After a bewildering six-month delay, Samsung’s 2016 A-series smartphones are finally ready for their UK launch.
The Samsung Galaxy A3 (2016) and Galaxy A5 (2016) will be available to buy starting on May 5.
That’s despite having been announced way back in December 2015, when, at the time, they were pegged for an April 2016 arrival.
Well, the wait is over, and Samsung’s premium mid-range phones will be available in black, white, and gold colour options.
Here are spec reminders for the phones:
Samsung Galaxy A3 specs
- 4.7-inch 720p display
- 1.5GHz quad-core processor
- 1.5GB RAM
- 16GB storage
- 13-megapixel rear-facing camera
- 5-megapixel front-facing camera
- 2,300mAh battery
Samsung Galaxy A5 specs
- 5.2-inch 1080p display
- 1.6GHz octa-core processor
- 2GB RAM
- 16GB storage
- 13-megapixel OIS rear-facing camera
- 5-megapixel front-facing camera
- 2,900mAh battery
Curiously, the flagship of the line-up – the Samsung Galaxy A7 – isn’t included in the news release, despite Samsung announcing an April launch for the phone in its December announcement.
We asked a member of the Samsung press team whether the Galaxy A7 will be available on May 5 in the UK, who was unable to tell us whether this will be the case.
Here are the specs for the Galaxy A7, despite its absence:
Samsung Galaxy A7 specs
- 5.5-inch 1080p display
- 1.6GHz octa-core processor
- 3GB RAM
- 16GB storage
- 13-megapiel OIS rear-facing camera
- 5-megapixel front-facing camera
- 3,300mAh battery
Related: Best Android Smartphones 2016
Samsung has made a number of improvements to the Galaxy A-series this year, compared to the 2015 models. For one, the phones now feature an “enhanced camera”, with Optical Image Stabilisation and front and rear F1.9 lenses.
Both handsets also ship with Super AMOLED displays – the Galaxy A3 is HD, while the Galaxy A5 is Full HD.
The Samsung Galaxy A3 is available for £179, while the Galaxy A5 marks up at a slightly more expensive £229.
Watch our Samsung Galaxy S7 review:
What’s your favourite smartphone ever? Let us know in the comments.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.