Samsung launched the second generation of its Galaxy A5 smartphone, dubbed the Galaxy A5 (2016) in India, early this year. The device comes with a number of improvements over its predecessor, but is it really worth buying? Is it a value for money device?
If you are wondering whether you should buy this phone or not, then this post is going to help you. Read on to find out Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) review entailing reasons to buy and reasons to not buy (with video).
Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) Review: 13 Reasons To Buy
Here are the 13 reasons why you should buy the Samsung Galaxy A5 2016 smartphone
1. Design
The design of Galaxy A5 2016 is reminiscent of Galaxy S6 Edge smartphone. It features a beautiful glass and metal body which looks very premium in hand. Despite featuring a 5.2-inch display, this phone is very compact and has good grip.
2. Full HD Display
The 2016 Galaxy A5 features a 5.2-inch full HD Super AMOLED display with 1080p resolution. The display is sharp and bright with good viewing angles and is one of the best displays in this price segment. The video viewing experience is also very nice.
3. Corning Gorilla Glass 4
It features Corning Gorilla Glass 4 on both front and rear ends for protection against scratches.
4. Light Weight
It is a light weight phone with mere 155 grams of weight. Moreover, the 5.2-inch display makes it compact and it can be used single handedly.
5. Great Camera Combination
The phone comes with a great camera combination. It sports a 13 mega pixel auto focus rear camera with LED flash and OIS. There is also a 5 mega pixel front facing camera. Images captured by both front both rear and front cameras are impressive with good detailing.
Here are some camera samples taken with this phone:
6. Impressive Performance
It is powered by a 1.6GHz octa-core Exynos 7580 processor paired with Mali-T720 GPU and 2GB of RAM. With this powerful configuration, the Galaxy A5 2016 handles multitasking with ease. We tested the phone on Antutu benchmarks and got score of around 42000 points. It offers smooth and rich gaming experience.
7. Fingerprint scanner
It comes with a fingerprint scanner integrated into the home button for additional security. The fingerprint scanner of this phone is fast and accurate.
8. Audio Quality
The phone offers great audio quality and clarity. Audio experience on both speakers and headphones is impressive.
9. Dual SIM Support
It is a dual SIM phone which means that you won’t have to buy two separate phone to put two SIM cards. You can put both SIM cards in this phone.
10. MicroSD Card Support
It comes with 16GB of internal memory and supports expandable storage up to 128GB via microSD card.
11. Battery
The device is backed up by a 2900mAh non-removable battery and supports fast charging. The battery of this phone is good enough to survive for up to one full day on moderate usage.
12. USB OTG Support
The 2016 Galaxy A5 supports USB OTG which means that you can watch videos or movies directly on phone’s screen using a pen drive without having to transfer them to the phone.
13. NFC Support
It supports NFC or Near Field Communication.
Video: Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) Reasons To Buy
Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) Review: 9 Reasons To Not Buy
Here are 9 reasons why you should not buy Galaxy A5 (2016) smartphone:
1. Software
Despite being a 2016 phone, it doesn’t come with Android Marshmallow. It rather runs Android Lollipop operating system.
2. Glass Design
The device features a glass design which looks premium but at the same time, it acts like a fingerprint magnet and attracts fingerprints.
3. No LED Notification
The Galaxy A5 (2016) doesn’t come with LED notification which means that you won’t know that you have received a notification unless you turn on the screen.
4. Just 2GB RAM
It comes with just 2GB of RAM which is a bit disappointing considering that some other smartphones in the same price range like OnePlus two and Moto X Style offer 3GB of RAM.
5. Weak GPU
It comes with Mali T720MP2 GPU which is comparatively weaker. It sometimes creates some inconsistency while playing graphic intensive like Asphalt 8.
6. Heating Issues
Although the Galaxy A5 (2016) does not get much heated up, but when it does, it causes a slight discomfort by heating up the edges especially while playing games.
7. Lag While Launching Flip Board
Overall performance of the phone is smooth but it shows some lag when flip board is launched.
8. No 4K Video Recording
It doesn’t support 4K Recording which is again a downside considering its price.
9. Overpriced
The 2016 Galaxy A5 is priced at Rs. 29,490 which is way too expensive considering the specifications that it offers.
Video: Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) Reasons To Not Buy
Verdict
The pros of Samsung Galaxy A5 2016 outweigh its cons and despite some minor flaws it is a great package. The Galaxy A5 (2016) is a great combination of premium looks and superior performance. If you are looking for a smartphone with premium looks, excellent display, impressive camera, and fingerprint sensor then you don’t need to look beyond the Galaxy A5 (2016).
Also Read: Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) vs Galaxy A7 (2016) Comparison
