Samsung is refreshing its Galaxy A7 and A5 smartphones for 2016 while also introducing a less-expensive, less feature-intensive A3 model for users who need a more basic phone.
The company unveiled the new models in a Dec. 2 announcement. The new models will debut in China in the middle of December and then be distributed to other markets around the world sometime in 2016. Prices have not yet been announced.
The newest Galaxy A7 and A5 smartphones, which are being called 2016 models, both support the Samsung Pay mobile payment service, which works with both Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) and Near Field Communication (NFC) technologies.
The Galaxy A7 phone (pictured) will include a 5.5-inch display, while the Galaxy A5 will have a 5.2-inch display. The Galaxy A3 gets a 4.7-inch display.
All three models include Samsung’s enhanced camera system that promises brighter and clearer photos and videos. The system includes Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) to prevent image blurring, as well as a front and rear F1.9 lens for better photos in dark conditions. The system also includes Samsung’s Quick Launch feature, which lets users double-click the home button to launch the camera in less than a second.
“With the introduction of the Galaxy A 2016, we took the consumer feedback on our original Galaxy A models and made thoughtful and impactful improvements offering consumers a seamless convergence of style and performance for their everyday lifestyles,” J.K. Shin, the head of Samsung’s IT and mobile business, said in a statement.
The Galaxy A7 2016 smartphone features a 5.5-inch Full HD (1920×1080) Super AMOLED display, a 1.6GHz octa-core processor, 3GB of memory, 16GB of built-in storage and a microSD slot that accepts storage cards up to 128GB. The A7 also features a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera with an F1.9 lens and OIS, a 5MP front-facing camera that also has an F1.9 lens, and a built-in fingerprint scanner.
The Galaxy A7 runs on the Android 5.1 Lollipop operating system and includes WiFi and Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity. The A7 will also be available in some markets with a dual SIM card option.
The handset is 5.96 inches long, 2.91 inches wide and 0.28 inches thick, and weighs 6.06 ounces. It features a 3,300mAh battery.
The Galaxy A5 2016 smartphone includes a 5.2-inch Full HD (1920×1080) Super AMOLED display, a 1.6GHz octa-core processor, 2GB of memory, 16GB of internal storage and a microSD slot that accepts memory cards up to 128GB for additional storage.
The A5 also features a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera with an F1.9 lens and OIS, a 5MP front-facing camera and a built-in fingerprint scanner. The Galaxy A5 runs on the Android 5.1 Lollipop operating system and includes WiFi and Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity. The A5 also will be available in some markets with a dual SIM card option.
The A5 handset is 5.7 inches long, 2.79 inches wide and 0.28 inches thick, and weighs 5.46 ounces. It features a 2,900mAh battery.
The Galaxy A3 smartphone includes a 4.7-inch HD (1280×720) Super AMOLED display, a 1.5 GHz quad-core processor, 1.5GB of memory, 16GB of internal storage and a microSD slot that accepts memory cards up to 128GB.
The A3 also includes a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera with an F1.9 lens, a 5MP front-facing camera that also has an F1.9 lens, and a 2,300mAh battery.
Like its stablemates, the Galaxy A3 runs on the Android 5.1 Lollipop operating system and includes WiFi and Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity. It also will be available in some markets with a dual SIM card option.
The Galaxy A3 is 5.29 inches long, 2.56 inches wide, 0.28 inches thick and weighs 4.65 ounces.