Review of Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016): successful rebirth. Review of Samsung Galaxy A5 SM-A510F (2016) Duos: stylish and expensive smartphone Samsung Galaxy A5 camera review
TFT IPS- High quality liquid crystal matrix. It has wide viewing angles, one of the best indicators of color rendering quality and contrast among all those used in the production of displays for portable equipment.
Super AMOLED- if a regular AMOLED screen uses several layers, between which there is an air gap, then in Super AMOLED there is only one such touch layer without air gaps. This allows you to achieve greater screen brightness with the same power consumption.
Super AMOLED HD- differs from Super AMOLED in its higher resolution, thanks to which you can achieve 1280x720 pixels on a mobile phone screen.
Super AMOLED plus- this is a new generation of Super AMOLED displays, differs from the previous one by using a larger number of subpixels in a conventional RGB matrix. The new displays are 18% thinner and brighter than displays made using the old PenTile technology.
AMOLED- an improved version of OLED technology. The main advantages of the technology are significantly reduced power consumption, the ability to display a larger color gamut, reduced thickness and the ability of the display to bend slightly without the risk of breaking.
Retina-high pixel density display designed specifically for Apple technology. The pixel density of Retina displays is such that individual pixels are indistinguishable to the eye at a normal distance from the screen. This ensures the highest image detail and significantly improves the overall viewing experience.
Super Retina HD is the next generation of LCD technology, it is characterized by improved characteristics compared to earlier LCD displays. The screens not only have wide viewing angles and better color reproduction, but also lower power consumption.
TFT- A common type of liquid crystal display. Using an active matrix controlled by thin-film transistors, it is possible to significantly increase the performance of the display, as well as the contrast and clarity of the image.
OLED- organic electroluminescent display. It consists of a special thin-film polymer that emits light when exposed to an electric field. This type of display has a large reserve of brightness and consumes very little energy.
Last year's series of "A" series smartphones with an all-metal body have proven themselves successfully. For this year, the South Korean manufacturer retained the same name of the series, adding the prefix “2016”, although it significantly modernized it. This review examines the mid-range model Galaxy A5 2016 - it is a beautiful, fairly powerful smartphone, with all the necessary communications.
The design of our hero is interconnected with. The edges are metal, covered on both sides with Gorilla Glass 4, which is slightly beveled at the edges (2.5D). The color scheme of the case is presented in 4 colors: black, white, gold, rose gold. In these colors it shines beautifully in the light, but the back panel quickly attracts fingerprints. The device lies comfortably in the hand and does not try to slip out.
The dimensions and build quality of the Galaxy A5 2016 are worth attention. On the front side there is one mechanical Home button with a fingerprint sensor. On the left side there are volume buttons, on the right side there are on/off buttons. and a slot for 2 nanoSIM. An alternative to one SIM card is memory up to 128 GB. On the back surface there is a slightly protruding lens of a 13 MP camera with a flash. The speaker and 3.5 jack are located on the bottom. There is a noise reduction system.
Brightness adjustment in Auto mode works well. Its only drawback is that there is no anti-reflective coating, which means viewing angles suffer. The screen has an oleophobic coating.
The smartphone runs Android 5.1.1 with a shell identical to the S6. In everyday tasks the system works quickly.
The front camera is 5 megapixels, without autofocus, but takes pictures at a good level. It is suitable for selfies and video conferencing. The aperture of these cameras is f/1.9.
There is a possibility of fast charging (from 0 to 100% in 105 minutes). In 30 min. charge - more than 50%. Traditionally, there are power saving modes that limit the backlight, processor operation, and certain functions. At maximum energy saving, the screen is in gray colors. Previously, such technologies were present in the ranks of flagships, but are now available in the mid-segment.
For Samsung, 2016 promises to be another year of testing and struggle for profit and smartphone market share. 2015 was a good year, although it did not live up to the “fat” year of 2013. The South Korean manufacturer even decided on a certain change in strategy, which included the release of metal smartphones. The first sign was the Galaxy Alpha, but it only had a metal frame. Where did Samsung go next with the release of the Galaxy A series?
All Galaxy A smartphones are made of metal. Completely and completely, including the back cover. Three models A3, A5 and A7, differing in characteristics and screen diagonal, began to be positioned as fashion products, and this does not mean the lowest cost. However, their sales were higher than expected. It’s not surprising that in 2016 Samsung decided to continue the successful line.
The second generation Galaxy A was named simply and unpretentiously - they added the postscript “(2016)”. Yes, just like that and in parentheses. The new items also received three modifications, and at the same time their design underwent changes. In this review, we take a look at the middle representative of the series – the Galaxy A5 (2016), also known as the SM-A510F model.
As always, we'll start with a video review. Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) is a very interesting phone, and therefore it is worth watching the video.
It was Samsung that relied on design in the Galaxy A series. Although it would seem that where is Samsung and where is design - its smartphones for a long time were simply “nothing” in this parameter. Not scary, but boring and uninteresting. Although they all used and still use a certain unified design concept, which is why the devices have become well recognizable.
The first Galaxy A looked like a typical Samsung, but with pointed edges and was made of metal. Moreover, the body became non-separable. These tubes feel great in the hand; the metal, as always, pleasantly cools the hand. What about the 2016 models? Well, at least the metal hasn't gone anywhere.
True, there is noticeably less metal - it is now only on the side ends. However, do not panic ahead of time - a glass plate was installed at the back, like on tubes. The designers clearly took inspiration from 2015's flagship products.
It turned out to be really interesting, even quite interesting. Someone reproached the Galaxy S6 for its similarity to the iPhone 6, but such thoughts simply do not arise about the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016). It would seem that it has a lot in common with the Galaxy S6: chopped sides, the bottom end with a speaker, 2.5D glass protruding from the body. But the device still has its own individuality, which is absent from all other Samsungs. The new product has a thinner round screen frame and is designed more strictly.
On the back, under the glass, the Galaxy A5 (2016) does not have metal shimmering in different colors, as was done in all the flagships Galaxy S6 and. The coloring is solid, without any frills. In our case, it is black, but the phone is available in at least four different versions: Galaxy A5 (2016) black, Galaxy A5 (2016) white, Galaxy A5 (2016) pink (pink - hello iPhone 6s!) and Galaxy A5 (2016) gold.
Another thing worth noting is the increase in size and weight of the Galaxy A5 (2016) relative to its predecessor. This is partly due to the increase in screen diagonal (from 5.0" to 5.2"), and partly due to the installation of a larger battery (2900 mAh instead of 2300 mAh). As a result, the thickness of the device increased from 6.7 to 7.3 mm, and the weight increased from 123 to 155 grams. In principle, nothing critical, but if you take two tubes at once, the difference between them will be visible. However, I am glad that the width and height have grown literally by a couple of millimeters, so in terms of ease of use, nothing has changed.
And, finishing the section on design, let’s add that the build of the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) is simply excellent. However, it is easier to achieve this result with a non-separable case. On the other hand, we are talking about an expensive fashion series, so we didn’t expect anything else.
Despite the design update, the ergonomics of Samsung smartphones continue to remain unchanged, which is an additional plus for fans of these products.
Above the screen there is a speaker, a front camera, light and proximity sensors.
Below, under the screen, there are touch-sensitive buttons for the task manager and back, as well as a traditional mechanical home button. The latter this time is located close enough to the screen, so that sometimes pressing on it, the finger touched the sensor on the display. And so it now has a built-in fingerprint scanner - this is another difference compared to the previous generation Galaxy A.
The fingerprint sensor parameters are set in the settings in the “Lock screen and protection” section. As always, the fingerprint is added with a few taps, and after that it can be set to unlock the smartphone. In case you are unable to use it, you are prompted to enter a backup password.
And Samsung also offers to use fingerprints for authorization on websites and in your Samsung account. Our short video will show you how this all looks in practice:
The touch buttons are backlit. Without it they are not visible at all.
At the back, all elements are grouped at the top. In particular, this is the manufacturer's logo, a slightly protruding camera lens and an LED flash.
Volume control buttons are placed on the left side. They are also metal.
On the right is the power button and a compartment for SIM cards and microSD cards. We were dealing with the Galaxy A5 (2016) Duos.
The card holder is removed using an ejector or a thin paper clip. Two important details should be noted here: only nanoSIM cards are supported and a memory card is installed instead of one SIM card. That is, you can choose one of two options: SIM+microSD or SIM+SIM. Our short video will show you how to properly install SIM cards and a microSD card in the Galaxy A5 (2016):
The top end is almost empty. Antenna inserts and a microphone for noise reduction are located here.
At the bottom there is a second pair of antenna inserts, and an external speaker, a conversational microphone, a microUSB port and a 3.5 mm mini-jack for headphones and headsets are also moved here. Note that placing the audio connector at the bottom is a very good solution - it’s much more convenient.
Overall, we are completely satisfied with the ergonomics of the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016). All the buttons are in the usual places, the connectors are located as conveniently as possible, and the manufacturer did not refuse a slot for a memory card. The only pity is that the case is not removable.
At the time of writing this article, few covers for the Galaxy A5 (2016) had been released, which is logical - the device is quite new.
There is a book-like case for the Galaxy A5 (2016) immediately on sale, which you can buy for about 900 rubles.
We are sure that over time there will be a fair number of cases, including from Samsung itself.
Galaxy A is a series of fashion smartphones, that is, not cheap. Of course, the emphasis is on design and materials, but equipping the handsets with a bad screen would not be comme il faut at all, especially for Samsung. So even the first generation of the A line is equipped with Super AMOLED screens, but different versions of the phones differed in resolution. And in this parameter, the Galaxy A5 (2016) has grown significantly.
The point is that the resolution has increased from 1280x720 for the first Galaxy A5 to 1920x1080 pixels for the current one. At the same time, the diagonal has also grown from 5.0" to 5.2", but the screen frame has become thinner, so the dimensions of the devices are extremely similar. The display provides a final pixel density of 424 ppi (versus 294 ppi for its predecessor), which, although not the maximum by modern standards, is still quite a decent figure.
The screen of the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) is very cool. This is if it's subjective. It can easily be compared with the matrices used in the company's flagships like the Galaxy S6. Undoubtedly, the latter has a better display, but unless you put both smartphones next to each other, you are unlikely to notice the difference. So the new Galaxy A5 performs well in the sun, has a decent amount of brightness, deep blacks and wide viewing angles.
More specifically, we measured the screen brightness at 374.35 cd/m2, which is quite good. Due to the peculiarities of OLED technology, it is pointless to measure the brightness of the black point - it can be said to be zero. In other words, black looks truly black, and contrast tends to infinity.
The color gamut of the AMOLED display may vary depending on the profile selected in the settings. By default, Samsung phones are set to Adaptive. As you can see, in this case its coverage significantly exceeds the sRGB color space and approaches professional AdobeRGB. The image in this case is very bright and saturated. If you are attracted to the calmer shades typical of IPS matrices, then it is better to choose the “Main” profile. Even though the color gamut narrows to sRGB, you still won’t see the difference.
Another advantage of the “Basic” profile is that the color temperature is closer to the optimal value. Let us remind you that a value of 6500K is considered comfortable, and in the “Basic” profile it varies in the range of 6400-6900K. That is, the picture looks warmer and more natural. The “adaptive” profile, in turn, provides a higher color temperature at 7800-8000K, that is, the image is cooler.
The screen's gamma curves look good. They almost merge with the reference curve 2.2, only the “Main” profile curve barely protrudes in the middle. That is, image fragments with average brightness (gray and the like) are displayed a little lighter than necessary. It's still not noticeable to the eye.
The screen recognizes up to five simultaneous touches, which is strange - usually AMOLED displays have support for a dozen touches. It is possible that this is a software limitation.
Screen settings, and in particular changing the profile, occur in the “Display” section of the system settings. Next you need to go to the “Screen Mode” subsection. There are also profiles “Movie AMOLED” and “Photo AMOLED”. By their name it is already clear which one is intended for what.
As you can imagine, we liked the screen of the Galaxy A5 (2016). It has good resolution, excellent color reproduction, wide viewing angles, it is protected by Gorilla Glass 4, and it also has the ability to change the color profile.
The camera resolution of the Galaxy A5 (2016) has not increased compared to the first model - it is 13 MP. However, this did not stop us from installing a more advanced sensor and lens. In particular, the new smartphone’s camera is equipped with an image stabilizer.
The camera app is standard on Samsung phones. However, compared to flagships, it is lighter on the Galaxy A5 (2016). But the most basic effects and features are present here, including the popular HDR mode.
But there are clearly fewer shooting modes than top products. And in Pro mode, you can only adjust white balance, ISO sensitivity and exposure compensation. In the “full” version, you can also adjust the color palette, focusing distance and shutter speed.
The resolution can be changed in the settings. Another noticeable difference from the flagships is that the maximum image resolution is achieved with a screen aspect ratio of 4:3, rather than 16:9.
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Photos from the camera of the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) look pretty decent. Sometimes she has mistakes with focusing, but for the most part everything is decent for an “above average” rating. Everything looks especially good in daylight, but that's not surprising. In poor lighting conditions, if you try not to move your hands, the shots will turn out more than successful.
Video resolution, unfortunately, is also artificially limited to Full HD, while 4K is still left to flagships.
The video looks decent, with good white balance, not overexposed, and quite clear.
The front camera has its own shooting modes, although there are even fewer of them. But the “Group Selfie” will definitely not be out of place.
The resolution of the facial sensor is 5 MP and it is also achieved with an aspect ratio of 4:3 frames.
The shooting quality of the front camera is very decent. Photos are quite sharp, not overexposed, without disturbing the white balance. Only the night shots are blurry and noisy.
The video resolution is the same as the rear camera - Full HD. For a front sensor this is a very good option.
You know, it’s not so easy to distinguish video from the front camera from video from the main, rear camera. Overall it looks no worse.
Overall, we liked the cameras of the Galaxy A5 (2016). They take good pictures, even in poor lighting conditions. Photos and videos turn out clear, with the correct white balance and the work of the stabilizer is visible.
The Galaxy A lineup for 2016 largely consists of the previous core models: A3, A5 and A7. At the same time, there are also A8 and A9 for individual local markets. They are not yet supplied to us and it is not clear whether they will be. At the same time, the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) is available in both a version with one SIM card and two (Galaxy A5 (2016) Duos). The model we received was SM-A510F/DS.
The Galaxy A5 (2016) has a lot of changes compared to its predecessor. This includes an improved processor, a new video card, a screen with a higher resolution, and at the same time a larger battery. Add to this list a completely different design. In general, the new product has a lot of arguments to switch to it from the older model.
The processor in the Galaxy A5 for 2016 uses a relatively new one, Samsung Exynos 7580. We first met it in the summer of 2015. This is a chipset for mid-range smartphones, equipped with eight Cortex-A53 cores operating at 1.6 GHz. In principle, a fairly productive solution for a wide range of products. It will certainly be faster than the quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 installed in the Galaxy A5 for 2015.
The only complaint about the Exynos 7580 is its graphics card. Mali-T720 MP2 is a modern accelerator, but it is based on the architecture for inexpensive chipsets. In addition, only two execution units are installed there. Competing solutions from MediaTek usually add a Mali-T760 graphics chip to eight similar Cortex-A53 cores, which is noticeably faster. No, we don’t want to say that the proposed option is slow, but to balance the power it should still be made faster.
There is 2 GB of RAM - no progress has been made here. However, it is not required here yet, since 3 GB is still a relevant volume for flagships, which the Galaxy A5 (2016), despite its parameters, is not. Exactly the same can be said about the amount of built-in memory, which is 16 GB. It’s too early to install 32 GB in a mid-level smartphone, even a fashionable one. But, unlike the Samsung flagships of 2015, the memory in our phone can be expanded with microSD cards.
Otherwise, the capabilities of the Galaxy A5 (2016) are quite consistent with the positioning. In terms of communication, everything you need is supported: Bluetooth 4.1, 802.11n, LTE category 6 and NFC. Let us also remind you that there is a fingerprint scanner, which the first generation A5 does not have. So we have a modern smartphone with good characteristics, decent design and excellent performance. But how fast is he really?
Unfortunately, we were not able to get acquainted with the first Galaxy A5 in due time, and therefore we will present the test results in comparison with. This smartphone has many of the same characteristics as the A5 - they only have different amounts of memory, which does not significantly affect performance during testing.
The old Smartbench 2012 test showed parity in system-wide tasks, obviously not being able to effectively use many processor cores, and in games it gave victory to the Galaxy A5. Apparently, the Mali-T720 is not such a slow video card.
Another “old school” benchmark, Quadrant Standard, was able to distribute the load more efficiently and clearly showed the victory of the Galaxy A5 (2016) - the difference is almost twofold.
But Basemark II, on the contrary, somehow could not “cope” with all the cores of the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) and showed a significant lag.
However, according to the SunSpider browser test, it is clear that the new Galaxy A5 is still faster.
The old Nenamark2 gaming test, despite its relative “simplicity,” was still able to reveal the winner in the “fresh” smartphone Galaxy A5 (2015).
The new and up-to-date 3DMark shows yet another superiority of the current phone. In general, although the Galaxy A5 (2016) and its Mali-T720 MP2 graphics card are not the best, their speed will be sufficient for most use cases.
At one time, the Galaxy J5 and especially the Galaxy J7 surprised us with their autonomy. The Galaxy A5 (2016) should also have a decent battery, given the capacious 2900 mAh battery - this is noticeably more than the 2300 mAh of its predecessor. And so it happened – the autonomy of the new smartphone is at a very decent level. It's not as good as the J5, but on average it's better than most of its peers.
Here you have a “weak” video card. As you can see from the diagram, it is 3D games that account for the maximum energy consumption. Next in terms of gluttony is surfing the Internet via Wi-Fi or a cellular network, as well as two-dimensional games. Video and reading consumption are approximately the same, no matter how strange it may sound.
In the settings you can view statistics on battery usage. There is also an extreme power saving mode, which allows you to get several hours of operation with a low battery charge. True, in this case everything will become black and white - a feature of AMOLED screens is used, in which only that part of the display that is active, that is, other than black, consumes energy.
Overall, the Galaxy A5 (2016) is a smartphone with good performance and decent battery life.
In theory, games on the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) should not slow down. However, do not forget that the smartphone’s video card is not top-end, and the screen resolution is high, Full HD.
Minor "lags" have occurred in N.O.V.A games. 3 and Eternity Warriors 4. But these games are quite heavy in terms of graphics, so it’s not surprising. And don’t pay attention to several games marked “won’t start” - our copy of the smartphone had a non-final firmware version, which is why they didn’t want to start. The retail version should be free of this flaw.
The Galaxy A5 (2015) comes with a new one, which is almost guaranteed to be updated to - in this regard, Samsung behaves very well, especially when dealing with expensive smartphones.
As always, the TouchWIZ shell is installed on top of the Google system. Samsung has one for all smartphones, but its content differs from pre-installed applications.
There's even a dedicated Galaxy Essentials section in the Galaxy Apps app store. Here are links to download the translator S Translator, text recognizer Optical Reader, children's mode, audio editor Soundcamp. It should be noted that Samsung flagships have even more applications, and at the same time there is a Galaxy Gifts section with a complex of subscriptions to various services.
And so the set of pre-installed applications has something from the flagships.
In particular, this is the S Health sports activity diary application. True, on top Samsung products you can still measure your heart rate here, while the Galaxy A5 (2016) does not have a built-in heart rate monitor.
There is also the S Voice voice assistant, which the South Korean company continues to develop, despite Google Now and the release of Microsoft Cortana on Android. Moreover, according to the latest information, Samsung does not yet intend to curtail this development.
Smart Manager is no longer “exclusive” - it is the norm for all Samsung devices. Let us remind you that this application allows you to monitor the consumption of RAM, built-in flash drive, battery consumption, and at the same time includes the Knox application, which allows you to increase the security of your device.
Microsoft applications on Samsung smartphones and tablets are also nothing special - they are here by agreement between the companies. Moreover, Word, Excel and PowerPoint will have to be downloaded separately, for which special thanks - they take up a lot of space! Also pleasing is 100 GB of space in the OneDrive cloud.
A set of standard applications, consisting of a file manager, calculator, clock, calendar, voice recorder, FM radio, and so on, is also present. In a special redesigned version from Samsung.
The notification panel, compared to Android 5.x, has been noticeably changed. More precisely, the quick settings panel has been replaced - it does not slide out by pulling it down, but scrolls horizontally. Notifications are displayed as usual.
There is also the traditional MultiWindow mode, which allows you to run two applications on the screen at once. Moreover, you can drag and drop data between them. Something like this has long been expected as a standard feature in Android, but it certainly won’t appear there before Android 6.1.
The settings have been redrawn and offer their own version of the interface. In particular, a customizable list of quick parameters is displayed at the top, and then follows their full set.
In terms of software, the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) is a slightly “simplified” version of the company’s flagship. There is a proprietary shell, some proprietary software, and in the future we can expect the release of Android 6.0 for the Galaxy A5 (2016).
We like the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016). Just like a good smartphone - it immediately attracts attention, you want to pick it up, touch it yourself, see what’s installed, and so on. From a design point of view, everything is good here: metal and glass, everything is stylish and beautiful, so the effect is appropriate. It's really nice to hold the handset - it feels like a reliable metal bar.
At the same time, the smartphone turned out to be more than practical. For the sake of appearance, the designers did not compromise, giving up ease of use. The only complaint here is the non-separable case and the inability to change the battery yourself. And so, compared to Samsung flagships of 2015, even memory cards are supported!
In terms of speed, the Galaxy A5 (2016) is not a record-breaker, but its performance is high, thanks to the 8-core Samsung processor. Although its characteristics are not maximum, they are enough for games and smooth interface animation. The phone is excellent for everyday use from all points of view, including in terms of autonomy - everything is fine here. But how much does the Galaxy A5 (2016) cost?
It was not possible to buy the Galaxy A5 (2016) at the time of publication of this article. However, you can still estimate its cost - it will be somewhere between the Galaxy A7 and Galaxy S6, that is, about 25-28 thousand rubles. Quite a lot, but this is to some extent a simplified version of the flagship. What alternatives are there for this amount?
Samsung's flagship from 2014 may well compete with the Galaxy A5 (2016). Let us remind you that it has a very productive 8-core processor, an excellent AMOLED screen with Full HD resolution and a diagonal of 5.1", an excellent camera, a heart rate monitor, a fingerprint scanner and even moisture protection. A good device, and not very expensive at the price - around 23-25 thousand.
This 2015 flagship from Huawei also looks decent. The P8 has a metal body, a good 5.2-inch Full HD screen, a good 13 MP camera, a fast 8-core processor and 3 GB of RAM. But it costs more – around 30 thousand so far.
Sony Xperia M5 is no longer quite a flagship, but a little lower in positioning, like the Galaxy A5 (2016). The device is made on the basis of an 8-core top-end MediaTek Helio X10 processor, has 3 GB of RAM, a 21 MP camera, and a 5-inch Full HD screen. But believe me, the screen on a Samsung smartphone is noticeably better. And the Xperia M5 costs a decent amount – around 27-28 thousand.
Pros:
Minuses:
The edition of our Internet project included the Samsung Galaxy A5 smartphone of the 2016 model series. Essentially, it is a variation of last year's flagship Galaxy S6, but with a lower price. At the moment, the model is the most balanced solution among all Samsung devices. Our expert understood all the pros and cons of the new product.
The updated version of Samsung comes in a box made of thick white cardboard. The model name is printed on the front, and the main technical parameters are on the back. There is no image of the gadget.
Inside, the device itself is placed on a plastic backing - Samsung Galaxy A5 SM-A510F. In addition to this, the kit includes:
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. Noble color.
The 2016 Galaxy A5 fits comfortably in your hand. Despite the screen diagonal of 5.2 inches, the device is only slightly larger than 4.7 inches. The dimensions of the Galaxy A5 (2016) are 144.8x71x7.3 mm, weight - 155 grams. You can carry the device in the pockets of tight clothes without any problems. I didn't notice any inconveniences. But operating a smartphone with one hand is not very comfortable. It is impossible to reach the diagonal corners of the display with the thumb of one hand. We have to intercept the device. But the same can be said about any smartphone with a screen larger than 4 inches. This is a given.
The appearance of the Galaxy A5 (2016) almost completely copies the flagship Galaxy S6 model. There is also a metal case in which not only the screen, but also the back panel is covered with glass. The glass has a slight curvature, the so-called 2.5D effect, which is a kind of recent fashion trend. The glass itself is Corning Gorilla Glass 4. Glossy surfaces have an oleophobic coating. For this reason, fingerprints, dust and dirt are not particularly visible. On models in white, pink and bronze, fingerprints are practically invisible. In black - noticeable.
A frame is made of steel that runs along the entire contour of the device. 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 durable and reliable. The assembly is high quality.
On the front you can see a large 5.2-inch SuperAMOLED screen. Above it there is a speaker, a front 5 megapixel camera, light and proximity sensors, as well as the manufacturer’s logo. Below the display there are two touch buttons and one hardware button. The hardware key has a fingerprint sensor built into it. It works quickly and well, just touch the button.
The volume key is located on the left side, the power key and slots for two nanoSIM-type SIM cards. 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.
A microphone, a microUSB connector and a 3.5 mm audio jack can be seen on the bottom. An additional microphone is also located on the upper end of the device.
There is also a speaker at the bottom for external calls and audio playback. I would rate the sound a four. Even at an average level, you can clearly hear the call, even if the phone is in your clothes. However, the smartphone is far from super-quality and surround sound.
On the back side you can see a 13 megapixel 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 the Samsung plant in Vietnam.
I really liked the display of the Galaxy A5 2016. It is bright, contrasty, images and fonts are very smooth, without roughness, the black color is very deep. Viewing angles are traditionally maximum; colors do not change when tilted.
It uses a 5.2-inch Super AMOLED screen. Resolution 1080x1920 pixels (424 ppi). On top it is covered with durable Corning Gorilla Glass 4 with a 2.5D effect, that is, the edges of the display are slightly rounded.
I will 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 lighting around and, depending on the conditions, sets the contrast and brightness, plus adjusts the colors on the screen. In addition, it is possible 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. Samsung Galaxy A5 2016 supports operation with gloves - a relevant option for the cold season.
During testing, I did not find any flaws in the operation of the screen. I liked everything, especially the picture. She is lively and bright.
The Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) is powered by Samsung's 64-bit Exynos 7580 chip with an eight-core processor clocked at 1.6 GHz per core. It is made using 28 nm technology. Mali T720 graphics are used. RAM 2 GB. The device has 16 GB of internal memory (10.7 GB available to the user), supports microSD removable media up to 128 GB.
In general, the performance of the smartphone is good. The interface works smoothly, the browser works without stuttering 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.
To summarize, I can say that the characteristics fully correspond to the positioning. Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) is a typical average or slightly above. For 90% of the audience this will be quite enough. Social networks, videos, music, games - all this will work without stress.
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 is not satisfactory, the device confidently maintains communication indoors and does not lose the 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, and 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 without failures. The device also has NFC support.
Connection to a computer is carried out using a USB 2.0 connector. Among the additional communication tools, it is worth noting GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS (standard Google Maps cartography is built into the smartphone). The navigation error radius during testing was about 3 meters, which is very little. The gadget copes well with the role of a navigator.
Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) has a 2900 mAh lithium-ion battery. Under testing conditions, with a number of calls of 35-40 minutes per 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 videos, the smartphone worked for 13 hours, in navigator mode - about 5 hours.
If we take average 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. Personally, battery life matters a lot to me, and the Galaxy A5 was a pleasant surprise.
The battery charges in just under 2 hours when powered from the contact network. The device supports Qualcomm Quick Charge, which allows you to charge the battery to 100% in 105 minutes. In half an hour you can get a little more than half the charge. This is a good thing for mobile people.
In addition, there is a power saving mode, when the screen backlight and processor frequency are limited. In this scenario, the operating time will increase by at least 20%. There is an extreme (maximum) energy saving mode. In this case, the screen displays only white and gray colors, all applications except telephone communications, SMS, calendar and alarm clocks are disabled.
Currently, the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) comes with Android 5.1.1 firmware with TouchWiz user interface. The software can be updated over the air. It is expected that in April-May 2016 the model will begin to receive an update to Android 6.
As for the appearance of the shell, the interface is similar to what is found in the Samsung Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge and other Korean devices of 2015. All Samsung proprietary programs are available, including S Health for monitoring physical activity and health, S Voice voice assistant, gesture support, KNOX - for separating data into personal and work, etc. The missing programs can be downloaded from the Samsung App Store and Google Play.
Unlike top models, there is a built-in FM radio, which looks like a nice bonus. An uninstallable Office and Skype package is also pre-installed, but Kaspersky can be removed before it begins to eat up already limited system resources and drain the battery.
Galaxy A5 2016 has a 13 megapixel camera. The quality of the pictures 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 (maximum resolution of 8 megapixels) and GIF animation creation.
For example, “Two-way shooting” allows you to take photos using both cameras at the same time. As for the other settings, automatic contrast allows you to achieve good quality images on a bright sunny day. In manual mode, ISO settings are available at 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, twilight, 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 photographs, but the video resolutions are different, plus 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 recorded video is not bad. It looks great on a phone screen and looks good on a computer too.
The front camera has a resolution of 5 megapixels. It is quite photosensitive (f/1.9), but does not have autofocus. The pictures are of decent quality provided there is good lighting. In difficult conditions the camera is not ideal.
After a week spent with the Samsung Galaxy A5 2016 model series, I was left with purely positive emotions. I agree with those who talk about this model as an affordable variant of the Galaxy S6. The new product is indeed similar in appearance to the flagship device, but costs 10-12 thousand rubles less.
The device is quite fast, functional, has a stylish appearance, and a bright and colorful screen. The battery life was a pleasant surprise - with average use it is possible to achieve 3 days without recharging. The fast charging technology is noteworthy.
Alternatives to the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) are, refurbished. As for me, I would choose the Galaxy A5. It is cheaper than Sony and Apple, and has a better screen. Than Honor.
