 3

Audio file formats/codecs

Mobile devices support different audio file formats and codecs, which respectively store and encode/decode digital audio data.

Video file formats/codecs

Mobile devices support different video file formats and codecs, which respectively store and encode/decode digital video data.

Video file formats/codecs A list of some of the main video file formats and codecs supported by the device as standard.

3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project, .3gp) 3GPP2 (3rd Generation Partnership Project 2, .3g2) AVI (Audio Video Interleaved, .avi) Flash Video (.flv, .f4v, .f4p, .f4a, .f4b) H.263 H.264 / MPEG-4 Part 10 / AVC video H.265/MPEG-H Part 2/HEVC MKV (Matroska Multimedia Container, .mkv .mk3d .mka .mks) MP4 (MPEG-4 Part 14, .mp4, .m4a, .m4p, .m4b, .m4r, .m4v) VC-1 VP8 VP9 WebM WMV (Windows Media Video, .wmv) WMV7 (Windows Media Video 7, .wmv) WMV8 (Windows Media Video 8, .wmv) Xvid

Battery

Mobile device batteries differ from each other in their capacity and technology. They provide the electrical charge necessary for their functioning.

Capacity A battery's capacity indicates the maximum charge it can hold, measured in milliamp-hours.	3600 mAh (milliamp-hours)
Type The type of battery is determined by its structure and, more precisely, the chemicals used. Exist different types batteries, with lithium-ion and lithium-ion polymer batteries most often used in mobile devices.	Li-Ion (Lithium-ion)
2G talk time 2G talk time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 2G network.	23 h (clock) 1380 min (minutes) 1 days
3G talk time 3G talk time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 3G network.	23 h (clock) 1380 min (minutes) 1 days
Adapter output power Power Information electric current(measured in amperes) and electrical voltage (measured in volts) supplied Charger (output power). Higher power output ensures faster battery charging.	9 V (volts) / 1.67 A (amps)
Characteristics Information about some additional characteristics of the device's battery.	Fast charging Fixed

Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)

The SAR level refers to the amount of electromagnetic radiation absorbed by the human body while using a mobile device.

SAR level for head (EU) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation that the human body is exposed to when holding a mobile device close to the ear in a conversation position. In Europe, the maximum permissible SAR value for mobile devices is limited to 2 W/kg per 10 grams of human tissue. This standard established by the CENELEC Committee in accordance with IEC standards, subject to the ICNIRP guidelines of 1998.	0.21 W/kg (Watt per kilogram)
Body SAR level (EU) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation to which the human body is exposed when holding a mobile device at hip level. The maximum permissible SAR value for mobile devices in Europe is 2 W/kg per 10 grams of human tissue. This standard has been established by the CENELEC Committee in compliance with the ICNIRP 1998 guidelines and IEC standards.	1.33 W/kg (Watt per kilogram)
Head SAR level (US) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation that the human body is exposed to when holding a mobile device near the ear. The maximum value used in the USA is 1.6 W/kg per 1 gram of human tissue. Mobile devices in the US are regulated by the CTIA, and the FCC conducts tests and sets their SAR values.	0.24 W/kg (Watt per kilogram)
Body SAR level (US) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation to which the human body is exposed when holding a mobile device at hip level. The highest permissible SAR value in the USA is 1.6 W/kg per 1 gram of human tissue. This value is set by the FCC, and the CTIA monitors mobile devices' compliance with this standard.	0.71 W/kg (Watt per kilogram)

In good lighting conditions outdoors, we received highly detailed images with high-quality color rendition. If you look at a 100% cropped frame, slight distortions and noise are noticeable, but these are nitpicking.

SM-A720F SETTINGS: ISO 40, F1.9, 1/797 sec, 27.0 mm equiv.

SM-A720F SETTINGS: ISO 40, F1.9, 1/537 sec, 27.0 mm equiv.

SM-A720F SETTINGS: ISO 40, F1.9, 1/775 sec, 27.0 mm equiv.

SM-A720F SETTINGS: ISO 40, F1.9, 1/100 sec, 27.0 mm eq.

SM-A720F SETTINGS: ISO 40, F1.9, 1/1681 sec, 27.0 mm equiv.

SM-A720F SETTINGS: ISO 40, F1.9, 1/208 sec., 27.0 mm equiv.

Sometimes there are problems with highlights and dark areas. However, among the subject programs, of which there are very few, there is an HDR mode (high dynamic range). It allows you to darken areas that are too light and highlight “dips.” Of course, HDR in the Samsung Galaxy A7 is an effect. The final frames are very different from the source images, but you can see the details hidden in the failed fragments.

The panorama mode does its job well. In good lighting conditions, we received a high-quality, highly detailed image, the stitching is almost invisible. At dusk, this mode copes rather poorly.

The camera's performance indoors depends on the lighting conditions. If there is not enough light, blurring may appear. The fact is that when autofocus works accurately, the program often increases the shutter speed, and the lack of optical image stabilization affects this. Tip: Hold your smartphone tightly and you'll get sharp images with correct colors and great detail.

When shooting small objects from a short distance, you can see a slight but effective blur of the background. A lens with an aperture of F1.9 did its best here.

SM-A720F SETTINGS: ISO 80, F1.9, 1/33 sec., 27.0 mm eq.

SM-A720F SETTINGS: ISO 40, F1.9, 1/50 sec., 27.0 mm eq.

SM-A720F SETTINGS: ISO 100, F1.9, 1/33 sec., 27.0 mm eq.

SM-A720F SETTINGS: ISO 64, F1.9, 1/33 sec., 27.0 mm eq.

The Samsung Galaxy A7 has a single LED flash. As always, we note that it is better to shoot without it. The LED element will perfectly cope with the role of a flashlight in everyday life. But if you can’t do without a flash, then be sure that it will not let you down and will highlight the objects. True, her light lights up with a cold light.

There is a Night scene, but it doesn’t really help the situation when shooting in low light. You can't do without it here additional accessories. The lack of optical image stabilization has an effect: in the dark you need to hold your smartphone tightly and take pictures while holding your breath, as if shooting.

Unfortunately, focusing problems may occur in the evening.

SM-A720F SETTINGS: F1.9, 27.0mm equiv.

SM-A720F SETTINGS: ISO 640, F1.9, 1/17 sec., 27.0 mm eq.

SM-A720F SETTINGS: ISO 160, F1.9, 1/20 sec., 27.0 mm eq.

Camera app

The camera app is as clear as can be. Compared to the flagship S7 line, there are few modes here. However, they can be downloaded from the company store. Scene scenes include: Auto and Pro mode, Panorama, HDR, Night and Food. In manual mode, the user has a minimum of settings: exposure compensation, ISO and white balance. Galaxy A7, by the way, cannot shoot in RAW format.