14:06, 90 269 views Finally, something happened that from Samsung has long been waiting for – the company has listened to the criticism and has released its first fully metal Android-smartphones. Models got the name Samsung GALAXY A3 (SM-A300F) and A5 (SM-A500F) . But to the surprise of many all-metal debut Koreans suffered no flagship device, and middling. Moreover, for some reason, the metal is covered with paint. A price premium positioning inflated accordingly. This results in a strange cocktail in which we try to understand. Hi – Tech. Mail. Ru got to test the new smart phones Samsung GALAXY A3 / A5 prior sale, we test them in detail and can already share their impressions.
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Samsung has a very long resisted the release of metal smartphone because it is technically difficult and expensive (not so much the material as its processing, in particular the percentage of defects). Already had metal smartphones on other operating systems (eg, Wave II on bada), but not metal, besides it’s not a mass market, as the market Android. Koreans are well aware that a metal with a large production run – a lot of different technological challenges that are constantly faced Apple, HTC and other lovers of this material in smartphones. Problems with reception, the paint oblazit, the body bends, the parts fit sloppy, the uneven painting etc. So it is quite natural desire to Samsung last hold on the plastic. But the situation in the market has forced the Koreans to rethink their approach.
The fact that Samsung quarterly results come out each time sadder. This is the only brand in the top ten largest producers who loses share. The company remains a leader in sales, but for how long is it? The main problem for the Koreans – is not an American Apple, and several Chinese giants, primarily Xiaomi. They offer advanced smartphones with good performance for adequate money. Against this background, Samsung wins only strength of the brand. Recently, the Korean brand marketing efforts are reduced (in some markets, particularly in Russia), in parallel increasing dissatisfaction audience pricing, materials of the shell, TouchWiz interface and other attributes of Samsung.
The company hastily trying to answer the call of the Chinese threat, but the time lost. While Samsung considered his main enemy Apple, competitors in the face of Xiaomi, Lenovo, Huawei and other grew, grew stronger and now actively advancing. Parallel intensified LG, whose products recently are very good (and G3, and even very good at all). A reasonable question arises: why buy plastic GALAXY S5 expensive if there is a more affordable smart phones like Xiaomi Mi4 with metal and other nice bonuses? So far the only answer – is a well-known brand, if for you it is important. But Samsung understands that many of this is not enough, and are now trying to offer better products. Let’s see what came out of it on the example of the new GALAXY A3 / A5.
We live in interesting times, when it is not the Chinese are catching up with Samsung, and vice versa.
Features
- Network: EDGE / GPRS / GSM (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100MHz), LTE, Dual-SIM (one of the slots for SIM-card is aligned with the microSD)
- Operating System: Android 4.4.4 (Kitkat), interface TouchWiz
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 Quad 1.2 GHz
- Memory: 16 GB, slot microSD, 1 GB of RAM A3 , 2 GB of RAM A5
- Display: Super AMOLED, 4.5 “qHD A3 , 5″ HD A5
- Camera: 8 megapixel main A3 , 13 Mn A5 , flash, video Full HD, 5 megapixel front
- Communications: 802.11 b / g / n, NFC, Bluetooth: 4.0 (BLE, ANT +), USB 2.0, FM-radio, LTE Cat 4, A-GPS / GLONASS
- Battery: removable 1900 mAh A3 , 2300 mAh A5
- Sensors: accelerometer sensor gestures, digital compass, a magnetic sensor
- Additional features: maximum energy saving mode, change the user in private mode ( A5 ), mode “2 active window» ( A5 ), the function of demand fast connection ( A5 )
- Dimensions, weight: 130.1 x 65.5 x 6.9 mm, 110.3 g A3 , 139.3 x 69.7 x 6.7 mm, 123 g A5
- Price at launch sales (December): 16 990 rubles A3, about 23 990 rubles A5
Design, ergonomics
Samsung has begun to change the design of their smartphones with an eye on Chinese manufacturers. The first models came with metal frame – GALAXY Alpha and 4 Note / Note Edge. Now the manufacturer to the next level – all-metal body. But to Koreans not reproached for copying, it was decided to add a special coating on the metal and paint it in different colors. Frame the contour uncoated, but also painted in body color (as in Note 4 / Note Edge). Following options are available: white, black, silver, pink, light blue and gold.
Design – is a matter of taste. But, in my opinion, make the metal smartphone and stylize it under plastic, to put it mildly, strange. Metal in the GALAXY A3 / A5 is issued only by the temperature (colder in the cold, heat when you run the game). Otherwise, he immediately looks and feels like a normal matte plastic, impossible to distinguish. Visible only unpainted frame sections, which somehow can understand that this is a premium model, rather than the usual Samsung and a half to two times cheaper. In general, Koreans are very nontrivial came to the idea of creating a fully metallic smartphones.
The company Samsung has turned completely to release the metal smartphone that looks and feels like plastic completely.
We can assume that this was done in order not to frighten the new material devoted fans of the brand, as well as to facilitate the task of painting in different colors. Speaking of traditional painting relevant question is: when will start to climb round coverage? Within a few days of tests is difficult to say something about its durability, but even if you have a smartphone simply drop and scratch, it can be costly. The fact is that in contrast to the same GALAXY Alpha Note 4 and / Note Edge models have A3 / A5 removable rear cover with all the consequences (including replaceable battery way). Just pick up and replace the back cover will not work.
According to the arrangement of model elements A3 and A5 are the same. Left – the volume rocker, a power button on the right and slots for SIM-cards and microSD, below 3.5 mm audio jack and microUSB. Also, the top and bottom are microphones. Interesting point: the right two slots, one of which is used for the SIM-card and memory cards microSD, but it can be inserted only one carrier, ie, or you dvuhsimochny smartphone without a memory card, or the card odnosimochny. A strange decision Korean engineers.
The Hardware
Samsung GALAXY A3 / A5 is based on quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 with a clock speed of 1.2 GHz. It is the technology of 28 nm. Used graphics Adreno 306. Synthetic test results correspond to the level of the chipset, they are average. The flip side is a good time to work, but more on that below. In reality, the performance is good, but if you add content (photos, videos, applications, etc.), TouchWiz traditionally podlagivaet in some scenarios. However, this is not a hardware problem, but a question of software. In the A3 model has 1 GB of RAM that Samsung proprietary interface is not always enough. At A5 more – 2 GB. With respect to heating, it is at the level of the plastic model, i.e. quite moderate, in the merit of the case,. Results benchmarks extremely similar, the difference at the level of the synthetic error. The figures – as the younger and the older model – a rather modest:
Memory in both smartphones and 16 GB (12 GB user available), supports media up to 64GB microSD. With regard to communications, there is a full order, lacking only the rapid charging function (as in Note 4). Have not gone away NFC and LTE. The latter is particularly valuable given the inexpensive entry-level chipset that Samsung uses in these updates. Housing metal, top and bottom are plastic strips for antennae. Upon receiving the signal level A3 / A5 S5 worse by approximately 20% (results of measurement see below). By the speaker volume, power, vibration and voice quality no complaints. But the volume and audio quality could be better, they are markedly inferior to the same iPhone.
In terms of signal reception GALAXY A3 / A5 significantly inferior to S5. This fee metal body and a result of lack of experience in the creation of all-metal Samsung smartphones. Read more – here.
Samsung GALAXY A3 / A5 reproduce HD-video at full brightness for about 12 hours. Great result for thin smartphone with low-power batteries.
Autonomy – is one of the few strengths of Samsung GALAXY A3 / A5. When frankly weak batteries (due to the thin shell) devices show strong results in the runtime. The only pity is that the battery is not removable. In the A3 model element is used to 1900 mAh in A5 – 2300 mAh. But the difference in the diagonal of the screen at the outlet gives roughly the same autonomy. As with the benchmark results here are very close. With an average load models run a half or two days. Video 720p (mkv) with all communications using the hardware codec A3 / A5 reproduce about 12 hours, which is very decent. This is a consequence of Super AMOLED screens, as well as optimization and mite makes the chipset. Results of testing time work:
Screens A3 / A5 does not correspond to the price class of models with permission. This is especially true A3, which qHD-display, which is quite strange for a model with a price above the average. In addition, there is PenTile, which at low resolutions is more noticeable, and the frame around the screen more consistent budget phone, but not so expensive models. Directly themselves parameters correspond to the standard features of Super AMOLED, Read our detailed testing . Compared with the GALAXY S5 trends slightly dull angle:
Comparison of screens: GALAXY A5 left / S5 right
The camera module is quite simple, at A5 13 MP, at A3 and do only 8 MP. A3 on quality not make a good impression, but the A5 shoot normal , but from the machine for 23,990 rubles one would expect a lot better. Supports video recording up to Full HD, there is a flash, front camera 5 MP. Software functionality familiar and standard, have not gone away subjects, their eight: cars, retouching, panorama, avtoselfi, continuous shooting, saturated colors, and GIF animation night. Download new themes, unfortunately, can not.
Examples of pictures in the highest quality (A5 left, A3 on the right):
Interface and software
Software Samsung GALAXY A3 / A5 is based on Android 4.4.4 (KitKat). Most likely, the later will upgrade to the “five”, but not at the start of sales, which is quite strange. Traditionally used interface TouchWiz. Exterior shell is not changed (which is debatable), and the functionality of the older vehicles partially removed.
In the models A3 / A5 no heartbeat sensor, no fingerprint reader, no stylus, so that the program set reasonably reduced. However, some of the additional software is still there – it’s AWAD, Internet Security, Anews, at A5 still GetTaxi, Flipboard, everything else is invited to download. src=”https://hi-tech.imgsmail.ru/hitech_img/7ff1b8f47431d6c20baa974da9d118c7/r/440x-/i/90/70/360ab99d02703e2c82a384080ace.jpg” цельнометаллические src=”https://hi-tech.imgsmail.ru/hitech_img/63669d1676bda417a34301f4b56299f7/r/440x-/i/ff/3d/76fb895cf77dc94ad301efad99e6.jpg” цельнометаллические
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