Yes, it’s good in everything: the screen, the power, and everything that’s possible. But there is one "but". And this “but”, in fact, covers up the numerous advantages of this 2013 flagship. Battery. Which constantly swells, as if there is nothing to do. I’ve already changed a bunch of batteries on this flagship, and they all lasted no more than six months, both the originals and their Chinese counterparts.
And so, at the end of 2016, I saw announcements of the updated A-series line on the website, and the middle device, number 5, attracted me both with its characteristics and appearance. Although the price, of course, was steep at that time. So, having read the few reviews on it that were just beginning to appear, I already knew for sure that as soon as it went on sale, I would buy it! And I bought it!
Criterias of choice
The camera has always been important to me in smartphones. Although it is clear that for high-quality shots it is better to have a DSLR, it is still nice to have both a phone and a high-quality camera in a single bottle. And if this bottle is also beautiful, then that’s even better. And he’s beautiful, you can’t argue with that! Well, for me at least.
Battery. What was important was not the capacity, but how economically the charge was consumed. And according to reviews, this smartphone holds its charge well.
Multi-SIM and MICRO-essentiality. And preferably, all together, which is rare even for flagships.
Protection against water and dust, well, that is, IP68 standard. I've never had a secure phone before...
Appearance
And what I also like is the high-quality assembly. And although I used to be constantly confused by the peculiarity of some smartphones with non-removable batteries, I must admit that such smartphones really feel monolithic. Well, although it was also distinguished by good build quality, it is very superior to it in this parameter.
Plus, the speaker here is located not on the back of the smartphone, but on the side. This is very cool, because when you play on a smartphone, you won’t be able to cover the speaker with your hand. And when it lies on the table, the sound, again, will not overlap. In my opinion, this is the best location. Although it doesn't match the sound quality. Yes, it’s loud, and there’s a hint of bass. But, probably, its not the best sound is due to its protection from water.
The buttons are made quite in the spirit of Samsung, clearly and minimalistically. They press clearly and do not hang out in their usual holes. Just like the Home button, which I’m used to in , is also present and does its job properly, also serving as a fingerprint scanner. But more on that later.
The camera and flash are located on the back of the smartphone. The camera does not protrude from the body, and there is no fear of scratching the peephole. The flash doesn't stand out either.
Screen. Display
The more, the better, I think. And that’s why I didn’t take a smartphone with a diagonal of less than five inches. And I took a smartphone with a diagonal of 5.2 inches. And the resolution is not lower than Full HD. Because I already see less grain on the display. And 2K is like that in general. Okay, this is all chatter, because it’s not the resolution that decides, but the number of ppi. Right? Just having read about the A3 2017, whose HD resolution is too grainy, I refused to buy it in favor of the A5 2017, which is fine with this matter. And my favorite AMOLED with acidic colors is in place, everything I love. Of course, you can also turn off this acidity in the display settings, but I didn’t. It may not look natural, but it’s cute.
No grain is visible. The viewing angles are the widest. But when you deviate to the sides, you can still see that the colors are not exactly inverted, but a small proportion of green, very small, is present. And this is such a feature of this model. Interestingly, this has not been observed, and there is a several-year difference between these smartphones. But let's not forget that this was a flagship, and this is a middling one...
As for the tactile sensation, everything is fine here. The fourth generation Gorilla Glass makes its presence felt. I don’t know about the strength, I haven’t tested it and don’t intend to, but my finger glides over this “monkey” like butter. As for the oleophobic coating, it seems to be there, but it’s not particularly effective. But what I want is that if you use any smartphone and move your finger over it, then traces of them will remain in any way. They also appear and more or less disappear, no discomfort is felt.
I read an interesting fact on one site about oleophobia - they say that these new smart phones have some kind of defect - in some places of the display it quickly wears off, and the traces of this are too visible. I don’t know what it looks like in real life, I rubbed it, rubbed it, dirty it, dirty it, wiped it - but I didn’t notice such a defect, or it doesn’t look bright on my device. It doesn't matter, because I immediately put tempered glass on the screen to prevent scratches. After all, no matter how they assured that Gorilla Glass protects against scratches, I did not manage to get a scratch... True, this glass does not completely cover the display, because the A5 2017 now has the newfangled 2.5D.
I have always been dissatisfied with the fact that Samsung's Tachwiz shell is slow, overloaded, even though it looks beautiful. And it was strange for me to see how everything was done slower on the flagship than on inexpensive Chinese smartphones with pure Android. Now I’ll say something else - the shell has changed its name and began to look much better - and... most importantly, it just flies.
It really flies, I'm not kidding. Everything opens quickly, be it the gallery, the dialer, or the camera. I don’t notice any lags or slowdowns, surprisingly.
The version here is Android 6, a kind of marmalade.
Over-the-air updates are supported, and I constantly turn it on in order to detect the “nougat,” that is, the seventh version that Samsung promises in the spring. Summer is coming, and there is no new version. I would really like to. Look, mid-range or even basic models from LG come out with seven, but what do we have? Still a six. How is that?
In general, the design of the new shell from Samsung is different not only visually, but practically, the settings menu has been slightly changed, there is even support for things that I was incredibly happy about, so I won’t risk installing custom firmware, so as not to get a “brick”. And here you can change Android externally in such a way that you don’t need any firmware - you just need to go to the Samsung brand store and register, download the necessary themes, and even separately the icons you want. Which is, in fact, what I did.
There is also a blue light filter that reduces eye strain by limiting the amount of blue light. In fact, the screen is simply made dimmer and more yellowish.
I have never used a device with such a screen parameter.
By the way, there is no LED here that signals missed calls, messages, turns on the screen and shows a screensaver with a clock if you hold your palm over the LED. At first I suffered from this, then I got used to it, especially since instead of an LED there is one feature that was previously available only to the latest generation flagships - this is the Always On Display, which, thanks to AMOLED technology, constantly displays the clock and notifications on the screensaver, or you can set calendar. And this function does not consume much battery power.
In the “Optimization” item, the parameters of the battery, memory and RAM are conveniently located. Everything is convenient and clear.
This smartphone also supports NFC for payment. Everything is standard.
A fingerprint scanner, as I already said, is present, and I didn’t understand this feature before. But having experienced it myself, I realized that the fingerprint scanner is a convenient thing. First of all, because of the protection. Because no one outsider, whose fingerprint is not included, so to speak, in the database, will be able to unlock the smartphone and thereby view its internal contents. The speed of the scanner is not satisfactory, everything is fast enough, you just have to put your finger on the Home button and the screen immediately unlocks. Even in some narrowly targeted applications, such as banking, this method of logging into your personal account also works. Very comfortably. And I’m so used to unlocking a smartphone using a scanner that when I pick up another Samsung device, I automatically try to unlock it in the same way!
Otherwise, the shell over pure Android is quite wow, convenient to use. Otherwise, this is a familiar “robot”.
Performance. "Power", RAM
It's time to say a little about the hardware. Inside, the new smartphone is powered by a processor of Samsung's own design - Exynos 7 Octa 7880. If you need dry numbers, here are 8 Cortex-A53 cores up to 1.88 GHz, Mali-T830 MP3 950 MHz. Now, according to personal feelings: if the flagship one seemed to be fast, although the shell was heavy, then everything here is an order of magnitude higher and faster. All operations are performed with lightning speed, programs open quickly, and it’s a pleasure to use. I understand that now there will be those who will say that even last year’s flagships will be faster and more powerful than . Perhaps this is so, because neither, nor, and even more so, I didn’t use it, because I used the old one, and I directly compare it with the brand new A5 2017, and for me it is much faster than my previous device. Judging by the test in AnTuTu, it is clear that this is a real average and scores “only” 60078 points.
Yes, this is not much, but for me, who saw the figure on the 2013 flagship of 28,000 points, this is a monster in the good sense of the word ☺.
As for heating under load, this was a pleasant surprise for me in the sense that no matter how hard I tried to load the smartphone in order to generate heat from all sides, I was unable to do this. Even when scrolling through desktops, the screen was already becoming noticeably warm, and if you spent a little time surfing the Internet, the screen was already heating up quite a bit. As soon as you went into a toy, even an undemanding one like Angry Birds, the heating was felt even more strongly. And if you took photos or recorded videos, it was simply painful to hold the smartphone in your hand, because the heating was felt both in front and behind.
Vladimir Nesterov
Samsung, having first released the Galaxy A5 in 2014, continued to improve the model, adding one updated A5 per year to its “arsenal”. At the time of writing this review, the official price of the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) SM-A520F/DS in Russia is $484, and in Ukraine, according to the mobcompany.info portal, it is $408.
The updated model has inherited some features previously found only in flagships. Compared to the previous version, the device has a new processor, protection from dust and water, increased memory capacity and a USB Type-C port. But in some ways the smartphone is still inferior to its predecessor.
1. Characteristics of Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
The device has some good hardware, but if you compare it with its competitors, the cost of the A5 SM-A520F will seem overpriced.
1.1. Design, case materials, dimensions and weight
The smartphone comes in black, gold, blue and pink body colors.
Most often, domestic buyers will find options in black and gold colors. The side edges are made of metal, the screen is protected by tempered glass with rounded edges, and the back wall is also made of glass. The curved back panel and relatively small dimensions contribute to a good grip. However, due to the glass and soapy shape, the device constantly strives to slip out of your hands.
It seems the manufacturer went a little overboard with the rounded corners. And also, for some reason the frames at the top and bottom of the screen are larger than in the A5 2016. Subjectively, the previous version looks more “cultured”. But there are also improvements. For example, the rear camera lens is now flush with the panel.
The body is well assembled. Moreover, it is protected from dust and water according to the IP68 standard. It can lie for 30 minutes at a depth of one and a half meters, without damaging the insides of the device.
At the bottom of the screen there is a mechanical Home key with a built-in fingerprint scanner. On either side of it are touch buttons for going back and displaying a list of running applications.
It is noteworthy that the device received separate slots for installing cards. The first SIM tray is located on the left side, next to the volume buttons. And on the top edge there is an additional hole into which a combined slot for another SIM and memory card is placed.
The right side houses the power button and the main speaker grille.
On the bottom there is a symmetrical USB Type-C connector, a microphone hole and a 3.5 mm headphone jack.
All this is placed in a case with dimensions of 146.1x71.4x7.9 mm and a weight of 159 grams.
1.2. CPU
The manufacturer installed a fresh 64-bit Samsung Exynos 7880 chipset in the smartphone, with an integrated Mali-830 MP2 graphics chip. The SoC includes 8 Cortex-A53 cores, the maximum frequency of which reaches 1.9 GHz. The processor is made using a modern 14-nm process technology, with all that it implies. For example, energy efficiency is improved and there is no significant heating. As a result, performance levels do not drop under intense loads.
The Antutu test gives an average result by today's standards of 60 thousand points. There are no complaints about the performance of the device in everyday use. The device has enough power for almost any task. The exception is the most resource-intensive 3D games. For example, at maximum graphic settings, everyone’s favorite “tanks” turn into a slideshow. But, with basic graphics settings, you can count on a smooth game with 50-60 fps.
1.3. Memory
Samsung A5 2017 is equipped with 3 GB of RAM. This is normal for a device of this class. Except that, together with the OS and running services, the Samsung shell eats up one and a half gigabytes. The manufacturer has recently been trying in every possible way to optimize the shell, but pure Android will work faster in any case.
The volume of the built-in storage is 32 GB, approximately 23 GB is available to the user. According to conservative estimates, this is enough to install an impressive list of applications, a couple of “heavy” games, and to store captured photos and videos. A memory expansion slot is always available for installing a MicroSD card with a maximum capacity of 256 GB.
1.4. Autonomy
The built-in 3000 mAh non-removable battery and a power-free chip with a 14-nm process technology give good results. In normal, mixed mode of use, the device operates for up to two days on a single charge. With intensive use, the battery lasts for a day. Fans of watching TV series on a smartphone are in luck: FullHD video plays for 17 hours. In HD resolution via MX Player – up to 19 hours, and at full brightness!
The energy saving mode will help extend the operating time by limiting performance and other tricks. Fast charging is supported, the device is charged from 0 to 100% in just 1 hour.
1.5. Camera
Samsung A5 SM-A520F is equipped with a 16-megapixel main camera sensor, with an equivalent focal length of 27 mm, and an aperture of f/1.9. The flash is quite bright, although it consists of a single LED. The shooting application interface is laconic and easy to learn. There is a meager PRO mode. It is a separate section, into which the basic settings have simply been moved: ISO, white balance and exposure.
During the day, the camera shoots well, at the level of good average cameras from China. The color rendition of the images is good, close to natural, and the level of detail is quite high. White balance is determined correctly, the dynamic range is wide. In the evening and at night things are not so fun. In automatic mode, the appearance of noise, loss of detail and overexposure of bright objects are guaranteed. In addition, the device focuses slowly, often resulting in a blurry picture.
The lack of optical stabilization affects it. This is a significant downgrade compared to the 2016 version. But it is not all that bad. If you place your smartphone on a tripod and manually adjust the sensitivity and exposure, you can achieve an acceptable result. The maximum resolution of recorded videos is FullHD (30 fps). The quality of the result obtained is not bad. But other manufacturers offer at least the ability to shoot at 60 fps, or 2k and 4k resolution.
The front camera has wide-angle optics and can shoot with a resolution of 16 MP. The photos look good, but don't expect anything special. In terms of image quality, the front camera is significantly inferior to the main one. But there are proprietary features that smooth the skin, enlarge the eyes and allow you to correct the shape of the face. The focus is fixed, set for close-up shooting. Because of this, distant objects appear blurry. At dusk, instead of a flash, the face is illuminated by the bright backlight of the screen filled with a white background.
1.7. Display
The device is equipped with a 5.2-inch display with a solid FullHD (1920×1080) resolution. Excellent image clarity is achieved due to high pixel density (424 ppi). A SuperAMOLED matrix is used, with its characteristic rich color reproduction and deep black color. The “bright-eyed” gamma can be adjusted in the settings; if desired, you can activate calmer tones. Viewing angles are good, with colors only subject to distortion at extreme angles. The maximum brightness reserve is high.
There is a blue filter for those who are concerned about their eyes. One of the main advantages of this smartphone is the Always On Display function. This is a feature that has migrated from flagship models to the mid-range segment. Thanks to it, the current time and date, charge level and missed notifications are displayed on the locked screen. The screen is covered with 2.5D glass, with a good oleophobic coating. The touchscreen recognizes 5 simultaneous touches.
1.8. Connection
The Samsung A5 2017 can simultaneously install 2 NanoSIM cards. The range of supported mobile networks includes 2G, 3G and 4G (LTE-A Cat6), with all common frequencies. The smartphone is equipped with a Bluetooth v4.2 module and dual-band (2.4 and 5 GHz) Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac. Thanks to the presence of NFC and MST, the device can be used for contactless payments. Support for the Samsung Pay payment service has been implemented. However, it is temporarily unavailable to owners of the “A” series.
For navigation and geopositioning you can use GPS + A-GPS, Glonass and Beidou. The smartphone copes with the role of a navigator flawlessly: it finds satellites within 10 seconds and accurately determines the location.
1.9. Sound
The external speaker has a non-standard location - on the upper part of the right rib.
Accordingly, it will not overlap, regardless of the position in which the smartphone is lying on the table or in the hands. This is undoubtedly a plus, but the sound seems muffled. This is due to the fact that the speaker is protected from dust and moisture getting inside using a special membrane. If we make allowances for this, the sound can be considered quite good.
It is quite clean, moderately loud, and almost all musical instruments can be heard. Except you can't hear the bass. When using headphones - no surprises, you can enjoy quite normal sound. There is a built-in software equalizer from Samsung. FM radio is also supported. The device has two microphones: one for conversational purposes, the second for noise reduction.
1.10. operating system
Out of the box, the SG A5 2017 comes with Android 6 OS. An update to Android 7 is promised to be released soon. Traditionally for Samsung smartphones, the manufacturer’s proprietary shell is installed on top of the system. Only instead of TouchWiz, as in Note 7, Grace UI is used. The relatively new shell inherited from TouchWiz not only its gluttony for resources. But it’s also pleasing to the eye, bright and customizable interface, with a built-in theme manager.
There are also proprietary software features, also inherited from the flagships of past years. For example, splitting the screen into 2 parts for two applications, one-handed control, quick launch of the camera by double pressing the “Home” button, etc.
1.11. Peculiarities
For the scanner to work, you need to place your finger at the correct angle, and only when the screen is on. That is, to unlock the device, you first need to press the Home button and then scan the fingerprint. Fortunately, to do this, you don’t need to press the button again and swipe across the scanner - just put your finger on it.
2. Pros and cons of Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
Advantages:
- design (for amateurs)
- Dust and moisture protection of the case according to IP68 standard
- You can use two SIMs and a memory card at the same time
- good display, Always On Screen feature, blue light filtering capability
- normal autonomy
Flaws:
- no optical stabilization
- there is no possibility of shooting at 60 frames per second and in 4k resolution
- fingerprint scanner features
3. Alternatives
OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T offer better performance. The Honor 8 is also more powerful and has a better camera. Xiaomi Mi 5s offers a more practical metal body and a convenient fingerprint sensor. Meizu Pro 6 is a music flagship with 4 GB of RAM. And finally, the Galaxy S6 is in the same price category, but its camera is much cooler.
4. Our opinion about the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
Overall, the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) is a good smartphone that inherits the flagship features from its “big brothers.” As you can see from the review, it does not stand out with the best performance and camera among its competitors. But it pleases with its autonomy, water protection and the Always On Display function.
I would like to praise the manufacturer for such small steps of a large company towards the user. We are talking about separate slots for 2 SIM and a memory drive, as well as a camera module that does not stick out from the case.
Smartphone Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
Smartphone Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
To start working on new firmware, you need a special tool - PDK (Platform Development Kit). This tool is created by Google for each new version of Android. Once the PDK is ready, Google sends it to Samsung and other smartphone and tablet manufacturers.
Then Google announces a new Android for users, and Samsung starts working on the firmware. On average, its creation takes 6 months, but the exact release date is unknown.
Samsung can't start working on the firmware until it receives the necessary tools from Google.
You can't get the firmware right away as soon as you hear about it - it needs to be adapted for a specific smartphone or tablet.
Why is the exact release date of the new firmware unknown?
Before answering this question, let's consider what the firmware consists of. The firmware consists of several parts:
Source- a new Android with basic functions, which is created by Google. This part cannot be immediately installed on any smartphone or tablet, because adapting the code to a specific device requires at least drivers.
If we imagine the creation of firmware using the example of building a building, then the source code is the frame of the new structure.
Drivers- help connect Android and the components that make up a smartphone or tablet: processors, memory, buttons, connectors, sensors and other chips. Drivers are written by chip manufacturers - Samsung and companies that produce only certain parts.
If manufacturers do not write a driver for at least one chip for the new firmware, the device will not be able to work normally with it. If the manufacturer of the mobile network communication chip does not write a driver, the smartphone will not be able to make calls. If the camera manufacturer does not write a driver, the smartphone will not take photographs. The firmware will not be released until all manufacturers write working drivers. Creating drivers takes 2 - 4 months.
Drivers are the cement for connecting the frame (Android) and the foundation (components), without it the building will collapse.
Device manufacturer services- are responsible for the appearance of the desktop, menu items, programs, unique applications and functions. Without them, all tablets and smartphones would look the same and have the same set of functions. This part of the code is written by Samsung.
Services are finishing materials: facing bricks, wallpaper, tiles, paint, parquet.
After all the parts are ready, Samsung's task is to combine them and make them workable. At this stage, the firmware is thoroughly tested to find and eliminate all errors. The total number of tests is several thousand times.
The final firmware must be approved by Google - it’s like accepting a building by a state commission. If she doesn't like something, the process continues until the desired option appears.
Nobody gives the exact date of the firmware appearance, because: a) several companies are working on it; b) the process lasts until complete adaptation and elimination of errors.
For which smartphones and tablets will the firmware be released?
New firmware is released for flagship devices within 18 months from the moment they go on sale.
Flagship devices are smartphones and tablets of the Galaxy S, Galaxy Tab S, Galaxy Note series, and some mid-segment models.
New firmware is not released for all devices.
Over time, firmware for a certain device is no longer released.
Below is a preliminary list of models that will receive updates to Android 9 (Pie), with approximate dates. Model list and release dates are subject to change.
Already received the update:
How to find out that new firmware has been released
If new firmware is available for your smartphone or tablet, a notification will appear at the top of the display.
A similar notification will appear if you connect the device to your computer and run the program Smart Switch.
If there is no notification, then: a) the firmware has not yet been released; b) there is something wrong with the device (the current firmware is installed incorrectly or modified, the device is not for sale in Russia). In the first case - wait, in the second - contact service center.
Where to download new firmware
Samsung does not make firmware publicly available. New firmware is installed through the device menu or program Smart Switch.
The firmware cannot be downloaded from the Samsung website.
How to update firmware
We have made detailed instructions in a separate article.
How to return to the previous firmware
Officially, without loss of warranty - no way. Therefore, we recommend that you make an informed decision before upgrading.
Changes in the new firmware
Not all changes that are in the source code will necessarily appear in the new firmware. A detailed list of changes appears before downloading each new firmware.
Changes that can be made.