A mid-range smartphone for a renowned manufacturer is a difficult product, because it should be more interesting than younger models, but at the same time it should not compete with older solutions. And in terms of price, one cannot break away from the products of discounter manufacturers. In the case of Samsung A7 2017, everything is even more difficult, because its price is already commensurate with the top models of Xiaomi and Meizu smartphones, and you cannot leave the name on one name, because until recently, unknown Chinese competitors are already in many ways not inferior to the market leaders.
Specifications
| Display size and type | 5.7 inches, 1920 * 1080 pixels, Super AMOLED |
| CPU | Samsung Exynos Octa 7880, 8 cores, 1.87 GHz |
| Graphics accelerator | Mali-T830 MP3 |
| Built-in memory, GB | 3 |
| RAM, GB | 32 |
| Memory expansion | Yes (microSD up to 256 GB) |
| Number of SIM-cards | 2 |
| Communication standards 2G | GSM850, GSM900, DCS1800, PCS1900 |
| 3G communication standards | B1 (2100), B2 (1900), B4 (AWS), B5 (850), B8 (900) |
| 4G communication standards | 4G FDD LTE: B1 (2100), B2 (1900), B3 (1800), B4 (AWS), B5 (850), B7 (2600), B8 (900), B17 (700), B20 (800), B28 (700) 4G TDD LTE: B38 (2600), B40 (2300), B41 (2500) |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 802.11b / g / n / ac, 2.4 / 5 GHz |
| Bluetooth | v4.2 |
| NFC | there is |
| IrDA | No |
| USB port | USB Type-C |
| 3.5mm jack | there is |
| FM radio | there is |
| The fingerprint scanner | there is |
| Navigation | GPS / A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou |
| Built-in sensors | screen rotation sensor, barometer, accelerometer, gyroscope, geomagnetic sensor, Hall sensor, proximity sensor, RGB light sensor |
| Main camera | 16 MP, f / 1.9 |
| Front-camera | 16 MP, f / 1.9 |
| operating system | Android 7.0 |
| Protection class | IP68 |
| Battery | 3600 mAh |
| Dimensions, mm | 156,8*77,6*7,9 |
| Weight, g | 186 |
Appearance and usability
All modern smartphones are extremely similar - an ordinary candy bar with a minimum number of keys and several camera windows, as well as a couple of barely visible sensors and sensors. All in all, the device under test is like hundreds of others. Perhaps this is due to the fact that many Chinese manufacturers are trying to at least partially and sometimes completely copy the design of Samsung smartphones. In any case, the design is interesting, and the thickness is small, so the smartphone is pleasant to hold in your hand.
The body is made of glass and metal. The build quality is excellent, and when you try to twist and squeeze the case, it does not make any sounds at all, and it is extremely difficult to bend it a little. But it could not be otherwise, because the case has an IP68 protection class, which is rare among thin models in the middle price segment.
On the front side above the screen there is a light sensor, a front camera window, and an earpiece is hidden under a decorative grille. Only the fingerprint reader is visible under the display, which is also the Home key. The back and multitasking keys are only visible when the backlight is activated. The side frames of the display are not thick, but you cannot call a bezelless smartphone either.
From the rear, only the main camera window and LED flash are visible. Surprisingly, the back side is much more afraid of prints than the front side, so over time, small marks appear on it.
On the left side surface there is a pair of separate volume control keys and a tray for inserting a SIM card. On the opposite side there is a lock key and a system speaker hidden under a decorative grille.
At the top, a microphone hole is noticeable, as well as a double tray for separate installation of a SIM card and a microSD data carrier. At the bottom there is a standard audio mini-jack (3.5 mm), a second built-in microphone, and a USB Type-C connector.
Display
The smartphone is equipped with a 5.7-inch SuperAMOLED display with a resolution of 1920 * 1080 pixels. The pros and cons of SuperAMOLED displays have long been known, but still, once again, I want to note the huge viewing angles, excellent display of dark shades and extremely high contrast. And, of course, do not forget about the Always On Display function, which allows you to display information about the current date / time, battery level and application messages with minimal battery consumption.
The display settings provide 4 modes - "main", "AMOLED photo", "AMOLED movie", as well as adaptive mode. In the "main" mode, the color deviation (Delta E) is the smallest, the color balance is not bad, and the color temperature is close to the reference value of 6500 K, but the color gamut is also the smallest. However, the standard sRGB color space is almost completely covered. In other modes, the color deviation is noticeably greater, especially in the "adaptive" mode, the color temperature is higher than the standard, but the color gamut is much larger. The settings provide for the possibility of separate regulation of RGB channels. In addition, there is a blue filtering function, which should be activated during long reading to reduce eye strain. The maximum display brightness is 386.9 cd / m2. But this level is the limit and is set only for a few minutes. The standard maximum display brightness is 285.91 cd / m2. Not the best indicators. But here we should not forget that the economy of AMOLED displays is manifested precisely when displaying dark shades and low brightness.
Basic mode
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"Adaptive" mode
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Photo AMOLED mode
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Video AMOLED mode
Sound
The smartphone is equipped with separate earpiece and system speakers. Stereo playback with one system speaker is of course not supported. The sound of the spoken speaker is clear and loud, and the interlocutor is well heard in almost any typical background noise in the city. The system speaker was not too loud. When playing a test sinusoidal signal with a frequency of 1 kHz at a distance of 1 meter, a level of 68.2 dBA was recorded, which is the worst indicator in our database of measurement results. But there are also pluses - the sound is clear, without obvious defects, with a well-developed midrange and high-frequency range. Of course, there are no basses, but you shouldn't require them from a smartphone either. The audio level from the analog audio output is very high. When the test signal was reproduced, a level of 552.8 mV was recorded, which is one of the best results.
Performance
The smartphone is based on SoC Samsung Exynos Octa 7880, made on 14 nm FinFET process technology. The clock speed of all 8 cores is up to 1.9 GHz. The Mali-T830 MP3 solution is responsible for the video subsystem, which even theoretically should provide sufficient performance in games. System-on-a-Chip supports LPDDR4 memory in dual channel mode. The main competitor of this SoC in the middle class is Qualcomm Snapdragon 625, so smartphones based on this solution were taken as an opponent. But this SoC does not have a very productive video subsystem, so a smartphone based on last year's flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor was added to the list of opponents, which still has not lost its relevance.
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Camera
Both cameras (front and main) have a resolution of 16 megapixels. But not only the resolution is similar, but the aperture of the lenses is f / 1.9 in both cases. Of course, the optics are different, but the emphasis in the direction of "selfies" is visible. However, the quality of the photo from the front camera is by no means standard, but rather average, both in weak artificial and in good daylight.
 |  |
| indoor shooting. Illumination 30 lx | outdoor shooting |
There are few camera settings even in manual mode. You can change the resolution, sensitivity (in the range of ISO 100-800 in 1 EV steps), and white balance settings. In addition, HDR, night and food are traditionally provided. It is noteworthy that the smartphone supports transferring camera control to third-party applications using the Camera 2 API. Moreover, third-party applications support shooting in RAW format, and the sensitivity range has been expanded to ISO 64-1600.
The LED flash was unexpectedly rather weak - at a distance of 1 meter from the smartphone, a level of only 28.6 lux was recorded. And unexpectedly due to the fact that the flash of a much more affordable smartphone in similar conditions provides an illumination of 55.5 lux. Of course, many do not use the built-in flash in smartphones at all, but still the puncture is significant. To assess the image quality, the test pattern was captured with all available sensitivity values. Below are the crop fragments. 
Would you like a convenient, functional and relatively inexpensive smartphone, and even a well-known brand? If so, we recommend that you pay attention to the Samsung A7 2017. The device for 20,000 rubles offers the current configuration, which is represented by an eight-core processor and 3 GB of RAM, in total with a fairly powerful graphics chip. This hardware allows you to use the device for a huge number of modern applications and games. As for the cameras, they take pretty good pictures, although they do not have optical stabilization. And the matrix is \u200b\u200bequipped with high-quality color gamut and wide viewing angles. In general, we will recommend Samsung Galaxy A7 2017 for a more detailed and closer acquaintance.
Samsung Galaxy A7 2017: price and specifications
| OS | Android; |
| Screen | 5.7 inches; |
| Resolution | 1920 × 1080; |
| Camera | 16 MP; |
| Frontal | 16 megapixels; |
| CPU | 1900 MHz 8 cores; |
| Built-in memory | 32 GB; |
| RAM | 3 GB; |
| Battery | 3600 units; |
| Price | About 22,000 rubles; |
Samsung Galaxy A7 2017: owner reviews
- Thought-out shell;
Widget from SocialMart
- The presence of a screen with excellent color gamut and large viewing angles;
- Availability of active protection against water;
- Bright colors;
- Of the advantages, it is worth highlighting the capacity of the battery equal to 3600 mAh;
- Fast operation of the fingerprint scanner;
- Nice design. What is characteristic, has an attractive effect on others;
- Relatively good cameras;
- Support for Samsung Pei;
- High-quality communication;
- Cameras do not have image stabilization;
- Will slide in your hands and this must be taken into account;
- Nice sound;
- Problems transferring from built-in memory to memory card. By the way, the smartphone supports large volumes from removable media;
- In general, quite fast work thanks to the high-performance processor;
- The body does not collect scratches and fingerprints;
- No indicator of missed messages;
- A large number of positive reviews;
- Always on screen mode;
- Selection of original accessories;
- Support for two SIM cards and memory cards at the same time;
Conclusion
Tempting value for money combined with functional hardware leaves only pleasant impressions. Don't forget about good cameras and a well thought-out shell. In general, we will, of course, recommend the Samsung A7 2017 for a more detailed and intimate acquaintance, the device has excellent performance properties and convenience.
Pros:
- Thought-out shell;
- The quality of the images is at a high level;
- Matrix with revolutionary display technology;
- Attractiveness of appearance;
- Smart fingerprint scanner;
Minuses:
- No optical stabilization
- Some problems with transferring information from internal memory to a SD card;
- Slides in hands;
- Some minor flaws;
In contact with
Information about the brand, model and alternative names of a specific device, if any.
Design
Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Materials used, offered colors, certificates.
| Width Width information - refers to the horizontal side of the device in its standard orientation during use. | 77.6 mm (millimeters) 7.76 cm (centimeters) 0.25 ft (feet) 3.06 in (inches) |
| Height Height information - refers to the vertical side of the device in its standard orientation during use. | 156.8 mm (millimeters) 15.68 cm (centimeters) 0.51 ft (feet) 6.17 in (inches) |
| Thickness Information about the thickness of the device in different units. | 7.9 mm (millimeters) 0.79 cm (centimeters) 0.03 ft (feet) 0.31 in (inches) |
| Volume The approximate volume of the device, based on the dimensions provided by the manufacturer. Refers to devices with a rectangular parallelepiped shape. | 96.12 cm³ (cubic centimeters) 5.84 in³ (cubic inches) |
| Colors Information about the colors in which this unit is offered for sale. | The black Pink gold Blue Golden |
| Materials for making the body Materials used to make the device body. | Aluminium alloy Glass |
| Certification Information about the standards by which this device is certified. | IP68 |
SIM card
A SIM card is used in mobile devices to store data that certifies the authenticity of mobile service subscribers.
Mobile networks
A mobile network is a radio system that allows multiple mobile devices to communicate with each other.
| GSM GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) is designed to replace the analog mobile network (1G). For this reason, GSM is often referred to as a 2G mobile network. It is enhanced by the addition of GPRS (General Packet Radio Services) and later EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) technologies. | GSM 850 MHz GSM 900 MHz GSM 1800 MHz GSM 1900 MHz |
| UMTS UMTS stands for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System. It is based on the GSM standard and refers to 3G mobile networks. Developed by 3GPP and its biggest advantage is to provide more speed and spectral efficiency thanks to W-CDMA technology. | UMTS 850 MHz UMTS 900 MHz UMTS 1700/2100 MHz UMTS 1900 MHz UMTS 2100 MHz |
| LTE LTE (Long Term Evolution) is defined as a fourth generation (4G) technology. It is developed by 3GPP based on GSM / EDGE and UMTS / HSPA with the aim of increasing the capacity and speed of wireless mobile networks. The subsequent development of technologies is called LTE Advanced. | LTE 700 MHz Class 17 LTE 800 MHz LTE 850 MHz LTE 900 MHz LTE 1700/2100 MHz LTE 1800 MHz LTE 1900 MHz LTE 2100 MHz LTE 2600 MHz LTE-TDD 2300 MHz (B40) LTE-TDD 2500 MHz (B41) LTE-TDD 2600 MHz (B38) LTE 700 MHz (B28) |
Mobile technology and data rates
Communication between devices in mobile networks is carried out using technologies that provide different data rates.
Operating system
The operating system is the system software that controls and coordinates the operation of the hardware components in the device.
SoC (System on a Chip)
A system on a chip (SoC) integrates all of the major hardware components of a mobile device into a single chip.
| SoC (System on a Chip) A system on a chip (SoC) integrates various hardware components such as a processor, graphics processor, memory, peripherals, interfaces, etc., as well as the software required for their operation. | Samsung Exynos 7 Octa 7880 |
| Technological process Information about the technological process by which the chip is manufactured. The value in nanometers is half the distance between the elements in the processor. | 14 nm (nanometers) |
| Processor (CPU) The main function of the processor (CPU) of a mobile device is to interpret and execute instructions contained in software applications. | ARM Cortex-A53 |
| Processor size The capacity (bits) of the processor is determined by the size (in bits) of registers, address buses and buses for data. 64-bit processors offer better performance than 32-bit processors, which in turn are more efficient than 16-bit processors. | 64 bit |
| Instruction set architecture Instructions are commands with which the software sets / controls the processor. Information about the instruction set (ISA) that the processor can execute. | ARMv8-A |
| The number of processor cores The processor core executes program instructions. There are processors with one, two or more cores. Having more cores increases performance by allowing multiple instructions to execute in parallel. | 8 |
| CPU clock speed The clock speed of a processor describes its speed in cycles per second. It is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz). | 1900 MHz (megahertz) |
| Graphics processing unit (GPU) A graphics processing unit (GPU) handles computation for a variety of 2D / 3D graphics applications. In mobile devices, it is most commonly used by games, consumer interfaces, video applications, and more. | ARM Mali-T830 MP3 |
| Number of GPU cores Like a processor, a GPU is made up of several working parts called cores. They handle the graphical computation of various applications. | 3 |
| GPU clock speed Speed \u200b\u200bis the clock speed of the GPU and is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz). | 950 MHz (megahertz) |
| The amount of random access memory (RAM) Random access memory (RAM) is used by the operating system and all installed applications. The data that is saved in RAM is lost after the device is turned off or restarted. | 3 GB (gigabytes) |
| Memory type (RAM) Information about the type of random access memory (RAM) used by the device. | LPDDR4 |
| Number of RAM channels Information about the number of RAM channels which are integrated into the SoC. More channels means higher data rates. | Dual channel |
| RAM frequency The frequency of the RAM determines its speed of operation, more specifically, the speed of reading / writing data. | 1033 MHz (megahertz) |
Built-in memory
Each mobile device has built-in (non-removable) fixed memory.
Memory cards
Memory cards are used in mobile devices to increase the storage space for data.
Screen
The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.
| Type / technology One of the main characteristics of the screen is the technology by which it is made and on which the image quality of information directly depends. | Super AMOLED |
| Diagonal On mobile devices, screen size is expressed in terms of the length of its diagonal, measured in inches. | 5.7 in (inches) 144.78 mm (millimeters) 14.48 cm (centimeters) |
| Width Approximate screen width | 2.79 in (inches) 70.98 mm (millimeters) 7.1 cm (centimeters) |
| Height Approximate screen height | 4.97 in (inches) 126.19 mm (millimeters) 12.62 cm (centimeters) |
| Aspect ratio The aspect ratio of the long side of the screen to its short side | 1.778:1 16:9 |
| Resolution Screen resolution indicates the number of pixels horizontally and vertically on the screen. Higher resolution means sharper image detail. | 1080 x 1920 pixels |
| Pixel density Information about the number of pixels per centimeter or inch of the screen. Higher density allows information to be shown on the screen in clearer detail. | 386 ppi (pixels per inch) 151 ppcm (pixels per centimeter) |
| Color depth Screen color depth reflects the total number of bits used for color components in one pixel. Information about the maximum number of colors the screen can display. | 24 bit 16777216 flowers |
| Screen area The approximate percentage of the display area on the front of the device. | 73.85% (percent) |
| Other characteristics Information about other functions and features of the screen. | Capacitive Multitouch Scratch resistant |
| Corning Gorilla Glass 4 Always-On Display |
Sensors
Different sensors perform different quantitative measurements and convert physical metrics into signals that the mobile device can recognize.
Main camera
The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on the back of the body and is used for taking photos and videos.
| Sensor model Information about the manufacturer and model of the photocell used in the camera of the device. | Samsung S5K3P8 |
| Sensor type Digital cameras use photo sensors to take photographs. The sensor, as well as the optics, are one of the main factors in the quality of the camera in a mobile device. | ISOCELL |
| Diaphragm | f / 1.9 |
| Focal length The focal length is the distance in millimeters from the photosensor to the optical center of the lens. Equivalent focal lengths are also indicated, providing the same field of view with a full frame camera. | 3.6 mm (millimeters) |
| Flash type The most common types of flashes in mobile devices are LED and Xenon flashes. LED flashes give softer light and, unlike brighter xenon ones, are also used for video shooting. | LED |
| Image Resolution One of the main characteristics of mobile device cameras is their resolution, which shows the number of pixels horizontally and vertically in an image. | 4608 x 3456 pixels 15.93 MP (megapixels) |
| Video Resolution Information about the maximum supported resolution for video recording by the device. | 1920 x 1080 pixels 2.07 MP (megapixels) |
Information about the maximum number of frames per second (fps) supported by the device when shooting video at maximum resolution. Some of the main standard video capture and playback speeds are 24p, 25p, 30p, 60p. | 30 frames / sec (frames per second) |
| Specifications Information about other software and hardware features associated with the main camera to improve its functionality. | Autofocus Burst shooting Digital zoom Geographic tags Panoramic shooting HDR shooting Touch focus Face recognition Adjusting the white balance ISO setting Exposure compensation Self-timer Scene selection mode |
| Sensor size - 1 / 3.1 " Pixel size - 1.0 μm |
Additional camera
Additional cameras are usually mounted above the screen of the device and are used mainly for video calls, gesture recognition, etc.
| Diaphragm Aperture (f-number) is the size of the aperture opening that controls the amount of light reaching the photosensor. A lower f-number means a larger aperture opening. | f / 1.9 |
| Image Resolution Information about the maximum resolution of the secondary camera when shooting. In most cases, the resolution of the secondary camera is lower than that of the primary camera. | 4608 x 3456 pixels 15.93 MP (megapixels) |
| Video Resolution Information about the maximum supported resolution when filming with an additional camera. | 1920 x 1080 pixels 2.07 MP (megapixels) |
| Video - frame rate / frames per second. Information about the maximum number of frames per second (fps) supported by the secondary camera when shooting video at maximum resolution. | 30 frames / sec (frames per second) |
Audio
Information about the type of speakers and audio technology supported by the device.
Radio
The radio of the mobile device is a built-in FM receiver.
Locating
Information about the navigation and positioning technologies supported by the device.
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi is a technology that enables wireless communication for transferring data over short distances between various devices.
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless transfer of data between various types of devices over short distances.
| Version There are several versions of Bluetooth, each of which improves communication speed, coverage, and makes it easier to find and connect devices. Information about the Bluetooth version of the device. | 4.2 |
| Specifications Bluetooth uses different profiles and protocols to enable faster communication, energy savings, better device discovery, and more. Some of these profiles and protocols that the device supports are shown here. | A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile) AVRCP (Audio / Visual Remote Control Profile) DIP (Device ID Profile) HFP (Hands-Free Profile) HID (Human Interface Profile) HSP (Headset Profile) MAP (Message Access Profile) OPP (Object Push Profile) PAN (Personal Area Networking Profile) PBAP / PAB (Phone Book Access Profile) HOGP |
USB
USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that allows different electronic devices to exchange data.
Headphone jack
This is an audio connector, which is also called an audio connector. The most widely used standard in mobile devices is the 3.5mm headphone jack.
Connecting devices
Information about other important connection technologies supported by the device.
Browser
A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.
| Browser Information about some of the main features and standards supported by the device browser. | Html HTML5 CSS 3 |
Audio file formats / codecs
Mobile devices support different audio file formats and codecs, which respectively store and encode / decode digital audio data.
Video file formats / codecs
Mobile devices support different video file formats and codecs, which respectively store and encode / decode digital video data.
| Video file formats / codecs A list of some of the major video file formats and codecs supported by the device as standard. | 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project, .3gp) 3GPP2 (3rd Generation Partnership Project 2, .3g2) AVI (Audio Video Interleaved, .avi) Flash Video (.flv, .f4v, .f4p, .f4a, .f4b) H.263 H.264 / MPEG-4 Part 10 / AVC video H.265 / MPEG-H Part 2 / HEVC MKV (Matroska Multimedia Container, .mkv .mk3d .mka .mks) MP4 (MPEG-4 Part 14, .mp4, .m4a, .m4p, .m4b, .m4r, .m4v) VC-1 VP8 VP9 WebM WMV (Windows Media Video, .wmv) WMV7 (Windows Media Video 7, .wmv) WMV8 (Windows Media Video 8, .wmv) Xvid |
Battery
Mobile device batteries differ in their capacity and technology. They provide the electrical charge required for their function.
| Capacity The capacity of a battery indicates the maximum charge it can store, measured in milliampere-hours. | 3600 mAh (milliampere-hours) |
| A type The type of battery is determined by its structure and, more precisely, by the chemicals used. There are different types of batteries, with the most common mobile devices using lithium-ion and lithium-ion polymer batteries. | Li-Ion (Lithium-ion) |
| Talk time 2G 2G talk time is the period of time during which the battery is completely discharged during continuous 2G talk. | 23 h (hours) 1380 min (minutes) 1 days |
| Talk time 3G Talk time in 3G is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 3G network. | 23 h (hours) 1380 min (minutes) 1 days |
| Adapter output power Information about the strength of the electric current (measured in amperes) and the electric voltage (measured in volts) supplied by the charger (output power). Higher power output provides faster battery charging. | 9 V (volts) / 1.67 A (amps) |
| Specifications Information about some additional characteristics of the device battery. | Fast charging Non-removable |
Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)
SAR level refers to the amount of electromagnetic radiation absorbed by the human body when using a mobile device.
| Head SAR (EU) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation to which the human body is exposed if the mobile device is held near the ear in a talking position. In Europe, the maximum SAR value for mobile devices is limited to 2 W / kg per 10 grams of human tissue. This standard was established by the CENELEC committee in accordance with the IEC standards, following the ICNIRP guidelines of 1998. | 0.21 W / kg (Watts per kilogram) |
| Body SAR (EU) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation that the human body is exposed to if the mobile device is held at hip level. The highest SAR value for mobile devices in Europe is 2 W / kg per 10 grams of human tissue. This standard was established by the CENELEC committee in accordance with the ICNIRP guidelines of 1998 and IEC standards. | 1.33 W / kg (Watts per kilogram) |
| Head SAR (US) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation that a person's body is exposed to when holding a mobile device near the ear. The maximum value used in the USA is 1.6 W / kg per gram of human tissue. US mobile devices are controlled by CTIA and the FCC conducts tests and sets their SAR values. | 0.24 W / kg (Watts per kilogram) |
| Body SAR (US) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation that the human body is exposed to if the mobile device is held at hip level. The highest SAR value in the United States is 1.6 W / kg per gram of human tissue. This value is set by the FCC and CTIA monitors mobile devices for compliance with this standard. | 0.71 W / kg (Watts per kilogram) |
In good light conditions outdoors, we got highly detailed images with high-quality color reproduction. If you look at 100% crop of the frame, you can see slight distortion and noise, but this is already nit-picking.
SM-A720F INSTALLATION: ISO 40, F1.9, 1/797 sec, 27.0 mm equiv.
SM-A720F INSTALLATION: ISO 40, F1.9, 1/537 sec, 27.0 mm equiv.
SM-A720F INSTALLATION: ISO 40, F1.9, 1/775 sec, 27.0 mm equiv.
SM-A720F INSTALLATION: ISO 40, F1.9, 1/100 s, 27.0 mm equiv.
SM-A720F INSTALLATION: ISO 40, F1.9, 1/1681 sec, 27.0 mm equiv.
SM-A720F INSTALLATION: ISO 40, F1.9, 1/208 sec, 27.0 mm equiv.
Sometimes there are problems with overexposures and dark areas. However, among the scene programs, of which there are quite a few, the HDR mode (high dynamic range) has crept in. It allows you to darken too light places and highlight the "dips". Of course, the HDR in the Samsung Galaxy A7 is an effect. The resulting shots are very different from the original, but you can see the details hidden in the failed fragments.
Panorama mode does its job well. In good light conditions, we got a high-quality, highly detailed image, the stitching is almost invisible. At dusk, this mode does not do well.
Indoor camera performance depends on light conditions. If there is little light, smears may appear. The fact is that with accurate autofocus, the program often increases the shutter speed, and this is affected by the lack of optical image stabilization. Tip: Hold your smartphone tighter and you'll get sharp images with the right colors and great detail.
When shooting small objects from a short distance, you can see a slight but effective blurring of the background. Here I tried a lens with aperture F1.9.
SM-A720F INSTALLATION: ISO 80, F1.9, 1/33 s, 27.0 mm equiv.
SM-A720F INSTALLATION: ISO 40, F1.9, 1/50 s, 27.0 mm equiv.
SM-A720F INSTALLATION: ISO 100, F1.9, 1/33 s, 27.0 mm equiv.
SM-A720F INSTALLATION: ISO 64, F1.9, 1/33 s, 27.0 mm equiv.
The Samsung Galaxy A7 has a single LED flash. As always, we note that it is better to shoot without it. The LED element will perfectly cope with the role of a flashlight in everyday life. But if there is nothing without a flash, then be sure that it will not let you down and will highlight objects. True, her flame lights up with a cold light.
There is a scene scene Night, but it does not save the situation too much when shooting in low light. You can't do without additional accessories here. The lack of optical image stabilization affects: in the dark you need to hold your smartphone firmly and take pictures, holding your breath, as when shooting.
Unfortunately, focusing problems can occur in the evening.
SM-A720F INSTALLATION: F1.9, 27.0 mm equiv.
SM-A720F INSTALLATION: ISO 640, F1.9, 1/17 s, 27.0 mm equiv.
SM-A720F INSTALLATION: ISO 160, F1.9, 1/20 s, 27.0 mm equiv.
Camera app
The camera application is as clear as possible. Compared to the flagship line of S7, there are few modes here. However, they can be downloaded from the company store. Scene scenes include Auto and Pro, Panorama, HDR, Night and Food. In manual mode, the user has a minimum of settings: exposure compensation, ISO and white balance. The Galaxy A7, by the way, cannot shoot in RAW format.
"Fotosklad.ru"For the first time, Samsung introduced the Galaxy A series smartphones - A3, A5 and A7 - at the end of 2014. It was intended to fill the niche of “near-premium” smartphones. All Galaxy A models sold well, and the next year the series received an update, becoming more similar to the older flagship series - Galaxy S. Then all devices in the line received from the S6 and S6 Edge a similar design and the same body materials. A little over a year later, in January 2017, Samsung again released a small upgrade to this series of devices. From the company's flagships - Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge - all Galaxy A devices inherited protection from water and dust, as well as, like the previous generation, design. Also, the entire line has improved performance and an improved camera over its predecessors.
Today we have a review of the older model of the line - Galaxy A7 (2017). First, let's briefly go through the characteristics of the smartphone:
| Display | Super AMOLED, 16 million colors |
| Display diagonal | 5.7 ″ |
| Display resolution | 1920x1080, 386 ppi |
| operating system | Android 6.0 |
| CPU | Samsung Exynos 7880, 8 cores, 1.9 GHz |
| Video accelerator | Mali T830MP3 |
| RAM size | 3 GB |
| Permanent memory capacity | 32 GB |
| Memory card slot | Yes, up to 256 GB, separate |
| Rear camera | 16 megapixels |
| Front-camera | 16 megapixels |
| Filming | |
| Number of SIM-cards | 2 (nano-SIM) |
| Interfaces | Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac (2.4 and 5 GHz); GPS (A-GPS, GLONASS); Bluetooth v4.2 (A2DP, EDR, LE); USB Type-C 1.0; NFC; 3.5mm headphone jack; FM radio |
| The fingerprint scanner | Yes, frontal |
| Fast charging | Supported |
| Battery | 3600 mAh |
| Weight | 186 g |
| Dimensions | 157 x 78 x 7.9 mm |
| Colors | Black, gold, blue, white |
| Other | Samsung Pay, Gorilla Glass 4, ANT +, IP68 |
In general, the declared characteristics correspond to the class of the device. Particularly pleased with the protection against water and dust, a capacious battery, a separate slot for a microSD card. The Galaxy A7 (2017) differs from the 2016 model with a screen enlarged to 5.7 inches, the presence of a USB Type-C 1.0 connector, a more efficient processor and video accelerator, and a slightly more capacious battery. The front camera has received an incredible 16 MP. Also declared protection against dust and water with a degree of IP68: the device is completely protected from dust, it can be immersed in water to a depth of 3 meters for half an hour or more.
Let's take a closer look at the smartphone.
Box and equipment
The smartphone comes in a white hard cardboard box. In addition to the standard kit - a smartphone, a charger, a USB cable, an extractor for a SIM card tray and a microSD card - there are headphones / headset and an adapter for a microUSB connector inside.
Housing
The body of the smartphone, as mentioned above, is similar to the body of the flagship Galaxy S7. The front and back panels are made of glass, the smartphone is framed by a metal frame. The tactile sensations are pleasant. Despite the increased diagonal, thickness and weight, it fits well in the hand, does not slip. In general, the design is very pleasant, the smartphone is pleasing to the eye.
Screen
The screen is made according to the traditional Samsung Super AMOLED technology. This technology has been on the market for a long time, the pros and cons compared to IPS have long been known. Let's say that the screen is clear, high-contrast and has excellent color reproduction. The diagonal of the display is 5.7 inches, the resolution is 1920 × 1080 pixels. The density per inch is 386 ppi, which is more than enough for comfortable reading.
Operating system and software
Out of the box, the smartphone comes preinstalled with Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS. Whether an upgrade to Android 7.0 Nougat is planned is not yet known. When switching to the menu, the system does not lag, the animation is smooth. The Home button is mechanical, when you press it, you go to the main screen, if you hold it for a short time, Google Now starts. On the side of it are touch buttons for calling the list of applications and "back".
The smartphone has a convenient Always On function - when the smartphone is locked, the display shows the time, notifications and other important information. Of course, this feature requires additional power consumption and can be turned off, but it is very convenient. In the pocket, the display turns off.
Processor and memory
Permanent memory in the device, let's not be afraid of this word, pitiful 32 GB. For that kind of money, it would be possible to put a flash drive and a larger one, especially since this is a top-end smartphone in the Galaxy A line. Although, given the fact that the Galaxy A7 in 2016 had 16 GB, this is a good result. The good news is that the ROM can be expanded with a microSD card without sacrificing a second SIM card.
The Galaxy A7 is equipped with an eight-core Samsung Exynos 7880 processor. The two main cores are clocked at 1900 MHz. The results in the AnTuTu test are not very encouraging, but, nevertheless, most of even serious games will run without problems at medium settings.
The fingerprint scanner
The fingerprint scanner is combined with the Home button. When properly configured, prints are clearly recognized. To unlock the smartphone, just press the mechanical button, after which the scanner counts the fingerprint and, in case of successful reading, the smartphone is unlocked.
Interfaces
The smartphone supports dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands), Bluetooth 4.2 with multiple profiles, NFC, GPS (along with A-GPS, GLONASS and BDS), there is a standard headphone jack. Compatibility with ANT + is also declared, which will be relevant for athletes and lovers of a healthy lifestyle. An important plus for fans of contactless payments will be the support of Samsung Pay. There is support for FM radio.
Battery
The battery in the Galaxy A7 is large enough to last for a day or more in everyday use - 3600 mAh. The fast charging mode is also supported - the smartphone can be fully charged in about an hour and a half.
Communication and sound
The sound of the external speaker is juicy and loud, there are no complaints about the sound in the complete headphones either, and they are not bad in design.
Camera
The Galaxy A7 (2017) uses an interesting solution: both the main and front cameras have a resolution of 16 MP. The lens of the main camera is flush with the back cover of the device, that is, it will not be scratched.
The camera quality does not match that of the flagships, but it is quite decent. Shooting with HDR on can often save photography.
There are many settings available to the camera application: you can configure the camera to turn on with a double tap on Home, take a selfie by simply bringing your palm in the field of view of the lens, and other settings.
There are several modes available for shooting: "auto", "pro", "panorama", "hyperlapse", "HDR", "night", "food".
You can judge the quality of the photos below:
Outcome
In conclusion, we can say that not the highest performance and a small amount of main memory are compensated by a whole set of advantages: the presence of Samsung Pay in the Galaxy A7 (2017), moisture and dust resistance, a separate slot for a memory card, a good camera and a quite capacious battery. The design is also commendable. In general, the smartphone turned out to be very good. If not for one “but”, it could be safely recommended for purchase. This “but” is the price. For the money they ask for, and even cheaper, you can get much more productive Huawei Honor P8, flagships from Meizu - Pro 6 or Xiaomi - Mi5s and Mi5s Plus, OnePlus 3T. If it was 3-4 thousand cheaper, it could be taken safely. On the other hand, if you do not need performance in games, but need versatility and protection from moisture, then Samsung A7 (2017) will be a good purchase.
