Samsung Galaxy A7 The Complete Guide to Specs Prices Pros & Cons

Design and Build Quality

The Samsung Galaxy A7 is designed with a sleek and appealing aesthetic. The device sports dimensions of 151 x 76.2 x 6.3 mm, making it quite slim and easy to hold. Weighing in at 141 grams, the Galaxy A7 is lightweight, which complements its slender design. The front is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 4, ensuring enhanced durability against scratches and accidental drops. The back is composed of plastic, framed with aluminum, adding a touch of premium quality to the device, while ensuring device robustness. This combination of materials makes the A7 a striking and resilient smartphone, exuding elegance with a touch of practicality.

Display

The device features a 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display, delivering vibrant and sharp visuals. With a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels and a 16:9 ratio, the display offers approximately 401 ppi density. This ensures that images and texts are sharp and clear, enriching the user experience, whether browsing the web, watching videos, or playing games. The Super AMOLED technology contributes to deeper blacks and more vivid colors, enhancing contrast levels, and improving visibility under direct sunlight. The screen-to-body ratio of approximately 72.5% provides an expansive display area, ideal for multimedia consumption and daily tasks.

Performance

Under the hood, the Samsung Galaxy A7 is powered by two different chipsets, depending on the model. The A700FD model houses the Qualcomm MSM8939 Snapdragon 615, while the A700F model comes with an Exynos 5430 Octa chipset. The Snapdragon variant features an octa-core processor with a configuration of 4x1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 and 4x1.0 GHz Cortex-A53 cores, whereas the Exynos variant has a configuration of 4x1.8 Cortex-A15 GHz and 4x1.3 Cortex-A7 GHz cores. In terms of graphics, the Snapdragon variant comes with Adreno 405 GPU, and the Exynos variant includes Mali-T628 MP6 GPU. These configurations ensure that the Galaxy A7 can handle multitasking and deliver smooth performance for most applications found in its category.

Storage and Memory

The device comes with 16GB of internal storage, allowing users to store essential applications, media, and data. However, this may be inadequate for some users, but Samsung provides an option to expand storage up to 256GB via a dedicated microSDXC card slot, mitigating storage concerns significantly. The 2GB RAM ensures decent performance for daily tasks and moderate multitasking but may face limitations under heavy usage or demanding applications.

Camera Capabilities

The Samsung Galaxy A7 is equipped with a 13 MP main camera featuring an f/2.0 aperture and autofocus functionality. The camera supports additional features such as LED flash, panorama, and HDR, enhancing photography experiences in various lighting conditions. It is capable of capturing video footage at 1080p@30fps, ensuring satisfactory video quality for standard use. The 5 MP front selfie camera with an f/2.2 aperture also supports 1080p video recording, making it a competent choice for selfies and video calls.

Battery Life

Fueling the Galaxy A7 is a 2600 mAh non-removable Li-Ion battery. With moderate usage, the battery life can extend up to 17 hours of talk time on 3G and up to 54 hours of continuous music playback. The combination of efficient hardware and battery optimizations contributes to satisfactory endurance, ensuring day-long performance for most users.

Network and Connectivity

The device supports GSM, HSPA, and LTE network technologies, ensuring reliable connectivity in various regions. It covers 2G bands, 3G bands for models A700FD and A700F, and supports 4G LTE bands 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, and 20 for model A700F. The device delivers sufficient speeds for mobile data tasks, with HSPA offering 42.2/5.76 Mbps and LTE Cat4 delivering up to 150/50 Mbps. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 with A2DP, GPS with GLONASS/BDS, NFC, FM radio with RDS and recording, and a microUSB 2.0 connector.

Audio and Sensors

Including a loudspeaker and a standard 3.5mm jack, the Galaxy A7 caters to audio needs, with acceptable quality and volume output suitable for calls and media. Sensor-wise, the device is equipped with an accelerometer, proximity sensor, and compass, providing essential functionalities such as screen auto-rotation and location-based services.

Software Experience

Originally, the Samsung Galaxy A7 operates on Android 4.4.4 KitKat, with an official upgrade path to Android 5.0.2 Lollipop. Samsung’s user interface offers a range of customizations and utility features, enhancing the overall functionality and user experience. Despite not running the latest version of Android, it efficiently manages applications and day-to-day operations, maintaining stability and accessibility.

Conclusion

The Samsung Galaxy A7 offers a striking balance between design, performance, and functionality. As of its release in early 2015, it catered to users seeking a mid-range device with premium-like characteristics. Despite the advancements in technology that have rendered it discontinued, it still stands as a testament to Samsung's capability to deliver well-rounded and appealing smartphones. With its competitive pricing of approximately 300 EUR at launch, the Galaxy A7 was a desirable choice for those seeking an affordable yet powerful smartphone experience.