The beginning of 2017 for Samsung fans was marked by the release of new smartphones in the A line, aimed at producing phones in the mid-price segment. From the very beginning of the release of A-line mobile phones at the beginning of 2015, it was represented by models A3, A5, and A7. In 2017, Samsung decided not to change its traditions and also released three phones with the same numbers.

In this article, we will take a detailed look at the advantages and disadvantages of the youngest of the three brothers, the Samsung Galaxy A3, and analyze how it differs from the older ones, so that you can make your own conclusion: whether to buy it or not.

The equipment for this model is quite standard for more or less new Samsung phones. It includes:

• The phone itself;
• Charger with USB connector 1.5 Ampere;
• New generation Type-C cable for high-speed data transfer. It is used in almost all new devices. The cord length is standard and is 1.2 meters;
• Quite good wired in-ear headphones with a volume control button and an answer/reject call button on the wire;
• An interesting surprise was a small adapter from microUSB to Type-C, which can be useful if you have an old microUSB cable or charger that, thanks to this adapter, can still serve you.

Design and convenience

The diagonal of the screen, which, by the way, has a SuperAmoled matrix with HD resolution, is 4.7 inches; under the screen there is a proprietary Samsung mechanical HOME button, which is also a fingerprint scanner. To the left and right of it there are 2 touch buttons.

Above the screen there is a speaker, a proximity sensor, the one that goes out when you bring the phone to your ear, and a front camera. On the right, the manufacturer has placed buttons for adjusting the volume, while on the left there is a speaker and a power button. The speaker is not too loud, but the sound is clear and pleasant.

The connector for the dual SIM slot is located at the top of the phone. Since there is no separate slot for a microSD card, the user will have to choose between two SIM cards or a SIM card and a memory card. At the bottom there is a connector for a Type-C cable and a 3.5 mm headphone input.

The body itself is made of aluminum, and the front and back panels are protected by Gorilla glass 4. The phone is available in three colors: gold, blue and black. The most impressive of them is, perhaps, black, since due to the design feature, the switched-off screen seems to merge with the body and the transition border is almost invisible.

The device is also quite comfortable and fits well in the hand. It's just a little slippery due to the glass on the back. So if you are afraid that it may slip out of your hands, then you should purchase a case. The A3 weighs only 138 grams, making it the smallest in the entire line. A5 and A7 weigh 159 and 186 grams respectively.

Peculiarities

It's worth starting, perhaps, with the Always On Display function. It allows you to look at the clock, calendar, battery charge indicator and other useful information without unlocking the phone. In 2018, almost all phones already have this built-in function, but until 2017 it was implemented only in Samsung flagship models.

The phone also supports the Samsung pay service, with which you can pay for purchases with your phone instead of a plastic card. It can even simulate a magnetic stripe using MST technology. From the moment of their release until now, the 2017 A line has been the most budget phones that support this payment method.

The IP68 water and dust protection standard used makes the A3 quite reliable, like its brothers. You don’t have to worry too much if it falls into the water, since with its water resistance level it can lie under water up to 30 at a depth of 1.5 meters without any damage to performance. And there’s no need to even talk about dust and dirt inside the phone.

Main characteristics

Memory

The A3 has at its disposal only 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal memory, which is quite a bit, and having only a combined slot for a SIM card and memory card, owners of two SIM cards will have to be content with only these 16 gigabytes. The A5 and A7 do not have such shortcomings, since in addition to 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal memory, they also have an additional slot for a microSD card.

CPU

Models A5 and A7 have a completely new, at that time, 8-core Samsung Exynos 7880 processor operating at a frequency of 1.9 GHz, but the A3 was slightly deprived by installing a Samsung Exynos 7870 processor, the frequency of which is only 1.6 GHz. Therefore, the A3 is not as fast as its brothers from the same line, and produces only 45,000 in the AnTuTu test, while other models from the same series easily score about 60,000.

If we talk about games, it’s not a fact that such power will be enough for the new products of 2018, but for active games of 2017 it will be suitable. Although with difficulty. Take, for example, the rather demanding Asphalt Extreme. It works smoothly at maximum settings. However, really heavy games like Unkilled slow down even at medium graphics settings. With light two-dimensional or simply not very demanding games, problems should not arise at all. True, when recording video from the screen, almost any game, even not at all demanding, begins to slow down.

Another advantage of this processor is that its temperature almost does not rise, despite the absence of throttling (specific protection against overheating of the processor by skipping machine cycles (cycles) and the subsequent decrease in processor performance, but preventing further heating).

This became possible thanks to the modern FinFET process, which allows you to create processors with a thickness of only 14 nm

Camera

The rear camera is 13 megapixels with a good aperture – f/1.9 and autofocus. The camera's capabilities are small and will not provide much scope for shooting. Regular photos, HDR mode, panoramic shots, food, night photography, and basically everything. There is a PRO mode, but it doesn’t have too many settings. You can only change the white balance, adjust light sensitivity to increase sharpness and adjust exposure compensation.

The shots taken by the camera, however, turn out quite good, but you often have to wait 2-4 seconds for focusing before the camera takes a picture if you are photographing in non-ideal lighting conditions.

You can see how the camera takes pictures below:

And here is an example of how he takes photographs at night:

The front camera deserves special praise. Having a matrix resolution of 8 megapixels and the same aperture as the rear camera, selfies are highly detailed and with excellent color rendition. There is a built-in photo retouching program that allows you to whiten your skin, smooth out wrinkles, widen your eyes and some other little things. In general, selfie lovers should like it.

Example photo of the front camera:

You don't have to worry about the video camera at all. The phone can shoot video in FullHD at 30 fps. The sound and detail are at a high level. There is also autofocus. Some people complain, however, that it is too smooth, even slow, but this is completely uncritical. Shaking from walking when shooting is not compensated for, so you should shoot carefully.

Interface

Samsung galaxy A3 was released on Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS with a subsequent update to Nougat. The smartphone uses the standard Samsung shell. There is no particular point in describing it in detail. These are the same familiar desktops with widgets and icons.

You can take a screenshot by pressing the HOME key and the lock key, which is almost impossible to do with one hand. Unlocking by default is done by pressing the power button and swiping up on the screen.

Software

About 45 applications are initially installed on the phone, the vast majority of which cannot be deleted. (Except perhaps UBANK, Yandex and a couple of standard Samsung programs).

These include: a standard set of utilities used in all smartphones, redesigned by Samsung for its models. Such branded applications from Samsung as: S Voice, Samsung’s own “Siri”, Samsung Health, which is useful for those who need to monitor health indicators, Samsung technical support, Galaxy Apps, a kind of analogue of Google Play for Samsung phones, have not gone away.

Also installed by default are applications from Google, the Microsoft Office software package, Skype, Facebook, the One Drive cloud service, Samsung pay, which was mentioned above, and others.

The settings look quite compact due to the fact that a large number of parameters are collected in various sections, such as:

• "Optimization" - includes settings for RAM, ROM, battery and security settings
• “Sound and Vibration” - contains sound control parameters, as well as an equalizer and even things like reverberation, which may please people who are inclined to use a smartphone as a full-fledged audio player.
• “Display”, in addition to the standard screen settings, allows you to turn off the Always on Display function, but it does not consume a lot of battery, and the thing is quite convenient, so you can leave it.
• "Additional features" are mostly things like gesture control, eye tracking (the phone won't turn off until you look away) and practically useless screen reduction tools.

In general, the firmware seems to be a solid and complete shell, but perhaps too overloaded. The manufacturer stuffed a lot of things into it. Take at least 45 pre-installed applications. However, in such a large functionality you can find almost any function that you may need, so it’s up to you to choose whether it’s a plus or a minus.

Battery

The energy source for this model is a Li-Ion battery with a capacity of 2350 mAh. It easily provides the phone with high autonomy, despite such a seemingly modest capacity. Fast charging is not implemented in this model, but with a charging speed of 1 hour 35 minutes with a standard charger, it is not needed.

Despite the small size of the battery, it lasts quite a long time. If you keep the screen on for 3-5 hours a day, with active data transfer in LTE and making calls, then the battery charge will easily last for 2 days

If you use the phone exclusively for calls, you can even count on 5-6 days of work, depending on the operator and the frequency of these calls, of course.

Watching a high-resolution video with the brightness turned up to maximum will drain the battery in about 17 hours, which is very, very good, especially considering such a small battery capacity.

With such indicators, operating time is definitely an advantage of this model. After all, even with active use and a heavy load on the processor, it is unlikely that you will be able to discharge this device in less than a day. And at such a charging speed, the problem of lack of energy goes away by itself.

Communication capabilities

There is no need to talk about the availability of Internet access, WI-FI and GPS for a long time, especially in 2017 models. Although it is worth noting that these functions are implemented just fine here.

GPS access speed takes only about 10 seconds. Navigation works perfectly and without failures, thanks to a competent approach to antenna design.

The device operates on almost all necessary LTE frequencies, which can also be considered a compliment to antenna manufacturers

There is also a built-in FM radio. Just like a nice bonus.

What is the price

As of August 2018, the average price for this device is:

1. In Russia – 13,500 rubles;
2. In Belarus – 500 denominated Belarusian rubles;
3. In Ukraine – 6500-8000 hryvnia;
4. In Kazakhstan – 75,000 tenge.

Here we have indicated the approximate cost in online stores in various countries. In order to better navigate the price and find where you can buy this model profitably, you should not limit yourself to the first store you come across in your region, but consider offers from several points of sale. You may be lucky enough to stumble upon discounts. However, you already know about this.

Samsung Galaxy A3

conclusions

Summing up, I would like to say that the phone turned out to be quite good, although there are controversial points, but first things first:

Advantages

• In the manufacture of the case, the manufacturer used good and high-quality materials, and the assembly itself is beyond praise;
• The advantage of the processor is its small size and manufacturability, as a result of which it almost does not overheat and at the same time ensures stable and smooth operation of the phone in operating mode;
• The biggest advantage of the phone is its battery, which simply holds a charge amazingly and does not run out for a long time;
• The high class of protection against water and dust IP 68 makes the phone quite durable and will protect it from unpleasant accidents if something happens;
• Availability of Samsung pay service;
• Always on Display function;
• An excellent speaker that produces good sound and is also well protected from water.

Flaws

• The disadvantage of the processor is that its performance is still not very high. If it is quite enough to work with applications, then problems arise with games;
• An overloaded shell that takes up about 10 GB of memory out of the standard 16, leaving the user with only 6;
• A small disadvantage is that the phone, due to its design, is quite slippery and purchasing a case is highly advisable;
• The camera on the phone, although not bad, lacks stabilization, which negatively affects the quality of images when shooting moving objects. Also, after reading the reviews, you can see that it’s not just us who are not happy with the focusing speed.

Samsung Galaxy A3 is a worthy smartphone from the Korean brand in the budget class.

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Photos in the interior

If you read the review of the A5 2017, then I advise you to read the sections “Positioning”, “Display”, “Battery”, “Camera”, “Performance” and “Impressions”, since the rest of the text is almost the same, little things have changed, fortunately these The devices are built using the same tracing paper.

Specifications

• Android 6.0.1 with Clean UI, upgrade to Android 7
• Screen 4.7 inches, SuperAMOLED, HD, 312 ppi, automatic brightness adjustment, automatic brightness adjustment to suit your habits, color profiles, Corning Gorilla Glass 4, AlwaysOn Display
• Chipset Exynos 7870, 8 cores up to 1.6 GHz (Cortex A53), 14 nm, Mali-T830 GPU
• 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal memory (9.7 GB of memory available to the user out of the box)
• Battery Li-Ion 2350 mAh, no fast charging, operating time in mixed mode 2 days (test result), 3G/4G data transfer mode - 14/17 hours, video playback - up to 17 hours, talk time - up to 17 hours
• Installation of two nanoSIM cards, as well as a microSD memory card (up to 256 GB) - a combined slot, simultaneous operation of microSD and two SIM cards is impossible
• Front camera 8 megapixels, f/1.9, facial enhancements (eyes, skin color, face tone)
• Main camera 13 megapixels, f/1.9, LED flash, autofocus
• Two microphones, noise reduction system
• IP68 water protection, up to 30 minutes at a depth of 1.5 meters
• FM radio
• Fingerprint sensor located on the front panel
• USB Type C 1.0
• 4G FDD LTE - B1(2100), B2(1900), B3(1800), B5(850), B7(2600), B8(900), B20(800); TDD LTE B40(2300)
• GPS, GLONASS, Beidou
• ANT+, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 2.4+5 GHz, NFC, USB 2.0, Bluetooth 4.2
• Sensors - accelerometer, barometer, fingerprint scanner, gyroscope, geomagnetic sensor, Hall sensor, proximity sensor, light sensor
• Samsung Pay
• Color options: black (Black Sky), gold (Gold Sand), blue (Blue Mist), pink (Peach Cloud)
• SAR value - 0.35 W/kg (head), 1.38 W/kg (body)
• Dimensions - 135.4 x 66.2 x 7.9 mm, weight - 138 grams

Contents of delivery

• Smartphone
• Charger with USB Type C cable
• Instructions
• Wired stereo headset
• microUSB-USB Type C adapter for charging cable
• “Paper clip” for removing the SIM tray

Positioning

Most manufacturers have completely abandoned the compact smartphone segment; for some reason it is believed that a small-sized phone should be outdated and not the most modern. There are three companies on the market that produce such devices: Apple (iPhone SE model), Sony (Compact series), and Samsung. The 2017 A3 fulfills the desire of some buyers to get a small, compact phone. The relatively small screen diagonal of 4.7 inches determines the use cases for such a device - first of all, it is needed for calls, and secondly for social networks, instant messengers and web browsing. This smartphone can be safely considered as a second phone, in this capacity it is almost ideal - it works for a long time, has a balanced, modern set of functions. But it is also good as a main device for those who are not looking for a large screen diagonal and are used to compact models.

This model has a set of functions comparable to older devices, although the 2017 A3 has removed a number of features compared to the A5/A7 - the phone has a simpler front and main camera, a lower screen resolution (HD, not FullHD), and no fast charging for the battery , which, however, is not critical, the charging time remains comparable, since the battery capacity is also lower. All the advantages in the form of Samsung Pay (NFC/MST), IP68 water protection remain. As well as the use of exactly the same materials, which distinguishes the model from many of its classmates, it is made perfectly. And, perhaps, this is one of the few compact smartphones on the modern market - the difference between this model and 5-inch devices is very noticeable, the impressions from them are very different. Moreover, these differences are both a plus and a minus, and depend directly on what you are used to.

Design, dimensions, control elements

In the A-series, the design is to some extent inherited from older models, the same body materials, no noticeable simplifications or savings. The A3 model looks expensive and stylish, regardless of what color you choose. There are four color options in total; there are no pink phones in Russia yet.

I have a black A3, it is classic and looks good. The mirror surface reflects the surrounding world, plays in the light, the device looks very interesting, and hand marks are practically invisible. I’ll add here that the screen with a splash screen can always work (AlwaysOn Display function), which none of the competitors have. In the end, we get an unusual device that has no analogues on the market; it can be distinguished from any other at first glance.

If we talk about which color is the best, then I like blue, it is a delicate shade, very unusual, perfect for girls, however, look for yourself.

Please note that the front and back panels are the same color, as is the side metal edging (6000 series aluminum). The device also looks good in pink, but it is definitely only for girls.

The gold phone is somewhat rustic, but everyone has their own tastes.

The fact that the device has a glass back and front does not hinder it at all, since Corning Gorilla Glass 4 is quite reliable and protected from accidental falls, although depending on your luck. This device is completely identical in mechanical protection to the Galaxy S6 EDGE, the quality is at the same level. I once recorded a video about how this phone survives collisions with sharp objects or asphalt, you can watch this video.

The innovation of the A-series in 2017 was water protection, which was taken from the S7/S7 EDGE, the implementation is exactly the same. The SIM card tray is protected by rubber gaskets, the microphones and speakers have membranes, the protection level is IP68, which allows the phone to be at a depth of 1.5 meters for up to half an hour. This does not mean that the phone needs to be washed under water, much less with soap or something similar. But if you drop it in water, nothing will happen to it. There are no models with water protection in this price segment.

Now about the control elements. Under the screen there is a mechanical key, a fingerprint sensor is included in it, it is simplified compared to the S7/S7 EDGE, it works a little slower, but there are no problems because of this. Nice solution that just works. On either side of it are two touch keys.

On the left side there are two volume keys, on the right side there is an on/off button. There is a microphone at the bottom and top ends, there is a noise reduction system, it does its job perfectly, you can be heard well in any conditions, even when the wind blows strongly in your face.

At the bottom end there is also a 3.5 mm jack for a headset or headphones, as well as a USB Type C connector for the charger. At the top end there is a tray in which a nanoSIM card and a memory card or two SIM cards are installed. This is a combination tray, so it's worth remembering that the A5/A7 can accommodate both a memory card and two SIM cards at the same time.

The speaker is located on the right side surface, due to this it can overlap in the pocket, and it will not be heard very well. The speaker itself is average in volume, but very pleasant.

Phone dimensions - 135.4 x 66.2 x 7.9 mm, weight - 138 grams. Compact, very small. It can sink in a man's hand, but some people like this size. In clothes it is completely invisible, you can easily forget that you have a phone in your pocket, it doesn’t feel like a constant burden. If you like compact models, then you'll fall in love with the 2017 A3.

Compared to Galaxy A5 2017

Display

The younger model was equipped with a screen with HD resolution; on such a diagonal, low resolution does not play a big role, the picture looks good. But for those who like to peer at the screen and recognize PenTile, I will not recommend this screen; you will see its structure from a distance of ten centimeters, and from five centimeters you can accurately determine the “looseness” of the picture. It’s clear that no one is looking that close to the screen, but who cares? Ordinary people who are not burdened with knowledge about PenTile will simply say that it is a good screen that produces a nice picture, which is also customizable.

The technical characteristics of this SuperAMOLED display are as follows: 4.7 inches, SuperAMOLED, HD, 312 ppi, automatic brightness adjustment, automatic brightness adjustment to your habits, color profiles, Corning Gorilla Glass 4, AlwaysOn Display.

For my taste, the quality of the screen is excellent for its class, it has a large reserve of brightness in automatic mode, the display is easy to read in the sun, just like the previous year’s model (in the S7 EDGE the screen has greater brightness, as a result, it is even better in the sun) .

The screen has an AlwaysOn Display option, that is, you can see application icons, clocks or pictures all the time, the screen operation does not drain the battery much, in 12 hours it’s a couple of percent. Until now, this function has not been widely available in the mid-price segment, which noticeably makes the 2017 A3 stand out and puts it on par with Samsung flagships.

Whatever one may say, the screen in this model is excellent for its positioning and capabilities, nothing more is needed. Considering the scenarios for using the device (a minimum of heavy games with complex graphics as an example), this is the right choice.

Battery

The built-in Li-Ion battery has a capacity of 2350 mAh, fast charging is not supported, but the standard charger charges the battery in 1 hour 35 minutes. That is, there is no need for fast charging; due to the small battery capacity, charging time is normal. There is no built-in wireless charging, which is found in flagship models.

In mixed mode, the device lives quietly for two days with 3-4 hours of screen operation, data transmission in LTE and two hours of calls. It all depends on what and how you use it; you can achieve better results, for example, 5-8 hours of screen operation in two days of work, as well as less time.

Playing unconverted video in HD quality in MX Player at maximum brightness - up to 17 hours. This is an excellent indicator considering the size of the battery; many Chinese show comparable results on a 5000 mAh battery.

The operating time of the 2017 A3 becomes its strong point; even with a heavy load, it will not be possible to discharge it faster than in a day; on average, this is two days. Those who use only calls can easily count on 5-6 days of work; of course, it all depends on the operator and the number of these calls. But in general, we can state the fact that operating time is the strong point of this model.

Traditionally, there is a power saving mode, when the screen backlight and processor frequency are limited. In this mode, many will not experience problems with the operation of the device, but the operating time will increase by at least 20 percent. In maximum energy saving mode, everything on the screen turns gray, and the device can provide hours of operation even with a small charge.

Communication capabilities

GPS/GLONASS works perfectly, a cold start takes about ten seconds, navigation works perfectly, there are no problems. By the way, this distinguishes A-brands from many Chinese companies, where the implementation of antennas is such that you can expect anything from typical functions.

Another strong point is the support of almost all necessary LTE frequencies, here the device also shows its strengths (analogs in this price segment cannot boast of this; as a rule, they save on antennas).

Finally, the device has NFC and ANT+ support, which will appeal to those who use sports sensors. Bluetooth version 4.2.

If we talk about Wi-Fi, then it uses 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 2.4+5 GHz, there is a repeater mode (distributing a Wi-Fi signal to other devices as an access point).

The version is USB 2.0, but the USB Type C (1.0) connector is used, so fans of modern connectors will be happy; for the rest, it’s time to come to terms with the transition to the new standard.

Memory, RAM, performance

Samsung uses its own chipsets in A-series models, which can be considered a plus; they are improving year by year. For example, in 2016, chipsets in the A-series were made at 28 nm, now it is 14 nm, which gives an increase in performance and operating time. The chipset in the A3 2017 is Exynos 7780, 8 cores up to 1.6 GHz (Cortex A53), Mali-T830 graphics processor.

In synthetic tests, this processor performed well. In real life, everything also works perfectly, you will not feel any shortcomings in performance, the model is at the same level, and the safety margin will last for at least a couple of years.

The device has 16 GB of internal memory (9.7 GB available), memory cards can be up to 256 GB. RAM 2 GB, which is enough for most consumers. And given the screen resolution, everything becomes very good, this solution is balanced, and there are no noticeable compromises.

Camera

The front camera is 8 megapixels (f/1.9), as usual, there is no autofocus, so it’s worth finding the distance from which the pictures are best taken, this is about half a meter, that is, an outstretched arm. The quality of the front camera is good, but don't expect anything special from it; after all, the main camera is better. There is a traditional improvement in skin color and tone, you can enlarge your eyes, and at the same time make your face thinner. Girls will definitely like these “improvements”.

The main camera is 13-megapixel (f/1.9), of course, there is autofocus, as well as additional shooting modes, including PRO, but it differs from the flagships, since the camera is simpler. The A3 has a simpler camera than older models, so don't expect much from it. But she copes with her job quite well: taking pictures of pages with text, capturing the world around her - all this can be done. But if you want to shoot beautifully for social networks, then look at flagships or higher-class models.

When recording video, the maximum is FullHD resolution and 30 frames per second.

Look at the examples of pictures and videos, I think they will all tell you about the quality of the camera.

Software

The model was originally released on Android 6.0.1, but many interface elements are similar to what we see in Android 7 and Clean UI on S7/S7 EDGE. I advise you to read about what appeared in Android 7, since this model will soon receive this version of the OS.

I won’t describe the standard Android functions; you can read about them in a detailed review.

Unlike top models, there is a built-in FM radio, which looks like a nice bonus.

When using KNOX, you can install any program in duplicate, for example, install two WhatsApp messengers on one device and use them for each SIM card (two numbers, two messengers). You can even correspond with yourself. Exactly the same trick can be done with any software; not a single phone allows you to simultaneously work with two instant messengers on the same device with different numbers. Today, many Chinese manufacturers offer something similar in their smartphones, but the implementation is different everywhere.

Impression

The vibration alert is average, the ringer volume is also average - perhaps I would like there to be more headroom, but the phone is still audible, and you can feel it in your pockets when it vibrates. Rather, there is no reserve in terms of volume, but how will anyone perceive this moment? The device cannot be called quiet.

There are practically no compact models on the market, also keep in mind that Samsung has always been able to make its devices smaller than those of its competitors; just remember that 5.2 inches from Samsung is the body of many 4.7-4.9 inch models. So here too, the 2017 A3 turned out to be very compact; only one competitor immediately comes to mind - the iPhone SE. But the price of this compact phone is noticeably higher with similar characteristics and a memory capacity of 16 GB; in Russia it costs 31,990 rubles. In terms of design, it's the complete opposite of the 2017 Galaxy A3. Plus, the iPhone SE has a camera, but there is no water protection, there is, of course, no AlwaysOn Display, the operating time is the same or less.

Also, the Sony Xperia X Compact is made in a completely different style; the model is small, but extremely expensive (32-33 thousand rubles). Comparable operating time, slightly faster processor, better camera, no water protection and no AlwaysOn Display. This model definitely does not have any special advantage over the A3, which would cost 10,000 rubles. Its price positioning is close to the iPhone SE.

If there were many competitors in the segment of 5-inch models for the 2017 A5, there are practically no competitors for compact 4.7-inch models with small bodies. The two main competitors are the iPhone SE, as well as the Sony Xperia X Compact, but they are significantly more expensive. Sony will release an updated version of this smartphone, but the price difference will be even greater. Only large companies can afford to play in the market of compact models, and, unlike Samsung, they see such devices as models with super profits. In my opinion, this is the wrong approach, since a compact smartphone with decent materials cannot be prohibitively expensive, as the A3 2017 proves. For those who are looking for a compact model on Android, this device will be the preferred choice.

Comparisons with the 2017 A5 may be valid, but here you get a larger body size, higher performance, higher screen resolution and about the same battery life in the older model. But you lose that very compactness. These are different worlds in perception based on the size of the case, and this must be taken into account, everything else fades into the background.

The model of the previous season, namely the A3 2016, is weaker in every sense: shorter operating time in any mode, lack of an AlwaysON screen and water protection, and no support for Samsung Pay. On the other hand, if you have such a phone and it works, then you shouldn’t change it to a new one. Wait another generation and then change it. However, it’s worth buying it now as a compact phone if you don’t have money for a new model (the previous one costs 17,990 rubles). Let me remind you that the price of the 2017 A3 is 22,990 rubles.

The bottom line: the 2017 A3 is excellent for those who are looking for a compact smartphone that will focus on calls, instant messengers, browsing the Internet, and to a lesser extent on heavy games. This device is ideal as a second smartphone, as it works for a long time and is compact. The model turned out to be successful, but compact phones remain in demand not by a very wide audience, so the 2017 A3 is not worth expecting any huge sales, it plays only within the niche of compact devices.

We were able to see metal in the finishing of the body of a Samsung smartphone. But not the only “alpha” - a few months later the company announced a line of metal smartphones, which so far included only two devices: A3 and A5. In this review we will look at the younger model – Samsung Galaxy A3.

First impressions and appearance

Probably everyone who held an Alpha for the first time knows this feeling when you pick up a Samsung and can’t believe that it’s a Samsung. With A3 everything is exactly the same. Just the fact that it's Samsung adds a new feeling. Which? The smartphone is compact and, you see, today it is difficult to remember a small smartphone running Android, which, no matter how trivial it may sound, felt pleasantly cool in the palm of your hand from the first touch. An analogy immediately arises with the iPhone 4, 4S, 5 and 5S, but we won’t talk about them, since this is obvious.

The smartphone is almost entirely metal. Its frame, physical buttons and back panel are made of a material beloved by geeks. Almost the entire front panel, as is customary, is occupied by protective glass. But there is a fly in the ointment in this barrel of honey - almost the entire metal surface of the A3 is covered with a certain matte-to-touch composition, which gives the smartphone a pearlescent tint and at the same time deprives the device of part of the wow effect that an all-metal body could produce.

The dimensions of the device are 130.1 x 65.5 x 6.9 mm, weight – 110.3 g. The gadget feels thin and light and, in general, small. We live in such terrible times when a smartphone with a diagonal of 4.5 inches can be called compact without the slightest remorse.

Display

If there's one thing the Galaxy A3 is pure Samsung, it's the display. A truly Korean Super AMOLED matrix with all the ensuing consequences is installed here. Some will prefer these acidic colors, while others will not like them. The long-suffering black is truly black here. The resolution of this display is 960 x 540 pixels, which on 4.5 inches gives a pixel density of 245 ppi.

Using TouchWiz, the A3 display can be calibrated and customized; there are 4 modes to choose from: “Adaptive Display” (automatically optimizes the color range, saturation and sharpness of images for gallery applications, camera and Play Books), “Movie AMOLED”, “Photo AMOLED” and “Basic”. There are no questions about the viewing angles and responsiveness of the display, but it does not recognize more than five simultaneous touches - not that this somehow limits the user’s actions, but this fact takes place.

Cameras

The resolution of the main camera of the Samsung Galaxy A3 is 8 MP. And it sticks out; Samsung engineers were unable to fit an eight-megapixel module into a 6.9 mm thick body. A diode flash was located next to it. The Galaxy A3 takes really good pictures. There are a bunch of features, filters and camera settings in the best traditions of TouchWiz, but I never found ordinary HDR. The video is recorded in FullHD resolution, its quality will also suit the average person.

The front camera in the Galaxy A3 has a resolution of 5 MP. It also has a bunch of modes and settings that are designed to make your selfies as cool and unusual as possible. But if we discard all this unnecessary tinsel, what remains is a very good front camera, which can not only take tons of selfies, but also show its owner in Skype in the best possible way.

Examples of photos and videos

Hardware and software

Inside the smartphone there are four Qualcomm cores operating at a frequency of 1.2 GHz, and they are supported by the Adreno 306 graphics accelerator. The smartphone has 1 GB of RAM, 16 GB of storage, which can be expanded using microSD memory cards. By the way, about them. In the Samsung Galaxy A3, the memory card slot is combined with a slot for a second SIM card. As you already understand, the Galaxy A3 is a dual-SIM smartphone. However, if you install a memory card in it, there will be no space left for a second SIM card.

Samsung on Qualcomm. This phrase can please or at least reassure most geeks, but in this particular case, everything is not so smooth. It would seem that with processors manufactured by Qualcomm, modern mobile games should at a minimum run smoothly and stably, and, at a maximum, show everything they are capable of. But no. No matter how hard I tried, Real Racing 3 could not start on the Galaxy A3, but Dead Trigger 2 can be played without any problems even at maximum settings.

Operating system – Android 4.4.4 KitKat with a proprietary TouchWiz interface to boot. It’s cool (although probably not so cool today) that the manufacturer installed a relatively recent version of Android into the smartphone, and it’s not entirely cool that the version of the proprietary shell is somewhat stripped down. It’s not clear why, but the HDR mode in the standard camera application, for example, became a victim of this “cutdown”.

As befits a mid-range smartphone, the synthetic tests of the Samsung Galaxy A3 do not have enough stars from the sky.

I was pleasantly surprised by the battery. Having familiarized yourself with the characteristics of the device, you think: “How many minutes of smartphone operation will 1900 mAh be enough for today?” But after spending some time with the Galaxy A3, you realize that this battery capacity is quite enough for a day of use. Of course, the manufacturer could have installed a more capacious battery, but for the Galaxy A3 its thickness plays a big role.

High power coupled with functionality - this is how you can characterize the Samsung A 3 2017 phone, which is extremely popular not only because of its price, but also because of the well-thought-out operation of the device as a whole. So, the smartphone is equipped with an eight-core processor of its own production with a 1600 MHz clock frequency for each core, plus 2 GB of RAM, this configuration should be enough for most not the most demanding applications, as well as games. In addition, the phone is equipped with a comfortable shell, high-quality cameras and IP68 protection, which prevents water and moisture from getting inside the smartphone. In general, we can recommend Samsung A 3 2017 not only to fans of this brand, as in its price category this device is one of the highest quality and most popular. Don't forget about the manufacturer's warranty and support.

Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017): Specifications and price

Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017): Reviews

- Modern design;

— Metal body;

— Fast operation of the smartphone in general;

— Nice matrix;

— Ideal size;

— Dust and moisture protection;

— Samsung Pay support;

— High-quality assembly and the same assembly materials;

— Comfortable shell;

— Constant software updates;

— Function “Active screen”;

— Without a cover it will slip in your hands and this must be taken into account;

— Autonomy is a big plus;

— Attractive price-quality ratio;

— Adequate touchscreen response speed;

- High performance;

— Suitable for most demanding games on Android;

— The quality of communication could be better;

— High-quality sound, both in headphones and from the speaker;

— Support from the manufacturer plus warranty;

— Work with large memory cards;

— The quality of pictures of the Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) is at a fairly high level;

— A large number of positive reviews on the Internet;

— The back cover is made of glass;

- Will collect fingerprints on itself, without a cover;

— The included headphones are not the best, so it’s better to buy them separately;

— High functionality of the phone as a whole;

— Thoughtful interface down to the smallest detail;

— There is not a large amount of pre-installed software;

— The device is not suitable for heavy games;

— Screen made using Super AMOLED technology;

— Support for two SIM cards;

— Support for large SD cards;

Conclusion

Based on the material described above, we can conclude that the Samsung A 3 2017 is one of the most interesting phones on the market, which has a full set of all the necessary functions for comfortable use. In addition, it is worth highlighting the tempting cost of the device and the convenient shell from the manufacturer

Pros:

• Value for money;
• Performance that is enough for most everyday needs;
• Equipment;
• Ease of use;
• Moisture and dust protection;
• Excellent matrix with high-quality color reproduction, as well as large viewing angles;

Minuses:

• It will slip in your hands and this must be taken into account;