Samsung Galaxy A5
Introduction
Samsung's newly found love for "premium build" is spilling down the ranks and if the new A-series get half the love and attention the S-line has been getting, it will be a job well done. The South Koreans are right to try and stir things up in the midrange to turn declining profits around. Flagships are to be admired from a distance, the average user would think, and spend their cash on gadgets that are simpler, safer and more affordable.
Now, we're not sure we can call the Samsung Galaxy A5 "simple", and "affordable" is very much in question too, as the recently reviewed Galaxy A3 will testify. But slim, sharp and good-looking go without saying.
Samsung Galaxy A5 official photos
Visually, the Samsung Galaxy A5 is even sleeker than the Galaxy A3, in no small part because its bigger size makes it look even slimmer and more cutting edge. Otherwise, both offer a white-painted metal frame, a razor thin profile, and a pearl-like finish of the back cover. The Galaxy A5 however has a bigger, 5" Super AMOLED display and a beefier 13MP camera to show for its higher price tag.
Key features
- Both Single SIM and Dual SIM models come LTE-equipped on many markets (Cat. 4 LTE 150/50Mbps)
- 5" Super AMOLED of 1280 x 720px resolution, ~294ppi
- All-metal body with premium matte finish and low 123g weight
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 64-bit chipset, quad-core 1.2GHz Cortex-A53 processor, 2GB of RAM
- Android 4.4.4 KitKat with TouchWiz, theme support
- 13MP camera capable of 1080p video recording, 5MP front-facing camera
- 16GB of built-in storage
- MicroSD card slot
- Optional Dual SIM version with a nanoSIM slot inside the microSD card slot
- Active noise cancellation via dedicated mic
- NFC, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, GPS/GLONASS, LTE
- 2,300mAh battery
Main disadvantages
- Snapdragon 410 is more befitting cheaper, lower midrange devices
- It's comparatively pricey for the hardware features offered
- On the Dual-SIM version you can't have both a secondary SIM and microSD card inside
- Battery is non-removable
When Samsung launched the Galaxy Alpha we all thought they were proving a point - there, we can make handsome metal phones too. In hindsight, the Alpha is obviously more than just a preemptive strike against Apple's iPhone 6. Perhaps the beginning of Samsung's new strategy: make the same smartphones people love and buy, only make them look better on the outside.
In light of the recent reports of dropping sales numbers, we can't really say whether the new design philosophy is working out for Samsung or not. But we do like the new gloss-free design and quality finish combining aluminum and steel.
Samsung may have lost some of their grip on the market and looking at better-built products to get back where they were. But while everybody loves a good-looking phone, rivals like Motorola and Sony are offering cheaper midrangers with comparable features. Windows-powered smartphones are usually more affordable, not to mention the bargain-basement prices of the likes of Huawei and Xiaomi.
Of course there are always users willing to pay a little extra for the better build and that's what Samsung's betting on. And it might as well pay off, as the Galaxy A5 is one of the most popular phones on this website.
But the Samsung Galaxy A5 is more than just a precious toy. Hidden under the cold, precision-engineered exterior are quality internals. Imaging is dully covered by a 13MP camera, which made a solid impression just weeks ago at CES. Selfie fans will cheer the 5MP shooter on the front - that's more than the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 has on tap.
The Snapdragon 410 chipset won't offer revolutionary performance, but it has the future-proofing of the 64-bit architecture and it's just waiting for app developers to catch up.
Samsung Galaxy A5
The display is ample in size, with good resolution and Samsung's Super AMOLED technology known for superb contrast and vibrant colors.
Finally, there's a 2,300mAh battery that should keep the A5 better covered than the Galaxy Alpha, which wouldn't win any battery endurance competitions.
All of the aforementioned qualities add up to a very pleasing overall package. Sure, the Samsung Galaxy A5 commands a heavier price tag than the new 5" Moto G (2014) but adds what Samsung feels is more than enough flair to justify the asking price.
spin
The Samsung Galaxy A5 is a nice looking smartphone with a very thin profile of only 6.7mm, a height of 139.3mm and a width of 69.7mm. Quite expectedly, with those measurements the Galaxy A5 is impressively thin and compact considering it houses a 5" display and physical home button. The space above and under the display are just about the right size but we do wish the side bezels were a bit thinner.
Design and build quality
Design-wise Samsung has gone very clean and minimalist with the Galaxy A5. The white-painted metal frame is precision cut and has no protruding corners along its length, unlike the Galaxy Alpha and Galaxy Note 4.
The Samsung Galaxy A5 up front
The metal frame is chamfered at the edges allowing for a sharp, edgy feel in the hand and the corners at each end are ever so slightly rounded although not taking away from the square feel and look of the handset.
Our unit has a Pearl White finish although you can get the Samsung Galaxy A5 in Light Blue, Champagne Gold, Midnight Black, Platinum Silver or Soft Pink. In the case of the Pearl White version that we got, the body glistens in different nuances depending on how the light falls on it. It certainly looks catchy, but it looks like it's going to appeal more to the female part of the Western audience.
Compared to the Samsung Galaxy A3 the Galaxy A5 is noticeably taller although not much wider. The design here is flatter, though.
Compared to the Samsung Galaxy A3
The metal frame of the Samsung Galaxy A5 is the main design element here. It's where all other things come together, clasped firm under the frame's metal grip.
Samsung has applied a coat of paint to the frame so that no matter which color option you choose the frame matches the rest of the body.
Thin, metal frame
Handling the Galaxy A5 is a joy. The phone sits nice and flat in the hand and its matte surface and cool sides are nothing short of impressive. Some might prefer a more curved shape as the flat sharp surface doesn't sit as naturally in the hand. But the sharp edged actually contribute to the feeling of holding a super slim device in your hand.
Handling the Samsung Galaxy A5
Controls
The Galaxy A5 controls layout in typical fashion with the usual controls in all the usual places. The front is mainly occupied by the 5" Super AMOLED panel of HD resolution.
Above it Samsung has fitted an earpiece, the proximity and ambient light sensors, and a 5MP front-facing camera.
Under the display sits the usual combo of physical home button and two capacitive buttons for recent apps and back. The home button isn't fingerprint sensing, though, unlike the one of the Galaxy Alpha.
Controls at the front
The volume rocker is located on the left side while the power button is side-mounted on the right. Under it are two card slots - the top one is reserved for the microSD card slot but it also doubles as the second nanoSIM compartment on the Galaxy A5 Duos, giving you dual SIM abilities on expense of the memory expansion option. The second slot holds the main nanoSIM card.
The sides
The top acts only as the placeholder for the secondary noise reducing microphone while on the top lies the main microphone, the audio jack and the microUSB port.
Bottom and top
The main 13MP camera sits on the back between the single LED flash and the single loudspeaker grille. We would've preferred the speaker to be front-facing as now the audio is directed backwards, which isn't ideal, but that's certainly not uncommon.
The back panel has a pleasant matte finish which feels great when gliding a finger over it.
Things to see at the back
Final words
Samsung did well with the Galaxy A5, which should surprise no one who have already seen the Alpha - or the Galaxy A3 for that matter. The phone is built to flagship standards. It has great aesthetics and Samsung have picked the materials to match the purpose. Throw in a 720p Super AMOLED, a 13MP camera and the potent software package with Multi window and other perks here and there, and you have a phone that's more than adequately equipped to rule the midrange.
But in its quest to quiet the naysayers who slammed Samsung phones as cheap, plasticky and full of useless bloatware, the South Korean manufacturer may have gotten a little carried away. At its current price the Samsung Galaxy A5 is a tough sell. It sure does have a better-build than most of its rivals but way pricier.
Perhaps Samsung just wanted to make a point, and one that would resound - we can make quality phones too!
The company already proved that with the Galaxy Alpha and backed up its claim with the spectacular Galaxy Note 4. The Samsung Galaxy A5 is just as well made putting some of its more-capable brethren like the Galaxy S5 to shame.
In the course of our review we dissected the Galaxy A5 to get to know its every aspect and you can check out the complete list of our findings below.
Key test findings
- Exceptional build quality. We like the matte finish, but the Pearl White one may be too feminine;
- Display is very good with the expected great contrast, deep blacks and vivid colors. Brightness is also high for an AMOLED panel;
- Great battery life highlighted by great call times. Regular Galaxy A5 achieves 250 hours of stand-by, Duos version gets 50 hours less and is 5 hours less enduring but still good;
- The connectivity suite is quite full, missing only wired TV-out connectivity; the non-LTE models however lack NFC as well;
- TouchWiz offers useful One-handed operations, Multi window and is fast and fluid;
- Performance of the Snapdragon 410 is middling, not suited for high-end gaming;
- Below average speaker loudness;
- Good video player codec support; its only issues lie with the MKV format and proprietary audio codecs such as AAC and AC3;
- Excellent audio output quality;
- 13MP camera outputs detailed and sharp images with good color balance, but only average dynamic range;
- 5MP front-facing camera is nothing special but it's wide-angle enough to fit a lot in the frame;
- 1080p video is among the best we've seen, comes with great level of detail and fluid motion.
OK, there're items on this list that can actually help Samsung justify the asking price, and that's after you've factored in the premium build and the great execution. But there're others too that inevitably raise questions. For one, the Samsung Galaxy A5 is clearly an upper-midrange smartphone but one that uses a lower-midrange Snapdragon 410 chipset. At a current price which of some €350, one may as well get an S800 at least.
You will understand what we mean when we take a look at some of the likely competitors. To get the obvious out of the way, the Samsung Galaxy A3 has a smaller screen of lower resolution and a lower-res camera. The TouchWiz suite isn't as sophisticated either. But the Galaxy A3 costs significantly less and retains the beautiful build.
Samsung Galaxy A3
HTC does have a pair of phones that can easily challenge the Galaxy A5. We recently reviewed the HTC Desire 820, which has a higher-end Snapdragon 615 chipset with better CPU and much better GPU performance, a good 13MP camera and a bigger 5.5" 720p display. The HTC Desire 820 costs less too, despite being overpriced itself. The HTC Desire 816 is practically the same device only with a Snapdragon 400 chipset and a much lower price tag.
HTC Desire 820 • HTC Desire 816
The Lenovo A6000 has the same screen size and resolution, offers dual-SIM capabilities and is powered by the same chipset. Most importantly, the Lenovo A6000 is dirt cheap at the moment - more than three times cheaper than the Samsung Galaxy A5.
Lenovo A6000
Speaking of cheap, the Motorola Moto G has set new standards of affordability. It has a great 5" 720p LCD, good camera and stereo speakers on the front. It's cheaper, obviously, and comes with a clean version of Android, already running or expecting Lollipop any moment.
Motorola Moto G (2014)
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G is the next cheaper smartphone that can go toe to toe with the Galaxy A5. It has the older Snapdragon 400 chipset but a bigger 5.5" 720p screen, a 13MP main camera and robust battery.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G
Before we wrap up the rivals we would be remiss if we didn't bring up the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the LG G3. An older generation flagship and a clearly superior smartphone are both cheaper than the Samsung Galaxy A5. To be fair, the Snapdragon 801-powered, QHD-screen flaunting LG G3 is cheaper for the entirely wrong reasons, which we won't go into right now. But the Galaxy S4 makes an interesting comparison.
Samsung I9505 Galaxy S4 • LG G3
Cheap-looking flagships helped Samsung to the top spot, which the company still holds. One may wonder whether premium midrangers will help the company do better or turn out too big of a risk. The truth is Samsung Galaxy A5 is a brilliant looking phone and by no means underpowered. Its biggest problem is it's not cheap. Not quite what you see is what you get but definitely wish what you saw.
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Samsung Galaxy A5 an amazing phone by Samsung, which comes with a 5" Super AMOLED HD Display. It has a 1.2GHz quad-core processor which is powered with 2GB RAM to enable you to carry out high-end tasks and play powerful games. It has a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera. It is powered up with a of 2,300 mAh. The price of Samsung Galaxy A5 is comparatively less and comes with much better looks and features.
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