Samsung galaxy a7 description. Review of the Galaxy A7 (2018) - the first smartphone from Samsung with a triple camera. Design and materials

Information about the make, model, and alternative names of the specific device, if available.

Design

Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Materials used, colors offered, certificates.

SIM card

The 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.

Mobile communication technologies and data transfer speeds

Communication between devices on mobile networks is carried out using technologies that provide different data transfer rates.

Operating system

An operating system is a system software that manages and coordinates the operation of hardware components in a device.

SoC (System on Chip)

A system on a chip (SoC) includes all the most important hardware components of a mobile device on one chip.

Built-in memory

Each mobile device has built-in (non-removable) memory with a fixed capacity.

Memory cards

Memory cards are used in mobile devices to increase the storage capacity for storing data.

Screen

The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.

Sensors

Different sensors perform different quantitative measurements and convert physical indicators into signals that a 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.

Additional camera

Additional cameras are usually mounted above the device screen and are used mainly for video conversations, gesture recognition, etc.

Audio

Information about the type of speakers and audio technologies supported by the device.

Radio

The radio of the mobile device is a built-in FM receiver.

Location determination

Information about the navigation and location technologies supported by your device.

WiFi

Wi-Fi is a technology that provides wireless communication for transmitting data over close distances between various devices.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless data transfer between various devices of different types over short distances.

USB

USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that allows different electronic devices to exchange data.

Headphone jack

This is an audio connector, also called an audio jack. The most widely used standard in mobile devices is the 3.5mm headphone jack.

Connecting devices

Information about other important connection technologies supported by your device.

Browser

A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.

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.

Battery

Mobile device batteries differ from each other in their capacity and technology. They provide the electrical charge necessary for their functioning.

Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)

The SAR level refers to the amount of electromagnetic radiation absorbed by the human body while using a mobile device.

In 2017, the famous South Korean technology manufacturer Samsung decided to update its line of mid-range smartphones. It turned out quite well for them, I must say. Phones that previously quite reliably occupied the middle niche in the mobile technology market, after the update began to claim the role of budget flagships of a higher level. Let's see what characteristics are offered by the so-called senior A-series model - Samsung Galaxy A7 2017.

Main characteristics

First of all, it is worth noting that the older model assumes the greatest and best technological “package”. However, the developers did not spoil us too much. The equipment of the 2017 A7 model is very slightly superior to its younger colleague - the updated Samsung Galaxy A5. The main differences are the battery capacity and, of course, the screen size. Well, what else, exactly, should smartphones measure against?

Frame

It is quite noticeable that the Koreans sought to bring the A-line as close as possible to their more luxurious S-series relatives. The design of the updated A7 is in many ways similar to the Samsung Galaxy S7 - rounded edges, glass upholstery, minimalism, identical layout of keys and speakers. However, such imitation does not harm the appearance of the phone at all, but, on the contrary, gives it a more elegant and stylish look.

• The body of the updated model is covered with glass on both sides. The front is protected by 2.5D glass, while the back is protected by 3D coating. The edges are framed by an elegant metal rim.
• The phone measures 156.8 x 77.6mm and is almost 7.9mm thick. Weight is 144 g.
• The phone is available in several color variations: standard black, elegant gold, soft blue and pale pink.

Technical stuffing

Of course, even the updated A7 cannot compete with the luxury analogue of the Samsung Galaxy S7 in performance. However, you just have to remember for what niche the smartphone was developed. Galaxy A7 2017 is a good candidate for the title of flagship among mid-class phones, so its technical characteristics are quite decent.

It has a more powerful eight-core Exynos 7880 processor with a clock frequency of 1.9 GHz compared to the version of that year. The graphics rest on the “shoulders” of the three-core Mali-T830 chip.

Initially, the phone is installed with Android version 6.0 Marshmallow, but the developers guarantee to update the software to the next “sweetie” - Android 7.0 Nougat.

The user interface of the local sixth android uses the Grace UI graphical shell. Which, as you know, promises its users the ability to work in multi-window mode.

The processor of the new Galaxy A7 shows relatively good data when working with almost all tasks However, for resource-intensive programs, for example, for demanding games, the settings will have to be launched with lower graphics parameters
The GPU test shows very good results The results of the performance test of the updated processor are at the same level.
On other tests the device produces similar numbers

Screen

The 2017 version of the Samsung Galaxy A7 pleases us with an expanded Super AMOLED screen of 5.7 inches. The display resolution is 1080 x 1920 pixels per inch. Agree, a very standard characteristic for modern smartphones. However, the big plus is that the screen takes up about two-thirds of the entire front of the phone. The rest of the minimum is the mechanical “Home” control button, the “Return” and “Applications” invisible touchscreens, as well as the speaker, front camera, proximity sensor and the famous Samsung inscription.

It is important to note that the Samsung Galaxy A7 2017 has a screen calibration menu with a specific set of modes. Each of them demonstrates an impressive 100% color space coverage. Temperature, gamma and backlight also show extremely pleasing results.

The developers have taken care of optimizing the use of SIM cards

Now the smartphone has separate slots for both SIM cards and a memory card, which is very convenient

Memory

As for the available space on the phone, here too the updated version has undergone some changes. The phone's RAM remained at the same level - 3 GB, but the built-in memory has doubled and is now 32 GB versus 16 GB in last year's version. If we take into account the space occupied by system files, the available space in general will, of course, be several gigabytes less. However, in this case you can use microSD. Now the fresh Samsung Galaxy A7 2017 supports flash cards up to 256 GB instead of last year’s 128 GB. So even the most kilobyte-intensive users will not be offended.

Battery

Now the latest brainchild of the South Korean developer also has a more powerful Li-Po battery - 3600 mAh versus last year’s 3300 mAh. In addition, the phone has Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging. Due to it, the manufacturer promises to reduce the time spent on battery restoration to one and a half hours.

In offline mode, your phone will work for as much as 380 hours (which, in terms of a day, promises us an incredible almost 16 days). The device will work for 18 hours in talk mode, listening to music can last up to 48 hours, and watching videos - up to 9. But the phone still does not have wireless charging. Even though this is the older model of the line.

Other "goodies"

The smartphone also supports the Always On Display function, which means that notifications, clock and date are displayed on its screen even in inactive mode.

There is no longer a need to endlessly turn on your phone and check notifications. Now all important notifications (as well as the clock, calendar, etc.) are visible even in offline mode

This option consumes little energy and looks quite stylish.

This year's updated line of Samsung Galaxy A smartphones can also boast that its body is made according to the IP68 standard and is now reliably protected from moisture and dust. You can absolutely easily get your phone wet in the pouring rain or even drop it into huge one and a half meter puddles. Yes, yes, this is not a joke. The latest version of the Galaxy A7 can withstand up to 30 minutes at a depth of up to 1.5 meters.

But once upon a time, such photos could only be taken in Photoshop.

This year's models also feature a modern, reversible USB Type-C port. Now you don’t need to waste time and nerves on endless attempts to get the right side into the charger connector. You can successfully insert the USB cable into the socket almost with your eyes closed and in complete darkness.

Two-way USB input seems like an incredible convenience, doesn't it?

One-handed operation is one of the assistant options that make using the phone easier and making this process more comfortable. This feature allows you to triple-click the Home button to activate one-handed control mode, in which active windows are shifted to one side of the display.

Perfect for both right-handers and left-handers (and even more so for ambidextrous people)

Smart Capture is another similar feature that makes it easier to work with screenshots.

Fingerprint's scanner. However, we advise you to be careful with this option, since, despite the fact that the sensor itself is quite responsive, it requires quite careful configuration. Don't be discouraged if your device doesn't recognize all touches at first, and just try calibrating the scanner again.

In general, the applications and functions installed in this version largely duplicate the sets of other Samsung models: standard Galaxy Apps, S Health fitness program, Samsung Members online support service, of course, S Voice voice assistant and much more. So, if you have already had experience with other versions of South Korean phones, many things will seem very familiar to you.

The main and front cameras are another nice feature

The smartphone camera gives its users a strong 16 megapixels in both the main camera and the front one. Yes, yes, the front camera on the Galaxy A7 2017 is no worse than the main lens. The aperture on both sides is F/1.9, the focal length is 27 mm. The lens is equipped with autofocus and, of course, a flash. Compared to the model of that year, the current camera produces a larger number of working pixels, but the smartphone has lost a rather important option - optical image stabilization. This quite noticeably leads to a small problem: during the day you can easily take quite good pictures with excellent light sensitivity and detail, but in the late afternoon, when natural light gives way to artificial light, noise and noticeable blurriness appear. The deterioration of the image is accompanied by an increasing focusing time.

Taking a picture at night, even with the “Night” mode set on the phone, produces far from the best results

But selfies indoors come out quite decent. The matrix resolution of the front camera is not inferior to the main lens - the same 16 megapixels. However, its tasks are much simpler: portrait photography at close range. In addition, the front camera, like the rear camera, has its own flash. The creators of the updated version of the Galaxy A7 decided to use soft white lighting from the phone screen.

Thanks to the soft lighting from the phone screen, selfies even in a dim room turn out detailed and not blurry.

True, some users complain that the front camera greatly blurs everything that is more than one meter from it. Those. Taking a selfie against the backdrop of something far away or large will initially be difficult for you.

Among other things, the video here is recorded in Full HD resolution. Now we must remember that even last year’s version of the luxury Galaxy S7 had the ability to shoot videos in 4K resolution. And optical stabilization was available on the outdated Galaxy A7 2016. This suggests that despite the improved parameters of the processor, memory, battery and other things, the camera, on the contrary, began to perform worse. The number of pixels has increased, but this cannot compensate for the lack of optical stabilization. And if during the day the camera produces quite decent picture quality, then in the evening and even more so at night, it is better to replace the phone with its analogue from last year.

Samsung Galaxy A7 2017 is a top representative of the popular line of the South Korean electronics manufacturer. Samsung's A series itself is very successful. And all because the manufacturer managed to convince users that a good smartphone is not about gigahertz and megapixels. The main thing is that it is of high quality, pleasant to use and not buggy. In the 2017 line, they added moisture protection, sharpened the design, and in general, it became very good.

Equipment

I received the device for testing without a kit. In general, without anything - just a pipe. However, I dug up information on the Internet (thanks to the official video of the DNS store) and this is what awaits domestic users in the box:

• USB Type-C cable
• adapter from USB Type-C to Micro USB
• charger with an output current of 2A with support for proprietary fast charging Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging
• wired headset
• Supporting documentation

The adapter is needed for one function. To connect a new device to an old one (perhaps just with a Micro USB connector) and painlessly transfer all the information via cable. The device allows you to do this at the initial setup stage.

Design

The body of the new product has become completely streamlined. There is not a single sharp corner, smooth, rounded lines and transitions are everywhere. This is neither good nor bad. Just a fact. Each new generation should have some kind of design highlight, and this is what happened this time.

At the ends we have a metal side, on the front there is tempered glass Corning Gorilla Glass 4, on the back there is also glass, although it is not known for sure which one.

I especially liked that the 2.5D glass is highly rounded and rests directly on the metal body. There is no plastic side, everything fits perfectly together and it feels great when you take the smartphone in your hand.

The surface has an oleophobic coating, but still very quickly collects all the greasy fingerprints. This is especially critical for the back side. This is the price to pay for the glossy body that sparkles with sunbeams.

Before wiping

I liked that the camera lens was rolled up flush with the main surface, now it doesn’t stick out one bit. On the contrary, it is even slightly concave inward.

In general, we have a desert behind us - a small camera peephole, next to it is a single-color flash and just the name of the manufacturer. Perhaps it is stylish and laconic, but, in my opinion, it looks rustic. The $500 device lacks some flavor.

In general, the smartphone looks much better from the front. And by the way, if you take it, then only the black version. In this color the smartphone looks simply gorgeous. What’s especially nice is that the “Samsung” inscription on the front panel is practically invisible, and in addition, when turned off, the borders of the frequency screen merge with the body and, coupled with the Always On Display function, it all looks simply fiery!

Other available colors include light blue and gold. Let's see how it looks and agree with me about the black color.

A pink version is also found in nature, but we do not plan to sell it here.

There are two things that personally confuse me a little about the design: the weight and thickness of the case. The smartphone seems to be thin, but if you compare it with its competitors (for me it was the iPhone 6 Plus and), you feel like you’re holding such an impressive coffin in your hands.

In addition, the device is quite heavy. Not to say that this is critical. You quickly get used to it and don’t notice any weight, however, if you start comparing, then... well, you get the idea.

On the other hand, A7 buyers know what they are getting into. They need a smartphone with a large screen, and this is fraught with an increase in size and there is no question of any compactness. Sorry!

On the other hand, look at the dimensions of its direct competitor, the iPhone 6S Plus. Here the screen is smaller (5.5 inches), and the body dimensions are larger (longer, wider, heavier). So we draw conclusions.

The volume buttons are located on the left side. Right-handers will find it somewhat unusual at first.

One interesting thing: the SIM card slot is divided into two independent parts. One tray for a Nano SIM card and a memory card is located on top, the second (only for a Nano SIM card) has taken its place on the left side.

The design is original, but the user does not have to choose between a second SIM card and increasing the built-in memory. This is a great blessing!

The external speaker is located in an even more original place. It is located on the right side above the power button.

And if the smartphone is on the table or you hold it vertically with one hand, then no problem. However, now you want to watch a movie directly from your phone, you turn the device over and hold it with both hands. So the index finger is placed exactly on the speaker holes, thereby muffling the sound. We have to look for a less comfortable grip option.

The speaker is average in terms of playback quality - there are quite a lot of devices on the market that play better than the A7, but there are even more speakers of lower quality. In terms of volume, there is also no revelation. I would even say that the speaker is rather weak, the volume level is below the “hospital” average. On a noisy street, missing a call costs nothing.

The touch keys are located on the body next to the physical Home button and have a clear, bright moon-colored backlight. You cannot adjust its time or intensity, which is a pity, because it is very short. Adding additional functionality or swapping keys is also prohibited, as is activating a vibration response when you press them. We get used to what we have, or install additional, third-party software.

There is a one-handed control mode. It turns on in the menu, you need to press the “Home” button three times. It's not very convenient, but you can get used to it.

I liked that you can quickly launch the camera at any time - just press the Home key twice and within a second the viewfinder is ready to shoot. This is important because street stories evaporate very quickly.

One of the key features of the updated A line is the presence of protection against moisture and dust according to the IP68 standard. It involves swimming with a smartphone in fresh water at a depth of up to 1.5 meters and for 30 minutes.

Despite the fact that the connectors are not externally protected in any way, they are still not afraid of moisture. However, I would still not recommend using headphones or connecting a USB-C cable immediately after bathing. It’s better to wait a couple of hours until the smartphone is completely dry.

Fingerprint's scanner

The sensor is built right into the Home button. It’s here in the hardware (you need to click). However, to unlock the device you just need to touch it with your finger - the sensor is always on alert and ready to read the fingerprint.

I have an extremely negative attitude towards devices that require you to press a button to unlock them rather than just touch them. After all, this is inconvenient! Why don't manufacturers understand this?

For me the reference fingerprint sensor is set to /. The speed of reading a fingerprint and unlocking a smartphone is off the charts. Something around 0.2 or even 0.1 seconds. In addition, you can place your finger on absolutely any side, carelessly and inaccurately - everything is recognized correctly.

The Galaxy A7's sensor is not as fast or accurate. Yes, it can be read quite well, but quite often the system reports that it is impossible to recognize the fingerprint. You need to apply your finger again, more carefully and as centrally as possible. The smartphone does not forgive negligence. However, if you switched to the A7 from the same iPhone 6, then the scanner’s performance will seem fantastic to you. Everything is relative.

Of course, the scanner has additional functionality. For example, you can set up Samsung Pay payment (I’ll talk about it separately) or set up authorization for sites using a fingerprint. Links of logins and passwords will be immediately entered into the required forms; you just need to put your finger on the scanner. This is very convenient, but only works through the built-in browser. Chrome does not support this function, I use it (cross-platform rules!), so this functionality was not useful to me.

Blocking individual applications with a fingerprint is only possible through a PIN code and “Secure Folder”. I'll tell you about this in the software features section.

Display

Gorgeous, large, juicy Super AMOLED screen. Basically, that’s all you need to know about this rather important component of a smartphone.

Is it worth mentioning the Always On Display function. This is a really useful feature that other manufacturers should adopt. The point is that you can configure it so that the necessary information is always displayed on the screen: time, date, notification icons, calendar, and even some nice picture in the background.

In this case, the screen never goes out and consumes negligible energy. After all, we are dealing with an AMOLED matrix, the pixels of which do not display black color. If you set the font to black and white, the power consumption will be even less.

Most “amolds” suffer from high contrast and oversaturation of colors. This has almost always been the case, and really high-quality screens (without these “childhood” diseases) began to appear in Samsung devices starting with the Galaxy S6. Now the colors have calmed down, the “green” has practically disappeared, the screen at extreme viewing angles has stopped shimmering with all the colors of the rainbow. Let's see how it looks like in comparison with (in the photo it is below or on the right).

As you can see, we have two excellent screens in front of us. However, in my opinion, the 1+3T is a little ahead thanks to slightly more pleasant color rendering of faces. You may not notice this immediately, and only with direct comparison.

The oleophobic coating is also of high quality, befitting a flagship device. The brightness margin is such that in the dark with the backlight turned up to maximum, I think you can go blind. Hence we observe excellent behavior of the screen in the sun.

In general, everything is just fine with the display! Samsung gave even more here than I expected. After all, we’re not dismantling a flagship, you never know.

Specifications Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) model SM-A720F

It happens that a certain manufacturer releases an updated model of its popular smartphone, adding/improving two or three functions. Everything else remains unchanged, and the end user is confused whether to buy an updated device or save money and get about the same thing in the old “body”.

So in the case of the 2017 Galaxy A7, everything is completely different. There are a lot of changes and I think there is simply no question of choice. Let's look at all the technical characteristics of the updated device in comparison with its predecessor.

And the battery is larger, the processor is faster, and the display is more interesting - there are so many improvements that, if you are asking the question of choice, then it is worth buying, and therefore paying more.

A little more about the new Exynos 7 7880 processor. In the manufacturer’s internal line, this “stone” is in third place after the top Exynos 9 (8895), which will be installed in the Galaxy S8, and also after Exynos 8 (8890), which is used in current also the company's flagships (and S7 Edge).

This chipset was built on a 14nm process technology (up from 28nm) and consumes 36 percent less power than the previous generation while maintaining the same level of performance.

In addition, the system on a chip includes a new modem with LTA Cat support. 7, therefore, we can expect a data transfer speed for downloading within 300 Mbit/s, and for uploading up to 100 Mbit/s. And the updated modem supports much more frequencies, therefore, there will be no problems when roaming with a fast connection.

The new “stone” also means an updated graphic component. The Mali-T830 MP3 video accelerator supports decoding the H.265 codec (4K video at 30 fps), processing huge images (up to 21.7 MP), and so on.

Performance

Testing Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017), I caught myself thinking that I am completely uninterested in what a smartphone has “under the hood”. What processor does it have, what video accelerator and how much RAM is installed.

The experience of communicating with this device is similar to how we use and choose an iPhone. A purely consumer attitude of the type “So that everything works as it should, without stress and brakes.” I'll explain with an example.

Most smartphone owners know what chipset is inside, how much RAM and what generation it is. Moreover, all these people chose this device solely because of its top-end, productive hardware.

Here's a contrast for you. 90 percent of iPhone 6/6S/7 owners have no idea at what frequency the processor installed inside operates. No, someone once heard that some powerful chipset was installed inside, one of the latest, it seems, but that’s where all the knowledge ends. People use it and have no idea how much free RAM there is at the moment.

So, everything is the same with our South Korean guest. The smartphone works great, copes with all tasks perfectly, does not glitch, does not slow down and does not give any reason to doubt its relevance at the moment.

You bought it, set it up and forgot about all the nuances for a year and a half, until the release of the Galaxy A7 2018 or even 2019 revision. This is exactly how this smartphone should be perceived.

However, I can't help but run some standard tests. We do the most comprehensive and detailed reviews so that the future owner knows and is warned about all the nuances. So let's go play, test AnTuTu and so on.

Assassin's Creed Identity does not lag; occasionally, in heavy scenes and during fast camera turns, stuttering is visible, but for the most part there is none.

In World of Tanks Blitz the situation is as follows. At maximum graphics settings, everything is not too rosy. The frame rate fluctuates within 18-25 FPS, no more. We set the parameters to average, restart the game and calmly play at a frequency of 50-60 frames per second.

Now regarding 4K video playback. And here everything is more than wonderful. Even the same smartphone that was declared H.265 was picked up, figured out and didn’t even blink an eye.

Photo and video capabilities

Another parameter in which this year’s A7 is head and shoulders above its predecessor. The front camera had 5, but now has 16 megapixels! A normal change, don’t you think?

The pictures are of very decent quality: detailed, without exposure errors, without any tricks with skin tones or other crimes. Of course, you can’t go anywhere without a beauty regime. On the left is a photo taken with skin smoothing (level 2 of 8), on the right is the original frame.

Since we are dealing with an Asian manufacturer, there is additional functionality: you can narrow your face and make your eyes bigger. Oh…

The resolution of the rear photosensor has not grown so significantly - from 13 to 16 megapixels. Still not bad.

However, what do we get in terms of image quality? One of the best mid-rangers in this regard (yes, the A7 is considered a model in the mid-price segment, closer to the top). Another characteristic is that the photo quality is at the level of 2014-2015 flagships. And this, in my opinion, is a very worthy result.

Of course, if you need the most sophisticated camera in a smartphone, then this is not the A7. Look to the side or even S6/. These characters are still wow in terms of photography! Xiaomi, despite all its successes, still cannot reach them - the top ranks of 2015, for a moment.

Regular photo

Food mode

However, from the point of view of a modern mid-range smartphone with all the latest bells and whistles carried over from flagships, the camera offers good, solid quality.

HDR enabled

Finally, Samsung abandoned a million preset modes and left only the most necessary: ​​HDR (without Auto mode), panoramas, delicious food (is it really something Huawei spied?!), night and a manual. You can also download the GIF maker, but this is optional.

The settings included one simple but very useful feature - a floating shutter button. The user decides where on the screen to place the additional shooting button. There is no need to reach for just one, closer to the bottom edge. And it's convenient!

In terms of video shooting, we have nothing unusual - recording Full HD videos at a frequency of 30 fps. The quality is completely ordinary, without any obvious emphasis on this function.

I am sure that the device could easily record Ultra HD videos, but, apparently, the developers deliberately cut this function.

The video from the front camera, by the way, is more impressive. Same recording parameters, but still this is a sensor designed for slightly different things than the rear camera.

Software chips

Every year, the Samsung software shell becomes better, more functional, but at the same time more logical and minimalistic. I'll tell you what I liked.

Firstly, the appearance can be customized to your liking. There is an online catalog of themes from where you can download covers for your interface to suit every taste. The community there is global, there are a lot of options, and there is a fairly large selection of good, stylish options.

Secondly, the system is very smart. She herself monitors the activity of all applications and processes in the background. From the settings, go to the “Optimization” item, where this whole thing can be tweaked in detail, configure the operation of programs, etc. Many shells have this feature, but in our case this matter is presented somehow more clearly. Almost as good as Huawei's EMUI.

And yet the system is not so smart that it can work and optimize everything on its own. From time to time you will have to go into the menu and delete an unnecessary cache of files, and even in a couple of weeks I have accumulated quite a lot of it.

Third and coolest! Samsung smartphones have one of the most advanced security systems. The Knox platform is responsible for this matter. This is a mixture of hardware and software that sensitively monitors the state of the hardware and operating system, and also has physical storage where you can place personal information. Access to it is limited even by the operating system itself - user login is carried out only by entering a PIN code through the same Knox platform.

There is another useful feature - “Secure Folder”. Here you can add all sorts of different applications, images and files, and access to them will only be through entering a PIN. You can't even put a fingerprint here. There will be no screenshots here, because they cannot be taken in this mode.

In general, the “Secure Folder” is like a device within a device. It has its own Google Play market, where you can log in under another Gmail account and install individual applications from it. Thus, you can get, for example, two WhatsApp in one smartphone: one will be available in normal mode, the other only in protected mode.

There is another way - simply copy the application from the main memory of the phone. The same account will be saved in both copies, however, if you delete the utility from the main memory, the copy previously transferred to the “Protected Folder” will remain. I hope the principle of operation is clear.

I also liked the fact that there is practically no software garbage, as if “as a gift” from the manufacturer. There is a full suite of office applications from Microsoft, but these utilities certainly won’t be superfluous.

I can't say anything negative about the software. And not because I’m somehow promoting the shell from Samsung, I just didn’t really find anything criminal or so.

Samsung Pay

I'm absolutely delighted with this feature. While I was testing the device, I paid for everything and everywhere using my phone.

Moreover, you can pay even where cards with wireless payment are not accepted (Visa PayWave and MasterCard PayPass) and all thanks to MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) technology, which cleverly emulates a magnetic field, and the payment terminal recognizes this as a physical magnetic stripe cards.

None of our competitors have this yet, so Samsung is ahead of the rest here.

Registering a bank card is very quick and easy. I set up the card while walking from the car to the grocery store, which was about 100 meters away. To successfully complete verification, the bank must work with the Samsung Pay system and the card supports this function. I have a Sberbank card from the Stone Age (not wireless), and therefore it is not caught by the system. But with Alpha everything went without a hitch.

Before paying, you need to remove the protruding piece of your virtual plastic from the bottom edge of the screen and touch the fingerprint scanner. Next, we bring the smartphone to the terminal and voila - this is magic!

The thing is very contagious, you want to pay and use it always and everywhere!

Battery life

The device received a 3,600 mAh battery. It's not a very big battery considering the thickness (7.9mm) and the huge screen (the larger the physical area of ​​the device, the more space there is inside). However, Samsung developers get paid for a reason. Optimization of energy consumption here is at the highest level.

Hence the result - the smartphone can easily work for two full days with one SIM card installed and fairly moderate use (constant background notifications, synchronization, website surfing, social networks, 2-3 hours of screen light).

If you drive your smartphone both in its tail and in its mane, constantly surf the Internet, download something, watch online videos, then the capacity reserve will be enough for one full day - from the very morning until late in the evening. And the screen operating time will be close to 5 hours.

I would like to note that I did not use any power saving modes. There are a lot of them here; with proper configuration, the lifespan of the device can certainly be extended.

In general, the device did not disappoint in terms of autonomy. You don't even have to carry a portable battery with you.

I can’t say anything about fast charging, since I didn’t have a complete charger or power cable when testing. I charged the smartphone with a regular charger. However, according to reviews on the Internet, a full fast charging cycle (Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging) takes about an hour and a half. When you disable it from the settings, the smartphone charges in 2.5 hours.

Sound quality

Unfortunately, the smartphone does not have a normal player for playing music. There is only a utility from Google with an obsessive subscription to their music. It, of course, also knows how to play audio, but not all the necessary formats, and does not have any detailed playback settings. Sadness.

However, this arrangement with Google can be circumvented very easily. We open the proprietary application catalog (Galaxy Apps) and among the recommended utilities we almost see Samsung Music first. This is a standard application for playing songs.

However, MP3 files can be played without problems. The sound quality through headphones is not amazing; it is at the level of most modern smartphones, no matter how much they cost: from 100 to 600 dollars. Even with the proprietary UHQ upscaler enhancement, I did not notice any noticeable changes. In general, this will suit most users; music lovers, I think, not so much.

Bottom line

Current price Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) now it is 32,990 rubles. It's a little pricey for my taste. If it were 29,990 rubles, that would be a completely different matter. However, this is just my opinion.

On the other hand, the gadget is completely fresh. From a famous brand. Everything is so high quality, beautiful, modern and with full support for Samsung Pay. What did you want? Buy a quality item for three pennies? There is a good English (English, right?) saying for this case: “We are not rich enough to buy cheap things.” This is exactly about the Samsung Galaxy A7 revision of this year.

I would definitely recommend the device to residents of the metropolis who do not know how the Helio X27 differs from the Snapdragon 653, why the “permanent” UFS 2.1 standard is preferable, and other nonsense. Those who are tired of the endless dominance of iPhones want to get a high-quality, modern gadget here and now, with a guarantee that everything will be problem-free. Well, of course, it would have to be changed no sooner than in a year and a half.

An additional bonus will be water protection according to the IP68 standard. This is really great, because with a smartphone you can calmly lie in the bath after a hard day at work. Well, isn't it lovely?!

Rated 5 out of 5 by snayperrr93 from Despite the fact that the device is from a budget series... I bought it before the new year. During this time, several updates were released. Now it has Android 9. works great. Convenient in everything

Date published: 2019-05-21

Rated 5 out of 5 by Viva from Lots of features for a reasonable price I bought the phone last month and was pleased with the range of functions for a reasonable price.

Date published: 2019-05-16

Rated 5 out of 5 by Grisha from Samsung A7 I am very pleased with the product, excellent display, cameras, you can’t find them for such a price. I like that there are two SIM cards and a flash drive. Contactless payment. But a residue remained from the wheezing speaker. On the speakerphone, the speaker wheezed, the same thing happened when watching a video. I used it for 5 days and exchanged it for the same one. Only now I’ve been sent to the center without a phone for 20 days.

Date published: 2019-05-12

Rated 5 out of 5 by Anonymous from High-quality ergonomic stylish smartphone I've been using it since the new year. It has everything for work and personal purposes. Fast bright comfortable. Best

Date published: 2019-05-10

Rated 5 out of 5 by Anonymous from Delight I am absolutely delighted with the Samsung Galaxy A7. Pink is a very suitable color for girls; there have never been such colors before. Stylish, fashionable, youthful. The quality of the camera is a delight, excellent photos on both cameras. There are no cons at all, only pros. It works quickly, does not hang, overall the phone is for me. It’s not expensive now, unlike in 2018.

Date published: 2019-05-08

Rated 5 out of 5 by Demon83 from Good for your money I bought a z13 10 days ago with a discount, it’s a pity that the battery cannot be replaced with a higher density one.

Date published: 2019-05-05

Rated 5 out of 5 by Luntik from Great phone for the money It's a good phone, although I would like a more powerful processor. But overall the product is excellent.

Date published: 2019-04-30

Rated 5 out of 5 by DieMou5 from I bought it at the beginning of November right after its release in 2018 Phone Shikaren paid 11k at that time. I regretted it immediately after the New Year, both the A7 and S8 fell in price. I could pay extra and buy S8. I advise you to immediately buy a case, preferably an original one (it’s comfortable and has a nice appearance). In the first days, the phone was without a case, it slid off the FLAT table, slowly sliding towards the edge (it always tries to fall out of my pocket), after a couple of successful, small falls on the carpet, I decided not to joke and bought a case. Well, a VERY SLIPPERY smartphone))). I kept a discount card in the case (there is a pocket for this). After wearing it for a long time, I noticed abrasions and a scratch on the display (apparently a grain or speck of something got in) so I don’t put a plastic card there anymore. After half a year of owning it, I’m happy with it and for the average user, a couple of photos, calls, a couple of games and the Internet are easily enough for a day. If you surf the Internet all day (from 10 to 20:00), then in the evening 30-40% remains + there is a good energy saving function up to “maximum” (+100 hours of operation at 100% charge) I don’t play much games, but I take photos cool). Without a cover it looks great))) but not safe))). A workhorse with a good camera and performance. Never froze or slowed down. In case of accumulation of garbage (which I simply did not feel), the phone has a one-click optimization section, from time to time I clear 2-4 GB of cache and all sorts of stuff. Nice and convenient. For work, video, Internet and photos - IDEAL (the hardest game PUBG is too tough - 15 fps). In general, I'm happy with the phone))

In January 2017, the Korean company Samsung announced three new versions of smartphones: A3, A5 and A7. They did not change the name, leaving it the same as its predecessors, adding only the year of manufacture (2017). Each of these models is worthy of a detailed review, but today we’ll look at the pros and cons of the Galaxy A7.

The smartphone is packaged in a white box with a minimalist design. Looks very stylish.
Package Included:

1. Cable;
2. Headphones;
3. Documentation;
4. Charger;
5. Type-c adapter.

Considering that in 2018, rarely do any manufacturers include a wired headset in the kit, then I would like to thank the creators of the A7. Plus there is USB Type-c, the convenience of which will definitely be appreciated by the user. Below is a little more detail about it.

USB Type-c

At first, the type-c connector format may seem useless and incomprehensible - all its advantages will be revealed later.

For example, when you don’t have a charger at hand, you no longer need to run around all the nearby stores in search of a charger - this connector will help out. You can also charge using a USB cable.

Design

The body of the device is made of metal around the perimeter, and the back cover is made of rounded glass. There is no oleophobic coating on the back of the smartphone. This is both a plus and a minus - fingerprints collect heavily, but the smartphone fits more securely in the hand, and there are fewer opportunities for it to slip out.

The Galaxy A line is positioned as a fashion line, that is, more attention is paid to the design and appearance of the device than to the hardware platform and filling.

The external speaker is located on the top, on the right side of the phone body. The convenience of this solution is felt while watching a video - holding the phone with both hands does not block the sound.

A fingerprint scanner is built into the home button. This location is very convenient - it is almost impossible to miss.

Water and dust protection

The smartphone received protection against water and dust according to IP68 standards. This means that it can withstand immersion in fresh water to a depth of one and a half meters. The safe time for the device to be in swimming is 30 minutes.

Screen

Since the A7 is the older model in the A line, it received the largest display with Full HD resolution and a diagonal of 5.7 inches. There are no complaints about the quality, the viewing angles are maximum, and the colors are rich and bright. Pixel density 386 ppi. Supports up to ten simultaneous touches to the screen using multitouch technology.

In the screen settings you can adjust the blue color mode. This feature allows your eyes to rest while viewing content in the evening. You can move the slider and the screen color will acquire a warm tone.

The display of white color is not satisfactory - the tint does not turn pink or blue. This is important because some brands had this problem.

Using the smartphone in the sun will also be comfortable due to the special anti-reflective coating. There are no problems with display readability. A high-quality matrix and good light filters did their job.

Always on display

The active screen feature in rest mode has not disappeared. The 2017 A7 model also has the option.

If the display is turned off, you still won’t miss an important event. The screen displays information about missed notifications, calls, calendar events, date and time.
Always on Display will help out at a business meeting, or when you can’t pick up the phone, but you need to monitor incoming calls.

Main characteristics

Processor and RAM

The smartphone boasts an eight-core Exynos 7880 processor with a clock frequency of 1.9 Ghz. The Mali-t 830 chip is responsible for the graphics.

In operation, the A7 shows the capabilities of a device you can trust. Reacts quickly to assigned tasks, skillfully solving them.

The amount of RAM is three gigabytes. Considering the model and price segment of the smartphone, this is optimal.

According to the results of synthetic tests, the smartphone cannot boast of high performance. But if you go beyond Antutu into real life, it copes with most modern toys. At maximum settings it slows down a bit, but this does not diminish the enjoyment of the game.

The device hardly heats up even under long loads. The case remains cool, which is nice.

The volume of built-in memory is 32 gigabytes. The system takes about 19 GB, and the user is left with 13. It’s not enough, but to expand the memory it is possible to insert a Micro SD card with a capacity of up to 256GB - this will be useful.

operating system

Out of the box, the Galaxy A7 received the Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow operating system. Of course, it would be nicer to get Android 7 Nougat, but the manufacturers decided otherwise.

You can easily download and install the latest version of the OS yourself. Fortunately, Samsung releases update packages for devices quickly and smoothly.

Interface

The standard interface is minimalistic and easy to understand. All the necessary shortcuts are easily placed on the desktop and collected in folders at the user's request. Samsung's proprietary shell only looks minimalistic, but when used, it becomes clear that it is simply “stuffed” with useful options.

A separate settings item is designed to optimize the operation of the device. The smartphone itself monitors usage parameters and advises how to improve them.

It is possible to run applications in different “windows”, dividing the screen in two. This is convenient if you correspond with friends in the messenger and at the same time scroll through the news feed. This way both applications will be visible.

Useful functionality

To facilitate the use of the device and user comfort, Samsung comes up with various useful functions.
In A7 (2017) these include:

Yes, you can take a screenshot by simply swiping your hand across the display. The resulting image can be edited. You can write a note on it, trim it and send it to the desired recipient, or to a third-party application.

S Health, Microsoft Office and Google Services

Built-in program from Samsung Apps to monitor the user's health status. Helps you control your water and caffeine intake. Monitor your blood sugar and blood pressure levels. Track your daily activity and adjust your load. Enter your data into the app and it will give you tips on how to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Microsoft apps come in handy when you need to save, print, or edit documents. By logging into your account through One Drive, you can access all files saved on other devices.

The built-in set of applications from Google will also pleasantly surprise you. The Chrome browser is suitable for surfing the Internet; YouTube – for watching your favorite videos. Gmail will help you group all your mailboxes in one place and not miss an important letter. Google Maps won't let you get lost, and Play Music will collect all your favorite songs in one music library and help you find new genres and artists.

There is also a personalized Flipboard news feed. It collects and displays only those news and events that the user wishes to see, having previously configured them for himself.

The Samsung Themes app allows you to download themes, wallpapers and desktop icons to personalize and express your personal style.

Autonomy

The smartphone has a battery capacity of 3600 mAh. With a good load - calls, social networks, using a GPS navigator and active data transfer - the A7 worked for 9 hours.

If desired, the phone can last a day and a half - it all depends on the activity of use. There are two levels of economy mode. Selecting maximum energy saving will turn the device into a regular “dialer”, but will save battery power. The function will be useful in the forest or while fishing, when all the assorted capabilities of the smartphone are not required.

Main and front camera

The Korean company places the main emphasis on camera quality in its flagship models. The A series gets basic shooting capabilities because it is positioned as a mid-price segment, occupying its place between the S series flagships and the J series budget models.

Rear camera 16 megapixels. With a focal length of 27 mm. f/1.9 aperture with autofocus and flash.

The front camera is also 16 MP and f/1.9 aperture. There is no optical stabilization. The settings have a number of modes (panorama, food, night).

The camera app is easy to use, so no advanced photography knowledge is required. You can launch the camera even from a locked screen.

In the daytime, in good light, it takes decent photos. Good for the average undemanding user.

How he takes photos during the day:

Shooting in the dark also showed good image quality.

How he takes photos at night:

Video

Video recording is available in Full HD resolution. The model has not yet reached 4K, but this is quite enough. The built-in player for watching videos can be found using the file manager. Most popular formats are supported and played.

Volume and sound

The external speaker does not shine at high volume levels. Even its location on the top of the body did not save it. At an average noise level, you won’t be able to hear the phone ringing right away.

There is no built-in music player. You can listen and download songs through the Play Music application - it is preinstalled on the device by default.

Headphones

If you use a wired headset, the A7 produces pleasant sound, voluminous and elastic bass. The built-in equalizer is present in the model and contains many functions to improve the current sound.

The headphone jack was left 3.5 mm in size, for which special thanks to the developers. Some manufacturers, for example, Apple, are beginning to actively abandon the standard connector in favor of wireless headphones. Samsung is still listening to the wishes of consumers.

An interesting feature is hidden in the sound settings - adaptive sound. The user is offered three sets for people of different age categories - under 30 years old, from 30 to 60 years old and over 60 years old. Having selected the appropriate profile, the device automatically adjusts the recommended sound level and volume.

The speaker clearly conveys the speech of the interlocutor - the opponent can also hear it loudly.

Wireless interfaces and technical characteristics

The Galaxy A7 is fine when connecting to networks wirelessly. There is both Wi-fi and wi-fi direct, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, GLONASS. The NFC antenna and Samsung Pay will help you use mobile payment systems - you can pay for your purchase with your smartphone.

Dual sim

The Korean company loves when consumers are happy, and therefore made a separate slot for a MicroSD card and two slots for nano-sim in the A7.

Now the buyer does not have to make a painful choice between expanding memory and using a second number. Thanks Samsung for this.

Price

According to data for 2018, the cost of the Galaxy A7 version 2017 in Russia varies from 16,500 thousand rubles to 17,100 rubles, depending on the region.

Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017)

Advantages vs. Flaws

Having taken a closer look at all the main functions of a smartphone, we can confidently highlight its pros and cons. Let's begin.