Mid-Range Madness! Samsung Galaxy A5 Review
To say Samsung has inundated us with smartphones over the past 12 months is a bit of an understatement. Whether it’s the flagship favourite Galaxy S5 or the phablet powerhouse Galaxy Note 4 handset, we’ve definitely been given our fill of South Korean tech, but Samsung isn’t pulling any punches, and the Samsung Galaxy A5 is proof of that.
So, to go along with your smartphone, phablet, tablet and TV, do you have room for one more piece of kit from Samsung? If you fancy a mid-range device with one of the best looking designs we’ve seen in a long time, you could be tempted, so here’s our Samsung Galaxy A5 review!
The Best Looking Samsung Phone on the Market
Samsung hasn’t made much of a name for itself when it comes to smartphone design over recent years – you only need to look at its competition to find out why.
The likes of the iPhone 6, HTC One M8 and Sony Xperia Z3 all pack either metallic or glass materials which make them comparable to the Brad Pitts or Beyonces of the world. Samsung’s latest offerings however, are more relatable to your B-list variety of stars; they do the job but don’t quite match the competition.
Things are different with this mid-ranger. Ditching the heavily mocked perforated plastic style for a brand new and extremely classy aluminium unibody chassis, the Galaxy A5 has stepped up to the big screen and is ready for its close-ups. Admittedly it doesn’t break any boundaries with its form factor, but who needs curves when your phone already looks this good?
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Size isn’t going to be an issue with the A5 either; with just a 6.7mm waistline and weighing in at a petite 123g you won’t be finding yourself lugging this handset around. In fact, you might even forget that it’s in your pocket!
Finally, the whole package is topped off with a quality chrome tip around the edge of the chassis. Just be careful with this, as it can be prone to chips if you don’t treat it with enough respect.
Speedy Samsung Galaxy A5 Specs
By far one of the most enjoyable Samsung smartphones we’ve played with, the Galaxy A5 compounds its emphatic design with lightning fast performance. Take our word for it, this doesn’t feel like a mid-range device when you use it, in fact it even outpaces some so-called flagship efforts quite comfortably.
Much of this praise should go down to its specs, which are headlined by a Snapdragon 410 chipset, quad-core 1.2GHz processor and Adreno 306 GPU which do the lion’s share of the work. These components make the A5 feel like a top quality device which can handle even the most power hungry tasks.
As always, Samsung has filled the A5 to bursting point with features and software that help it stand out from the crowd – Samsung Touchwiz is the most obvious inclusion on top of Android 4.4.4 KitKat. But added extras like S Planner are also included for a friendly experience without overpowering you with pages of unwanted bloatware.
Essentially, the Galaxy A5’s performance can rival that of most other phones on the market, but if you’re after all of Samsung’s mod-cons you’ll only find a few of them here. Speed is definitely the focus, and the A5 is one of the best of the bunch on this front.
Top Notch Camera Quality
Photography is a big deal with smartphones; apps like Instagram and Snapchat are two of the biggest names on every app store, so the A5 had to step up with its camera or risk falling into smartphone obscurity. It’s quite good then to notice that the A5 doesn’t flinch when you decide to hit the camera button right from the home screen.
The speed is once again the most impressive part of the camera, loading up with genuine pace and not taking an age to capture a shot. The picture quality is almost identical to that from the S5’s 16 megapixel lens, despite the A5 packing a more modest 13 megapixels, and it’s worth pointing out that low-light doesn’t throw the handset into a hissy-fit either.
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The 5 megapixel front based lens does its job without being overly complimentary, and the A5 does miss out on some of Samsung’s more intensive camera features from previous models. But overall, the quality is right up there with the best in the business, and the aforementioned speed is a godsend if you’re in a hurry.
The Best Mid-Range Smartphone Right Now
It’s tough to make a case against the Samsung Galaxy A5, being one of the latest Samsung phones on the market it had to make a splash and it stepped up to the plate. The design is arguably its most impressive feature, but its responsiveness and camera aren’t to be shied away from either.
It might be a pricey option for a mid-range handset, but you definitely get your money’s worth with it, and it could surprise you. No matter what, the A5 should be a brilliant addition to any pocket, especially if you’re not planning on forking out for the latest flagship handset, and as it’s due to arrive in February, you haven’t got too long to wait.