Samsung Galaxy A5 (2018) - release date, review, specifications and price

The end of the year is approaching, and with it we should expect an update to the “A” line from Samsung. The company, traditionally, uses in this series the features of flagships that have successfully “shot” and are in demand by consumers. Since frameless screens with an 18:9 ratio have become the trend this year, it is highly likely that the updated Samsung Galaxy A5 2022 smartphone will also receive it.

Design and materials

Insider information that regularly appears on the Internet suggests that the new Galaxy models, along with an infinite display, may receive an aluminum alloy body. Considering that wireless charging remains the prerogative of flagship models, this Samsung decision looks logical. The right side can get a separate physical button designed to call the Bixby voice assistant. The fingerprint scanner, freeing up space on the front panel, will “move” to the rear, in the area of the main camera. Judging by the photos that have recently appeared, with prototypes of cases for the updated line, its new place has already been determined.

The expected dimensions will be 14.9x7 cm, with a thickness of 8.4 mm. The weight of the device is unknown and will depend on the materials used.

Samsung Galaxy A5 (2018) – specifications, review, news, comparison with Samsung Galaxy A5 2022

Big review of all Samsung Galaxy A 2018

Samsung Galaxy A5 (2018) specifications and comparison with Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017):

Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)	Samsung Galaxy A5 (2018)
Colors: blue, black, rose gold; Housing: metal, tempered glass; Protection: IP68 standard; Screen: 5.2″, Super Amoled matrix, 1920x1080 pixels, 424 ppi, 16:9 format, occupies 71% of the front panel, Gorilla Glass 5; Processor: eight-core Samsung Exynos 7 Octa 7880, 14-NM process technology, cores operating at frequencies up to 1.9 GHz; Graphics: ARM Mali-T-830 MP3, 950 MHz; RAM: 3 GB LPDDR4 type, two channels of 1033 MHz; ROM: 32 GB; Camera: 16, f/1.9 aperture; Front camera: 16 MP, f/1.9 aperture; Number of SIM cards: 1, LTE Cat 6 - download up to 300 Mbit/s; Communication: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, FM radio and GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS; Ports: USB Type-C 2.0, 3.5 mm for headset; Fingerprint scanner: front Battery: 3000 mAh, fast charging, non-removable; OS: Android 7.1 Nougat; Dimensions: 71.7x146.7x7.9 mm; Weight: 159 g; Antutu: 61,200 points; Price: from 18,000 rubles	Colors: blue, black, rose gold; Housing: metal, tempered glass; Protection: IP68 standard; Screen: 5.5″, Super Amoled matrix, 2160x1080 pixels, 439 ppi, 18:9 format, occupies 88% of the front panel, Gorilla Glass 5; Processor: eight-core Samsung Exynos 7 Octa 7885, 14-NM process technology, cores operating at frequencies up to 1.9 GHz; Graphics: ARM Mali-T-830 MP3, 950 MHz; RAM: 4 GB LPDDR4 type, two channels of 1033 MHz; ROM: 32 GB; Camera: 16 MP, f/1.8 aperture; Front camera: 16 MP, f/1.9 aperture; Number of SIM cards: 1, LTE Cat 6 - download up to 300 Mbit/s; Communication: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, FM radio and GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS; Ports: USB Type-C 2.0, 3.5 mm for headset; Fingerprint scanner: rear Battery: 3300 mAh, fast charging, non-removable; OS: Android 7.1 Nougat; Dimensions: 70.7x148.8x8.4 mm; Weight: 153 g; Antutu: 75,000 points; Price: from 30,000 rubles at the start of sales

If you don’t look at the frameless design of the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2018), the new version of the phone is technically not very different from the smartphone released in 2022. Is this bad? Probably not. The productive capacity of the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) is quite enough to solve most technical problems of users. Yes, the new model has a more powerful processor (an increase of approximately 20%) and 1 GB more RAM. By and large, there are no more changes. This is the right way. The presentation of the Samsung Galaxy S7 immediately comes to mind. It was during the presentation of this smartphone that Samsung presented an improvement, and not a crazy upgrade of the Samsung Galaxy S6. And this resulted in solid advantages: the Samsung Galaxy S7 is still considered one of the company’s best smartphones. Perhaps the same fate awaits the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2018)?

Samsung Galaxy A5 (2018) design, photo, what it will be like

Who should we thank for leaking the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2018) design? Thanks should be given to the Olixar case manufacturer. In the images that have leaked online and become public knowledge, you can see that the phone will definitely have a frameless design – that’s cool. Apparently, soon even the most inexpensive smartphones will look different – at the flagship level. The smartphone body will be made of tempered glass and an aluminum frame. In addition to the frameless design, the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2018) received another significant change: the fingerprint scanner moved to the back panel of the smartphone. It’s very good that South Korean engineers placed it under the eye of the main camera, and not on the side of it. The buyer will have the opportunity to choose from three color variations of the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2018): blue, black, rose gold - a standard set for the Samsung company. Now we can’t say with confidence that the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2018) will look exactly like this, but with a high degree of probability the appearance of the new product will be exactly like this.

Samsung Galaxy A5 (2018) screen

The screen of the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2018) is its main feature. The already good display of the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) has been increased and the resolution has been increased. Matrix type – Super Amoled, aspect ratio 18:9, the display supports the Infinity Displays function (displaying the necessary information on an ongoing basis without significant energy consumption) with Full HD+ resolution (2160 x 1080 pixels). The display will undoubtedly be one of the best in its class. Well, the screens of Samsung smartphones always outperform their competitors. Naturally, at the start of sales, the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2018) will not be so attractive to buyers, since its price will be around 30,000 rubles, but after about six months it will drop by 5,000-7,000 rubles, which will make this smartphone a killer in the middle segment .

Samsung Galaxy A5 (2018) performance

With information about the production capacity of the new product, not everything is so clear. There are rumors that the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2018) will be sold on two chipsets: from Qualcomm and from Samsung. If we are talking about a processor from an American company, then it will probably be the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660. The 660th “Dragon” is only 20% weaker than last year’s flagship Snapdragon 821 processor. Its power is enough to power the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2018) scored about 100,000 points in Antutu. We have some doubts that the phone will be released with this particular chip, as it will be too cool. It turns out that the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2018) will compete with the company’s flagship models, and no one needs this anymore. It is more likely that the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2018) will be sold with an eight-core Exynos 7885. This chip is built using a 14-NM process technology, the maximum speed on the cores is up to 1.9 GHz. The processor is not bad. In Antutu it scores around 70,000 points and is simply ideal for a mid-range Samsung smartphone. The smartphone’s RAM and internal memory are also fine: RAM – 4 GB, ROM – 32 GB.

Samsung Galaxy A5 2022 cameras

The new cameras are the biggest mystery. If you believe the leak with cases, then the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2018) will not receive a dual camera, although in previous news about the smartphone it was written that the gadget will receive a dual camera module. Most likely, the two main cameras will remain the prerogative of the company’s more expensive devices. As for the purely technical characteristics of the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2018) camera, they can be as follows: main camera - 16 MP, f/1.8 aperture, front camera - 16 MP, f/1.9 aperture. They should take photographs at a decent level, but we will be able to check this only after the official release of the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2018).

Samsung Galaxy A5 2022 autonomy, operating system

You shouldn't expect anything special from the battery life of the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2018). Compared to the 2022 model, the battery power will increase by 300 mAh, but this is not due to the generosity of Samsung engineers, but to the fact that the display size of the new product has increased. We think that you can expect one day of reliable operation from a 100% charge from the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2018). Recently, Samsung has learned to optimize its devices so that they do not sit down by lunch. As for the operating system, the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2018) will be sold with Android 7.1.1 on board. Most likely, they won’t have time to finish Oreo before the official presentation of the phone - it’s a shame.

Samsung Galaxy A5 (2018) reviews, price, release date

Samsung Galaxy A5 (2018) should be a very interesting smartphone. In general, the new line of Samsung Galaxy A 2022 can dramatically change the state of things in the smartphone market - framelessness will come to the masses. If we are talking about the price of the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2018) in Russia, then it will most likely start at 30,000 rubles. Expensive, but if all the characteristics coincide with the leaks, then the price of the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2018) is quite justified. There is no exact release date for the Samsung Galaxy A5 2022 yet. However, experts believe that the smartphone should be presented in December 2022, and sales of the device will begin in January 2022. We left our review of the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2018) in the form of its main pros and cons.

Samsung Galaxy A5 (2018) advantages:

Frameless design
IP68 protection
Cool screen
Not bad cameras

Samsung Galaxy A5 (2018) disadvantages:

High price
Mediocre performance

Chipset and memory

The appearance of A5 models based on different chipsets on Geekbench suggests the presence of a modification intended for the Chinese market. To maintain its existing position, Samsung has to wage fierce competition with local manufacturers. The phone will probably receive a Snapdragon 660, in a model for the Celestial Empire. For the rest of the world, the new SoC Exynos 7885 is intended. According to available data, it is manufactured using a 14 nm process and has eight cores. Two high-performance A73 and six standard Cortex A53. The clock frequency at which the “lit up” model A530F operates is 1.6 GHz. It’s hard to say what the final performance will be by the time of release. The available Geecbench test data shows the following results:

Single Core mode – 1540;
Multi-core mode – 4350.

It is assumed that the A5 will be equipped with 32 GB ROM and 4 GB RAM. Perhaps the modification for the Chinese market will have other characteristics, in particular, the ROM volume increased to 64 Gb.

Samsung Galaxy A5 (2018) comparison with Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 and Nubia Z17 Lite

Samsung Galaxy A5 (2018)	Xiaomi Redmi Note 5	Nubia Z17 Lite
Display: 5.5″, Super Amoled, (2160x1080) Processor: octa-core Exynos 7885 clocked at 1.9 GHz Graphics accelerator: ARM Mali-T-830 MP3 RAM: 3 GB ROM: 32 GB internal memory, expandable up to 256 GB Antutu results: 75,000 Cameras: main – 16 MP, f/1.8 aperture, front – 16 MP, f/1.9 aperture Battery: 3300 mAh High-speed charging: yes Price: 30,000 rubles	Display: 5.99″, IPS matrix, (2160×1080) Processor: Octa-core Snapdragon 625 clocked at 2.2 GHz Graphics accelerator: Adreno 506 RAM: 4 GB ROM: 64 GB internal memory expandable up to 128 GB Antutu results: 60,000 Cameras: main – 12+5 MP, f/2.0+f/2.4 aperture, front – 5 MP, f/2.0 aperture Battery: 4000 mAh High-speed charging: yes Price: 16,000 rubles	Display: 5.5″, IPS matrix, (1920×1080) Processor: Octa-core Snapdragon 653 clocked at 1.95 GHz Graphics accelerator: Adreno 510 RAM: 6 GB ROM: 64 GB internal memory expandable up to 128 GB Antutu results: 80,000 Cameras: main – 13+13 MP, f/1.9+f/2.2 aperture, front – 16 MP, f/2.0 aperture Battery: 3200 mAh Fast charging: There is Price: 20,000 rubles

For comparison with the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2018), we took two smartphones that have or will have approximately similar performance capabilities and have a bezel-less design. Who are these heroes? Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 is an unreleased thunderstorm of the budget smartphone market, photos and characteristics of which have long been leaked online. Nubia Z17 Lite is a sub-flagship frameless smartphone from Nubia, which was presented recently. If we look at the technical characteristics of smartphones, they are approximately equal. However, it is worth noting that a smartphone from Xiaomi will most likely take worse photographs than Samsung and Nubia. It’s not strange, because this phone will cost about half as much as the Samsung Galaxy A5 2022. This is the main threat for Samsung. It may well be that Chinese A-class brands will begin to make high-quality budget frameless smartphones, which will simply erase the revolutionary impulses of the South Korean tech giant into dust. Nubia Z17 Lite is an example of a smartphone that you can buy right now and not wait for the release of Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 and Samsung Galaxy A5 2018. By taking it, you will not lose in performance, photo quality, or, most likely, in money .

Cameras and display

There is no doubt that Infinity Display will be the basis for market advancement. The new A5 will organically fit into the ongoing advertising campaign. According to analysts, the smartphone screen will have a resolution of 2160x1080 pixels, corresponding to FullHD quality. The Allways On function will remain, but its capabilities may be expanded somewhat due to additional software settings.

The latest news refutes the statements of “hot” analysts about the presence of a dual main camera. The place of the second module is naturally occupied by a fingerprint scanner. Samsung will not abandon it due to the high popularity of contactless payment technology. If a dual camera appears, then, with a high probability, it will be front-facing. This will allow Samsung to improve its existing face and iris recognition technology and look worthy against its competitors. In addition, the model is generally aimed at the Asian market, where selfie cameras are most popular.

OS and technologies

The smartphone is expected to run Android Nougat. Version 7.1.1 is not the latest, but is well optimized for working with the proprietary GraceUI shell. Along with it, the user will receive a standard set of software, including the “cloud” and secure KNOX data storage.

You shouldn't expect an increase in battery capacity. As practice has shown, it is well compensated by proven fast charging technology. USB-C is used as the power cable. This standard has become firmly established in flagship models and is gradually occupying the budget niche.

The set of network interfaces is assumed to be standard. The update may receive a Bluetooth module, receiving the 5.0 specification.

To please consumers, Samsung does not abandon the analog connector and the 3.5 mm audio output still remains in this model.