The Samsung Galaxy A7 is definitely a low-cost alternative for all users who are not willing to shell out a lot of money for a smartphone (such as the Samsung Galaxy S10 or the iPhone X for example ). From the first glance, this is not just any phone, if we then analyze the technical characteristics we immediately realize that we are in front of a phone with a powerful screen and really interesting performances. Let’s go and study them together.

Packaging

The packaging of the Galaxy A7 is the classic one used by Samsung, standard size and quite resistant. Inside, users will find the instruction booklet and all the basic accessories, that is a 5V / 2A wall power supply , a  USB / microUSB cable, the key to extract the SIM compartment and finally some simple stereo headphones, good for fewer phone calls when it comes to listening to music.

Design

The A7 is really pleasing to the eye . Among the positive factors of this device must certainly be counted the features, since it has a glass front and back and aluminum on the sides. The new metal side buttons are also of good quality, and is sold in blue, black, gold and pink. The large screen it is equipped with makes it large and handy at the same time, for some it could be a negative point, so first make sure that the phone meets your needs.

The equipment is always the same for these devices, so it has a 3.5 mm headphone jack, two keys for the volume and the power key. The latter is a key that does not always have to be pressed, since the device will simply unlock with a light touch. The basic allocation of 64 GB of memory should not be underestimated. In many cases, low-cost phones tend to minimize storage space.

Technical specifications

• Revision price: 220 €
• 64GB storage
• 6 inch Super AMOLED 2200 x 1080 pixels
• Exynos 7885 Octa CPU
• Android 8.0
• 24/8 / 5MP rear cameras
• 24 MP front camera
• 3300mAh battery

Display

It loses the prestigious certified water resistance, but gains perhaps the most powerful screen among the devices in this range . The screen is 6 inches, 2280 x 1080 pixels with a Super AMOLED panel that is the master. At this resolution and size there are pros and cons to using OLEDs. Color coverage is wider than a mid-range LCD screen, and as always Samsung capitalizes on this with some great color modes. There are four of them, based on different recognized color ranges, just like a Note 9 . We can therefore be sure that the device offers the best color and contrast, but not quite the best sharpness. Thanks to PenTile’s sub-pixel arrangement of Samsung’s OLED screens, the phone looks slightly less sharp than a 1080p phone with an LCD panel.

Camera

The Galaxy A7 has three cameras on the back. The main sensor is 24 megapixels, then it has a large 8 megapixel camera and a third depth sensor, which is useful for enabling blurry images on Samsung’s “live focus” background. Lovers of amateur photos will be able to shoot at great depth. Daylight photos are filled with color – as Samsung’s devices do – where processing gives images a warm, high-mid-tone look to enhance dynamic range.

When compared to devices in the same price range, the 24 megapixels of the main camera feel their weight. Any photo taken with the main camera will simply appear clear and sharp, with all the detail we expect with the f / 1.7 lens. The front camera uses a 24 megapixel IMX576 . In this context, the camera is suitable for all selfies, considering that Huawei’s Mate 20 Pro also uses the same sensor. Users will only be able to shoot videos at 1080p , which is unusual news for such a high resolution.

Performance

Let’s now move on to the thorniest issue, that of performance. This device is equipped with an Exynos 7885 Octa processor. The CPU is definitely another strong point of the phone, as it will always work with eight Cortex-A53 cores or eight of the newer equivalent Kryo 260 cores . Unfortunately, the power developed by the CPU is not supported by the GPU. The Exynos 7885 Octa has a dual-core Mali G71 GPU: the Mali G71 part is fine, the “dual-core” part less. Two cores are barely enough for 1080p.

Video game lovers will not be happy with this device, considering that Honor 8X’s quad-core Mali G51 and Nokia 7.1’s Adreno 509 are twice as powerful. This should not discourage you from buying though, because if you are not avid gamers, every type of game will start and be supported, only not at 100% of the possibilities. The videogame aspect in phones is becoming more and more important, but it is still too early to be able to insert it as a negative component for medium-low range devices like this one.

As far as daily use is concerned, the phone responds very well to all requests , and also in terms of duration , the 3300mAh battery is just above average. We have used it for a long time during the day and it always reaches around 20%. This is certainly thanks to the efficiency of the OLED screens and the solid and resistant architecture. Unfortunately, the only disappointment is not seeing in a phone like this no possibility of wireless charging, or the possibility of charging it quickly, to get full you will have to wait at least 2 hours.

Conclusions

The Samsung Galaxy A7 is a budget phone, beautiful in appearance but hiding some minor disappointments. Samsung’s OLED screen is definitely one of the strong points of the device, suitable for photos, games and videos. Storage capacity is another great asset of the phone 64GB is excellent and almost infinite for all users. The CPU offers top-notch performance, perhaps one of the most powerful for phones in this market segment.

Unfortunately, the GPU and some flaws of the cameras tarnish its performance, a damage for all video game lovers, they can safely avoid buying it, because they would certainly not find bread for their teeth.