Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) First Impressions

Samsung asserts itself over the mid-range category with the PHP 17,990 Galaxy A7 (2018) with 6-inch FHD Super AMOLED, 4GB RAM, and triple rear cameras!

Huge 6-inch FHD Super AMOLED display!

Related: Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) First Impressions

It is running on Android 8.0 Oreo that is powered by a 2.2 GHz 64-bit octa-core processor with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage! 

It also has the Bluetooth 5.0 which allows connection of up to two audio devices!

The main new feature is triple cameras at the rear with the first being a 24MP F1.7 normal shooter while the 8MP F2.4 features a 120 degree wide-angle lens! The third 5MP F2.2 serves as a depth sensor for the Live Focus feature.

It directly competes with the OPPO F9, Vivo V11 and Huawei Nova 3i!

Let's look at it now!

Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) Specs

Display: 6-inch 2.5D curved Super AMOLED screen w/ FHD+ 2220 x 1080 resolution at 408 ppi

CPU: 2.2GHz 64-bit Exynos 7885 octa-core processor
GPU: Mali-G72 MP2

RAM: 4GB

ROM: 64GB expandable via microSD card slot up to 512GB

Back Camera: 24MP f/1.7 + 8MP f/2.4 120-degree wide-angle lens + 5MP f/2.2 depth sensor w/ AI and LED flash

Selfie Camera: 24MP f/2.0 w/ screen flash

Battery: 3,300mAh

OS: Android 8.0 Oreo

Connectivity: WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz), VHT80, 4G LTE Cat 12, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, dual SIM

Sensors: Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic, pressure

Others: Fingerprint sensor, microUSB
Colors: blue, black, gold, pink

Dimensions: 159.8 x 76.8 x 7.5 mm

Weight: 168 g
Price: PHP 17,990

Unboxing/Accessories

Easy to hold!

We received the Galaxy A7 (2018) with the phone only. In the retail box, it includes the power brick, USB to micro-USB cord, earphones and documentation.

Build Quality/Design

Real triple camera goodness!

Out of the box, the materials that standout are the front and back 2.5D glass panels that sandwich a polycarbonate frame. It looks better than most phones in its price range! The reinforced polycarbonate has an outer reflective shell that at first glance almost made us think it was metal.

The next surprising thing we noticed is that even though it is covered in glass, it isn't that slippery. It will stay still on a flat surface but will slip on an inclined one so we recommend caution.

The top!

On top of the device is a microphone while the bottom are the 3.5 mm headphone jack, microphone, micro USB port and the single bottom firing speaker.

3.5 mm headphone jack, micro USB port, microphone and speaker!

On the right side of the phone is the SIM card tray and pinhole for the SIM ejector tool.

The sim card tray!

On the top right side are the volume up and volume down buttons. Directly below this is the power button that doubles as the fingerprint scanner.

The volume buttons and power button with fingerprint scanner!

The surprise new placement of the fingerprint sensor on the power button is an interesting move by Samsung as it has freed the back and the rear of the phone space for other components.

This is a nit-pick but in our initial set-up of the fingerprint scanner it took a longer time to set up because we had to precisely move our finger to take sure most of its surface was recorded. This may also pose a slight inconvenience for people who prefer holding their phone on their left hand. (My work around is to record my left pointing finger.)

The rear is beautiful glass panel that has this eye catching reflection when light hits it at the right angle. The triple camera set up with LED light are at the side while the Samsung branding remains at the center.

Initial findings

Decent scores overall!

1. The Galaxy A7 (2018) is Samsungs best mid-range offering yet with the large 6-inch FHD Super AMOLED display!

The display is bright with great viewing angles with saturated color and deep blacks. The bezels are noticeable but grow on you quickly because the display catches your eye more than than the notch can distract you.

2. It is running on the Exynos 7885 that was found on the A8 (2018) that was priced at 32,990. This makes it competitive agains the competition with Antutu scores of 122K and Geekbench scores of 1527 single-core and 4393 multi-core scores.

The battery capacity is 3,300mAh, but without adaptive fast charging.

3. It is running the Android 8.0 Oreo with the latest Samsung Experience on top. This means that it has access to all of Samsung's features and services like a Samsung Account that allows you to save all your settings, themes and wallpapers that can be carried on to your next Samsung device.

This also means that the UI and Samsung apps are here. I am generally okay with it but I just find the settings menu harder to navigate than it should be with settings deep under other settings.

Triple-cam

4. The rear triple lens set up consists of the 24MP f/1.7, 8MP f/2.4 120-degree wide-angle lens and 5MP f/2.2 depth sensor with AI and LED flash. It is the first of its kind with three cameras at the rear at this price point. The front facing camera is 24MP f/2.0 with LED and screen flash.

5. It has OTG support, gyroscope, light, orientation and proximity sensors. It supports LTE, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, and GLONASS. It does not have LED notification.

Related: Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018): First Camera Samples

As of the moment

The Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) is a statement that they take mid-range seriously with features like triple-camera setup, Bluetooth 5.0, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage and an octa-core processor that is sandwiched in premium quality materials that rival higher priced phones!

It will be made available nationwide on October and will sell for only PHP 17,990!

We will have to do more testing so we will see you in our full review coming soon!

For our review: Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) Review - The company's best mid-range yet?