Samsung Galaxy A5 2016 I was able to show myself mainly on the positive side, although there were some minor flaws. So, the device has an eight-core 1600 MHz processor for each core, together with 2 GB of RAM, the smartphone works quite fast, although the processor is not the most powerful. Of the positive, it is worth highlighting: a high-quality matrix (albeit rather fragile); comfortable shell; fast operation of the fingerprint scanner; positive reviews; sound; cameras. Cons: company support. Generally, Samsung Galaxy A5 2016- this is a pretty good option for the declared value, so we will recommend it.
Samsung Galaxy A5 2016 Features and price
Os - Android 6.0;
Screen - 5.2 inches;
Resolution -1920 * 1080;
Camera - 13 megapixels;
Frontal - 5 megapixels;
Processor - 8 cores 1600 MHz each;
Built-in memory - 16 GB;
RAM - 2 GB;
Battery - 2900 units;
Price - about $ 300;
Samsung Galaxy A5 2016 Reviews
A huge number of reviews on the Internet. The smartphone is very popular among users;
Modern design;
Quite roomy battery;
Fast charging;
Hybrid tray for SIM and memory cards;
Of the minuses, it is worth highlighting a fragile screen, thus, together with a smartphone, you need to purchase a protective glass;
- Samsung Galaxy A5 2016 has an adequate cost;
Very lousy user support, moreover, there are not always spare parts for this smartphone, especially with regard to the matrix;
Modern design;
High functionality of the phone;
Decent cameras;
Nice sound in headphones;
No moisture protection;
No vibration feedback from the keyboard;
It will fit well in the hand;
4G support;
Fast search for navigation satellites;
Constant updates of the operating system, up to this point, at least;
When charging, the smartphone starts to warm up;
Inconvenient auto brightness adjustment;
High quality matrix;
- Samsung Galaxy A5 2016 has support for Samsung Pay;
It is inconvenient to work with one hand;
A large number of accessories for this particular model;
Support for gloves in winter;
Convenient shell from Samsung;
The presence of a finger scanner;
High-quality assembly;
Upgrade to version 7 of android;
Output
Generally, Samsung Galaxy A5 2016 this is one of the most best smartphones on the market for your money
Rating 8/10
High functionality;
Positive reviews;
Fast work;
Today in our review Samsung Galaxy a5 2016. Samsung does not need a separate introduction, since it has been on the market for a long time and has always produced very high-quality and interesting devices. And one of these smartphones is just the Samsung a5. This device literally refers to fashion phones and leaves a good impression of working with it.
In a box made of pleasant white cardboard, in addition to the device itself, there are:
- charging block;
- USB cable;
- quick user guide;
- paper clip to remove the tray;
- headphones.
The most necessary things are included in the Samsung Galaxy a5 kit. And, most importantly, what the company was able to please us with - the headphones are of quite good quality. Top manufacturers have recently stopped putting a much-needed item in their boxes. The sound in the headphones pleases on all fronts - clear and loud.
Design
The smartphone really looks very nice and beautiful. "Beauty will save the world!" - apparently, it was with this approach that manufacturers developed the A-line of 2016. The main body material is aluminum, which is covered on both sides protective glass Gorilla Glass 4.
The fact that the back is also hidden under glass makes Samsung smartphone Galaxy a5 is much more interesting than just metal, and even more so - plastic. With such materials, the device looks more fashionable and not so boring. Confuses only one thing -
this glass gets very dirty, and you have to wipe it quite often.
The Samsung a5 fits very well in the hand, as it turned out to be a relatively compact device. In terms of dimensions, everything is within the limits of moderate. It will be quite easy to use the device even with one hand. But, as always, there is one "but", the A5 is rather slippery and must be handled with extreme caution.
Both in terms of materials and assembly, there are simply no complaints about the Samsung a5 and cannot be - it is assembled with the highest quality. This smartphone has never even heard of the concept of creaks, gaps and "backlashes". It looks, of course, a little "pop", but that makes it no less cute.
If we talk about the location of the buttons, then everything is traditional, "in a Samsung way", in its place. Separate volume keys on the left side. On the right is a lonely, bored power and lock key, next to which there is a tray for a SIM card and a memory card. Regarding the latter, everything is not so simple. The Samsung Galaxy a5 2016 has a selection system - either two SIM cards, in which case you can forget about the memory card, or - a memory card and one SIM card. In general, the choice here will not be easy.
At the bottom there is a headphone and USB jack, right next to it is a speaker with a microphone. The multimedia speaker can be praised for the detail and a little scolded for the volume. I wish he screamed harder.
On the back of the Samsung Galaxy a5 2016 is the main camera and flash. On the front side: at the top - the front camera's peephole, earpiece and sensors; below - three control buttons, one of which is mechanical, in the center. It has a built-in fingerprint scanner, which is well-developed and allows you to simply put your finger on the button, and not, as before, to swipe over it. The recognition itself is very fast and the fingerprint is identified in any position. Including in cases where your hands are wet. There are practically no false positives.
Screen
Specifications display A5:
- Super Amolled which measures 5.2 inches diagonal with Full HD resolution.
- The resolution is 1920 by 1080 pixels.
- The pixel density per inch is 424 ppi.
The graininess of the eyes does not hurt, although big-eyed people can still see the red dots of the "pentail". There is no point in finding fault with the screen for one simple reason, since it is actually very high-quality here and produces a very good picture.
The viewing angles of the display are maximum, but the picture does not change tone and does not lose saturation at any deviation from the user's eyes. The saturation corrector of the displayed image, inherent in the latest smartphones from this company, also got its place here. If you are not a fan of the Amoled nuclear gamut, then in the settings this can be fixed in a couple of clicks.
The brightness of the screen of the Samsung Galaxy A5 2016 is excellent. The picture on the display is visible even in very bright sun, but you can adjust it further by manually adjusting it. Auto brightness is also available.
And according to the same "Samsung" tradition in the settings, you can set different modes for the display:
- adaptive;
- the film Amolled;
- photo by Amolled;
- main.
As you can see, there is complete order with the screen. Of course, you can find fault with anything. And to ask, why didn’t they put at least QHD-resolution? The difference will not be that obvious. And is it worth doing?
Processor and operating system
As a processor, there is an eight-core chip set Samsung Exynos 7580 clocked at 1.6 GigaHertz. Random access memory- 2 Gigabytes and 16 Gigabytes - built-in memory. The latter can be expanded using a Micro-SD memory card with a capacity of up to 128 Gigabytes, but as mentioned earlier, you have to choose - either a SIM card or memory. In the modern world, this is a difficult choice.
The Mali T 720 MP 2 is used as a graphics accelerator in the Samsung Galaxy a5 2016. The smartphone is very nimble in operation, and we can even say that it is high-spirited. No brakes, freezes and, in general, no complaints about it - everything is well debugged. There are no difficulties with flipping through desktops, watching videos, and in work in general, as befits a good device.
The device also reliably copes with games. “Digests” even demanding ones without any problems. So fans of "drive" or plunge into the world of some strategies or "shooters" this A5 will be quite suitable. In hard games, problems revolve around a set of presets. For example, "Tanks" will go well even with a minimum of settings.
The Samsung Galaxy a5 smartphone runs on the Android 5.1.1 (Lollipop) operating system, on top of which the proprietary Touch With shell is installed. The interface works quickly and smoothly, flawlessly. There are no hints during operation of "braking". Notable features include:
- The ability to switch themes.
- Enables the maximum power saving mode, in which the device can work for several days without recharging.
- Smart Manager, which allows you to control the level of contamination of the gadget.
- Labels can be sorted into folders for convenience.
By heating this device does not suffer. Even half an hour or an hour of playing is incapable of heating him up.
Battery and autonomy
The capacity of the built-in battery of the Samsung Galaxy a5 2016 is 2900 mAh. If we consider a smartphone as a means of communication, correspondence and work in a mode of not heavy workload, then it is enough for a day (or even a day and a half).
But if you decide to "completely chop into games", and even dilute all this video in high definition, then a charger or a portable battery should always be there. Otherwise, the battery will run out in the device rather quickly.
A nice bonus is that the A5 supports fast charging. In about half an hour, you can replenish the charge of your gadget by almost half. And it will take a little more than an hour and a half to reach a full indicator of 100%. This is undoubtedly good news.
Camera
Will the A5 please us with its cameras? The rear camera is 13 Megapixels with an aperture of f 1.9. It has autofocus, stabilization and LED flash in its arsenal. The front camera is equipped with a 5 Megapixel module with an aperture of f 1.9 and the ability to record video in Full HD (1080p) resolution.
The camera itself starts instantly, by double-clicking on the "Home" button. This can be done even from a locked screen. The menu has shooting modes "Auto", "Panorama", "Night", continuous shooting and others.
The quality of the obtained photos on the A5 is high. You can even compare it in this regard with the older model A7. Provided there is enough light, getting a good shot is easy. The detailing is decent, there is not a lot of "noise". Both camcorders can shoot up to Full HD. Overall, this is exactly the level that you can expect from a branded average.
Video comparison of cameras Galaxy A5 (2016) and
Outcomes
Before drawing conclusions on the review, it is worth talking about the prices for this device. Now this device could be bought in the region of 15 thousand rubles. By and large an adequate price. Firstly, we are dealing with an A-brand and it would be too naive to expect a low price from it. Secondly, there are no adequate claims to the Samsung Galaxy a5 2016 at all. It is well built, has a decent camera, display, fingerprint scanner and gaming performance that matches it.
The A5 came out as a very solid and very interesting device. It will delight its owner in full. If anything can be attributed to the minuses, it is perhaps again an incomprehensible SIM slot with a memory card. Otherwise, he can not help but like it. The phone can be safely recommended for purchase.
Video
Video review of Samsung Galaxy A5 2016
South Korean flagships literally catch the eye of a person who finds himself in a retail store selling smartphones. However, not everyone will dare to buy such a device - they ask too much money for it. Fortunately, Samsung has decided to please those people who agree to pay only about half of this amount. For them, the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) was released, a review of which will acquaint you with all the advantages and disadvantages of the device.
The South Koreans provided their creation with a metal case and well-implemented protective glass. In this regard, the device very much resembles the company's flagship. It is noticeable that this is exactly what the manufacturer wanted. At the same time, he did not raise the price tag too much - you can buy a Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) in Russia for 24,000 rubles - a lot of money, but not by the standards of South Korean devices.
All this made the smartphone very successful. It is in noticeable demand in almost every store where this model is present. If the Galaxy A7 (2016) seems to people already too large, and the Galaxy A3 (2016) is not functional enough, then the Galaxy A5 (2016) is a kind of ideal. Usually, South Koreans gradually reduce the price of their products - this happens 4-5 months after the start of sales. But the decrease in the cost of the smartphone under consideration today did not happen - it is already being actively dismantled.
Appearance, dimensions and weight
If you have previously used a push-button cell phone or some tiny smartphone, then the South Korean device will seem large enough to you. Its dimensions are 71 x 144.8 x 7.3 mm. But gradually you get used to using such a large enough gadget. Many people can easily reach any point on the screen, almost without connecting their other hand to the controls. Only a few people have certain difficulties. But this is not due to the size or diagonal of the screen, but to the materials from which the case is created.
As with the flagship Galaxy S7, the insides of the device are packed in metal and glass. Plastic blotches can be found only on the top and bottom ends - antennas are located under these strips. Glass rear panel complicates the use of the device a little if you have small palms. It becomes almost impossible to reach the top of the screen with your thumb - you are already beginning to be afraid of dropping your smartphone, because it is quite slippery. But visually, glass and metal are only a plus. Also, such materials are distinguished by good heat transfer, and therefore the device heats up very much only in the summer heat. The rest of the time, its body pleasantly cools the palm. By the way, the device weighs 155 grams.
As expected, most of the front panel is occupied by the display. Under it is the Home button, and which is a built-in fingerprint scanner. The key has a silver frame. It is known that the screen is covered with a protective glass Gorilla Glass 4, while the Home button has ordinary glass. But this does not cause any particular problems - after a couple of months of using the smartphone, scratches did not appear either there or there. But you can find opposite reviews on the net, so you should be warned.
Above the display, traditionally for Samsung, there is a speaker, front-camera, as well as light and proximity sensors. The silvery logo of the manufacturer stands out here. Well, the back wall here, as mentioned above, is covered with glass. Under it is another logo of the South Korean company, as well as a corporate emblem indicating the possibility of using two SIM cards. Here you can also find a protruding lens of the main camera - it has a metal frame. There is an LED flash next to the optics.
Speaking about the rear panel, we did not mention the speaker at all. And all because it is located at the bottom end - this contributes to the fact that the sound is not muffled at the moment when the smartphone is placed on the table with its back down. The bottom edge also houses a microUSB port and a 3.5mm audio jack.
The top end does not bear any elements. Except for the second microphone - it is needed to implement the noise canceling function.
The side ends are not capable of surprising here. They contain the power button and volume keys, as well as a slot for a memory card and a SIM card (using the nano-SIM format).
Processor and graphics accelerator
Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) is based on the eight-core Exynos 7580 processor. This is its own South Korean solution, which is practically not supplied to other smartphone manufacturers. The maximum chipset frequency is 1.6 GHz. This is more than enough for even the most demanding applications.
The processor is supplemented with a graphics accelerator Mali-T720. Its power is enough for displaying modern games. But in some cases, you will have to lower the graphics settings from maximum to medium. This is evidenced by the Epic Citadel test, where at ultra settings the FPS drops to 30 frames / s. And this is also a gentle benchmark. For example, 3DMark makes you think that this device is not intended for games at all - there the average frequency is 4-5 frames / s.
In AnTuTu Benchmark, the device is gaining about 44 thousand points. This is quite a decent result, which is shown by the powerful chipset and fast memory. But you need to understand that some Chinese competitors from the same price category are able to boast an even higher performance rating. What does it mean? Absolutely nothing. Much more important than any assessment is the fact that the Galaxy A5 (2016) works quickly and without any lags. And it is impossible not to notice that this processor is not only powerful, but also energy efficient, which is beneficial for the duration autonomous work.
Memory
If the South Korean flagships are most often released in several versions - with different amounts of internal memory, then the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) does not have such a variety. Here the user is waiting for 16 GB of permanent memory, of which approximately 11 GB will be available to him. This volume can be increased by using a microSD memory card. It is interesting that absolutely any cards are supported, even 128 GB.
It should be remembered that the second slot is combined here. If you insert a memory card into it, then you will have to forget about the second SIM-card. This is a common occurrence for many modern smartphones from large manufacturers... It should also be noted that the memory used here is fast and reliable. Samsung manufactures it and some other components on its own.
As for the RAM, its volume is approximately 2 GB. This is enough for most everyday tasks. The lack of RAM is not felt either during games or when using clients social networks nor when launching any other applications.
Battery
There is a non-removable battery inside this model. Its capacity is 2900 mAh. This parameter may seem insufficient to you. But think about an energy efficient processor! Also note that the smartphone has a Super AMOLED screen. And the proprietary shell installed here is complemented by thoughtful modes of reducing power consumption.
All of the above allows you to stably use the device for two and a half days. Only if you get distracted by games from time to time, the battery life can drop to one or one and a half days. If you try, even three and a half days of operation can be squeezed out of a smartphone, but this will be a completely extreme use case, when the owner forgets about all kinds of entertainment.
The smartphone supports fast charging technology. A corresponding power adapter is supplied with it. The charging time from 0% to 100% is approximately 105 minutes.
Sensors
Oddly enough, such an expensive device does not include a gyroscope. This does not allow recommending the new Galaxy A5 for purchase if you want to then purchase an additional accessory in the form of a VR headset. By the way, this sensor cannot be found in any South Korean smartphone belonging to the A- or J-series.
But on the other hand, there are stably working proximity and illumination sensors. Also, the digital compass and some other not so important sensors are not forgotten. And the navigation module supports not only GPS, but also GLONASS satellites. Well, the "Home" button has a built-in fingerprint scanner. It works quickly, up to three fingers can be memorized.
Camera
On the back of the device is a 13-megapixel camera lens. The aperture here is open to f / 1.9. And this is very well felt in the pictures - they turn out quite well even in the dark. The camera has excellent dynamic range, so even when shooting in cloudy weather, you get a photo in which the sky is not a solid white veil. And if you are still afraid to get such a frame, then you can use the mode.
You can also download several add-ons specifically for the camera in the corporate online store. One of them deals with face retouching, the second makes it easier to take selfies, and the third allows you to create GIF animations. It should be noted the presence of optical image stabilization here, which allows you to make the shutter speed not too short. By the way, automatic control is engaged in its adjustment - even in manual mode it is impossible to change the shutter speed, like many other parameters. In this regard, the Galaxy A5 (2016) is inferior to the flagships. As for the quality of the photos, you cannot find fault with it. Despite the relatively low resolution, the images are crisp - often even the smallest details can be discerned. But you better see for yourself.
Everything is in order with the built-in camera and with video filming. The picture is written in 1080p resolution, the average frequency is 30 frames / s. Autofocus is fast, there are almost no special failures. The richness of colors will make an outside viewer think that the shooting took place using a DSLR or any other device with a CMOS matrix.
The front camera of this smartphone does not deserve such a serious description. It has 5 megapixel resolution. At this price, I would like to get something more. You can see an example of photography below.
Screen
The display is the main advantage of any South Korean smartphone belonging to the A-series. It is because of him that it is worth overpaying without even looking at the cheaper Chinese devices. The fact is that the screen installed here is created using Super AMOLED technology, which implies the absence of a separate backlight layer. As a result, power consumption is noticeably reduced, and blacks become truly black. And this cannot be conveyed in photographs if you look at them on a standard monitor or a smartphone with an IPS matrix.
The resolution built into the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) screen is 1080 x 1920 pixels. With a 5.2-inch diagonal, this is more than enough - if pixelation can be noticed, it is only under a magnifying glass. The viewing angles are maximum here - with any deviations in color, the screen is practically not distorted. But the device should be even more praised for the brightness of the display - the picture is clearly visible even on the street, under midday sunlight.
Nothing bad can be said about the sensor layer either. Presses and other gestures are recognized with a bang - almost instantly. If we compare a smartphone with some budget models, then the difference in gesture recognition speed is obvious even to the naked eye.
In the settings of this model, you can find many items related to the display. In particular, the smartphone allows you to select a color temperature. This will delight those to whom the colors on such a screen seem oversaturated.
Communication
As mentioned, the Galaxy A5 (2016) can accommodate up to two SIM cards. However, there is only one radio module, and therefore, when talking on one SIM card, the second one will be busy. Data transmission here is carried out via 2G, 3G, LTE and even LTE-A of the sixth category! Downloading files can take minimal time. For example, a 100-megabyte add-on for the game is downloaded in about 10 seconds - the measurements were taken using the services of the MTS operator.
Other wireless modules include Bluetooth 4.1 and are a good pair that is never superfluous. Only the Wi-Fi standard can unpleasantly surprise the buyer - it uses 802.11n technology. If you have a router with 802.11ac support, then you will not be able to squeeze all the speed out of it with this smartphone.
Oddly enough, when creating the Galaxy A5 (2016), the South Koreans did not forget about FM radio. It functions only when headphones are connected. The reception quality is quite acceptable.
Sound
The smartphone has a loud enough speaker and music speaker. However, do not expect miracles - this is not some flagship from HTC with stereo speakers and support for special technology. The speaker does not emit wheezing, hissing and whistling - that's good.
The device shows itself best of all when the headset is connected. If it is of good quality, then you will get great sound. Unfortunately, the bundled headset cannot be called high-quality - the bass is barely felt in it, and certain claims can be made about the high frequencies. But she copes well with sound recording. And this means that the interlocutors will hear you well even if you are somewhere in the subway.
Operating system
Now the device is running Android 6.0.1 - it was updated about two months ago. Works operating system very stable - the brakes of the proprietary South Korean shell are a thing of the past. Here there is support for simple mode - when the interface shrinks, approaching the left or right corner. In some moments it helps to operate with one hand.
In general, there are no special settings here. You can't even display two applications on one screen here. All this is given to the flagships - Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge and Galaxy Note 7. Someone may be pleased with the presence of Smart Manager. This section of the settings allows you to free up RAM, as well as enable antivirus. In short, it immediately makes it unnecessary to install a separate optimizer application.
Main impressions of the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016)
A smartphone is worth its money - that's for sure. The screen alone is capable of arousing admiration for at least a month, if you have not previously used expensive South Korean products. The operating time is also delightful - you will have to charge the device every evening only in case of extremely active use. The third reason to buy is charming designs. Everything is in order with the device and with the power of the components, although it is still impossible to call a gaming smartphone.
What can not please the buyer? Perhaps only a couple of things. Firstly, the device is not suitable for use with VR-glasses, since there is no gyroscope here. Secondly, it is slippery - if you regularly drop your phone, you will have to attend to buying a cover. Thirdly, the device includes only 16 GB of permanent memory. This is not critical, but the question of installing a memory card will nevertheless arise rather quickly.
Smartphone advantages:
- Long operating time on a single charge;
- Fast recharging;
- Excellent Super AMOLED screen
- Nice looking design;
- NFC and fingerprint sensor;
- The latest version of the operating system;
- Support for two SIM-cards;
- A large number of wireless modules and all kinds of sensors;
- Very good rear camera
- LTE-A support.
Disadvantages of a smartphone:
- High price;
- Not the largest amount of permanent memory;
- Glass makes the device slippery;
- No gyroscope;
- Wi-Fi 802.11n standard.
Stylish but underpowered
A year ago, Samsung released a completely new line Galaxy smartphones A, including models A3, A5 and A7. Unlike the flagship Galaxy S line, the emphasis here was not on performance and functionality, but on design. At the same time, the price of the Galaxy A models was lower than that of the Galaxy S line. At the beginning of 2016, the tradition was continued with the release of three new models. We decided not to philosophize with the name and simply added the designation of the year - 2016.
Of the three models in the line, the most interesting is the average device: Galaxy A5 2016. The fact is that it combines a spectacular design, a screen with the most universal size (5.2 inches) and a low price (about 26 thousand rubles at the time of this writing, which much more attractive than the A7 2016, not to mention the current S-series smartphones).
We examined the device and tried to figure out what compromises the user will have to make for the sake of an attractive design and a low price.
Let's take a look at the characteristics of the novelty.
Specifications Samsung Galaxy A5 2016
- SoC Exynos 7580 Octa
- CPU Cortex-A53 @ 1.6 GHz (8 cores)
- GPU Mali-T720MP2 @ 650 MHz
- Operating system Android 5.1
- 5.2 ″ AMOLED touchscreen display, 1920 × 1080, 424 ppi
- Random access memory (RAM) 2 GB
- Permanent memory: 16 GB
- Support for microSD memory cards up to 128 GB
- SIM cards: 2 × Nano-SIM
- Communication GSM / GPRS / EDGE / 3G / LTE
- Bluetooth 4.0, GPS / A-GPS
- Wi-Fi 802.11b / g / n
- GPS with A-GPS, Glonass
- Cameras: 5 MP (front) and 13 MP (rear) with LED flash and autofocus, f / 1.9, Full HD video shooting
- Battery: Li-polymer 2900 mAh, non-removable
- Dimensions 144.8 x 71 x 7.3mm
- Weight 155 g
For clarity, we decided to make a table with the characteristics of two competing models from other manufacturers, as well as Samsung models Galaxy A5 of the first generation to visualize the difference between it and the new product.
| Samsung Galaxy A5 2016 | Samsung Galaxy A5 | LG Nexus 5X | Huawei Honor 5X | |
| Screen | 5.2 ″ AMOLED, 1920 × 1080, 424 ppi | 5 ″ AMOLED, 720 × 1280, 294 ppi | 5.2 ″ IPS, 1920 × 1080, 424 ppi | 5.5 ″, IPS, 1920 × 1152, 401 ppi |
| SoC (processor) | Exynos 7580 Octa (8 cores Cortex-A53 @ 1.6 GHz) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (4-core Cortex-A53 @ 1.2 GHz) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 (2 cores Cortex-A57 @ 1.8 GHz + 4 cores [email protected], 5 GHz) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 (8 cores ARM Cortex-A53 @ 1.5 GHz) |
| GPU | Mali-T720MP2 | Adreno 306 | Adreno 418 | Adreno 405 |
| Flash memory | 16 GB | 16 GB | 16/32 GB | 16 GB |
| Connectors | Micro-USB (with OTG support), 3.5mm headphone jack | USB Type C (with OTG support), 3.5mm headphone jack | Micro-USB, 3.5mm headphone jack | |
| Memory card support | microSD | microSD | not | microSD |
| RAM | 2 GB | 2 GB | 2 GB | 2/3 GB |
| Cameras | rear (13 MP; 1080p video), front (5 MP) | rear (12.3 megapixel; 4K video), front (5 megapixel) | rear (13 MP; 1080p video), front (5 MP) | |
| LTE support | there is | there is | there is | there is |
| Battery capacity (mAh) | 2900 | 2300 | 2700 | 3000 |
| Operating system | Google android 5.1 | Google Android 4.4 (upgradeable to 5.0) | Google Android 6.0 | Google Android 5.1 |
| Dimensions (mm) * | 145 × 71 × 7.3 | 139 x 70 x 6.7 mm | 147 x 73 x 7.9 mm | 151 × 76 × 8.1 |
| Weight (g) | 155 | 123 | 136 | 158 |
| average price | T-13188751 | T-12323116 | T-12911710 | T-13054761 |
| Samsung Galaxy A5 2016 retail deals | L-13188751-10 | |||
* according to the official data of the manufacturers
The progress of the Samsung Galaxy A5 2016 compared to last year's model is obvious: higher display resolution, newer OS version, more powerful SoC. However, against the background of competitors, the novelty does not look so attractive anymore. For about the same money, you can buy the LG Nexus 5X, which offers more powerful hardware, USB Type C, 4K video recording and newest version Android. Or - the much cheaper Huawei Honor 5X, the characteristics of which are generally the same level, and the price at the same time is much lower (about 17 thousand rubles at the time of this writing).
However, the main trump card of the Samsung Galaxy A5 2016 is design, so we'll talk about it in more detail.
Design
The smartphone came to us without packaging, so we will not talk about the package bundle and go straight to the design of the device. The appearance of the smartphone really makes a good impression. It has a metal chassis and a glass back cover. It looks stylish, although it recalls Sony's Xperia Z line. However, compared to Sony, the edges here are not straight, but slightly rounded, as a result of which the smartphone fits in your hand more comfortably than Sony devices with sharp edges.
The back glass solution has a drawback. It is rather easily soiled, which is why the device looks less attractive after a few minutes of use. Fingerprints (especially when exposed to direct light) are visible on the back cover immediately. Of course, you can wipe them off, but you won't do it all the time!
An important design advantage of the Galaxy A5 2016 is the very narrow bezels around the screen. According to this parameter, the smartphone significantly surpasses, for example, the iPhone 6s Plus, which, with a screen area only slightly larger than the Galaxy A5 2016, looks much more bulky.
Unlike its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy A5 2016 is equipped with a fingerprint scanner. It is located in the Home button. We compared the speed of its operation with the iPhone 6s Plus and came to the conclusion that the fingerprint sensor is still faster on the iPhone 6s Plus.
Continuing the comparison with the iPhone, we note that in both smartphones, the camera eye protrudes noticeably above the level of the back cover. And Samsung has much more, since the camera module itself is larger. As for the consequences for use, the disadvantage of such a solution (with a protruding camera) is that if you put the smartphone on the table, it will not lie tight, but rise slightly in the upper part, since it is under it that the camera is placed.
The arrangement of connectors and slots is standard. On the right side there is a power button and a slot for Nano-SIM and microSD cards. The slot is combined, you can use either one Nano-SIM and one microSD, or two Nano-SIM.
On the left side there are volume control buttons. All buttons are metal, as are the edges. They are pressed in a measure of elasticity.
On the bottom there is a speaker grill, a microphone, a 3.5 mm headset jack and a Micro-USB connector. And now - with OTG support (there was no OTG in last year's model).
The upper edge contains only a hole for another microphone.
In general, the smartphone has a spectacular and pleasant design, fits comfortably in the hand and deserves the status of an image one. The only problem is the soiled back surface. This can seriously spoil the experience.
Screen
Compared to last year's model, the screen size of the Galaxy A5 has grown from 5 inches to 5.2 inches; the resolution has also increased - from HD to Full HD. Perhaps this is the most balanced combination, because the benefits of a higher resolution with such a diagonal are ambiguous, but the disadvantages (reduced battery life, the need for increased performance ...) are undeniable. However, the resolution and diagonal of the screen are far from all the parameters that deserve attention. Alexey Kudryavtsev, editor of the Projectors and TV section, carried out detailed testing of the Samsung Galaxy A5 2016 display. Below is his conclusion.
The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface, resistant to scratches. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are no worse than those of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photo in which a white surface is reflected in the turned off screens (on the left - Nexus 7, on the right - Samsung Galaxy A5, then they can be distinguished by their size):
The screen of the Samsung Galaxy A5 is only slightly lighter (average brightness in photos is 114 versus 109 for the Nexus 7). The doubling of reflected objects in the Samsung Galaxy A5 screen is very weak, which indicates that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen. Due to the smaller number of boundaries (such as glass / air) with very different refractive indices, screens without an air gap look better in conditions of strong external illumination, but their repair in case of cracked outer glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be changed. The outer surface of the Samsung Galaxy A5 screen has a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (effective, better than that of the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are much easier to remove, and appear at a slower rate 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 395 cd / m², the minimum was 1.8 cd / m². You also need to take into account the fact that in this case the smaller the white area on the screen, the lighter it is, that is, the actual maximum brightness of the white areas will almost always be higher than the specified value. As a result, the readability in the daytime in the sun should be at a fairly good level. The reduced brightness level allows you to use the device without any problems even in complete darkness. Automatic brightness control works according to the light sensor (it is located to the left of the front speaker slot). You can make adjustments to how this function works by moving the setting slider. Further, for three conditions, we give the screen brightness values for three values of this setting - for 0%, 50% and 100%. In complete darkness in automatic mode, the brightness decreases to 1.8, 7.9 and 16 cd / m2, respectively (the first and second are too dark, the third is normal), in an office illuminated with artificial light (about 400 lux), the brightness is set to 37 , 125 and 300 cd / m² (darkish - just right - bright, which corresponds to the specified correction), in a brightly lit environment (corresponds to illumination on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or slightly more) - increases to 520 cd / m² regardless of the position of the slider. This value is greater than the maximum for manual adjustment. If you increase the brightness of the ambient light (in the area of the light sensor) somewhere up to hundreds of thousands of lux (corresponds to direct sunlight), then the screen brightness increases a little more - up to 525 cd / m². This brightness should definitely be enough for the image on the screen to be well distinguished in any natural conditions. In general, the result of the automatic brightness control function is as expected. At any brightness level, there is significant modulation with a frequency of about 60 or 240 Hz. The figure below shows the dependence of brightness (vertical axis) on time (horizontal axis) for several values of brightness adjustment:
It can be seen that at the maximum and close to it brightness, the modulation amplitude is not very large, as a result, there is no visible flicker. However, as the brightness decreases, modulation appears with a large relative amplitude. Therefore, the presence of such modulation can already be seen in the test for the presence of a stroboscopic effect or simply with rapid eye movement. Depending on individual sensitivity, such flickering can cause increased fatigue.
This screen uses a Super AMOLED matrix - an active matrix on organic light-emitting diodes. A full color image is created with 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 micrograph:
For comparison, you can see the gallery of photomicrographs 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), while repeating these fragments, you can lay out the entire screen without gaps and overlaps. For such matrices, Samsung has introduced the name PenTile RGBG. The manufacturer calculates the screen resolution for green subpixels, for 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 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 green subpixel stripes. Nevertheless, some uneven contrast borders and other artifacts are still present. However, due to the very high resolution, they have minimal impact on image quality.
The screen is characterized by excellent viewing angles, although the white color, when deviated even at small angles, alternately acquires a light blue-green and pinkish tint, but black is just black at any angle. It is so black that the contrast setting is not applicable in this case. When viewed from a perpendicular view, the uniformity of the white field is good. For comparison, we present photographs in which the screens of the Samsung Galaxy A5 and the second participant of the comparison display the same images, while the brightness of the screens was initially set to about 200 cd / m2, and the color balance on the camera was forcedly switched to 6500 K. White field:
Note the good, although in this case clearly imperfect, uniformity of brightness and color tone of the white field. And the test picture (profile Main):
According to the visual assessment, the tested screen has good color rendition, the colors are moderately saturated, the color balance of the screens is slightly different. Recall that the photograph can not serve as a reliable source of information about the quality of color reproduction and is provided only for a conditional visual illustration. In this case, apparently, due to the peculiarities of the radiation spectrum of the AMOLED screen, the color balance in the photograph is noticeably different from what is seen with the eye and is determined by the spectrophotometer. The photo above was taken after selecting a profile Main in the screen settings, there are four of them:
Profile Adaptive display differs in some kind of automatic adjustment to the type of displayed image and the surrounding conditions, which is obtained when the two remaining profiles are selected, shown below.
AMOLED movie:
Saturation and color contrast are noticeably increased.
Photo AMOLED:
Saturation is almost as high, but color contrast is closer to normal. Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen (profile Main). White box:
The brightness at an angle on both screens has noticeably decreased (to avoid strong darkening, the shutter speed is increased compared to previous photos), but in the case of an AMOLED screen, the drop in brightness is much less pronounced. As a result, with formally the same brightness screen samsung The Galaxy A5 looks much brighter visually (compared to LCD screens), as the screen of a mobile device often has to be viewed from at least a slight angle. And the test picture:
It can be seen that the colors have not changed much on both screens and the brightness at Samsung is noticeably higher at an angle. The switching of the state of the matrix elements is performed almost instantly, but at the turn-on front there may be a step with a width of about 17 ms (which corresponds to a screen refresh rate of about 60 Hz). For example, this is how the dependence of brightness on time looks like when switching from black to white and vice versa:
In some conditions, the presence of such a step can lead to plumes trailing behind moving objects. However, dynamic scenes in films on OLED screens are distinguished by high definition and even some "jerky" movements.
For profiles Photo AMOLED and Main The gamma curve plotted using 32 points with equal intervals by the numerical value of the shade of gray did not reveal any blockage in highlights or shadows, and the exponent of the approximating power function is 2.11-2.13, which is slightly lower than the standard value of 2.2, at the same time, the real gamma 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, which shows the closeness of the gamma-curve to the power-law dependence):
For profile AMOLED movie The gamma curve has a pronounced S-shaped character, which increases the visible contrast of the image, but in the shadows the distinguishable shades are preserved.
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 obtained dependence of brightness on the hue (gamma curve), most likely, does not correspond a little to the gamma curve of a static image, since the measurements were carried out with sequential output of shades of gray on almost the entire screen.
Color gamut in case of profile AMOLED movie very wide, it almost covers Adobe RGB coverage:
When choosing a profile Photo AMOLED the coverage is compressed to the borders of Adobe RGB:
When choosing a profile Main coverage is compressed to the sRGB borders:
Without correction, the spectra of the components are very well separated:
In case of a profile Main with maximum correction, the color components are already noticeably mixed with each other:
Note that normal sRGB-optimized images appear unnaturally saturated on screens with wide color gamut without proper color correction. Hence the recommendation - in most cases, watching movies, photos and everything natural is better when choosing a profile. Main, and only if the photo was taken on the Adobe RGB setting, it makes sense to switch the profile to Photo AMOLED... Profile AMOLED movie, despite the name, the least suitable for watching movies and anything else.
The grayscale balance is good. Profile color temperature AMOLED movie above 6500 K, in the other two it is close to 6500 K, while in a significant part of the gray scale this parameter does not change very much, which improves the visual perception of the color balance. The deviation from the blackbody spectrum (ΔE) for most of the gray scale remains below 10 units, which is considered a good indicator for a consumer device, and also does not change very much:
(In most cases, the darkest areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since the color balance there does not really matter, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)
Let's summarize. The screen has a very high maximum brightness and has good anti-glare properties, so the device can be used outdoors without any problems, even on a sunny summer day. In complete darkness, the brightness can be lowered to a comfortable value. It is permissible (and in bright light it is necessary) to use the 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 (when choosing the appropriate profiles). At the same time, let's recall the general advantages of OLED screens: true black color (if nothing is reflected in the screen), noticeably less than that of an LCD, the drop in image brightness when viewed from an angle. The disadvantages include modulation of the screen brightness. Users who are particularly sensitive to flicker may experience increased fatigue due to this. However, the overall quality of the screen is very high.
Operating system and software
The smartphone has the operating system Google Android 5.1.1. An update to Android 6.0 is reportedly available for the Galaxy A5 2016, but it has yet to be released.
The appearance of the OS interface is typical for mobile devices Samsung.
As for the software, here it is worth paying attention to the fact that the smartphone is installed Microsoft applications(Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, OneDrive, Skype) as well as a gift catalog.
In this catalog you can find in-game currency for popular games (for example, Cut The Rope 2), Navitel cards, Liters books, 3 months of subscription to the ivi.ru online cinema and other pleasant bonuses.
Performance
The smartphone runs on SoC Exynos 7580 Octa. This is far from the top solution that Samsung previously used in the Galaxy S5 Neo (a later modification of the Galaxy S5, differing only in the SoC and the camera) and the Galaxy J7 tablet. This SoC is not found in any really popular model. However, along with the Galaxy A5 2016, it is also installed in the Galaxy A7 2016. The SoC is created using the 28 nm process technology and includes eight Cortex-A53 processor cores with a frequency of 1.6 GHz, as well as a Mali-T720MP2 GPU.
Note that both A5 2016 and A7 2016 exist in a variant with Qualcomm Snapdragon 615. Also, frankly speaking, not a flagship chip, but still much more common than Exynos 7580 Octa. But we had a model based on Exynos 7580 Octa, so we will study its performance.
Let's start with browser benchmarks: SunSpider 1.0.2, Octane Benchmark, and Kraken Benchmark. We will also add to our standard set - a new browser benchmark, recommended by the creators of SunSpider as a replacement for it. On all devices we have used Chrome browser... If there is a dash in the table field, then the corresponding smartphone has not been tested in this benchmark (or in this version of this benchmark).
In browser tests, the general picture becomes clear: the Galaxy A5 2016 significantly outperforms its predecessor and, in general, maintains parity with the Huawei Honor 5X, but is far behind the LG Nexus 5X.
Now let's see how the gadget performs in complex benchmarks - AnTuTu 6 and Geekbench 3.
Unfortunately, we do not have AnTuTu 6 results for the previous Samsung Galaxy A5 and LG Nexus 5X, since we tested them in the fifth version of the benchmark, and it was radically different in terms of scoring, so it is not correct to compare the results. We'll have to be content with what we have.
In this group of benchmarks, the picture is generally similar, but the Exynos 7580 performed better than in browser benchmarks, narrowing the gap with the leader and widening the gap with other competitors. Obviously, this is due to the number of cores (eight) and the ability of the benchmarks to use all of them. Of course, this does not mean that conventional software will also be capable of this.
The last group of benchmarks is dedicated to GPU performance testing. We used 3DMark, GFXBench, Epic Citadel and Bonsai Benchmark. All of them show real 3D scenes and allow you to visually see how the devices cope with them.
Let's start with GFXBench. Recall that Offscreen tests are displaying a 1080p picture regardless of the actual screen resolution. And Onscreen tests are displaying an image in the resolution that matches the device's screen resolution. That is, the Offscreen tests are indicative from the point of view of the abstract performance of the SoC, and the Onscreen tests - from the point of view of the comfort of the game on a specific device.
| Samsung Galaxy A5 2016 (Samsung Exynos 7580 Octa) |
Samsung Galaxy A5 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 410) |
Google Nexus 5X (Qualcomm Snapdragon 808) |
Huawei Honor 5X (Qualcomm Snapdragon 615) |
|
| GFXBenchmark Manhattan (Onscreen) | 4.8 fps | 3.9 fps | — | 5.9 fps |
| GFXBenchmark Manhattan (1080p Offscreen) | 4.8 fps | 1.8 fps | — | 5.6 fps |
| GFXBenchmark T-Rex (Onscreen) | 14 fps | 9.6 fps | — | 15 fps |
| GFXBenchmark T-Rex (1080p Offscreen) | 14 fps | 5.4 fps | — | 14 fps |
The picture is depressing. None of the devices will be able to play games that match the T-Rex and Manhattan scenes. As for the results of smartphones relative to each other, here the alignment is similar to what we saw in the previous benchmarks.
The fact that at Bonsai Benchmark new smartphone Samsung showed more than 30 fps - cause for joy. But otherwise, of course, the picture is depressing. In Epic Citadel, made on the Unreal engine (games Dark Meadow, Horn and others), it was not possible to reach 30 fps, but in 3DMark the loss of LG Nexus 5X turned out to be huge (at par with Huawei Honor 5X).
In general, the benchmarks allow us to draw the following conclusions regarding Samsung performance Galaxy A5 2016. Firstly, compared to last year's Galaxy A5, there is progress, and very significant. Secondly, by today's standards, this is still a very average level, which does not allow you to comfortably play many 3D games, even two or three years ago. Thirdly, if you find a version of the smartphone with Snapdragon 615, then you will not get a significant gain - the picture will generally be the same.
However, for everyday use and undemanding GPU performance, a smartphone is quite suitable, since the amount of RAM is more important here. And the model has enough of it - 2 GB. Of course, this is not a record, but it is quite normal that even with a large number of open applications, the smartphone does not slow down.
Video playback
The MHL interface (yes, Samsung branded and expensive adapters can now be safely thrown away), like Mobility DisplayPort, we did not find in this smartphone, so we had to limit ourselves to testing the output of video files on the screen of the device itself. To do this, we used a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see "Testing techniques for video playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices)"). Screenshots with a shutter speed of 1 s helped to determine the nature of the frame output of video files with different parameters: the resolution varied (1280 by 720 (720p) and 1920 by 1080 (1080p) pixels) and the frame rate (24, 25, 30, 50 and 60 fps). from). In our tests we used the MX Player video player in the "Hardware" mode. The test results are summarized in the table:
Note: If both columns Uniformity and Skips green ratings are set, this means that, most likely, when watching movies, artifacts caused by uneven alternation and skipping of frames will either not be visible at all, or their number and visibility will not affect the viewing comfort. Red marks indicate possible problems related to the playback of the respective files.
According to the criterion for outputting frames, the quality of video files playback 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 frame drops. True, not that UHD files in general, but even Full HD with a frame rate of more than 30 fps, the smartphone does not reproduce, which is strange by modern standards. Also note that the refresh rate of the screen is slightly lower than the typical 60 Hz, but in the case of files with 60 fps, there may be no frame drops, apparently, they are played back a little slower. When playing video files with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 (1080p) on a smartphone screen, the image of the video file itself is displayed exactly on the edge of the screen. The clarity of the picture is high, the output is carried out one to one pixel by pixel, but the PenTile features are manifested: the vertical world is through a pixel into a grid, and the horizontal one is slightly greenish. However, this is noticeable only on test worlds, and the described artifacts are absent in real images. 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 all the shades are displayed in the highlights.
Autonomous work, heating and communication
The smartphone has a fairly capacious battery (by the standards of relatively compact smartphones). In particular, it has more storage capacity than its predecessor and even more than the Nexus 5X.
Of course, this had a positive effect on the battery life - especially in those modes that are not associated with a heavy load. So, the smartphone is able to play video from the network for more than 10 hours, and in reading mode the work is even longer.
| Battery capacity | Reading mode | Video mode | 3D Game Mode | |
| Samsung Galaxy A5 2016 | 2900 mAh | 12h 50m | 10h 30m | 3h 40m |
| LG Nexus 5X | 2700 mAh | 14h 30m | 6h 00m | 4h 00m |
| Zuk Z1 | 4100 mAh | 21h 00m | 16h 40m | 6h 50m |
| Honor 7 | 3000 mAh | 13h 00m | 10h 40m | 3h 50m |
| Oneplus 2 | 3300 mAh | 14h 00m | 11h 20m | 4h 30m |
| LeTV One | 3000 mAh | 10h 30m | 8h 20m | 3h 50m |
| HTC One M9 | 2840 mAh | 11h 00m | 8h 20m | 3h 50m |
| Samsung Galaxy S6 | 2550 mAh | 20 h 00 m | 12h 00m | 4h 00m |
| Google Nexus 6 | 3220 mAh | 18h 00m | 10h 30m | 3h 40m |
| Meizu MX5 | 3150 mAh | 15h 00m | 11h 00m | 4h 10m |
But as soon as it comes to applications that seriously load the SoC, the battery life drops dramatically. In the Epic Citadel test, the smartphone lasted less than four hours.
Below is a thermal image of the rear surface taken after 10 minutes of running the battery test in the GFXBenchmark program:
Heating is localized in the upper part closer to the upper right (when viewed from the front) corner, which apparently corresponds to the location of the SoC. According to the heat chamber, the maximum heating was 38 degrees (at an ambient temperature of 24 degrees), which is not very much.
When it comes to connectivity, the smartphone is fine. Supports LTE Advanced, NFC, dual SIM can be used. To the quality of voice over cellular communication no complaints. The only parameter by which the smartphone falls short of the top-end level is the lack of support Wi-Fi standard 802.11ac. But in real life this can hardly be felt.
Camera
The smartphone is equipped with two cameras. The front one has a resolution of 5 megapixels and can be used for selfies and video communication. The rear camera has a resolution of 13 megapixels, which is average by today's standards. In addition, it cannot shoot 4K video (maximum - 1080p at 30 fps). Rear camera quality analyzed Anton Soloviev
Good sharpness across the field of the frame, it drops slightly towards the right edge.
The camera copes with the lack of lighting, but the result is far from the desired one.
The camera is good. It is far from being a flagship, but not a budget one either. Weak but noticeable sharpening, not very neat noise reduction, and even small out-of-focus areas walking around the frame - all this is characteristic of Samsung devices in the middle segment. Although these shortcomings do not spoil the overall picture. In general, the camera can handle documentary and sometimes artistic photography quite well.
conclusions
Of course, the main disadvantage of the Samsung Galaxy A5 2016 (besides the price) is its rather weak hardware platform. Its capabilities are sufficient for everyday use and undemanding games, but not enough for serious 3D games. However, do so many people really regularly play top games on smartphones? Still, the majority are much more important about the battery life, the quality of the design and screen, the connectivity and so that nothing slows down during normal use (mail, social networks, instant messengers, browser, maps ...). Well, plus, preferably a good camera. Samsung Galaxy A5 2016 meets these requirements. Yes, it does not set records for any of these indicators, but it provides a level that is comfortable for 95% of users.
Simply put, if smartphones of the Galaxy S line are for IT-observers, lovers of spectacular technological innovations and those who want to have a flagship device, then Galaxy line A is made for ordinary people. Who, however, are ready to overpay for the brand and the confidence that they will get a really balanced and beautiful device for their money.
In conclusion, we suggest watching our video review of the Samsung Galaxy A5 2016 smartphone:
The edition of our Internet project turned out to be a smartphone Samsung Galaxy A5 lineup 2016 year. It is essentially a variation on last year's Galaxy S6 flagship, but with a lower price tag. On the this moment the model is the most balanced solution among all Samsung devices. Our expert understood all the pros and cons of the novelty.
Samsung Galaxy A6 pricing
id = "sub1">Package contents and first impressions
id = "sub2">Updated Samsung version Supplied in a white cardboard box. The model name is printed on the front part, the main technical parameters on the back. There is no image of the gadget.
Inside, the device itself is placed on a plastic substrate - Samsung Galaxy A5 SM-A510F. In addition to it, the kit includes:
- Adapter charger USB
- Computer sync cable
- Stereo headset with 3.5mm miniJack jack
- SIM card tray clip
- Instruction, warranty card
On sale you can find four types of case colors: black, white, gold, "rose gold". All colors look good. I had a gold version at my disposal, but I would call it “bronze”, because there is no yellowness typical for a precious metal. The color is noble.
The 2016 Galaxy A5 sits comfortably in your hand. Despite the 5.2 "screen diagonal, the device is only slightly larger than the 4.7" one. Galaxy A5 (2016) measures 144.8x71x7.3 mm and weighs 155 grams. Wearing the device in the pockets of tight clothing is no problem. I did not notice any inconveniences. But it is not very comfortable to operate the smartphone with one hand. It is impossible to reach with the thumb of one hand to the corners of the display diagonally. We have to intercept the device. But the same can be said for any smartphone with a screen larger than 4 inches. This is a given.
Design and appearance
id = "sub3">The appearance of the Galaxy A5 (2016) almost completely copies the flagship model Galaxy S6. There is also metal case, in which glass covers not only the screen, but also the back panel. The glass has a slight curvature, the so-called 2.5D effect, which is a kind of fashion trend of recent times. The glass itself is Corning Gorilla Glass 4. The glossy surfaces have an oleophobic coating. For this reason, fingerprints, dust and dirt are not particularly visible. On models in white, pink and bronze, prints are almost invisible. In black, they are noticeable.
A frame is made of steel, passing along the entire contour of the apparatus. There are small notches on the sides. The metal had a positive effect on the overall perception of the device. The body is monolithic, looks solid and reliable. The assembly is of high quality.
On the front, you can see a large 5.2-inch SuperAMOLED screen. Above it is the earpiece, front 5 Mpix camera, light and proximity sensors, as well as the manufacturer's logo. There are two touch buttons and one hardware room. A fingerprint sensor is built into the hardware key. It works quickly and well, just touch the button.
The volume rocker is located on the left side, the power key and slots for two SIM cards like nanoSIM. Interestingly, in addition to a sim card, you can insert a microSD memory card into the top slot. Large-capacity cards are supported - up to 128 GB.
The microphone, microUSB and 3.5mm audio jack can be seen at the bottom. An additional microphone is also located on the upper end of the device.
Also at the bottom is a speaker for external calls and sound playback. I would rate the sound as a four. Even at an average level, you can hear the call well, even if the phone is in clothes. Nevertheless, the smartphone is far from super-quality and surround sound.
On the back you can see a 13 Mpix camera lens with autofocus and LED flash. The lens protrudes 2-3 mm relative to the plane of the smartphone itself.
The lithium-ion battery is located inside the case. It is not removable.
During the test, I did not find any external defects. The impressions are extremely positive. It looks like a real flagship. The smartphone is assembled at a Samsung plant in Vietnam.
Screen. Graphic capabilities
id = "sub4">The display of the 2016 Galaxy A5 is very good. It is bright, contrasting, images and fonts are very smooth, without roughness, the black color is very deep. The viewing angles are traditionally maximum, the colors do not change when tilted.
It uses a 5.2-inch Super AMOLED screen. Resolution 1080x1920 pixels (424 ppi). From above it is covered with durable Corning Gorilla Glass 4 with 2.5D effect, that is, the edges of the display are slightly rounded.
I also note that I am not a fan of Super AMOLED screens due to their excessive brightness. However, thanks to the "Adaptive" option, the user can significantly reduce the strain on their eyes. The device analyzes the level of illumination around and, depending on the conditions, sets the contrast, brightness, plus adjusts the colors on the screen. In addition, there is an opportunity to use the color settings "Movie AMOLED", "Photo AMOLED", "main".
The screen looks good in the sun. I did not notice any problems with reading the information.
The display sensitivity is excellent. All clicks are processed correctly and clearly. The 2016 Samsung Galaxy A5 supports gloved control - a hot option for the colder months.
During testing, I did not find any flaws in the screen. I liked everything, especially the picture. She is alive and vibrant.
Hardware platform: processor, memory, speed
id = "sub5">The Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) is powered by Samsung's 64-bit Exynos 7580 chip with eight nuclear processor clock frequency of 1.6 GHz per core. It is made using 28 nm technology. Used graphics Mali T720. RAM 2 GB. The built-in memory in the device is 16 GB (10.7 GB is available to the user), removable media microSD up to 128 GB are supported.
Overall, the performance of the smartphone is good. The interface works smoothly, the browser works smoothly even when opening a dozen pages. The processor hardly heats up when loaded with heavy games. Heating is noticeable only with active use of LTE in the area around the camera.
The advantages include the low power consumption of the Samsung chip. This has the most positive effect on battery life. The smartphone lasts longer than its competitors.
Summarizing, I can say that the characteristics are fully consistent with the positioning. Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) is a typical midrange or slightly higher. For 90% of the audience, this will be enough. Social networks, videos, music, games - all this will work without stress.
Communication capabilities
id = "sub6">The smartphone supports all modern communication networks: 2G / 3G and 4G cat. 6 on Russian frequencies, confidently receives the signal and does not lose it for no apparent reason. The quality of signal reception raises no objections, the device confidently maintains communication in rooms and does not lose signal in areas of poor reception (tested on MegaFon, MTS, Tele2 networks). Talking on the phone is comfortable. The speaker has a good volume reserve, and the interlocutors did not complain about poor audibility during testing.
The device can work with all modern wireless networks... Among them are dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n, Wi-Fi Direct, you can organize a wireless access point via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth channels. There is a built-in LTE modem. All modules work quickly and smoothly. The device also has NFC support.
Connection to a computer is carried out using a USB 2.0 connector. Additional communication means worth noting are GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS (standard Google Maps is built into the smartphone). The radius of navigation error during testing is about 3 meters, which is very small. The gadget does an excellent job of being a navigator.
Duration of work
id = "sub7">The Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) has a 2900mAh Li-ion battery. In testing conditions, with the number of calls 35-40 minutes a day, browsing the Internet for about 2 hours via 4G, listening to an mp3 player through a headset for about 2 hours a day, the device worked for two days. When watching a video, the smartphone worked for 13 hours, in navigator mode - about 5 hours.
If we take averaged data, the device can work from 2 to 3 days. In terms of autonomy, the device differs from the vast majority of Android smartphones for the better. For me personally, battery life matters a lot and the Galaxy A5 was a pleasant surprise.
The rechargeable battery is charged in a little less than 2 hours when powered from the contact network. The device supports the Qualcomm Quick Charge function, which allows you to charge the battery up to 100% in 105 minutes. In half an hour, you can get just over half the charge. For mobile people, this is a good thing.
In addition, there is a power saving mode, when the screen backlight is limited, the processor frequency. In this scenario, the operating time will increase by at least 20%. There is an extreme (maximum) power saving mode. In this case, the screen displays only white and gray colors, all applications except telephone connection, SMS, calendar and alarms are turned off.
User interface and operating system
id = "sub8">Currently Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) comes with Android firmware 5.1.1 with the TouchWiz user interface. Software can be "updated over the air". It is expected that in April-May 2016 the model will start receiving the update to Android 6.
As for the appearance of the shell, the interface is similar to that of the Samsung Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge and other Korean devices in 2015. All proprietary Samsung programs are available, including S Health for monitoring physical activity and health, S Voice, support for gestures, KNOX - for separating data into personal and work, etc. Missing programs can be downloaded from Samsung App Store and Google Play.
Unlike the top models, there is a built-in FM radio here, which looks like a nice bonus. The non-removable Office and Skype package is also preinstalled, but Kaspersky can be uninstalled before it starts eating up already limited system resources and draining the battery.
Camera. Photo and video capabilities
id = "sub9">The 2016 Galaxy A5 has a 13MP camera. The picture quality is good. The camera interface is made in the traditional Samsung style. There are many settings and preset modes, including self-portrait, panorama, night, continuous shooting, HDR (up to a maximum of 8 megapixels) and GIF animation.
For example, Two-Sided Shooting allows you to take photos using both cameras at the same time. As for the rest of the settings, the automatic contrast allows you to achieve good image quality on a bright sunny day. Manual ISO settings are 50, 100, 200, 400, 800. The following shooting modes are available: single shot, smile detection, continuous, panorama, vintage, portrait, landscape, night mode, sports, indoor, beach / snow, sunset, dawn, autumn colors, fireworks, text, dusk, against the light.
The phone supports video recording in mpeg4 format for maximum resolution, and in the settings you can specify whether the video will be recorded with or without sound. All settings are comparable to those for photos, but the resolution of the clips is different, plus the effects are supported. The camera can shoot videos with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, there are also 1280x720, 720x480 pixels (30 frames), or a resolution of 640x480 pixels (30 frames). Two additional resolutions - 320x240 and 176x144 pixels.
The video recorded is not bad. It looks great on a phone screen, and it looks good on a computer.
The front camera has a resolution of 5 megapixels. It is quite light-sensitive (f / 1.9), but lacks autofocus. The pictures are of decent quality under good lighting conditions. In difficult conditions, the camera is not perfect.
Outcomes
id = "sub10">After a week with the 2016 Samsung Galaxy A5, I still have positive emotions. I agree with those who talk about this model as an affordable variant of the Galaxy S6. The novelty really looks like a flagship device, but costs 10-12 thousand rubles cheaper.
The device is fast enough, functional, has a stylish appearance, bright and colorful screen. The battery life was a pleasant surprise - with an average mode of use, it is possible to achieve 3 days without recharging. Fast charging technology is noteworthy.
Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) alternatives are refurbished. As for me, I would go with the Galaxy A5. It is cheaper than Sony and Apple, better in terms of the screen. Than Honor.
Benefits
id = "sub11">- Great appearance
- High-quality assembly
- Good screen
- LTE cat support. 6
- Support for two SIM cards
- Excellent autonomy