Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) and A5 (2017) are now official, offer IP68 water resistance

By Karthekayan Iyer | Updated on 05-Jun-2017

02 Jan 2017 17:16

HIGHLIGHTS

Samsung Galaxy A3 and A5 (2017) look similar to the Galaxy S7, and are now IP68 certified. Just, don't take them out for a swim.

Samsung has finally made two smartphones of the Galaxy A (2017) series official. The smartphones have been announced in Europe ahead of their official announcement in Malaysia, and will be heading to select Asian markets by the end of this month, while being available in Europe starting from February 3.

The Galaxy A (2017) series announced today includes the Galaxy A5 (2017) and Galaxy A3 (2017). The Galaxy A (2017) series embraces some of the features found on modern day smartphones available from the Chinese smartphone makers. The most important addition to the new Galaxy A lineup is IP68-certified water and dust resistance, a feature not available even on some of the flagship smartphones.

With Galaxy A (2017), Samsung has adopted metal-and-glass builds, and the main camera and home button are seamlessly embedded into the case. The smartphones also come in colour options similar to the Galaxy S7 lineup. The Galaxy A (2017) range will be available in Black, Gold, Blue and Rose Gold colours.

While the focus is on design, the smartphones also offer better specifications than their predecessors. The Galaxy A3 (2017) features a 4.7-inch HD display while Galaxy A5 (2017) offers a larger, 5.2-inch Full HD Super AMOLED panel. The Galaxy A3 (2017) is powered by a 1.6GHz octa-core processor coupled with 2GB RAM and 16GB storage. It offers a 13MP primary camera and an 8MP secondary camera. Under the hood, the Galaxy A3 (2017) houses a 2350mAh battery, and runs on the now-outdated Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow.

The Galaxy A5 (2017), on the other hand, gets a faster 1.9GHz octa-core processor aided by 3GB RAM and 32GB storage. The smartphone offers 16MP cameras in both front and rear – a big improvement for selfie lovers. The device houses a 3000mAh battery and supports fast charging.

Samsung Malaysia has already confirmed plans to start pre-orders for the devices on January 6, and the device could be headed to India soon. The Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) is priced at €329 (approximately Rs 23,500), while the Galaxy A5 will retail for €429 (approximately Rs 30,500).