The position is binding. Overview of the smartphone Samsung Galaxy A7

In 2014, Samsung lovers dropped their hands. Galaxy S5 came out in plastic, stylized as leather, which was plugged with needles. Panic, hysteria, millions of angry posts, offensive comments about the designer and curses on the entire Korean race. It seems that all this feedback shocked the company so much that the guys collectively tensed up and released a device that is now collectively called a “masterpiece”, the Galaxy S6 and S6 EDGE, in other words. Meanwhile, in the middle of 2014, the A line of phones was introduced - smartphones in a non-separable metal bath. To appease those who suffered without metal.

The first metal swallow, which we had a chance to feel, was the Samsung A3. Max Vatralik was only half satisfied with it, and we all of the editors assumed that the next step was better. We somehow let the Samsung A5 pass by and immediately took up the A7, the flagship of the mid-budget all-metal line. Let's start with the main thing - I have a copy of the golden color. Julia has come to success!

Samsung A7 video review

Design and ergonomics

Most main characteristic the entire line A and A7 is no exception - metal. The entire body of the phone is made of metal, a kind of seamless bath with cut edges like a diamond cut. It is this feature that makes the phone of even the most basic technical characteristics more expensive and more premium. It's not that I want to compare this device with Vertu, but the essence of my comparison is perceptible - even a push-button dialer, "wrapped" in something more expensive than shiny plastic, is already spectacular in itself.

Our gadget is a bit unusual in this regard. Because it really is metal from all sides, but you can understand this only by the edges. The cut and cut speak loudly about it, and the nail tap test too. But the back cover is covered with some kind of material. And in terms of tactile sensations, and for the same tapping, it doesn’t look like plastic rather than metal. But that's just him. The cover is cold (until the phone is loaded with toys, but more on that later), very pleasant to the touch. I can’t say that it is very tenacious, after all, there are no serifs, the surface is even and smooth, but the device did not fall out of my hand and lay confidently. In general, the whole structure is very monolithic, nothing creaks anywhere and the Lyapota test passes 10 out of 10. Whatever one may say, nothing moved anywhere.

The front of the A7 is covered with glass, but there are metal sides that run almost flush with the display. Below is the only mechanical control button "Home", next to two touch. The backlight time can be adjusted in the settings. Near the speaker on top are light sensors, proximity and front-camera. The first of two innovative upgrades is sawing out the notification indicator. Here he was, and now he is gone. Humble yourself.

The second innovation was found in one of the two SIM card slots on the right side. In addition to the power button with a clear move, there is one slot for nanoSIM, and the second one for your taste - either for nanoSIM, which must be installed vertically, or for microSD up to 64 GB, which is installed in the traditional way. On the one hand, why be indignant at such an outlandish move, other metal flagships rarely have a slot for additional memory, I generally keep quiet about the second card, but here you are given the right to choose. In fact, there are people who gladly used all three privileges (two SIM cards, a memory card and all this in a metal case), and it's a shame that everything turned out that way. Looks like some kind of Asian creative virus. ASUS puts a gadget in a gadget, and Samsung puts a slot in a slot.

All other elements are traditionally located: on the right side there is a volume swing with a distinct high swing, on the upper side there is a microphone, on the lower side there is another microphone, microUSB and a 3.5 mm audio jack. On the back cover there is a flash, a protruding camera module, which serves as a footboard for the speaker located here. A small mesh produces a not particularly outstanding sound, a phone will not work as a speaker at a picnic, and putting it on the grass or a blanket will muffle the sound. The call is always audible well, even if you throw the phone at the bottom of the bag. But the vibration can even wake up the dead, the minimum level can cause a tsunami, but this is already from another area.

To be honest, the design point of the A7 is not just the biggest one in this review. Samsung A7 is like a peacock - it is with its appearance that it attracts hundreds of buyers. Strict, looks expensive, metal inspires confidence, cool body without seams and removable parts, the style is very correct. There is a choice of white mother-of-pearl, business blue or such golden, super pretentious. And thanks to the small dots (or too small peas) on the front part under the glass at the top and bottom of the display, the thinness of the case is 6.3 mm and the weight of 141 grams, the device is also suitable for girls. In short, when you take it in your hand for the first time, you immediately like it and don’t want to give it away.

Display

The display is in my favorite tradition - 5.5 inches, wide and big as a shovel. As usual, a very saturated AMOLED matrix is ​​installed, which means that the colors are a little brighter than in your wildest dreams, the contrast is great, and even though the brightness level is far from IPS ideals, everything is clearly visible despite what we have. True, under direct sunlight, the picture becomes less readable than on smartphones with the same IPS matrix, and White color at an angle, it can shimmer with all the colors of the rainbow, like a puddle of gasoline, but I still really liked it. On such a diagonal, FullHD resolution is 401 ppi. Protective glass Corning Gorilla Glass 4. That is, in theory, it is very difficult to scratch it. Without hesitation, I put the phone in one pocket with the keys and, you know, nothing. The little crash tester in me resents. I also liked the quality of the oleophobic coating - it's nice to touch the display. Prints remain, but are very easy to erase.

If, unlike me, such a gamut of colors eats away the retina, go to the display settings. Here you can choose not only themes, fonts and brightness, but also the “Screen Mode”. I like Adaptive the most because it optimizes color range, sharpness, brightness and contrast for the most popular applications. Film mode makes the screen a little lighter, Photo makes it yellower, and Basic is a cross between Photo and Movie.

I am not from the club of PenTile witnesses, it is not easy to notice it at all, but there are those who see these subpixels. I say that the thinnest fonts are easy to read and that's enough.

And to sum up, the display is really very, very good. And it is pleasant to touch it, and watch a movie, and it is easily adjusted to suit any taste. Great!

cameras

Very good, but only in good lighting. The 13 MP main camera takes great pictures, very clear, with good detail and natural colors. At daylight it focuses very quickly and gives straight cheers results. Autofocus, flash, start from the lock screen, video in FullHD mode, exposure by tap on the display does not change - everything is fine until dusk. The less light, the longer it focuses, the more smeared images, less detail, more noise. In short, evening = watercolor.

The same goes for the front camera. 5 MP is the key to awesome selfies during the day, at least take a picture for a passport, and in the evening or under yellow lamp light - write wasted. In the face shooting mode, there are “beauty enhancement” functions, where you can enlarge the eyes and remove the pores, and start the timer on an open palm. You have three seconds to make the right duck expression. There are “Group self-portrait” modes, where you need to move the phone like in a panorama, “Night”, “GIF-animation” and the ability to download “Sports shot” and “Sound & Shot”. I think it's great, since a million modes have been removed and given the opportunity to download all this leapfrog to someone who needs it. Because the bulk of people don’t even need so many super duper lotions.

The main camera has modes "Self-portrait", "Panorama", "Night", "GIF-animation" with the ability to swing the same two free modes. You can also find hidden "Retouch", "Post-effect", "Continuous" (apparently "continuous") and "Saturated Tones" in the "Control Modes" menu to add them to the main set. Here, too, a timer works on an open palm, no fists. In the settings, you can choose the format, size, exposure, ISO, and so on. Even set up voice control, which works great, even shoots video on command.

Specifications

Under the hood of our metal horse Snapdragon 615, built on the bigLITTLE principle, where there are 8 Cortex-A53 cores, but 4 of them operate at 1 GHz, and 4 more at 1.6 GHz. There is also an Adreno 405 video accelerator, 2 GB of RAM. The memory is 16 GB, of which about 12 GB are available, and the SD card seems to have been sorted out. There is another version of a smartphone on Exynos, it does not support the work of two SIM cards, but I did not find it on sale with us. Thanks to the filling, smart is gaining not fabulous 27 thousand parrots. This is a fairly average figure, but I still set races and tanks to drive. You will not squeak with delight, average graphics performance and slight slowdowns can occur, but there is reflection in the mirrors in Real Racing 3. The device heats up noticeably, so I advise you to always keep the tanks open in winter so that you don’t freeze your fingers on the hull.

In general, such characteristics should be enough for cloudless control of the gadget. And for the operation of the interface should be enough, and for the stable operation of applications. But for some reason not in my copy. I specifically talked to the guys who got the A7 for the test earlier than me. Everyone says that the gadget works smartly, there are no problems with toys or opening applications. I complain about the lag of the shell, although it is all so upgraded and beautiful, you can even choose themes, just like the older flagships, but something is clearly wrong with it. Elementary applications could fall out of Play market I didn’t want to put anything, only after the third reset everything went fine. In addition, the touch button back had false touches. That is, I press once, the device freezes, I don’t touch it, I feel by vibration that the button works again. For a long tapu, a multi-window side menu appears and you yourself understand that I want to go to the previous menu, and the phone gets me an additional one. context menu you have to wait for almost 3 seconds, and this is if the touch worked, and if it worked correctly. And the mechanical “Home” button works every two times and does not work if you press it not in the center, but on the side. Judging by how many claims I have, but none of them were confirmed by any of the other guys, I’m sure that I have a screwed up copy and you are unlikely to come across one. So let it be only my troubles.

• Dimensions: 151 x 76.2 x 6.3 mm.
• Weight: 141 g.
• Operating system: Android 4.4.4, TouchWiz shell.
• Processor: Snapdragon 615 octa-core, quad-core Cortex-A53, up to 1.5GHz + quad-core Cortex-A53 up to 1GHz / Exynos 5 Octa 5430, quad-core Cortex-A15 up to 1.8GHz, 4-core Cortex-A7 up to 1.3 GHz, Mali T628.
• Graphics: Adreno 405.
• Display: 5.5 inches, 1920 × 1080 pixels, 401 ppi, SuperAMOLED.
• Memory: 16 GB, microSD (or NanoSIM) memory card slot.
• RAM: 2 GB.
• Camera: main - 13 MP, video recording in 1080p, front - 5 MP.
• Wireless technologies: Bluetooth 4.0 LE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, NFC.
• Interface connectors: 3.5 mm headphone jack, MicroUSB 2.0.
• Battery: Li-Pol battery 2600 mAh.

touchwiz

I'm not a fan of the gurgling interface at all. It always seemed to me too ... oversaturated. It has a lot of things, but you can’t change an elementary, such as a theme. Now the shell has been significantly altered, in it you can change the bulbs to something else. It is immediately felt that Samsung is still new to these matters, it looks a little strange and ascetic, and then bam! - and already how I got to the Chinese souvenir market, but everyone once started with something.

In terms of programs and opportunities, it’s just heaven on earth:

• a screenshot with the palm of your hand (and if with buttons, then as in iOS - on and "Home") and other "smart gestures";

• multi-window, where a dozen programs can be launched in a small window on top of other applications or rolled up with balls on top of everything that is important - these are not only standard applications, but also VK, and telegrams, and whatever else it comes into your head;

• customizable notification bar;

Absolutely all smartphones from the Galaxy A line, of which you can count more than a dozen pieces, if you start counting from 2014, were made with an eye on design. It is quite obvious that the flagship Samsung models, and therefore this time the Galaxy S7 was “copied”.

But, of course, the Galaxy A7 (2017) but it doesn't look as much like the A5 (2017). Guess what's the matter? Okay, I won’t torment: the S7 has a screen diagonal of 5.1", and our hero has a 5.7", that is, like Galaxy Note. No, don't think, the novelty will not become a kind of replacement for the sad famous Galaxy Note 7 - they have a principle different positioning. Yes, and the "laptop" looked cooler.

Note 7 looks cooler, but also samsung galaxy A7 (2017) also looks good. If we stop comparing it to expensive top models, we will get a stylish device made of glass and metal. It is all so convex and rounded, thanks to the 2.5D glass.

At the back, the tube is bent around the edges so that it fits better in the hand. What can I say, the palm is not bursting very much, but still bursting. You can't hide physics anywhere - 5.7 inches is 5.7 inches. Let me add right away that the tactile sensations from the body are excellent - the massive weighty bar of the phone is very well assembled, there is no doubt about its reliability.

The front and back of the smartphone is covered with Gorilla Glass 4, so even though it is possible to break it, it is not so easy. Yes, and he should not scratch. And the device also has protection according to the IP68 standard - now it is also difficult to drown it.

However, the addition of moisture protection went to the Galaxy A7 (2017) not for free - it has increased the thickness of 7.9 mm (it has 7.3 mm), as well as the weight, which is now in the region of 180 grams. The last parameter was also influenced by a more capacious battery and a display that grew by 0.2 ".

In general, what can we conclude about the appearance of the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017)? Stylish, beautiful, interesting. I had a black Galaxy A7 (2017) black on my hands, but pink Galaxy A7 (2017) ping, gold Galaxy A7 (2017) gold and blue Galaxy A7 (2017) blue will still be sold - for all tastes, so to speak. At the same time, the device is perfectly executed, well protected both from scratches and from moisture and dust.

Connectors and controls

In terms of ergonomics, the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) has not changed very much. All the usual elements are in place, although one has been completely replaced.

Above the screen of the smartphone is the front camera lens, light and proximity sensors, as well as a speaker. The latter is painted black and the paint may come off with time - not the most pleasant moment. And the phone does not have an LED event indicator. So far, only Samsung flagships have retained it, although in relation to the entire Galaxy A line for 2017, it can be replaced by the Always On function - I will talk about it in the section on the screen.

Below the display are the traditional "Korean" buttons for Home, Back and Recent Apps. The last two are touch-sensitive and are not visible until they are highlighted, and the first is mechanical, with a built-in fingerprint scanner.

Fingerprints are added in the "Lock screen and security" section Galaxy settings A7 (2017). But, as usual, you must first ask alternative way Unlock: pattern, PIN or password.

To save a fingerprint, you need to touch the sensor a little more than a dozen times. After that, you can set the parameters, what else can they unlock, and the smartphone itself is already configured to work with a finger. We have a short video about this whole process:

Button backlighting is bright and easy to see.

The rear of the Galaxy A7 (2017) has a camera and an LED flash.

On the left side are the usual volume buttons. And just below them, not so "usually" is placed a compartment for the first SIM-card.

The Galaxy A7 (2017) and its younger brother A5 (2017) have two separate nanoSIM card slots, no alignment with the memory card slot has been done.

The second tray is placed on the top side, not opposite the side of the noise canceling microphone.

Here the holder is longer - for two cards: for nanoSIM and microSD. If you suddenly don’t figure out how to manage all this “economy”, I recommend watching our video:

Meanwhile, on the right side, in addition to the power button, there is now also a speaker speakerphone. He used to be on the bottom.

And at the bottom there is a 3.5 mm minijack for headphones and a headset, a conversational microphone and a connector USB Type-C- it is this “element” that is replaced by “entirely and completely”. Samsung put it on the entire updated line of devices, which in my opinion is cool. Yes, there are still few such cables, but the situation will change every day.

Total what comes out: the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) has two full-fledged compartments for SIM cards, it supports USB interface Type-C, the external speaker moved to the left sidewall, where it is more difficult to close it, and all other elements remained in place. In general, it turned out great!

Case for Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017)

It was impossible to buy a case or cover for the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) at the time of writing this article - this device has not yet gone on sale. Nevertheless, this model is popular, so there will be quite a lot of offers for it.

For example, a cover for the Galaxy A7 (2017) of such a plan will probably be estimated at about 1000 rubles.

Here is a case-book for the Galaxy A7 (2017) will cost about 1200 rubles.

Screen Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017)

Every year, the quality of screens in Samsung smartphones is growing. Even in the flagships, where it would seem there is nowhere better. Of course, the growth is not cardinal, but it is. In the meantime, worse models are also getting next-generation displays. So is the Galaxy A7 (2017) - its predecessor already had a good image, and now it looks even nicer. However, this can only be seen if you put two devices side by side and start peering intently.

On the other hand, the density of points samsung screen The Galaxy A7 (2017) dropped from 401 to 386 ppi when compared to the previous phone. It's all about the grown diagonal of the screen - it was 5.5 "and became 5.7", that is, like the Galaxy Note. It is unlikely that the company will compensate for the untimely death of the Note 7 in this way, rather, the increase in size is caused by the desire to further differentiate the Galaxy A5 (2017) and A7 (2017) - before there was a difference of 0.3 "between them, and now - 0.5".

And yes, as you might guess, the display resolution remains the same: 1920x1080 pixels or Full HD. For me, this is more than enough for everyday life. The picture still remains clear, no notches and other interface irregularities are visible. Subjectively, I like the image on the Galaxy A7 (2017) screen. Super AMOLED is Super AMOLED - a high-quality matrix, with bright colors and wide viewing angles, it almost does not fade in the sun. And if it seems to you that the colors are unnecessarily “pull out your eyes”, then changing the profiles will help to solve the issue, but more on that below.

Meanwhile, objective measurements show a screen brightness of 413.81 cd/m 2 , which is quite good. Together with a high-quality anti-reflective coating, this gives that very good “resistance” to bright sun. Add here the peculiarity of OLED technology, namely deep blacks and, therefore, excellent contrast.

The color gamut of Galaxy display A7 (2017) is, as always, maximum and noticeably higher than the best IPS matrices. When the "Adaptive" profile is activated, it noticeably outperforms color space sRGB and is approaching the closure of professional Adobe RGB. Well, the “Main” profile, which is more “calm” in terms of saturation, gives a smaller number of colors, which is not noticeable to the eye.

Gamma curves generally look good. Not perfect, but very close to the 2.2 reference curve: in the case of the "Adaptive" profile, the curve went slightly below the reference, while for the "Basic" it turned out to be higher. In the first case, this means a slight darkening of the image, or rather, its output is slightly darker than necessary, and in the second, lightening. But then again, you won't see it with your eyes.

The white balance is, as always, very good for the "Main" profile, and in the case of "Adaptive" it is disturbed towards a colder picture. But in general, most smartphones have this problem, it's even a kind of "norm".

Galaxy A7 (2017) screen recognizes up to 10 simultaneous touches. This is a trifle, but the younger models support no more than 5 touches at once.

And here are the screen profiles, they are selected in the settings. The default is Responsive, but you can choose the one that suits you best. Moreover, in this generation of the device, it is additionally possible to adjust the gamma for individual color components.

The Galaxy A7 (2017) also has the coolest feature - Always On, which literally translates as “always on”. The screen always shows the time, as well as notifications. You can choose a background for the clock, replace it with a calendar or just a pattern. It would seem that this is nonsense, but you get used to it so quickly and “tightly” that you decide right away: next smartphone will be with Always On! I have it, but you can buy it for yourself right away, yes. This thing has very little battery - if the consumption increases, then by a couple of percent per day. Moreover, the autonomy of the Galaxy A7 (2017) is hoo! But more on that later, in the testing section.

In summary, summing up a brief summary, I will conclude that the screen of the Galaxy A7 (2017) is excellent, with a good picture, bright colors, the ability to fine tuning and a very convenient Always On function.

The Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) also received an updated camera, however, as did the Galaxy A5 (2017). The predecessor had 13 megapixels, and now it has become 16 megapixels. Although, of course, this did not affect the quality in any way - the shooting resolution only increased. But the update of frame processing algorithms has affected, so the smartphone shoots better.

The interface of the application controlling the camera has changed. As usual, it's small, but noticeable. So filters are now pushed out with a swipe gesture on the right, and shooting modes are on the left.

Of the interesting modes, there is Pro, where you can set the ISO, white balance and exposure compensation. And HDR will also be useful, hyperlapse - shooting slow motion video (don't forget to put your phone on a tripod!), As well as Food, where cool bokeh will be added to you.

The maximum resolution, as always, is achieved with an aspect ratio of 4:3.

As you can see, the Galaxy A7 (2017) shoots decently. The shots are sharp, with a good white balance, without flare. In general, I liked it. Even in the evening the result is good.

The video is shot in Full HD resolution. 4K is still not available for Samsung smartphones, unless it's a flagship.

The video also turned out well, although not in the newfangled 4K resolution.

The front camera also has its own modes, although there are much fewer of them.

The resolution of the front sensor was noticeably increased - up to 16 MP, that is, it was equalized with the rear one.

The frames from the front camera are also good, the colors are correct, the white balance is not disturbed. True, there is a nuance - the lens is set for close focusing, and therefore the photos came out so “blurred”.

The front camera also shoots video in Full HD.

The video has the same problem as the photo - it is good, but blurry if you shoot objects that are not close.

Basically Galaxy cameras A7 (2017) I liked. The rear one shoots very well - it will suit many. There are complaints about focusing on the front, but perhaps this will be fixed with a firmware update.

There are three models in the Galaxy A line for 2017: Galaxy A3 (2017), Galaxy A5 (2017) and Galaxy A7 (2017). Our type as "senior". Yes, and not “like how”, but it is - this is the most expensive model, although its characteristics in everything correspond to the Galaxy A5 (2017). Therefore, it is much more interesting to find out how they have changed in comparison with the Galaxy A7 (2016).

The most interesting thing is that the Galaxy A7 (2016) differed in terms of characteristics from the Galaxy A5 (2016) more significantly - the largest device had 1 GB more random access memory. Now this difference is leveled - only the screen size and battery capacity remain.

Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) has an Exynos 7880 Octa processor. It has eight Cortex-A53 cores, clocked at 1.88 GHz. The chip is manufactured using a 14nm process technology, and therefore heats up less than the 28nm Exynos 7580 of its predecessor. The frequency has grown noticeably - all cores operate at the same frequency. In principle, this is not the fastest chipset on the market, about the “above average” level, but its speed should be enough for everyone.

There are, however, some questions to the video card. The Mali-T830 MP3 is a three-pipeline accelerator running at 750 MHz in this case. This mid-budget solution is not the slowest, but it is not so easy to classify it as productive either. Of course, compared to the Exynos 7580 with its Mali-T720 MP2 new graphics card has become noticeably better, but still she has to deal with the resolution of the Full HD screen. Although, on the other hand, I did not notice any problems with performance.

The amount of RAM has not changed - it is still 3 GB. Obviously, they did not increase it to 4 GB, so as not to create unnecessary parallels with the Galaxy S7. Moreover, the Galaxy A7 (2017) has 32 GB of flash memory - a twofold increase here, which I welcome in every possible way.

Other characteristics are less significant, but still. So LTE is supported by category 6, that is, data reception can reach up to 300 Mbps. Bluetooth has been updated to version 4.2, Wi-Fi is now compatible with the high-speed 802.11ac standard. But USB Type-C is just a new fancy connector, while the interface behind it is the old one, USB 2.0.

Generally samsung specifications Galaxy A7 (2017) I rate as good. The smartphone clearly does not use the very best components, and someone will say that some Xiaomi will offer a flagship for the same money. Well, let him offer, but the value of a Korean phone is not only in its hardware, although it is good. Now see for yourself.

Performance Testing

Now we will find out how good the Galaxy A7 (2017) is compared to its predecessor, the 2016 model.

Well... both the old and the new system-wide test showed a noticeable increase in performance.

There is no difference in the SunSpider browser test - obviously, it could not fully load the new chipset.

But three-dimensional tests show a noticeable increase in speed. In vain I sinned on the video card, it has become much faster, which cannot but rejoice.

Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) in Antutu

Now let's take a look at what the popular Antutu benchmark will show.

As you can see, here again, the Galaxy A7 (2017) has become much faster than last year's model. Although someone will say that "less than 100 thousand is nonsense." Well, what can I say? Nonsense is so nonsense, but in my opinion all these "parrots" are a very conditional thing. Especially when you consider what a cool autonomy the smartphone showed.

As always, I conduct the main test of autonomy.

The result obtained is not so many times, but still noticeably better than the Galaxy A7 (2016) - the new tube works longer and this can be seen by eye. She has almost a record value of all the tested devices. Better, perhaps, only at.

The Antutu autonomy test shows a slightly different picture - the Galaxy A7 (2017) is almost twice as good as its predecessor. The tube really works for a long time. She has the best performance of the entire Galaxy A line, and in general it will be difficult to find a smartphone on the market whose performance is comparable. Bricks with megabatteries will not be taken into account, okay?

As is usually the case, 3D games consume the most energy. All other tasks eat up more or less the same charge.

In addition to internal optimizations, Samsung allows you to adjust the power consumption yourself. In the settings there are modes of increased power saving, and optionally, individual applications can be allowed to work without restrictions.

So it turns out: Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) is a smartphone with decent, though not top-end, performance, as well as excellent autonomy. Autonomy is really cool - one of the best.

Games on Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017)

Games on the Galaxy A7 (2017) work confidently, and there is enough memory for them.

• Riptide GP2: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• Asphalt 7: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• Asphalt 8: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• Modern Combat 5: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• N.O.V.A. 3: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• Dead Trigger: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• Dead Trigger 2: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• Real Racing 3: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• need For Speed: No limits: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• Shadowgun: Dead Zone: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• Frontline Commando: Normandy: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• Frontline Commando 2: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• Eternity Warriors 2: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• Eternity Warriors 4: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• Trial Xtreme 3: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• Trial Xtreme 4: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• Dead Effect 2: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• Plants vs Zombies 2: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• dead target: excellent, the game does not slow down;

• Injustice: Gods Among Us: excellent, the game does not slow down.

As you can see, none of the tested games slows down in any way.

BY

Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) got Android 6.0.1 at its disposal. To be honest, I expected more. It would be nice if it was budget smartphone, but this model is only a step below the flagship - a mess! In general, I wanted Android 7.0 out of the box, but the update will have to wait, I think, somewhere until the spring-summer of 2017.

Meanwhile, a proprietary TouchWIZ shell is installed on the phone, in its very latest version. However, the desktops here have not changed in any way: on the left, as always, the Briefing ribbon, and the rest are ordinary, with shortcuts and widgets.

And here is the notification panel and quick settings updated, became white and with new icons. Nothing fundamentally new here, rather refreshed appearance. And the lock screen and task manager have remained the same.

From the task manager, as always, you can activate the MultiWindow mode - splitting the screen into two parts, each of which opens an application. Quite relevant for such a large smartphone.

The design of the settings has changed, there are a little more items, they have new icons, and each has a larger width, which was used with benefit: a brief description is given under the section name.

You can customize quite a lot. For example, notifications that come from applications, in the status bar there is an option to turn off "clutter". Among additional features there is such as manual processing of screenshots, as well as advanced options for games, where all notifications are turned off and something else.

Even Samsung has long thought over the control mode with one hand - let me remind you, it was the Koreans who came up with spade phones. In general, on the Galaxy A7 (2017), you can shrink the keyboard and move it to the side, and also display the image in a smaller window.

The “Optimization” section hides what used to be called Smart Manager, while other devices have “Phone Manager” and the like. In fact, this application optimizes the consumption of RAM and flash memory, as well as energy consumption. Knox protected mode is also activated here.

Samsung is also developing its own Samsung Cloud service (very original name!), In which you can store backup data from the device.

Also, the theme configurator was hidden in the settings. Here you can download additional ones from the Internet, customize wallpapers and icons.

There are not so many applications installed on the Galaxy A7 (2017). More precisely, not so much, in addition to the standard set of calendar-calculator-hours-and-so-on. There is a set of utilities from Samsung, Google and Microsoft. From the latter - Skype and Microsoft Office.

Some of the branded programs can be downloaded from the Galaxy Apps store - Samsung did a very good job of putting them in a separate section of its store, rather than littering the smartphone's memory with them. Who needs it, he downloads. This case is hidden under the Galaxy Essentials shortcut widget. There is a kids mode music player And music editor, recognition of business cards and text in general, translator S Translator, a simple graphics editor.

Of the installed ones, I will note the program "Protected Folder". By the name it is clear what it does - it creates an encrypted folder that integrates with a standard file manager.

The Samsung Pay payment service application is also installed on the Galaxy A7 (2017) - the company begins to actively distribute it.

Separately rendered application Samsung Notes, where you can create notes. It has been modernized and now it has become much more functional.

Other programs are the most common alarm clock, stopwatch, file manager and similar things that are on any smartphone.

To be honest, I'm subjective. I got used to the Samsung shell and once again it got better. So the adherents of the products of this company, the Galaxy A7 (2017), and other representatives of this line, will not be disappointed in any way. Well, as for the rest, it seems to me that everything is good and convenient, but if you are already used to something specific of your own, then the difference will begin to be felt. And so TouchWIZ, according to the logic of work, does not differ much from the “naked” Android.

Conclusion

The Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) makes an impression. Yes, it just “makes an impression” - this is such a huge shovel, somewhat larger in size than any of the Galaxy Note. In other words, if you wanted a phablet with good performance, high build quality and excellent design, then it is in front of you. It also has water resistance, yes.

The disadvantages of the device are definitely present, and in my opinion the main one is the identical characteristics of the Galaxy A5 (2017). It turns out that the older model differs only in screen size and battery capacity, but costs much more. Someone else will not like the non-separable case, the lack of an LED indicator, although Always On replaces it quite well now.

Always On, by the way, is a very cool thing. And the rest of the smartphone is very even. Of the unmentioned advantages, I will give a high-quality Super AMOLED screen, a USB Type-C connector (although someone will write it down as a minus), a fingerprint scanner, an excellent camera, and also excellent autonomy. So how much is all this happiness worth?

Price Galaxy A7 (2017)

You can buy Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) for 33 thousand rubles. For the Galaxy A5 (2017) they ask for 28 thousand rubles, that is, the difference is 5 thousand - and this, I repeat, is only for the increased screen diagonal and increased battery capacity. Meanwhile, what are competitors offering?

Meizu U20 is noticeably cheaper - only 20 thousand, and the characteristics are similar: 5.5-inch full screen HD, 8-core processor MediaTek Helio P10, 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal memory, the body is made of metal. What is wrong here? Well, look, a 3260 mAh battery plus a not so economical MediaTek processor - autonomy will obviously be lower. There is also no water resistance and a fingerprint scanner, and a 13 MP camera.

Motorola Moto Z Play sells for 30 thousand, that is, it costs more. There is a 5.5-inch AMOLED screen (worse than Samsung's Super AMOLED), a Snapdragon 625 chipset, 3/32 GB of memory, a 3510 mAh battery. And you can sculpt on it external modules behind - this is a feature of the entire Moto Z series. Here is such an interesting image-functional model.

If it competes with the Galaxy A5 (2017), then the rival of the A7 (2017) is Nova Plus. The price here is lower, around 25 thousand, and the characteristics are comparable: Full HD IPS screen, Snapdragon 625, 16 MP camera with the ability to record 4K video, 3/32 GB of memory and a 3340 mAh battery. And yes, add here a stylish appearance and a metal case. But no moisture protection.

Pros:

• excellent design;
• excellent build;
• high-quality Super AMOLED screen with the ability to customize;
• good cameras;
• case protection according to IP68 standard;
• Fingerprint's scanner;
• USB Type-C connector;
• conveniently located audio jack;
• always-on function;
• very good autonomy.

Minuses:

• Android 6.0 out of the box (will be updated to 7.0);
• paint will be rubbed off the speaker;
• non-separable body;
• no LED event indicator above the screen;
• the specifications are no different from the Galaxy A5 (2017).

Until recently, Samsung's Galaxy A line has been one of the least value for money solutions available on the market. But this year, the Koreans have become generous (not because of the deterioration in sales, is it?) and offered several interesting features in the “folk” series at once. The Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018), for which we have prepared a review, has become the company's first smartphone with a triple main camera. But there are suspicions that this is just a marketing ploy, and not a real improvement that affects the quality of photos. Let's figure it out.

Specifications of Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018):

• Screen: 6 inches, SuperAMOLED, 2220*1080 pixels, 18.5:9;
• Processor: Exynos 7885 (6×1.6 + 2×2.2 GHz), Mali-G71 graphics;
• Permanent memory: 64/128 GB + MicroSD up to 512 GB;
• RAM: 4/6 GB;
• Main camera: triple 24 MP (f/1.7) + 8 MP (f4 13mm) + 5 MP (f/2.2), FHD 30fps.
• Front camera: 24 MP (f/2.0), FHD video
• Battery: non-removable 3300 mAh;
• Additionally: NFC, 4G, Dual Nano-SIM, Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, GPS/GLONASS, USB microUSB, 3.5 mm jack, fingerprint reader;
• OS: Android1 8.0 Oreo + Samsung Experience 9.0 ;
• Dimensions: 159.8 x 76.8 x 7.5 mm, weight - 168 gr.

Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) is available for purchase at a recommended retail price 26 990 rubles. In Russia, the smartphone is presented in blue, black and pink.

Design and ergonomics

By design front panel The Galaxy A7 (2018) is not much different from the rest of the smartphones released by Samsung in 2018. And this is more an advantage than a disadvantage: the Koreans should be praised for not bending under the trends - against the backdrop of smartphones with a monobrow flooding the market, the A7 does not look like another replica iPhone x.

Despite the almost halved thickness of the frames around the screen compared to the previous generation, there is no framelessness here, and with its 6-inch display, the A7 is a very large device. But due to the moderate weight of 167 grams and small thickness (7.5 mm), the smartphone can be comfortably used. Not with one hand, of course.

But looking at back cover, you can’t confuse the novelty with anything. The back of the case is made of glass (which is very similar to glossy plastic in terms of tactile sensations), it also houses the know-how of the Galaxy A7 (2018) – a triple camera. The whole thing looks expensive knowledgeable people most likely they will take the device for some expensive flagship.

But looking closely at the details, it immediately becomes noticeable what the Koreans saved on. And if the difference in materials that is felt when comparing the A7 with the same Note 9 can be understood, then the use of a MicroUSB port instead of Type-C in a smartphone for 25 thousand is only puzzling. Although the headphone jack was left, and thanks for that.

Noteworthy is the non-standard location of the fingerprint scanner, which is integrated into the smartphone's power button located on the right side. There is now a small depression around it, which allows you to quickly find the key blindly. After a short period of getting used to, you begin to appreciate the convenience of such a solution - when you pick up a smartphone, your thumb automatically rests on the button, the scanner works quickly, and you don’t have to press the key to unlock it.

Display

For my price category The display on the Galaxy A7 (2018) is without compromise, it's a large 6-inch SuperAMOLED panel with FHD+ resolution and 18.5:9 aspect ratio. In terms of color reproduction, the screen is close to the reference amoledas, the maximum brightness indicator is 400 cd/m2, which is enough for comfortable use of the smartphone on the street.

Present adaptive adjustment brightness, color temperature, and Always on Display mode, which displays a clock and notification icons on the lock screen. To conserve battery power, AoD automatically turns off from 0 to 7 am, which can be changed in the settings.

Performance

This year, the Galaxy A7 became the third smartphone from Samsung to be powered by the Exynos 7885 processor (after the A8 and A8+). This is an octa-core chipset made using a 14nm process technology, in which two productive Cortex A53 cores operate at a frequency of 2.2, and six energy-efficient cores operate at a frequency of 1.6 GHz. The Mali-G71 MP2 accelerator is responsible for solving graphic tasks. Depending on the configuration, the A7 may have 4/6 GB of RAM and 64/128 GB of permanent memory, which can be expanded with microSD up to 512 GB. The Koreans are generous with a separate slot for a flash drive, so you don’t have to sacrifice a SIM card.

The performance of the smartphone is average, in synthetics it is comparable to devices on the Snapdragon 636 and significantly lags behind smartphones on the 660 dragon, which are overwhelming in this price category.

Samsung has introduced quite high-quality Android devices in the middle price category this year, releasing three water-resistant A-series smartphones. In this review, we will look at the largest of them, the Galaxy A7. Its specifications are largely similar to the Galaxy A5 smartphone, including the same 14 nm processor and 16 MP camera, but at the same time it has become half an inch longer on the diagonal of the screen and the battery capacity has increased by 20%. Is that enough to justify the price difference?

Contents of delivery

• Smartphone Samsung Galaxy A7
• User manual and warranty
• SIM eject tool
• USB cable>USB-C
• White headphones Samsung OEM EHS64
• 15W charger

Design

On the table, the Galaxy A7 2017 looks like a standard black bar, but when you pick it up, you immediately feel like a premium device. The smartphone is available in several color options, including a nice blue one. Samsung has started making metal and glass smartphones in more than just the upper price range, resulting in the Galaxy A7 having a dark metal frame between two glass plates. This is not Gorilla Glass 5, it is better not to put a lot of pressure on the glass so that it does not crack.

Galaxy A7 is pretty big smartphone, the screen size is 5.7 inches, so you need to get used to it and try not to drop it from your hands at this time. The main disadvantage of the device stems precisely from its large screen, since working with it with one hand is not very convenient, especially if you still put a case on it.

The sides of the case are denser than usual filled with various elements. Samsung has moved the speaker from the bottom to the right side above the Home button. Here it will be more difficult to accidentally close it with your hand, for example, if you watch a video and keep your smartphone in landscape mode. The power button is located on the right side, the volume button is on the left and it is quite thin, but it is made of strong metal and does not vibrate, it is easy to find and press without looking.

The smartphone has two slots for SIM-cards, at least in the tested version. These slots are not hybrid, so two SIM cards and a microSD memory card can be used simultaneously. In addition, SIM-cards can be changed on the go, without having to turn off the smartphone. It is not recommended to do this with the second slot at the top, since the microSD is also located there, if something is being written to it at this moment, the information may be lost.

Screen

It uses a 5.7-inch Super AMOLED panel with a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels. This resolution is enough to get a high-quality image without unnecessary energy consumption, but you can complain about the viewing angles. The slightest tilt of the device causes the colors to become too cold and bluish, which can be annoying.

Apart from this, when working with a smartphone in basic mode, it produces fairly accurate colors. By default, the adaptive screen mode is used, here the colors are too rich. The screen brightness is quite high, the reflection coefficient is small, so it is convenient to work with it outdoors.

There is also an Always On Display mode that shows the time, date and notifications when the screen is off. Good text contrast makes it easy to see, but this mode reduces the duration battery life.

Interface and functionality

Galaxy A7 running operating system Android systems Marshmallow, on top of which is the Samsung shell that replaced TouchWiz. The interface has become cleaner and more spacious, more connected and thoughtful. It resembles the updated interface of the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge on Android Nougat, which in turn borrowed elements of the Grace interface from the Galaxy Note 7.

Samsung has done a great job on the user interface. It not only looks good, but is also easy to use. The company has polished up core apps that are much more enjoyable to use: Samsung calendar is now faster, shows weather information, mail looks better and Gmail is easier to set up, the Weather app is just great, the list goes on and on.

The new dropdown notification bar looks nifty and offers several advanced settings. Among the new features is the ability to search for applications in the application list, two new shortcuts allow you to enter a search in the Play Store or in the store Samsung apps. On the smartphones of this manufacturer, the settings have always been confusing, now they have become more understandable and organized. The new manager detects malicious and power-hungry applications and helps to solve problems related to them.

First introduced in the Galaxy Note 7, secure folders have appeared. You can send applications that are important for your work here so that only you can access them. Here you can even create a separate account Google.

Galaxy A7 2017 has a high quality keyboard. The Samsung keyboard is one of the most accurate and fast on Android, and it's a pleasure to type on, also because the buttons are clearly separated.

The only drawback of the Samsung interface is the lack of support for some useful gestures. For example, on most smartphones, the familiar movement of the fingers opens the notification panel. On big screen this smartphone such movement would be quite convenient. Double-clicking, swiping and other movements on the screen to unlock it are also not supported, you have to use a physical button. Rumors say that Android 8.0 will bring support for such gestures to everything android shells how Android Nougat brought split screen.

Processor, performance and memory

Galaxy A7 2017 uses new processor mid-level, which is 36% more efficient than its predecessor. This is an 8-core Exynos 7880 with Cortex-A53 cores built on the state-of-the-art 14nm FinFET process technology. Nothing much to say about it, its clock speeds are lower compared to the best Snapdragon processors, uses a simpler Mali graphics chip. The architecture tries to distribute worker threads in a balanced manner.

Despite periodic slowdowns and lags, the operation of the smartphone is quite smooth, especially considering its functional interface. apparatus with a clean Android version would work even faster, but it would have limited functionality of the interface and graphics. I would like to see 4 GB of RAM, as this would make the process of switching between applications faster and the speed of their launch.

The amount of built-in flash memory is 32 GB, 24 GB is available to the user. The Duo version has a microSD card slot.

Connection

The LTE 4G communication standard is supported, there is NFC, which allows you to work with payment system Samsung Pay. There is also two-band Wi-Fi, which is useful in crowded cities. Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, Glonass, BeiDou and USB type C are available.

Camera

The Galaxy A7 has 16MP front and rear cameras. There's a single LED flash on the back, f/1.9 lenses, but there's no stabilization whatsoever, and 4K video recording isn't supported.

The smartphone has an excellent updated camera application. Supported quick launch: Double tapping the Home button launches the camera. The application has become much cleaner, Samsung has removed everything superfluous. Rarely used settings have been removed from the main screen, leaving only the shutter button, start recording video, a link to the gallery, flash control, settings and a button to switch to the front camera.

If you need white balance or ISO, you need to swipe left and select the Pro shooting mode, where manual controls are available. Swiping to the right opens HDR, Panorama and other modes. There are also various filters available to change the color and style of photos.

Photo quality

The quality of the resulting images is at a high level. Vibrant colors and good dynamic range photographs in daylight. The camera is quite fast and focuses quickly in automatic mode. Unfortunately, the photos are soft, sometimes blurry, because optical stabilization absent.

In low light, blurring and lack of stabilization are even more noticeable, resulting in fuzzy photos, so it's best to hold the camera as confidently as possible when shooting. As for the front camera, the 16MP seems more of a marketing statement as the detail doesn't look particularly high. Photos are good in sufficient light, but often difficult in complex dynamic scenes.

Video quality

The Galaxy A7 can shoot video at a maximum of 1080p, since there is not the most best processor. The quality of the video even at this resolution is not very high. Although the colors are good, as is the dynamic range, every slight movement of the hand causes the video to shake. It looks as if there is not only optical, but also software image stabilization, so you need to hold the smartphone very firmly in your hands. Continuous autofocus is fast, although not quite as good as Samsung technology dual pixel.

Sound quality

As mentioned above, the location of the speaker has been changed. He is on right side housing, next to the power button. This was the right decision, since it is now difficult to block the speaker with your hand in any orientation of the smartphone. The sound quality of this small speaker is good, the volume is higher than expected, the sound is full, although it may lack depth.

Call quality

The top speaker on the Galaxy A7 2017 is also quite high quality, the volume is at a high level. The sound is clear, without unnecessary noise and distortion. Voices are easy to recognize and don't sound muffled like they do on Sony's waterproof smartphones, although there's also a waterproof seal around the pinna.

The two microphones do a great job and pick up your voice clearly and loudly, it sounds natural and clear. There are two noise-canceling microphones that eliminate unwanted sounds.

Offline work

It is not known what Samsung has done with the batteries on Galaxy smartphones A this year, but they work for a very long time. Galaxy A5 2017 lasted 11 hours in tests with a 3000 mAh battery. The Galaxy S7 with the screen on worked 20% more, the battery capacity here is 3600 mAh. That means 13 hours with the screen on at 200 nits.

Apart from a few smartphones with 4000-5000 mAh batteries, the main Galaxy competitor The A7 in this test was the Moto Z Play Droid, which doesn't have a waterproof case, charges significantly slower, and has a worse screen-to-body ratio for the same price.

A large battery and a 1080p screen provide long battery life, while smartphones with Quad HD screens can last only 6-9 hours. Since Samsung is the manufacturer and consumer of the screens, processors and memory of its smartphones, it is able to optimize them for energy efficiency. For example, smart phone 8: It works with screen on for 9 hours, uses Huawei Kirin 950 16nm processor, 5.2 inch 1080p screen like Galaxy A5 2017, with 20% shorter run time with similar battery.

So, if you're looking for a smartphone that can last a weekend without an outlet, choose the right size among the Galaxy A3, Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A7. Galaxy S7 charges from zero to 100% in 104 minutes.

Conclusion

As you can see from everything written above, the Galaxy A7 2017 turned out to be quite successful. If it weren't for the camera's shortcomings in the form of blurry photos and shaky video, it could be called excellent across the board.

However, the device perfectly manifests itself in one of the main indicators, in the duration of battery life. She has one of the highest among smartphones in the medium-high price category.

It can also be noted high quality calls, premium case quality, well-developed interface with extensive functionality. The icing on the cake is water protection.

Based on the above, the user will have to decide whether such a smartphone is worth the price of $450. For a little extra, you can buy a Galaxy S7 with a Dual Pixel camera. Apart from the larger screen, the Galaxy A7 lasts almost twice as long, which for many is the main thing in a smartphone.

pros

• Battery Life
• Call quality
• No need to turn off the smartphone when changing the SIM card or memory card
• Developed functional interface
• Waterproof housing

Minuses

• blurry photos
• shaking video
• No video recording at 4K resolution
• Large fragile glass body
• Changing the color temperature when the screen is tilted

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

Equipment

I got the device for the test without a kit. In general, without everything - only a pipe. However, I dug up the information on the Internet (thanks to the official video of the DNS store) and here is what awaits domestic users in the box:

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

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

Design

The body of the novelty has become quite streamlined. There is none acute angle, smooth, rounded lines and transitions everywhere. This is neither good nor bad. Just a fact. Each new generation should have some kind of design zest, and so it happened this time.

At the ends we have a metal side, tempered glass Corning Gorilla Glass 4 on the front, and glass on the back, however, it is not known for certain which one.

I especially liked that the 2.5D glass is very rounded and rests directly on the metal case. There is no plastic side, everything is perfectly fitted to each other and it feels great when you take the smartphone in your hand.

The surface has an oleophobic coating, but it still very quickly collects all the fat traces of the fingers. This is especially critical for the back side. Such is the retribution for the glossy and sunbeamed case.

Before rubbing

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

In general, we have a desert behind us - a small camera eye, next to it is a single-tone flash and a little the name of the manufacturer. Perhaps it is stylish and concise, but, as for me, it looks rustic. The device for $ 500 lacks some zest.

In general, the front of the smartphone looks much better. And by the way, if you take it, then only the black version. In this coloring, the smartphone looks simply gorgeous. It is especially pleasant that the “Samsung” inscription on the front panel is practically invisible, and besides, in the off state, the borders of the frequency screen merge with the case and, together with the Always On Display function, it all looks just fiery!

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

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

In the design, I personally am a little embarrassed by two points: the weight and thickness of the case. The smartphone seems to be thin, but if you compare it with competitors (I had iPhone 6 Plus and ), you feel that such an impressive coffin lies in your hands.

In addition, the device is quite heavy. Not to say that it is critical. You quickly get used to it and do not notice any weightiness, however, if you start comparing, then ... well, you understand.

On the other hand, it is A7 buyers who 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 can be no question of any compactness. Excuse me!

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

The volume buttons are located on the left side. Right-handed people will feel a little uncomfortable at first.

From the interesting: the slot for SIM-cards is divided into two independent parts. One tray for Nano "SIM" and a memory card is on top, the second (only for Nano SIM-cards) won a place on the left side.

The design is original, but the user does not have to choose between the second SIM card and an increase in internal memory. This is a great boon!

The external speaker is located here 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, turn the device over and hold it with both hands. So the index finger is placed exactly on the speaker holes, thereby, the sound is muffled. We have to look for a less comfortable option to capture.

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

The touch keys are located on the case next to physical button"Home", have a clear, bright illumination of the moon color. It is impossible to adjust its time or intensity, which is a pity, because it is very short. Attaching additional functionality or swapping keys is also prohibited, however, as well as activating the vibration response when you press them. We get used to what is, or we put additional, third-party software.

There is a one-hand control mode. It turns on in the menu, you need to press the "Home" button three times. Not very comfortable, but you get used to it.

I liked that you can quickly launch the camera at any time - just press the Home button twice and in a second the viewfinder is ready to shoot. This is important, because street scenes 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 still would not recommend using headphones or connecting USB cable immediately after water procedures. It is 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 hardware here (you need to press it). However, to unlock the device, you just need to touch your finger - the sensor is always on the lookout and ready to read the print.

I am extremely negative about devices that require you to press a button to unlock them, and not just touch them. After all, it's inconvenient! Why don't manufacturers understand this?

For me, the reference fingerprint sensor is set to /. The speed of reading the fingerprint and unlocking the smartphone rolls over. Something in the region of 0.2 or even 0.1 seconds. In addition, a finger can be applied to absolutely any side, carelessly and not accurately - everything is recognized correctly.

The Galaxy A7 sensor is not as fast and accurate. Yes, it reads well, but quite often the system reports that it is impossible to recognize the print. You need to attach your finger again, more carefully and as centered as possible. The smartphone does not forgive negligence. However, if you moved to the A7 from the same iPhone 6, then the scanner work will seem fantastic for you. Everything is relative.

Of course, the scanner has additional functionality. For example, you can set up Samsung Pay payment (I’ll tell you about it separately) or set up authorization on sites using a fingerprint. IN desired forms bundles of logins and passwords will be immediately entered, you just need to put your finger on the scanner. This is very convenient, but it 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 possible only through a PIN code and a "Secure Folder". I will talk about this in the software chips section.

Display

Gorgeous, large, juicy Super AMOLED screen. In principle, this is all you need to know about this rather important smartphone node.

Is it worth mentioning the Always On Display function. This is a really useful feature that should be adopted by other manufacturers. The bottom line is that you can set it so that the necessary information always glows on the screen: time, date, notification icons, a calendar, and even some pretty picture on the background.

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

Most "amoleds" sin with high contrast and oversaturated colors. This has been almost always 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 "greenery" has practically disappeared, the screen at extreme viewing angles has ceased to shimmer with all the colors of the rainbow. We look at how it looks in the example of comparison with (in the photo it is from below or on the right).

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

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

In general, everything is just fine with the display! Samsung here gave even more than I expected. Still, we are not analyzing the 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 - to take 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, the question of choice is simply not worth it. We look at everything specifications updated device in comparison with its predecessor.

And the battery is larger, and the processor is faster, and the display is more interesting - there are so many improvements that, if you ask yourself a question of choice, then buy it, and therefore it’s worth overpaying.

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

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

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

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

Performance

Testing the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017), I caught myself thinking that I was completely uninterested in what the smartphone had “under the hood”. What processor does it have, what video accelerator and how many RAM are installed.

The experience with this device is similar to how we use and choose the iPhone. A purely consumer attitude of the type "So that everything works as it should, without tension 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 the top-end, productive hardware.

And here is the contrast. 90 percent iPhone owners 6 / 6S / 7 have no idea at what frequency the processor installed inside is running. No, someone once heard that some powerful chipset was installed inside, one of the last, it seems, but this is where all the knowledge ends. People use it and don’t blow their heads, how many free “RAM” there are at the moment.

So, everything is the same with our South Korean guest. The smartphone works great, copes with all tasks one hundred percent, does not bug, 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 are doing the most capacious and detailed reviews so that the future owner knows and is warned about all the nuances. Therefore, they drove to play, test AnTuTu and so on.

Assassin`s Creed Identity does not lag, occasionally, in heavy scenes and with fast camera turns, slowdowns are visible, but for the most part they are not.

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

Now for 4K video playback. And here everything is more than perfect. Even the same smartphone, declared H.265, took it, saw through it and did not even blink an eye.

Photo and video capabilities

Another parameter in which the A7 of the current year is head and shoulders above its predecessor. The front camera had 5, and now it has 16 megapixels! Normal change, don't you think?

The pictures are of very decent quality: detailed, without exposure errors, without any tricks with skin tones and other crimes. Of course, nowhere without the “beauty” mode. 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 here: you can narrow your face and make your eyes bigger. Oh…

The resolution of the rear photosensor has not grown so much - from 13 to 16 megapixels. It's still not stupid.

However, what do we get in terms of image quality? One of the best middle peasants in this regard (yes, the A7 is considered a model of the middle price segment, closer to the highest). Another characteristic is that the photo quality is at the level of the flagships of 2014-2015. 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 for the A7. Look away or even S6 / . These characters in terms of photos are still wow! Xiaomi, despite all its successes, still cannot reach them - up to the tops of 2015, for a moment.

Regular photo

Food mode

However, in terms of a modern mid-range smartphone with all the latest flagship bells and whistles, the camera offers good, solid quality.

HDR enabled

Finally, Samsung abandoned the million preset modes and left only the most necessary: ​​HDR (without Auto mode), panoramas, tasty food(Really peeped from Huawei ?!), night and manual. You can download another GIF maker, but this is optional.

The settings provided one simple but very useful feature - a floating shutter button. The user decides where on the screen to place an additional button for shooting. No need to reach for one single, 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 quite ordinary, with no obvious emphasis on this feature.

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 options, but it's still a sensor designed for slightly different things than the rear camera.

Software chips

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

First, the appearance can be customized to your liking. There is an online catalog of themes from where you can download covers for your interface for 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, we go to the "Optimization" item, where the whole thing can be tweaked in detail, adjust the operation of programs, and so on. Many shells have such an opportunity, but in our case this case is presented somehow more clearly. Almost as good as Huawei's EMUI.

And yet the system is not so smart as to work and optimize everything on its own. From time to time you have to climb into the menu and delete junk cache files, and even in a couple of weeks I have accumulated decently.

Third and coolest! Samsung smartphones have one of the most advanced security systems. The Knox platform is responsible for this case. It is a mixture of hardware and software that closely monitors the state of the hardware and operating system, and also has physical storage where you can put personal information. Access to it is limited even by the operating system itself - the user is logged in only by entering a PIN code using the same Knox platform.

There is one more useful feature- Protected Folder. Here you can throw all sorts of different applications, images and files, and access to them will be only through entering a PIN. You can't even put your imprint on it. Screenshots will not be here, because they cannot be taken in this mode.

In general, "Secure Folder" is like a device within a device. There is a Google here play market, where you can enter under one more Gmail account and install separate applications from under it. Thus, you can get, for example, two WhatsApp in one smartphone: one will be available in normal mode, the other only in secure mode.

There is another way - just copy the application from the main memory of the phone. Both copies will retain the same account, however, if the utility is removed from the main memory, the copy transferred earlier to the “Secure Folder” will remain. I hope the principle of operation is clear.

I also liked the fact that there is practically no software garbage, as it were, “as a gift” from the manufacturer. There is a complete package of office applications from Microsoft, but these utilities will certainly not be superfluous.

I can't say anything negative about the software. And not because I somehow promote the shell from Samsung, I just really didn’t find anything criminal or something like that.

Samsung Pay

I am absolutely delighted with this feature. While testing the device, I paid for everything and everywhere using the phone.

Moreover, you can pay even where they do not accept cards with wireless payment (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 case as a magnetic strip of a physical cards.

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

Registration bank card goes very quickly and easily. I set up the card while walking from the car to the grocery store, which was a distance of about 100 meters. For successful verification, both the bank must work with the Samsung Pay system and the card must support this function. I have a “Sber” card from the Stone Age (not wireless), and therefore did not catch on with the system. But with the "Alpha" everything went without a hitch.

Before paying, you need to pull out a 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 - here it is magic!

The thing is very contagious, I want to pay and use it anytime and anywhere!

Battery Life

The device received a 3,600 mAh battery. It's not a very large battery, given the thickness (7.9mm) and huge screen (the larger the physical area of ​​the device, the more space inside). However, Samsung developers get paid for a reason. Energy optimization is top notch.

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

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

I want to note that I did not use any power saving modes. There are a lot of them here, correct setting Surely the life of the device can 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 any complete charger, no power cable. I charged the smartphone with a regular charger. However, according to a recall on the Web, a full fast charge cycle (Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging) takes about an hour and a half. When you turn it off from the settings, the smartphone charges in 2.5 hours.

Sound quality

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

However, this arrangement with Google can be bypassed very simply. We open the corporate catalog of applications (Galaxy Apps) and among the recommended utilities we almost meet Samsung Music first. This standard application to play songs.

However, MP3 files play without problems. The sound quality through the 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, I did not notice any tangible changes. In general, most users will be satisfied with this, music lovers, I think, not very much.

Outcome

Actual Samsung price Galaxy A7 (2017) now is 32,990 rubles. It's a bit pricey for my taste. That would be 29,990 rubles - a completely different matter. However, this is just my opinion.

On the other hand, the gadget is quite fresh. From a renowned brand. The whole of itself is of such high quality, beautiful, modern and with full support for Samsung Pay. And how did you want? Buy a quality item for three kopecks? There is a good English (English, right?) proverb 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 have no idea how the Helio X27 differs from the Snapdragon 653, why the “permanent” UFS 2.1 standard and other game is preferable. For those who are tired of the endless dominance of iPhones, they want to get a high-quality, modern gadget here and now, so that with a guarantee that everything will be without problems. Well, of course, to change it was necessary not earlier than in a year and a half.

An added bonus is IP68 water resistance. It's really great, because with a smartphone you can safely lie in the bath after a hard day's work. Well, isn't it adorable?!