Samsung Galaxy A7 Review: Plans | Pricing | Specs

Where to buy

While the geeks of the world tend to gravitate towards the latest entry in Samsung's Galaxy S series, the Korean company also manufactures a line of mid-range devices bearing the Galaxy A moniker.

Just prior to the launch of the Galaxy S8, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy A7 and its smaller sibling the Galaxy A5, both of which utilise technology that was considered cutting edge when it debuted in Samsung's premium Galaxy S family just a couple of years prior. That includes features like support for Samsung Pay, as well as an IP68 water resistance rating, dual front and rear 16MP cameras and an always-on display.

The Galaxy A7 is the larger of the two devices, rocking a 5.7-inch full HD display and a 3,600mAh battery. While the octa-core processor is capable of keeping up with general tasks, it's not on par with the CPU inside the Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge. That's okay though, because this phone is targeting general users.

Design

• The metal and glass design lends the A7 a premium feel
• IP68 water-resistance rating provides excellent protection from the elements

• Read more on the Samsung Galaxy A7's design

  At 186 grams, the Galaxy A7 is definitely on the hefty side of the smartphone scale, but that weight lends the phone a truly solid build quality. It's not quite as sleek as the metallic Galaxy S7, but the premium metal frame with glass back gives the A7 the feeling of quality Samsung has built its brand on over the past few years. Throw in the fact the A7 is IP68 rated and it's clear the A7 is a well-designed phone.

  Speaking of that IP68 rating, having a waterproof body isn't a new thing for today's smartphones, but it does seem to come and go as design whims change. The Galaxy A7 has doubled down on the waterproof aspect, with its IP68 rating meaning it can be submerged in up to 1.5 metres of fresh water for up to 30 minutes. While we'd never suggest you take the A7 for a swim, at least you can feel safe should something terrible happen, like dropping it in the toilet.

  Despite Google launching its Android 7.0 operating system (otherwise known as Nougat) alongside the Pixel and Pixel XL months prior to the Galaxy A7's release, Samsung opted to launch the Galaxy A phones with the older Marshmallow OS. It wasn't until six months later that the company finally started rolling out the Nougat update for the Galaxy A7 and A5.

  High-quality audio speakers aren't a common feature on smartphones, especially those at the more affordable end of the spectrum. Even so, the speaker on the Galaxy A7 is pretty disappointing. Samsung has shifted it to the side, just above the power button. Unfortunately, it's a quiet speaker, even at full volume, with a tinny output and complete lack of bass. While you can always plug in some headphones or pair a Bluetooth speaker, those who don't have that luxury will be underwhelmed by the A7's inbuilt offering.

Camera

• 16MP front-facing camera is a big plus for selfie fans
• Support for HDR, panoramas and time-lapse photography lends the rear-facing camera plenty of versatility

• Read more on the Samsung Galaxy A7's camera

  It's hard to review a selfie camera if you fundamentally dislike taking them, but there are a couple of smart features Samsung has added to the Galaxy A7's 16MP front-facing camera. The first is a free-floating shutter button, which you can drag to any spot you want on screen in order to make snapping the photo easy and comfortable. There's also a wide selfie mode for those group shots and night selfie for better portraits in low light situations.

  The rear camera offers a full manual mode and HDR shooting, as well as panoramas and hyperlapse modes. I'm not convinced beauty mode should be a thing, artificially softening the skin and making your eyes bigger, but there seems to be a market for it. In any case, the end results from both the front and rear cameras are crisp and clear.

Performance

• Decent performance in day-to-day tasks like email and web browsing
• Lacks the grunt to handle more complex tasks like 3D gaming

• Read more on the Samsung Galaxy A7's performance

  The Octa Core Exynos 7880 that powers the Galaxy A7 was designed as a mid-range processor. While it means the phone is capable of handling basic tasks like email and simple web browsing, don't expect high performance.

  In fact, the GeekBench 4 benchmarks place the Galaxy A7 as one of the worst smartphones of 2017 for single-core performance, though its multi-core performance was significantly better.

  Handset	Geekbench 4 CPU Single Core (higher is better)	Geekbench 4 CPU Multi Core (higher is better)
  Apple iPhone 7	3452	5599
  Apple iPhone 7 Plus	3374	5649
  Apple iPhone 6s	2465	4052
  Apple iPhone SE	2449	4171
  Huawei Mate 9	1925	6068
  ZTE Axon 7	1721	4089
  Sony Xperia XZ	1636	3604
  Google Pixel XL	1629	4051
  Motorola Moto Z	1477	3853
  Samsung Galaxy S7	1378	4718
  Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge	1359	5333
  Motorola Moto X Force	1352	3581
  Google Nexus 6P	1293	3594
  Sony Xperia X	1122	2626
  Oppo R9s	843	3119
  Huawei Nova Plus	843	2985
  Motorola Moto Z Play	799	2648
  Samsung Galaxy A7	771	3998
  LG X Power	554	1482

  When it comes to using the Galaxy A7 for gaming, it's a similar story. The 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited test came up with a comparatively low score for the mid-range phone.

  Handset	3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited Result
  Apple iPhone 7 Plus	37956
  Apple iPhone 7	37717
  LG G5	29597
  Apple iPhone SE	29276
  Samsung Galaxy S7	28903
  Huawei Mate 9	28457
  Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge	28402
  Apple iPhone 6s	28171
  HTC 10	27392
  Sony Xperia XZ	26279
  Sony Xperia X Performance	26125
  ZTE Axon 7	23955
  Sony Xperia Z5	19197
  HTC One X9	16877
  Sony Xperia X	16648
  Huawei Nova Plus	13969
  Motorola Moto Z Play	13958
  Samsung Galaxy A7	13629
  Sony Xperia XA	11173
  Oppo R9	11053
  LG X Power	4953

  That's not to say the phone is incapable of performing. In general daily use the phone was fine, and simple games were generally okay to enjoy.

  However, graphically intensive games like Need for Speed: No Limits were slow to load, with the sporadic jagged frame rate drops. If you use your phone for gaming as much as social media, you might want to consider jumping up a tier at the Galaxy S family of devices.

Battery life

• Great battery life, even considering Samsung's impressive track record
• Will see you through a full day with little issue

• Read more on the Samsung Galaxy A7's battery life

  I ran the Geekbench 3 battery life tests on the Galaxy A7 at the same time as the ZTE Axon 7, and it was striking at just how much longer the Samsung's battery lasted. At 3,600mAh it is a little larger than the ZTE's battery, and combined with a less demanding processor and screen it makes sense that the Samsung lasts longer, but it also manages to hold its own against some of the better phones on the market right now.

  Handset	Geekbench 3 Battery Test Duration	Geekbench 3 Battery Score
  Huawei Nova Plus	13:21:20	8013
  Samsung Galaxy A7	12:40:30	7603
  Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge	11:55:00	7150
  Apple iPhone 7 Plus	11:11:20	6713
  Huawei Mate 8	11:14:40	6659
  Sony Xperia X	10:40:40	6406
  Samsung Galaxy S7	10:01:20	6013
  LG X Power	14:50:30	5714
  Google Pixel XL	9:14:20	5543
  Huawei Mate 9	9:00:30	5330
  Sony Xperia XZ	8:24:20	5042
  Huawei P9	8:26:30	4948
  ZTE Axon 7	7:56:20	4763
  Apple iPhone 7	7:50:10	4701
  LG G5	7:36:10	4561
  HTC 10	6:54:30	4145
  Moto Z	6:38:10	3981
  HTC One X9	7:03:10	3971
  Motorola Moto X Force	9:46:50	3914

  The results see the A7 receive the second-best battery score, and the third-longest test duration. That's an impressive feat, even for Samsung, which has always performed well in our tests.

  If the impressive battery life wasn't enough, the Galaxy A7 also features a USB C charging port, which is also able to fast-charge your device. Basically, battery life wasn't really a concern when it came to using the Galaxy A7 on a daily basis. It still needed charging at regular intervals, but it was a lot less a concern than even using last year's Galaxy S7 Edge.

Verdict

• A strong mid-range smartphone for everyday use

• Read our full Samsung Galaxy A7 verdict

  Users looking for a robust handset that will get them through the day should consider the Galaxy A7. It's not the most powerful phone, so mobile gamers or video editors will be underwhelmed. However, it's a perfectly capable device for anyone who just watches the odd video, browses Facebook or Twitter and sends and receives email.

  Of course for roughly the same price, you could get the Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 Edge, which offers better performance at the expense of battery life. There are also flagships from cheaper brands like the ZTE Axon 7 or the Huawei Mate 9 worth considering as well.

Pricing and availability

• Price: ~$400 - $600
• Where to buy: Amazon | eBay

Specifications

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