It’s not very often that we get smartphones for testing. Samsung average and budget segments. It’s almost a shame to admit: the last time we had a non-flagship from this company was almost three years ago, and it was the Galaxy Alpha (review). That model was largely a turning point for the Koreans: after an extremely unsuccessful design experiment in the Galaxy S5 (review), the company finally stopped considering plastic as the only possible material for a smartphone body and began actively using metal and glass. The success of the Galaxy Alpha led to the birth of the line of stylish “strong mid-rangers” Galaxy A. At the beginning of 2017, the third generation of these devices was introduced, the youngest representative of which we will now get to know.

Technical Samsung specifications Galaxy A3 (2017):

• Network: GSM (850/900 MHz), UMTS/WCDMA (Band 1, 2, 5, 8), FDD-LTE (Band 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20), TDD-LTE (Band 40 )
• Platform: Android 6.0 Marshmallow with proprietary shell
• Display: 4.7", 1280x720 pixels, 312 ppi, SuperAMOLED with PenTile
• Camera: 13 MP, f/1.9, Sony IMX258 sensor, LED flash, 1080p@30fps video recording
• Front-camera: 8 MP, f/1.9, Sony IMX219 sensor
• Processor: 8 cores, 1.6 GHz, 14 nm, 64 bits, Samsung Exynos 7870
• Graphics chip: Mali-T830
• RAM: 2 GB
• Internal memory: 16 GB
• Memory card: microSD (up to 256 GB)
• Two SIM slots (nano-SIM + nano-SIM/microSD)
• GPS, GLONASS
• Bluetooth 4.2
• Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n/ac), 2.4/5 GHz,
• USB Type-C 2.0
• Fingerprint's scanner
• Battery: non-removable, 2350 mAh
• Dimensions: 135.4x66.2x7.9 mm
• Weight: 138 g

Video review

Design

Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) is available in three colors - black, blue and gold. We got the most classic version for testing, that is, the first one (but for the photo shoot we took the blue one). The body is made of glass (front and back panels) and metal. The design is full of curves: 2.5D glass on the front, 3D glass on the back (this means that both the internal and external surfaces are not flat), rounded corners of the body, rounded ends, squares with rounded corners as camera eyes and flash. The abundance of roundness, in my subjective feeling, only spoils the impression of the design - the appearance of the device seems too soft and soothing, soapy. However, you may like these features, this is pure taste.

Let's study the arrangement of elements on the body, there are a lot of interesting things here. On the left are only the volume keys. At the top is the first surprise: in addition to the additional microphone, there is a tray for SIM cards (a common location for Samsung, but unusual for its competitors; there is one nano-SIM slot and one combined nano-SIM+microSD slot in the sled). On the right is the second surprise: not only the lock key, but also a multimedia speaker. It seems that only a well-drunk designer could have placed it there, but in fact the place is very good: you can only block the sound with a grip in portrait orientation, and that is unlikely (your finger will most likely land in the area of ​​the lock key). Bottom – 3.5 mm microphone jack, double-sided USB connector Type-C and a microphone, the relative position of which will anger a perfectionist:

The back panel (it is non-removable, the battery cannot be removed by “legal” means) is boring: only the camera, flash and Samsung logo. There is no oleophobic coating on the glass, so it quickly becomes covered with unpleasant fingerprints. On the front, everything is traditional for Samsung: a logo, a protruding earpiece, a front camera and sensors above the screen, two touch buttons backlit and a hardware home button underneath it. There is a fingerprint scanner built into the button, which works quite well if you enter your finger several times (with a dirty and clean button, with a dirty and clean finger).

The screen of the Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) has a diagonal of 4.7" and a resolution of 1280x720 pixels. 312 ppi is a good pixel density, but... Samsung uses SuperAMOLED screens with a special pixel structure (PenTile), which is why the pixel density indicator It's reasonable to divide by one and a half. Indeed, it's much more like 208 ppi: the diagonal grid is visible to the naked eye, the fonts are loose and have red halos. The screen has an excellent maximum brightness, which is not a problem on a clear day, and an excellent minimum. Reading from the screen in the dark - this is not a problem at all, especially with the blue filter turned on. Viewing angles are excellent, but even at slight tilts there are minor color inversions. However, as the tilt increases, they do not increase, so this should not be considered a serious minus. Blacks are very deep, and whites , as usual with organic LED screens, is dirty. There are four screen operating modes - “adaptive”, “film”, “photo” and “main”. Unlike the flagship Galaxy, where all modes work, the Galaxy A3 has a low Only “adaptive” permissions can be recommended for use. The other three produce very dirty light colors.

Software

Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) is based on the operating Android system 6.0 Marshmallow, an update to Nougat is being prepared. Like all other smartphones of the Korean giant, our today's hero uses the Samsung proprietary shell. This is one of the most feature-rich and cluttered firmware I've seen. It is impossible to describe it in any detail; I will limit myself to the necessary minimum. So, in the shell there are traditional desktops with icons and widgets, and the leftmost table is the Briefing news aggregator, simplified by Flipboard. The application menu also contains desktops and folders. In the curtain, the switches are opened by swiping again, but the five most important ones (of your choice) are available immediately. Screenshots are taken by pressing the “home” and lock keys; it is almost impossible to take them with one hand.

There are 45 applications pre-installed on the smartphone, and almost all of them cannot be deleted (the exceptions are Yandex, UBANK and a couple of branded ones). Samsung programs). Many can be disabled, but this is akin to deleting shortcuts from the desktop - it does not free up the device’s resources much. What are these applications? Utilities standard for all smartphones (all of them redesigned by Samsung), proprietary Samsung apps (voice assistant S Voice, health tracker Samsung Health, technical support + news Samsung Members, Gifts from Samsung Galaxy ( free apps), online store for Samsung products, “Secure Folder” based on KNOX and store Galaxy apps Apps), set Google applications, plastic bag Microsoft Office, OneDrive cloud, Skype, Facebook, payment tool Samsung Pay, Yandex and Ubank.

There aren't many options in Settings, but that's because a lot of things are grouped together. Thus, the RAM, ROM, battery and security parameters are hidden in a single “Optimization” section. In “Sounds and Vibrations” there is an equalizer and audiophile features like reverberation, in “Display” there is the ability to enable simple mode and Always On Display (shows the clock, calendar or picture of your choice). The discharge rate in Always On is low, you don’t have to worry about that. " Additional functions"- these are mainly gesture controls, eye tracking (not turning off the screen while you are looking at it, etc.), as well as chips for reducing the screen (they are almost useless at 4.7"). There are also gaming features– screencast, button blocking, and so on. There are many cross-references in the application itself, which is very convenient - if the function you are looking for is not in the section where you looked, you will still find this item via the link.

In general, the firmware gives the impression of something solid, but very overloaded and redundant. And it’s not just the 45 pre-installed applications - in the shell, behind each menu there are two new ones, which is why it seems endless in its hidden sub-items. On the other hand, the abundance of functions hides convenience, because every little thing that may be useful to you will probably be found somewhere. And the shell also lags in the menu, yes, how could it be otherwise?

Camera

Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) is equipped with a 13-megapixel camera based on the Sony IMX258 sensor. It has a good aperture ratio – f/1.9. The camera app doesn't offer a lot of options: regular photos, panoramas, HDR, food and night photography. There is a professional mode, but in it you can only adjust white balance, ISO and exposure compensation. All pictures below were taken in automatic mode. You can evaluate the quality of the images using a series of examples. I can say that their detail is not the best (more like 8 megapixels), which the camera is trying to correct by oversharpening, but there are no problems with color rendition or noise. I didn’t like the fact that in non-ideal lighting conditions (cafe, house), the camera can take a picture for up to 2-3-4 seconds, trying to figure out the algorithms and shutter speed, without reacting in any way to the shutter key. After this, the frame turns out good, but only if you were shooting a stationary object.

The video is recorded in 1080p@30fps. The detailing is high, the sound is recorded with high quality. There is autofocus. It is so smooth that it is more slow than smooth. The shaking from walking is not compensated for.

The front camera pleased me. It has a resolution of 8 megapixels and the same aperture as the rear one – f/1.9. The Sony IMX219 sensor is used. Selfies come out with excellent detail and good color rendition. Fans of self-portraits will love this. There is a face decorator that widens the eyes, whitens the skin and smoothes out wrinkles.

Don't forget that you can quickly launch the camera from any application by double-clicking Home. An extremely convenient opportunity.

Performance and tests

Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017), according to official characteristics, uses an eight-core chipset with a frequency of 1.6 GHz. Koreans traditionally do not name the model of the system-on-chip, but you can’t hide from AIDA64 - this is the Samsung Exynos 7 Octa 7870. It is made using a 14-nm process technology, and the Mali-T830 video accelerator is responsible for the graphics. Of the 16 GB of internal memory, only 6.5 GB are at the user’s disposal, the amount of free RAM is 0.9 GB. This is what this filling shows in benchmarks.

At the beginning of the year it is always interesting to look at the first phones from a variety of manufacturers. This time, Samsung offered something interesting: traditionally, it has updated its mid-segment A-line. This is already the third generation of this line, which can indeed surprise users of previous models. But let's talk about the youngest representative of this model range, a smartphone with interesting features – Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017).

Appearance of the gadget

Let's start with the fact that three models with fairly large diagonals were presented. In this case, the youngest of them received 4.7 inches. It means that Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) although it relates more to entry level, but has a number of advantages over its competitors. In particular, the smartphone will be chosen by those who value small dimensions. But let’s return to the competitive advantages: in the device, as in the previous Samsung Galaxy A3 (2016), the developers used an AMOLED display with HD resolution. And this is not bad, considering the diagonal. There are, of course, some oddities in comparison with the previous smartphone in the series: if you believe the description, from 7.3mm the thickness of the device has increased to 7.9mm. We can assume that this is caused by an increase in battery capacity, but its capacity has increased insignificantly: by only 50 mAh.

But back to the design, the gadget has a stylish design and no longer looks like the previous initial segment. All thanks to 2.5D glass, both on the front panel and on the back. This approach makes the smartphone more attractive, and the available colors are chosen very well: it offers gold, pink, soft blue and black. But the most main feature The device is that, like the flagship solution, it received protection according to the IP68 standard. Protection against water ingress has never been superfluous, because, as you know, recessed devices are almost beyond repair.

Technical capabilities

The older models of the 2017 line received more advanced cameras of 16 megapixels. Here everything is more modest: 13MP in the main module and 8MP in the auxiliary module. But the aperture remained the same: f/1.9. But the processor received a slightly lower frequency: 1.6 GHz, although it was made by Samsung. As for the amount of RAM, there is 2GB, and this is progress, considering the 1.5GB typical for Samsung.

Galaxy A3 received 16 GB of flash memory, of which about . Supports up to 256 GB.

Internet and communications

The smartphone supports 4G LTE frequency bands in European and global markets. For Europe, bands 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20 are available here. There are two slots for SIM cards, one of them is hybrid and instead of a SIM card you can install a card in it microSD memory.

Dual band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac is supported, and payment system, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, and USB Type C.

Camera

The main camera of the Galaxy A3 2017 has a resolution of 13 megapixels and an f/1.9 aperture; there is an 8 megapixel camera on the front. There's an LED flash on the back, but there's no image stabilization and no 4K support.

Let's start by praising the excellent camera app. It can be launched double click on Home button, fast and convenient. A new application from Samsung is used here: the developers have removed everything unnecessary from the main screen, rarely used settings are hidden from view, all that remains are the shutter and video recording buttons, a shortcut to the gallery, flash control, settings and a switch between the rear and front cameras. If you want to manually adjust white balance or ISO, swipe left and select Pro mode, where there is manual settings. A swipe to the right opens modes, Panorama and others. Various filters and styles for photos are also available here.

Image quality

The quality of photos on this smartphone is above average for devices in this price category. They offer vibrant colors and good level sharpness. The camera takes a long time to focus, so it's advisable not to use it when photographing moving subjects, but for everything else it's very good. In dynamic scenes, the brightest parts of the image usually turn out to be too bright; HDR is not turned on automatically; it is recommended to turn it on yourself. HDR improves photo quality, but not as noticeably as on some other smartphones. Panorama mode produces stunning images that seamlessly blend into the bigger picture.

In low light, the photo quality is not as good. Details become blurred and image sharpness disappears. The single flash is quite strong, but completely destroys the correct color rendering, adding a cold green tint.

As for the front camera, it produces wide-angle photos suitable for group shots. The quality of the photos cannot be called good, there is not enough detail and the skin tone is washed out.

Video quality

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=w_FiDswGc1Y

The camera supports 1080p video recording at 30 fps. The lack of 4K recording is expected for such a price, but it is available in the smartphone Huawei Nova, so Samsung is lagging behind. Luckily, even at 1080p the video quality is good, with vibrant colors and proper sharpness and dynamics. Unfortunately, there's no video stabilization at all, so the results often come out shaky. Even the slightest movement of the hands during shooting results in the image jerking. It is the lack of stabilization that can be called the main drawback of this smartphone.

Sound quality

The speaker here is located on the side of the case. This is an unusual position, and he himself is quite small. The new Galaxy A series smartphones are the first to place speakers on the side so that they cannot be covered with your hand.

The sound quality from this speaker was surprisingly good. The volume is also at a high level.

Call quality

At telephone conversations Thanks to this smartphone, you can hear your interlocutor well and clearly through your ear, voices sound natural, the same applies to the other side of the line. Your interlocutors have no complaints about the clarity and volume of your voice.

Autonomous operation

The smartphone has a relatively small 2350 mAh battery, but it is paired with an efficient processor and a screen with a resolution of only 720p. As a result, the smartphone has excellent battery life battery life, like other representatives of this year's Galaxy A line.

With the screen on, it showed a battery life of 11 hours, while the Galaxy S7 Google Pixel and iPhone 7 last about 7 hours. In real life, a smartphone lasts about two days on a single charge, but you need to disable the Always-On Display function, which consumes approximately 1% of the charge every hour.

Samsung didn't include Adaptive Fast Charge, but the battery's small capacity allows for relatively quick charging. It takes 112 minutes to recharge, which is worse compared to the 3T and Galaxy S7, but better compared to the Google Pixel with its fast charging standard. There is also no support for wireless charging.

Conclusion

The Galaxy A3 2017 is a fascinating smartphone. It brings a level of design and interface sophistication previously unseen in devices of this price category. The same can be said regarding the protection of the housing from water.

The developers know about their successes and this year the smartphone has become more expensive: 330 euros instead of last year’s 300 euros. Of course, there are also disadvantages here, one of which is slow operation compared to flagship models. There is a noticeable delay between clicking on an icon and launching applications. The video has no stabilization, so it comes out shaky. The 16GB of flash memory is too small by modern standards, and the 720p screen leaves much to be desired in terms of sharpness.

These disadvantages pale in comparison to the advantages. You will enjoy the excellent design of the device every day you work with it, the bright, rich display produces vivid images, the Samsung Grace user interface has many settings and their convenient organization, the battery life is excellent, as is the quality of the photos.

Among the alternatives to this smartphone we can name 8 with a 5.2-inch screen, also beautiful and stylish, with a faster processor and with the same high-quality photos and videos and battery life. The interface here is not that good, although the smartphone runs on Android Nougat.

Another option is the 4-inch iPhone SE, which is noticeably more powerful and regularly updated, with better photos and support for 4K video recording. Moreover, it costs 400 euros.

Two more new alternatives are the Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus on the latest version of Android. Which of these devices to choose is up to each user to decide independently.

Pros:

• Chic design, use of glass and metal, thin and comfortable body;
• Water protection;
• Battery life;
• High-quality photographs in daylight;
• Great keyboard;
• Support for microSD memory cards;
• USB type C.

Minuses:

• Price;
• 16 GB flash memory;
• Lack of video stabilization;
• Android Marshmallow.

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

Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017): Specifications and price

Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017): Reviews

- Modern design;

— Metal body;

— Fast operation of the smartphone in general;

— Nice matrix;

— Ideal size;

— Dust and moisture protection;

— Samsung Pay support;

— High-quality assembly and the same assembly materials;

— Comfortable shell;

— Constant software updates;

— Function “Active screen”;

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

— Autonomy is a big plus;

— Attractive price-quality ratio;

— Adequate touchscreen response speed;

- High performance;

— Suitable for most demanding games on Android;

— The quality of communication could be better;

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

— Support from the manufacturer plus warranty;

— Work with large memory cards;

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

— A large number of positive reviews on the Internet;

— The back cover is made of glass;

- Will collect fingerprints on itself, without a cover;

— Not the best ones are included in the kit best headphones, so it’s better to buy them separately;

— High functionality of the phone as a whole;

— Thoughtful interface down to the smallest detail;

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

— The device is not suitable for heavy games;

— Screen made using Super AMOLED technology;

— Support for two SIM cards;

— Support for large SD cards;

Conclusion

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

Pros:

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

Minuses:

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

Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) is the most available model of the three presented in Russia, but it has big amount disadvantage. Externally, not taking into account its more compact dimensions, this smartphone is no different from its counterparts. It is also available in four different options design: blue, gold, pink and black.

One way or another, what is hidden under the beautiful and stylish design? We will answer this question in our review of the Samsung Galaxy A3 2017, and also talk about it appearance.

Design and screen

Like other devices in this series, the Galaxy A3 is covered on both sides with durable Corning Gorilla Glass 4, and the frame around it is made of metal. Due to the rounded edges of the back and 2.5D glass, the phone fits perfectly in your hands. The frames are a little big - this is not confirmed best ratio screen to body, which is 67.9%.

On the right is the power/unlock button, and on the left we see the volume keys. Below the screen there are traditional capacitive keys “Application Manager” and “Back” with their own backlight, as well as a “Home” button with a built-in fingerprint sensor that works using the touch method.

Samsung A3 (2017) received a 4.7-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1280x720 pixels, and the pixel density reaches 312 ppi. This value is far from the record, but the clarity of the picture will not disappoint you. Even small text remains readable and smooth, and the image remains visible in bright sunlight.

One of the most interesting features of the updated A3 is the Always On Display. This function allows you to display on the screen such important information like date and time, notifications, calendar, control buttons music player and not only. Everything you need will be shown on the screen when the phone is sleeping, making AOD an extremely convenient feature of this phone.

The very thin body of the phone is made in accordance with the requirements of the IP68 standard, which makes the “handset” completely waterproof. The user can dive with a smartphone to a depth of up to 1.5 meters for up to 30 minutes. Naturally, the device is also protected from dust penetration.

Cameras

The new Galaxy A3 (2017) has a pair of lenses, one of which is on the front panel and the other on the back. The front camera boasts an 8-megapixel sensor, meaning it can take pictures in a resolution of 3264x2448 pixels. The video is also quite good - Full HD resolution at 30 frames per second. The main camera has a 13-megapixel sensor that can take pictures noticeably best quality and permissions. Unfortunately, the phone can't record 4K video, but 1920x1080 will be enough for most people.

Near the main lens, which by the way does not protrude from back cover, there is a single LED flash. She does her job well.

Processor and memory

The Samsung Galaxy A3 2017 is based on the Exynos 7870 processor, which has 8 energy-efficient Cortex-A53 cores. They operate at a frequency of 1.6 GHz, which is sufficient for everyday tasks. There is a Mali-T830 graphics accelerator with two cores on board, which ensures the performance of 3D games at acceptable settings.

The hardware platform also includes 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage. If the built-in memory is not enough, the user can expand it using a microSD memory card. This is only possible if the second SIM card slot is not occupied by it. Unfortunately, Samsung decided to save money and introduced a hybrid tray, so you have to choose.

It is worth emphasizing that out of 16 GB of ROM, only 9.7 GB is available to the user.

Autonomy

For autonomy mobile device The battery is rated at 2350 mAh. This, according to the manufacturer, is enough for 12 hours of surfing on 3G Internet or 16 hours on 4G. If you use only Wi-Fi, the built-in battery will last for 17 hours of browsing.

The battery is naturally not removable, and it also does not support fast charging, which is definitely a disadvantage. Considering the relatively small capacity of the autonomous power supply, the new Galaxy A3 (2017) will not charge for a long time.

Wireless connection

This phone is equipped with a module that allows it to work in networks fourth generation(Cat.6). Both SIM card slots are compatible with the Nano type, and the second one can also be used to increase the amount of internal memory.

The device is obviously equipped with Bluetooth version 4.2, Wi-Fi with dual-band support and the latest 802.11 ac standards. The picture is decorated with the presence of USB Type-C (USB 2.0) and an NFC module, thanks to which the company implemented the Samsung Pay mobile payment service.

The A3 chip includes global positioning systems such as GPS, A-GPS and GLONASS, but this is not surprising.

Software

Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) runs on the platform Android versions 6.0.1 Marshmallow, which doesn't add any interest to it. One way or another, the smartphone is pre-installed latest version custom Samsung interface Experience, which fascinates with its ergonomics and set of tools.

The user becomes available opportunities flagship smartphones, including changing themes, application icons, Samsung Cloud, Secure Folder feature, new system maintenance tool “Optimize”, two new power saving modes and much more.

Conclusion

The updated model, both externally and internally, looks quite good, but, of course, it is not without its drawbacks. Of interest is the fingerprint scanner, which just needs to be touched to unlock the screen, the waterproof case, and even autonomy due to the energy-efficient chipset. But the hybrid slot for SIM cards is not very pleasing.

You will also not be delighted with the camera and the price of the new product. Now the Galaxy A3 (2017) will cost you 23 thousand rubles. Yes, considering all the pros and cons, you will be satisfied with the phone.