[Review] Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017): Keeping Its Alpha Status

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[Review] Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017): Keeping Its Alpha Status

Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017)

Samsung Is Back On Track
Having left the remnants of the disastrous Galaxy Note 7 behind them, Samsung is back on track in 2017 with the launch of the Galaxy A7. Samsung also pulls out all the stops in making the A7 its flagship mid-range smartphone. I enjoy uniformity at its simplest form; the A7 is just that with no protruding aspects, making it extremely easy to have in your hands whether its snapping away or just going about your social media escapades.

Bring It for A Swim
The A Series finally comes with the certified IP68 rating, granting it immunity towards water and dust. Although this doesn’t apply to its predecessors, the Galaxy A7 can be submerged for up to 30 minutes and up to 1.5 meters of water. If you’re extra needy and need to be on the phone with your significant other all-day, every day, you can now bring the A7 with you into the shower and not miss out on any of your nauseating conversations that you find witty but others find revolting.

For All the Foodies
The A7 is kitted with a 16-megapixel, f1.9 camera on its front and rear, giving my pictures great detail in colour as well as during low-lighting conditions. Although I’m not a huge fan of its Food Mode filter, the A7 would be great for all you Instagram and Snapchat users who are constantly taking pictures of their food instead of eating them. For a mid-range flagship, the camera quality and performance on the A7 is great in its own level.

Performing Well Above The Average
When it comes to using the A7 on a daily basis, I would say it performs remarkably well for a mid-range device. From juggling between my nightly Instagram and Snapchat creeping to Spotify, YouTube and even Netflix, the A7 does a great job in keeping up with my daily routine. A downside to having so many applications running simultaneously does cause it to heat up but that’s when you dunk it in a bucket of water to cool it off.

Slowly Becoming A Fan Again
I used to be a proud owner of a Galaxy S3 many years ago and although it did serve its purpose, I was never truly a fan of it as there were so many kinks and bugs with the phone that it just deterred me away from Samsung, forever. Fast forward to the present, I am beginning to like what Samsung has to offer, even if the A7 isn’t its high-end smartphone, it only begins to show what Samsung can bring to the table after the S7 Edge and I am waiting with baited breath for that.

No More Missing the Sweet Spot
The A7 comes with the USB Type-C port, which allows for reversible plug insertion so you can now charge it without having to fiddle in the dark for the right-side up.

Keep it Juiced Up
With 3,600mAh battery capacity, the A7 can now last longer and even comes with fast charging capabilities.

Keeping Your Screen Alive
Whether it’s your calendar, clock or even a picture of bae, Samsung’s Always On Display allows you to know what’s going on without having to unlock the device.

Colour Up Your Life
The A7 comes with four colour options, mainly – Black Sky, Gold Sand, Peach Cloud and Blue Mist; all of which are capable of appealing to the everyday millennial and everyone else.

Easy Payment Methods
Thanks to Samsung Pay, which is now available in Malaysia, you can make all your card-less transactions through the A7; how cool is that!

Specs
Price: RM1,899
Dimensions (HxWxD): 156.8 x 77.6 x 7.9mm
Weight: 186g
Processor: Octa-core ARM Cortex-A53
Memory: 3GB RAM
Storage: 32GB ROM (up to 256GB via microSD)
Operating System: Android OS v6.0.1 Marshmallow
Display: 5.7-inch Super AMOLED
Graphics: Mali-T830MP3
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, WiFi Direct, hotspot, Bluetooth v4.2
Ports: USB Type-C 1.0

Benchmark
AnTuTu – 60883
3DMark – 809
PCMark Work 2.0 Performance – 3919