Samsung Galaxy A7 (2016) hands-on, first impressions

Samsung has launched today the Galaxy A7 (2016), the company’s premium mid-range smartphone that features a 5.5-inch display, octa-core CPU, 3GB RAM and Android Lollipop.

The Galaxy A7 (2016) is an update to last year’s Galaxy A7. Up front it has a 5.5-inch Full HD AMOLED display which equates to 401ppi. Above it are the earpiece and 5MP camera.

Down below are the physical home button which also doubles as a fingerprint scanner, and capacitive navigation buttons on its the left and right sides. All of those are covered with Corning’s Gorilla Glass 4 which smoothly curves at the edges.

Looking at the left we have the volume keys, while on the right are the power/lock button and tray for the SIM card and microSD card.

Up top we have a microphone and a couple of antenna bands, while down at the bottom are the headset jack, microUSB port, loudspeaker, microphone, and another pair of antenna bands.

Flip it on its back and you will see the 13MP camera, LED flash and Samsung logo.

On hand, the Galaxy A7 (2016) didn’t fail to exude its premium quality. The cool-to-the-touch metal frame is nice to the touch, and thanks to its curved body with a slight groove on the left and right sides makes it easy and comfortable to grip.

The glass back, on the other hand, although adds to its premium quality, is a fingerprint and smudge magnet. If that irks you then prepare to wipe it frequently.

Samsung Galaxy A7 (2016) specifications:
5.5-inch Full HD Super AMOLED display (1920×1080 pixels), 401ppi
Gorilla Glass 4
1.6GHz Exynos 7580 Octa-core processor
3GB RAM
16GB internal storage
up to 128GB via microSD
13MP rear camera, f/1.9 aperture, OIS, LED flash
5MP front camera, f/1.9
Dual-SIM hybrid
LTE Cat.6
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.1
ANT+
NFC
Fingerprint scanner
Android 5.1 Lollipop (upgradable to Marshmallow)
3,300mAh battery w/ Fast Charging
151.5 x 74.1 x 7.3mm
172g