Samsung Galaxy A8 Smartphones to Take on Midrange Android Rivals

With just days left before the end of the year and a big Galaxy S9 launch due in early 2018, Samsung on Dec. 19 announced new handsets it’s called the Galaxy A8 and Galaxy A8+. The smartphones, which the handset makers will start shipping in January, come with a variety of features and design elements that users would find in Samsung’s Galaxy S8 line. But they also come with some tweaks, including a repositioned fingerprint sensor that sits below the rear camera instead of next to it along with and a dual-lens front-facing camera. It looks like Samsung will position the A8 models in the midrange in terms of price, making them considerably more affordable than the high-end Galaxy S8 line. But we don’t know for sure because Samsung hasn’t disclosed their prices. Read on to learn more about the features that might make the Galaxy A8 and Galaxy A8+ good buys.

Samsung’s Galaxy A8 line comes with a design reminiscent of the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. The handsets have a thin black bezel around the display, leaving no room for a physical home button or fingerprint sensor on the front. However their bezels are slightly thicker than those on the Galaxy S8. Samsung’s smartphones also come with a fingerprint sensor on the rear panel. But unlike the Galaxy S8, the A8’s fingerprint sensor sits below the rear camera instead of next to it, which should make it easier to reach.

There are two versions of the Galaxy A8: a standard model and a larger Galaxy A8+. The Galaxy A8 has 4GB of memory, while the Galaxy A8+ can be configured with up to 6GB of RAM. The Galaxy A8+ also comes with a larger battery.

Overall, the Galaxy A8 line should offer up enough power for most users. The device comes with an unnamed octa-core processor that features clock speeds up to 2.2GHz. Samsung is promising a fingerprint sensor for security, Samsung Pay support and 4G LTE connectivity. The Galaxy A8 isn’t the most powerful Samsung smartphone, but it’ll hold up well against most alternatives.

In a rather interesting move, Samsung has bundled a dual camera array on the front of the Galaxy A8s instead of the back. That means the front-facing cameras have an 8- and 16-megapixel sensor. On the rear, users will find a single rear-facing camera with a 16-megapixel sensor. Some reports have suggested the dual front-facing cameras point might include this feature in the Galaxy S9 when it appears next year.

Samsung’s smartphones come with two different display sizes. The Galaxy A8 has a 5.6-inch full-HD+ display with a resolution of 2,220 by 1,080. The Galaxy A8+ ships with a 6-inch full-HD+ display with the same 2,220-by-1,080-pixel resolution. Both of the screens have an 18.5:9 aspect ratio rather than the familiar 16:9 aspect ratio.

Samsung’s smartphones each come standard with 32GB of onboard storage. However, they can be configured with up to 64GB of storage. As discussed, the Galaxy A8 is only available with 4GB of memory, but the Galaxy A8+ can have its memory boosted to 6GB.

The Galaxy A8 and Galaxy A8+ both come with USB-C ports that can accommodate fast charging. However, the Galaxy A8’s battery pack comes in at 3,000mAh, making it notably smaller than the 3,500mAh pack in the Galaxy A8+.

In a somewhat disappointing move, Samsung decided to bundle Android 7.1.1 (Nougat) in the Galaxy A8 devices rather than the newer, more feature-packed and more secure, Android Oreo.

Samsung has designed its smartphones to be resistant to certain types of damage and both devices come with an IP68 rating. According to Samsung, the devices can “withstand” a variety of possible damage, including “sweat, rain, sand, and dust.”

Some of the biggest questions surrounding Samsung’s smartphones remain unanswered. For one, the company has only said that it will release the devices in “early January” but hasn’t confirmed an exact launch date. Samsung also hasn’t announced pricing.