Test: Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016)

The line between flagships and midrange is more or less clear. Technology’s top-of-the-line specs get delegated to a brand’s main players, while more economic options are brought to the midrange competition. Sometimes, though, players push past boundaries and mingle with the big boys. Such is the case with the 2016 update to the Samsung Galaxy A5.

• Premium design. What sets the Galaxy A5 2016 apart from the rest is its revamped form factor. Ditching the design philosophy of old, the new midrange sports the glass and metal chic of the phones from S6 onwards. Overall, the Galaxy A5’s form is more prismatic than the round edges of the Galaxy S7. It doesn’t have the Galaxy S6’s blocky profile, either. Its form is a good balance between yesteryear and today. Noticeable also is the non-protrusion of the camera. Front and back, the Galaxy A5 is covered in Gorilla Glass 4. It has a non-removable back panel with a tray for SIM cards and microSD expansion of up to 256GB.

• Slightly updated display. The Galaxy A5 isn’t setting display milestones, but it’s providing ample screen for movie watchers. The screen size increases slightly by an inch (5.1 to 5.2). The Galaxy A5 is putting in more pixels on the microscopic level by upgrading the screen from regular HD to Full HD. Overall, we’ve got a good screen with vibrant colors as is standard with Samsung.

• Camera lags behind a step. Sadly, the camera isn’t up to par with the S Series’s superb shooters. On close up shots, the camera takes a while to focus. On shooting skills, the Galaxy A5 takes workable photos with good color and detail. While it doesn’t have as much shine as the photos the S7 takes, the Galaxy A5 can make a good smartphone photographer with a little bit of skill.

• Standalone performance. The Galaxy A5 carries an Exynos 7 Octa chip within its hardware. On PCMark, this processor takes home a score of 4030, by no means an average scorecard. Practicality wise, the phone can perform medium to heavy operations with ease, including image-heavy apps and constant Chrome surfing. Temperature stayed at manageable levels throughout the testing period. Gamers will have to take a backseat as the chip can’t power out for demanding games like Hearthstone and Asphalt 8. Framerate noticeably takes a dip and temperature starts to rise after some minutes.

• No marshmallows, but no calories either. Out of the box, the Galaxy A5 comes with just Android Lollipop. Upon opening, though, it can be upgraded to Marshmallow. It’s an easy enough fix. The package’s lack of bloatware is also a stellar feature coming from the previous generations’ drowning amount of unnecessary apps. This phone’s TouchWiz interface breaks down apps into the bare minimum. You still have your standard array of Samsung apps, like S Health and S Finder, but what’s left is definitely an improvement.

• Power packed battery. Despite carrying just 2,900mAh of power capacity in its battery, the Galaxy A5 pushes performance throughout the day. The phone powers out a consistent 11-13 hours of uptime on regular use. For benchmarking, PCMark clocks in the battery at 11 hours and 10 minutes.

VERDICT

For its price tag of P19,990, the Samsung Galaxy A5 lives up as a good midrange phone with the capabilities and the form factor that brings it up to a workable speed in pursuit of flagships.

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