Beautiful, Great screen, Excellent performance, nothing slows down (excluding games), All functions work without freezes and jams. The camera takes great pictures (in good light)
Minuses
The camera takes very poor pictures. poor lighting(lubricates)
Review
I've been using it for over a month. The battery holds well, but if you turn off all sorts of desired applications, even better. The screen is awesome, as in other matters and most Samsungs. Screen sensitivity is high - a plus for me. There are no questions about the work, all the declared functions are performed quickly. Separately, I will highlight the interface, everything is intuitive. Dust resistance is, checked during repair. The camera takes good pictures only in normal lighting, in the dark only some sort of tripod will save. lathers at the slightest movement, both the smartphone and the subject of photography. The network, Wi-Fi and similar connections work stably, nothing falls off. Memory free 2/3 out of the box. While the smartphone only pleases, with the exception of the photo, you need to adapt.
samsung galaxy A5- a novelty of the company, representing the latest line of smartphones "Galaxy A", which received excellent technical parameters in combination with a stylish design and premium case materials. The company itself is positioning the Galaxy A5 as a youth gadget, which should attract precisely the young audience of geeks. It is expected that this particular smartphone will become the most popular in this line, as it is the most balanced device, combining the golden ratio “price-quality-performance”.
Design
At the first glance at a smartphone, even if you close the manufacturer's logo, any user who is at least somehow familiar with the world of mobile devices will say that this is a device from Samsung: the classic forms of the Korean giant in accordance with the new design direction (more straight lines and less rounding) will give it.
However, it was not without its uniqueness. Galaxy A5, like its "brothers", became the first phones that are completely made of metal and do not have a removable back cover, which is completely unusual for the company's smartphones. In the hand, such a phone lies comfortably, one can feel the solidity of the design.
Slots for a memory card and a SIM card are located on the side and closed with caps that open with a paper clip. Despite the metal construction, the smartphone turned out to be very thin and light - its dimensions are 139.3 x 69.7 x 6.7 mm and weighs 123 grams. You can choose from 5 body color options: dark blue, white, gray, blue and pink.
Display
The entire front panel is occupied by a 5-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1280 by 720 pixels, with a pixel density of 294 ppi. It is worth remembering that the phone is positioned in the upper range of the middle price niche, therefore given parameter quite justified. Moreover, such a resolution will be more than enough for such a display, and the dot density is quite high for HD. With viewing angles, color reproduction and depth of shades, everything is great - Samsung has perfected their OLED matrices.
Characteristics
The binding to the highest range of the mid-price niche is confirmed by specifications phone. The Samsung Galaxy A5 has a new 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 8916 processor with four Cortex-53 cores and an operating frequency of 1.2 GHz, and the video chip here is Adreno 306. This hardware will be enough for games, multimedia and work - you will not experience lack of performance in everyday tasks. Volume random access memory also not small - 2 GB.
As for the internal storage, this is 16 GB of space, of which 12 GB are honestly available to the user. Possible lack of memory can be compensated by a microSD card up to 64 GB. In such a light and thin body, the Koreans managed to fit a 2300 mAh battery and, judging by the excellent software optimization, this volume will provide sufficient autonomy.
There is support for work in LTE networks and a version of the model with support for working with two SIM cards will be available on the market. The Galaxy A5 comes pre-installed with Android 4.4.4 out of the box, but the 64-bit chipset suggests an update to Android Lollipop soon.
Camera
Samsung smartphones have never had problems with cameras, and this device is no exception. The main camera is a 13-megapixel module that provides good quality pictures with accurate colors. It can record videos in Full HD 1080p at 30fps. The younger consumer leans in when it comes to the front-facing camera - the front flaunts a 5-megapixel camera that will deliver quality selfies that everyone is obsessed with. Rich software stuffing will provide various effects, automatic correction and other joys for lovers of self-portraits.
Video: Galaxy A5 VS Galaxy A3
Video: Galaxy A5 review
For owners:
Similar models:
Highly overpriced mid-range model in a metal case
Almost two weeks ago, the presentation of the new smartphones Samsung Galaxy A3 and A5 took place, around which there have been many rumors for a long time and which were expected with particular interest. Main highlight new series of mobile devices lies in the transition from the use of plastic traditional for Koreans in housings to real metal: both new items received all-metal aluminum housings. With this step, the company finally met the expectations of many, because the main reason for criticism of Samsung from users has always been precisely the dubious design, as well as the stubborn unwillingness to offer metal as a material in the production of mobile device cases.
But still, this is not the main sensation: the high price at which the Korean company is going to sell its new smartphones is striking, which in all respects is not only far from the flagship, but even claims to be a “solid middling” at a stretch. Samsung smartphone Galaxy A5, which visited us for testing, was built on a chip entry level, is equipped with a far from flagship screen with a resolution of 720p, is deprived of most of the functions and capabilities of its top counterparts, but is sold at the same time at the price of a full-fledged flagship.
Video review
To get started, we suggest watching our video review of the Samsung Galaxy A5 smartphone:
Now let's look at the characteristics of new items.
Main Features of Samsung Galaxy A5 (Model SM-A500F/DS)
| Samsung Galaxy A5 | Huawei Ascend G7 | Sony Xperia C3 | LG L Bello | Acer Liquid Jade | |
| Screen | 5″ Super AMOLED | 5.5" IPS | 5.5" IPS | 5" IPS | 5" IPS |
| Permission | 1280×720, 294 ppi | 1280×720, 267 ppi | 1280×720, 267 ppi | 854×480, 196 ppi | 1280×720, 294 ppi |
| SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (4x Cortex-A53) @1.2GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 (4x Cortex-A7) @1.2GHz | MediaTek MT6582 (4x Cortex-A7) @1.3GHz | ||
| GPU | Adreno 306 | Adreno 306 | Adreno 305 | Mali 400MP | Mali 400MP |
| RAM | 2 GB | 2 GB | 1 GB | 1 GB | 1 GB |
| Flash memory | 16 GB | 16 GB | 8 GB | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| Memory card support | microSD | microSD | microSD | microSD | microSD |
| Operating system | Google Android 4.4 | Google Android 4.4 | Google Android 4.4 | Google Android 4.4 | Google Android 4.4 |
| Battery | non-removable, 2300 mAh | non-removable, 3000 mAh | non-removable, 2500 mAh | removable, 2540 mAh | non-removable, 2100 mAh |
| cameras | rear (13 MP; video 1080p), front (5 MP) | rear (8 MP; video 1080p), front (5 MP) | rear (8 MP; video 1080p), front (1.3 MP) | rear (13 MP; video 1080p), front (2 MP) | |
| Dimensions and weight | 139×70×6.7mm, 123g | 153×77×7.6mm, 172g | 156×78×7.6mm, 150g | 138×71×10.7mm, 137g | 140×69×7.5 mm, 110 g |
| average price | T-11755838 | T-11030516 | T-10958363 | T-11036010 | T-11168663 |
| Samsung Galaxy A5 offers | L-11755838-10 | ||||
- SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916), 4-core ARM Cortex-A53 (64-bit), 1.2 GHz
- GPU Adreno 306
- operating room android system 4.4.4
- Sensory super display AMOLED, 5″, 1280×720, 294 ppi
- Random access memory (RAM) 2 GB, internal memory 16 GB
- SIM cards: 2 Nano-SIM
- Support for microSD memory cards or a second SIM card
- Data transmission LTE Ca4 (150/50 Mbps)
- Bluetooth 4.0, NFC
- Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, hotspot WiFi access, WiFi Direct
- GPS/A-GPS, BDS, Glonass
- Position, proximity, lighting sensors, electronic compass
- Camera 13 MP (F2.0), autofocus, LED flash
- Camera 5 MP (F2.2), front
- Battery 2300 mAh
- Dimensions 139×70×6.7 mm
- Weight 123 g
Appearance and usability
As for the design, it can be stated that there are still no breakthroughs here. In appearance, the new devices are almost indistinguishable from their predecessors. This is especially true of the front panel - the easily recognizable style of Samsung smartphones has not changed at all.
As for the materials, the devices really received metal cases, and entirely made of this material. That is, the back wall and sidewalls in such a case make up a solid “trough”, and gluing occurs in the place where the screen glass adjoins the metal in the front.
However, either the experience of the Koreans was not enough for handling metal, or the design idea failed, but everyone recognized the fact: Samsung managed to make such a metal case that no one except themselves could notice it. The metal here is carefully primed and painted in such a way that it creates the complete impression that we have plastic in front of us, both in appearance and to the touch. The presence of metal can be recognized only by colder surfaces than those of plastic, and by unpainted chamfers on the side faces. And then it took the confirmation of the representatives of the company themselves, because in previous models, the Koreans very skillfully forged their plastic rims under the guise of real metal. And yet, why it was necessary to hide the metal under the paint so diligently remains a mystery. The explanations of the representatives of the company - they say, this is done solely for better grip with the palm - is hard to believe.
“I am very pleased that Samsung has honored me and invited me to participate in the announcement of the new Samsung Galaxy A series of smartphones in Russia. As an Olympic champion, this cooperation is especially pleasant for me, since Samsung has been supporting the Olympic movement for many years, - said Victor Ahn, a Russian athlete, six-time Olympic champion in short track, during the presentation. “I am very proud of Samsung, which creates great innovations that help Olympic athletes and millions of people around the world every day. I am confident that the Samsung A-series smartphones unveiled today will be a great success as always!”
Distracting from the unusual behavior of Samsung and turning to a direct statement of facts, it can be noted that the Galaxy A5 was not large, not heavy and not thick. The smartphone looks and feels similar to other sleek five-inch solutions such as the Nexus 5, Lenovo Vibe X2 or Alcatel Idol X+. Due to its small size, the device lies well in the hand, although the hard, sharp and straight wide edges of comfort when handling the device clearly do not add.
As already mentioned, the back wall and sides are made of metal here, there are no removable elements in the case, you can’t get to the battery on your own. Accordingly, the SIM card and memory card are installed in the side slots, driving into them on a metal sled. According to the not very pleasant tradition that has developed recently, it is proposed to compromise and choose only one of the possible options for using cards: either install two Nano-SIM cards without the possibility of expanding memory, or put a microSD card in the second slot, but then The device will not work with two SIM cards. This strange idea of \u200b\u200bsavings captured the minds of not only Chinese developers, but, as it turned out, Korean ones too. It is completely unclear what kind of gain such a solution should provide - after all, the market is full of devices with simultaneous support for two SIM cards and a memory card, and even with two “full-size” Mini-SIM cards, there is nothing special about this.
Despite the fact that the body of the smartphone is not supernaturally thin, the camera module nevertheless sticks out noticeably from rear wall. In this matter, the new Samsung smartphones turned out to be no better than the notorious ones. Apple iPhone 6/6 Plus, which only the lazy did not “wash the bones” for this option of placing the camera module.
On either side of the camera lens, the same square-shaped LED flash and chrome speaker grille are symmetrically distributed. Since the protruding camera module prevents the grid from overlapping with the table surface, the sound of the smartphone lying on the table is practically not muffled. But for the flash, the built-in flashlight mode was not provided, the flash module itself has only one section.
The front of the smartphone is completely covered protective glass Gorilla Glass adjoining directly to the metal frame, without any spacer. A longitudinal hole is cut in the glass for a chrome speaker grille. Nearby are visible sensors and a front camera peephole. It's strange, but such a useful element as an LED notification sensor, there was no place in the device.
In the lower part, under the screen, there is an oval mechanical key and two touch buttons on either side of her. The buttons have a bright white backlight with adjustable duration. The front panel under the glass has a dotted texture, which makes the smartphone prettier and more expensive.
Mechanical volume and lock keys are placed on both sides, the buttons are quite large, hard, metallized, traditionally there are no complaints about the controls in Samsung devices. But the Micro-USB 2.0 connector and the audio output for headphones with a diameter of 3.5 mm this time were piled up on one, lower end, very close to each other. Accordingly, on the upper end there is nothing but the second auxiliary microphone. It is simply amazing, but the creators did not even bother to equip the smartphone with OTG (USB Host) support at a price of 24 thousand rubles.
The smartphone is not protected from dust and moisture, does not support wireless charging, not found on the case and fastening for the strap. In addition to the white color option, there will also be a dark blue Galaxy A5 on sale, in which all elements, including the side frame and the front panel under the glass, are also painted in the same body color.
Screen
The Samsung Galaxy A5 smartphone is equipped with a Super AMOLED touch matrix. The physical dimensions of the display are 62 × 110 mm, the diagonal is 5 inches. The screen resolution in pixels is only 1280 × 720 (dot density 294 ppi), such a resolution is not enough for a device of the price category that the hero of the review claims to be. The five-inch screen area of the Galaxy A5 is not so small, besides, the screen is made using Pentile technology.
The brightness of the display has manual and automatic adjustment, the latter is based on the operation of the light sensor. There is also a proximity sensor that blocks the screen when you bring the smartphone to your ear. Multi-touch technology allows you to handle 10 simultaneous touches. The side frames around the screen are not impressive: the distance from the edge of the case to the edge of the screen on the sides is about 4 mm, and at the top and bottom - about 14 mm. Unlocking the screen by tapping or any other gesture is not provided, nothing is said about the possibility of working with the screen with gloves.
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A detailed examination using measuring instruments was carried out by the editor of the "Monitors" and "Projectors and TV" sections Alexey Kudryavtsev. Here is his expert opinion on the screen of the test sample.
The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface, resistant to scratches. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are no worse than those of the screen of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photo in which a white surface is reflected in the off screens (on the left is Nexus 7, on the right is Samsung Galaxy A5, then they can be distinguished by size):
The screen of the Samsung Galaxy A5 is slightly lighter (brightness in photographs is 101 versus 98 for the Nexus 7) and does not have a pronounced tint. Note that the reflection from bright objects on the screen of the Samsung Galaxy A5 has a pale bluish halo that is slightly more pronounced in the transverse direction. The ghosting of reflected objects in the screen of the Samsung Galaxy A5 is very weak, which indicates that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen. Due to the smaller number of borders (glass-air type) with very different refractive indices, screens without an air gap look better in conditions of strong external illumination, but their repair in case of cracked external glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be changed. On the outer surface of the Samsung Galaxy A5 screen there is a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (very effective, noticeably better than Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed much easier and appear at a slower rate than in the case of ordinary glass.
When displaying a white field in full screen and with manual brightness control, its maximum value was 340 cd/m², the minimum was 4.7 cd/m². It is also necessary to take into account the fact that in this case the smaller the white area on the screen, the lighter it is, i.e. the actual maximum brightness of the white areas will almost always be higher than the specified value. For example, when outputting white on half the screen, the maximum brightness with manual adjustment rises to 360 cd/m². As a result, readability during the day in the sun should be at a fairly good level (we didn’t have a chance to check the possibilities). The reduced brightness level allows you to use the device without any problems even in complete darkness. Automatic brightness control works according to the light sensor (it is located to the right of the front speaker slot). You can make adjustments to the operation of this function by moving the adjustment slider from -5 to +5 units. Next, for three conditions, we present the screen brightness values for three values of this setting - for -5, 0 and +5. In total darkness in automatic mode the brightness is reduced to 4.7, 9.6 and 21 cd / m², respectively (the first is dark, the rest are normal), in an office lit by artificial light (approximately 400 lux), the brightness is set to 62, 147 and 297 cd / m² (dark - just right - a little light, which corresponds to the specified correction), in a brightly lit environment (corresponds to lighting on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or a little more) - rises to 340 cd / m² regardless of the position of the slider. This value is equal to the maximum for manual adjustment. In general, the result of the automatic brightness adjustment function is as expected. Only at medium and low brightness levels there is a modulation with a frequency of 240 Hz. The figure below shows brightness (vertical axis) versus time (horizontal axis) for several brightness settings:
It can be seen that at maximum and close to it brightness, the modulation amplitude is minimal and its frequency is 60 Hz (screen refresh rate), as a result, there is no visible flicker. However, when the brightness is lowered (somewhere up to 70% and below), modulation appears with a frequency of 240 Hz and a large relative amplitude. Therefore, the presence of such modulation can already be seen in the test for the presence of a stroboscopic effect or simply with a rapid eye movement. Depending on individual sensitivity, such flickering can cause increased fatigue.
This screen uses a Super AMOLED matrix - an active matrix on organic light emitting diodes. A full color image is created using subpixels of three colors - red (R), green (G) and blue (B), but there are twice as many green subpixels, which can be referred to as RGBG. This is confirmed by a fragment of a microphoto:
For comparison, you can see the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.
On the fragment above, you can count 4 green subpixels, 2 red (4 halves) and 2 blue (1 whole and 4 quarters), while repeating these fragments, you can lay out the entire screen without gaps and overlap. For such matrices, Samsung introduced the name PenTile RGBG. The manufacturer considers the screen resolution based on green subpixels, on the other two it will be two times lower. The location and shape of the subpixels in this variant is close to the screen case of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and some other newer devices from Samsung and not only with AMOLED screens. This version of PenTile RGBG is better than the old one with red squares, blue rectangles and stripes of green subpixels. However, some uneven contrasting borders and other artifacts are still present. However, due to the relatively high resolution, they have minimal effect on image quality.
The screen is characterized by excellent viewing angles, although the white color, even at small angles, acquires a slight blue-green tint, but the black color is just black at any angle. So black that the contrast setting is not applicable in this case. When viewed perpendicularly, the uniformity of the white field is excellent. For comparison, here are photos in which the screens of the Samsung Galaxy A5 (profile Basic) and the second comparison participant, the same images were displayed, while the brightness of the screens was initially set to approximately 200 cd / m², and the color balance on the camera was forcibly switched to 6500 K. White field:
We note the excellent uniformity of brightness and color tone of the white field. And a test picture (profile Basic):
The color reproduction is good, however, the color balance of the screens is slightly different and the colors of the Samsung Galaxy A5 are slightly more saturated (at least, this is how the image is recorded by the camera). The photo above was obtained after choosing a profile Basic in the screen settings, there are four of them. Profile adaptive display differs in some kind of automatic adjustment to the type of displayed image and environmental conditions, which is obtained by selecting the two remaining profiles shown below.
AMOLED movie:
Saturation and color contrast have increased markedly, the skin is excessively reddish.
Photo AMOLED:
Saturation is still high, but color contrast is back to normal. Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen (again the profile Basic). White field:
The brightness at an angle for both screens has noticeably decreased (to avoid strong darkening, the shutter speed is increased by 2 times compared to the previous two photos), but in Samsung case the drop in brightness is much less pronounced. As a result, with formally the same brightness samsung screen Galaxy A5 visually looks much brighter (compared to LCD screens), as the screen mobile device often have to look at least at a slight angle. And a test picture:
It can be seen that the colors have not changed much on both screens and the brightness of Samsung at an angle is noticeably higher. Switching the state of the matrix elements is almost instantaneous, but there may be a 16.7 ms wide step at the turn-on front (which corresponds to a screen refresh rate of 60 Hz). For example, this is how the dependence of brightness on time looks like when going from black to gray and vice versa:
In some conditions, the presence of such a step can lead to plumes trailing behind moving objects, but in normal use it is difficult to see these artifacts. Rather, on the contrary - dynamic scenes in films on OLED screens are distinguished by high definition and even some “twitchiness” of movements.
For profiles Photo AMOLED and Basic the gamma curve constructed from 32 points with equal intervals over the numerical value of the gray tint did not reveal any blockage either in the highlights or in the shadows, and the exponent of the approximating power function is 2.21-2.23, which is very close to the standard value of 2.2 , while the real gamma curve slightly deviates from the power dependence (in the captions in parentheses are the exponent of the approximating power function and the coefficient of determination):
For profile AMOLED movie The gamma curve has a slightly S-shaped character, which increases the apparent contrast of the image, but in the shadows the distinguishability of shades is preserved.
Recall that in the case of OLED screens, the brightness of image fragments dynamically changes in accordance with the nature of the displayed image - it decreases for images that are generally bright. As a result, the resulting dependence of brightness on hue (gamma curve) most likely does not correspond slightly to the gamma curve of a static image, since the measurements were carried out with sequential grayscale output almost on the entire screen. This image dynamism is enhanced by selecting the option Auto config. screen brightness. In this case, a descending section appears on the graph of the dependence of brightness (vertical axis) on time (horizontal axis) when moving from black to white and back, that is, the brightness of the white field after about 0.3 s begins to decrease:
Color gamut in profile case AMOLED movie very wide, but does not cover Adobe RGB coverage:
When choosing a profile Photo AMOLED coverage changes a bit:
When choosing a profile Basic coverage is significantly reduced, almost to the sRGB borders:
Without correction, the spectra of the components are very well separated:
In the case of a profile Basic with the maximum correction, the color components are already noticeably mixed with each other:
Note that on screens with a wide color gamut without proper color correction, normal images optimized for sRGB devices look unnaturally saturated. Hence the recommendation - in most cases, watching movies, photos and everything natural is better when choosing a profile Basic, and only if the photo was taken on an Adobe RGB setting does it make sense to switch the profile to Photo AMOLED. Profile AMOLED movie, despite the name, is the least suitable for watching movies and anything else.
The balance of shades on the gray scale is not ideal, but, in general, acceptable. Profile color temperature AMOLED movie above 6500 K, in the remaining two it is close to 6500 K, while in a significant part of the gray scale this parameter does not change very much. The deviation from the black body spectrum (ΔE) remains below 10 units over most of the gray scale, which is considered a good indicator for a consumer device, and also does not change much:
(The darkest areas of the gray scale can in most cases be ignored, as there the color balance does not of great importance, and the measurement error of color characteristics at low brightness is large.)
Let's summarize. The screen has a fairly high maximum brightness and has good anti-glare properties, so the device, most likely, can be used outdoors without any problems even on a sunny summer day. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable value. It is permissible to use the mode with automatic brightness adjustment, which works quite adequately. The advantages of the screen include a very good oleophobic coating, as well as a color gamut close to sRGB and an acceptable color balance (if you select the appropriate profiles). At the same time, let's recall the general advantages of OLED screens: true black color (if nothing is reflected on the screen), excellent white field uniformity, noticeably smaller than that of LCDs, and a drop in image brightness when viewed from an angle. The disadvantages include modulation of the screen brightness. Users who are particularly sensitive to flicker may experience fatigue as a result. However, overall the screen quality is very high.
Sound
The main speaker of the device is one, it emits enough loud noise, saturated with the entire frequency spectrum. The smartphone sounds nice, on maximum level volume, the sound is not distorted. In conversational dynamics, the voice of a familiar interlocutor, timbre and intonation remain recognizable, the conversation is quite comfortable.
To play melodies, a branded player with the maximum number settings. All sound effects are combined with a technology called SoundAlive - however, some of them are available only with headphones connected. The same applies to the sound optimization function. There are a lot of various virtual effects, visually they are combined into a matrix of squares.
FM-radio is present in the standard configuration of the smartphone, and there was also a voice recorder. The recorder is simple, unlike top Samsung smartphones, there is no such variety of recording modes, everything is standard. Radio without connected as external antenna Headphones will not work, but it can record programs. Telephone conversations The device cannot record from the line.
The main, rear 13-megapixel camera has f / 2.0 aperture, autofocus and LED flash. The settings menu is clear and intuitive, it is divided into equivalent cells, each of which is always visible and interactive. In addition, each of the cells can be pulled up and made into a shortcut for quick access in a separate top line. The icons are clearly drawn, everything is perfectly visible even in the brightest sunlight, and in general the implementation of the camera control menu in the latest Samsung devices is one of the best on the market.
However, the camera itself is far from being as rich in capabilities as the cameras of flagship devices: there is no smart optical stabilization (Smart OIS) function and selective focus mode for blurring the background, there is no slow or fast video recording, and there is no possibility to shoot video in 4K or at 60 speed. fps. Of the shooting modes - only the traditional panoramic, portrait, night.
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Video samsung camera The Galaxy A5 can shoot at a maximum Full HD resolution of 1920×1080 (30 fps); 4K resolution and 60 fps shooting speed are not supported here. The video quality can be judged by the test clips below.
- Movie #1 (42 MB, 1920×1080 @30fps)
- Movie #2 (46 MB, 1920×1080 @30fps)
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Attention to detail quickly disappears with the removal of the plan, but overall the sharpness is not bad. |
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The branches are well done. In the lower left corner you can see a large area of blur. |
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Despite the hard work of noise reduction, the house looks good, and the inscriptions are worked out well. |
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In the center, excellent sharpness in all plans, but the left side of the picture spoils the whole picture. |
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Another confirmation that it is better not to put important details on the left side of the frame when composing - on the right, all shots are good. |
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"Smeared" noises are visible on the asphalt. |
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Sometimes with monophonic surfaces, the noise reduction works quite softly. |
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But he does not always succeed. |
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The camera copes with macro photography. |
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On close-ups, small details are given much more attention than on general ones. |
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In low light, the likelihood of blurring is very high. Shutter speed 1/33 second. |
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The text is heavily blurred, and the point here is not sharpness, but slow shutter speed (1/25 second). Shooting text indoors is best done with a flash. |
Well, everything here is quite expected. Samsung put in a smartphone not weak, but not the best camera, which corresponds to the positioning of the device. Moreover, in some places the feeling that the camera could shoot better does not leave, but it seems that it was not specially modified so that it does not stand out much against the background of the surrounding hardware.
However, the camera itself is quite good. They didn’t stand on ceremony with software processing here - they just took what was simpler and better, and you can’t say that this is a bad option. Sharping is noticeable, but very moderate, and occurs only in places. The camera does not pay much attention to the details in the background, but does not spoil them with attempts to improve. Noise canceling is quite working and neat enough, but it can afford drastic measures in the form of a banal “smearing” of noise on plain surfaces. In the corners there are areas of blur, but in the center the sharpness is decent. True, in low light, the camera resorts to relatively slow shutter speeds (1/33 s), and handheld images come out blurry.
Still, you shouldn’t use a camera for artistic shooting, but it will cope very well with documentary photography.
Telephone part and communications
The smartphone works as standard in modern 2G GSM and 3G WCDMA networks, and there is also support for networks fourth generation LTE Cat4 with the maximum possible speed up to 150 Mbps per reception. In practice, with a SIM card from the domestic operator MTS, the smartphone confidently recognizes and works with 4G networks.
Network capabilities are implemented modestly: there is support for NFC technology, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Display, you can standardly organize wireless hotspot access via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth channels. But unlike the flagship counterparts, there is neither a 2 × 2 MIMO mode, nor support for Wi-Fi standard 802.11ac, no ANT+ and DLNA. Connection is also not supported. external devices to USB port in OTG mode, no MHL support either.
The navigation module works with both GPS and the domestic Glonass system, and also sees satellites of the Chinese Beidou (BDS). There are no complaints about the navigation module, the satellites are located very quickly.
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Drawing letters and numbers of virtual keyboards is quite large, it is also possible to change the size of the entire desktop, or you can separately reduce the virtual keyboard block and even move it to any place on the screen. The phone application supports Smart Dial, that is, while dialing telephone number immediately carried out and the search for the first letters in the contacts. For fans of Swype, a method is provided for continuous input with a stroke from letter to letter, for this you need to enable the T9 service in the settings.
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The smartphone supports two SIM cards, and in general, work with them in the menu is organized according to a familiar principle: you can assign any of the SIM cards as the main one for organizing voice calls, data transfer or sending SMS messages. When dialing a number, you can also select the desired card by calling context menu from the notifications menu. A SIM card in any slot can work with 3G (LTE) networks, but only one of the cards can work in this mode at the same time (the second one will work only in 2G). There is only one radio module installed in the device, however, the standard for all models is implemented here. Samsung Duos the so-called "Active mode", which allows you to receive a call on the second SIM card when the first one is busy. This is implemented by setting the cross forwarding of the numbers of both cards to each other. The work of the active mode of two SIM-cards is based on such operator services cellular communication like call forwarding and call waiting/holding. After turning on the mode, the device prompts you to manually enter two numbers that will be forwarded to each other. For the function to work, the call forwarding service must be activated on both SIM cards. You can read more about the implementation of the "Active Mode".
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OS and software
Samsung Galaxy A5, even after the official release of the fifth version of Android OS, goes on sale and runs initially on the Google software platform android version 4.4.4, upgrade to version 5.x is promised later. On top of the OS interface, a proprietary graphical user interface is traditionally installed here. touchwiz interface. The drawing of all elements, the internal arrangement of the shell, the location of menu items, settings sections and pop-up contextual submenus - everything is familiar and very similar to what is implemented in the same Galaxy S5 or Galaxy Alpha, with the exception of some flagship features that are missing in the new smartphone. For example, the Galaxy A5 has a very limited set of supported gestures.
The software and hardware complex of the hero of the review, unlike even the non-flagship Samsung Galaxy S5 mini, is simplified beyond recognition. There is no fingerprint scanner built into the front button, no infrared transmitter on the top end, no familiar heart rate sensor, usually placed in top-end Samsung devices on the back surface.
Accordingly, among the applications, even the favorite of the developers is not preinstalled Samsung program to monitor their own health called S Health, which could measure the pulse and stress tolerance. The energy-saving mode, privacy mode, the ability to work simultaneously in two windows remained in place. Briefing news panel has been added, called from the left by a side swipe - an analogue of HTC Blinkfeed.
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Performance
Like the Huawei Ascend G7, the hero of the review is one of the few mid-range mobile devices that runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 platform. performance. CPU here it has 4 Cortex-A53 cores running at 1.2GHz. Graphics processing is done by the Adreno 306 video processor with a core frequency of 400 MHz. The device has 2 GB of RAM. With built-in memory, the smartphone is not a lot - from the nominal 16 GB internal memory about 11 are available to the user. The possibility of expanding the built-in memory is provided: you can install a microSD card in your smartphone, but then you will have to remove the second SIM card. But the device does not support the mode of connecting external devices to the USB port (USB Host, USB OTG) - an external flash drive cannot be connected.
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According to the test results, if we compare the performance of the new 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 platform with the previous 32-bit SoC Snapdragon 400, then no particularly noticeable increase is visible. There is certainly a difference, but against the background of the results of higher-level platforms, the significance of such an increase is leveled. Here are the same modest results (up to 20K) in AnTuTu against the background of 45K and higher in top models and 30-35K in confident mid-range models. The graphics accelerator of the novelty looks especially sad in comparison with its competitors. Even humble Asus Zenfone 5 per Intel platform The Atom Z2560, which costs only 10 thousand rubles even after the rise in price, confidently outperforms the Snapdragon 410 with its Adreno 306 in all graphics tests.
So devices based on the Snapdragon 410 platform, albeit 64-bit, can only be called “middle peasants” only with a big stretch, their hardware performance is below average.
Testing in latest versions complex tests AnTuTu and GeekBench 3:
For convenience, we have summarized all the results obtained by us when testing a smartphone in the latest versions of popular benchmarks in tables. Several other devices from various segments are usually added to the table, also tested on similar latest versions of benchmarks (this is done only for a visual assessment of the obtained dry numbers). Unfortunately, within a single comparison, it is impossible to present the results from different versions benchmarks, so many worthy and relevant models remain “behind the scenes” - due to the fact that they once passed the “obstacle course” on previous versions test programs.
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Testing the graphics subsystem in 3DMark gaming tests,GFXBenchmark, and Bonsai Benchmark:
When testing in 3DMark for the highest performing smartphones, it is now possible to run the application in Unlimited mode, where the rendering resolution is fixed at 720p and VSync is disabled (due to which the speed can rise above 60 fps).
| Samsung Galaxy A5 |
Huawei Ascend G7 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 410/Adreno 306) |
Sony Xperia C3 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 400/Adreno 305) |
LG L Bello |
Acer Liquid Jade (Mediatek MT6582/Mali-400MP) |
Asus Zenfone 5 (Intel Atom Z2560/PowerVR SGX 544MP) |
|
| 3DMark Ice Storm Extreme (more is better) |
2624 | 2620 | 2855 | 2127 | 2050 | 3596 |
| 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited (more is better) |
4386 | 4452 | 4668 | 2881 | 2817 | 5697 |
| GFXBenchmark T-Rex HD (C24Z16 Onscreen) | 9.6 fps | 9.8 fps | 4.0 fps | 9.8 fps | 7.2 fps | 12.4 fps |
| GFXBenchmark T-Rex HD (C24Z16 Offscreen) | 5.4 fps | 5.3 fps | — | 4.2 fps | 4.1 fps | 7.0 fps |
| Bonsai Benchmark | 1726 (25 fps) | 1707 (24 fps) | 1290 (18 fps) | 2112 (30 fps) | 1290 (18 fps) | 3321 (47 fps) |
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Browser cross-platform tests:
As for benchmarks for evaluating the speed of the javascript engine, you should always make allowances for the fact that the results in them depend significantly on the browser in which they are launched, so that the comparison can only be truly correct on the same OS and browsers, and this possibility is available when testing not always. In the case of Android OS, we always try to use Google Chrome.
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Video playback
To test the "omnivorous" when playing video (including support for various codecs, containers and special features, such as subtitles), we used the most common formats, which make up the bulk of the content available on the Web. Note that for mobile devices it is important to have support for hardware video decoding at the chip level, since to process modern options Due to processor cores alone, it is most often impossible. Also, do not expect everything from a mobile device to decode everything, since the leadership in flexibility belongs to the PC, and no one is going to challenge it. All results are summarized in a single table.
According to the results of testing, the subject was not provided with the presence of full support for all the necessary decoders, in this case, sound ones. To fully play most of the most common files on the network, you will have to resort to using a third-party player - for example, MX Player. True, it will also have to first change the settings, switching from hardware decoding to software or to a new mode called Hardware+(not supported by all smartphones). By the way, in the latest versions of the program, unfortunately, due to licensing problems, support for the AC3 audio codec, which is used in the vast majority of video content on the Internet, was removed, so users lost sound when watching their favorite TV shows and movies. But there is a way out of this situation: you need to manually connect the codec downloaded for specific model processor in the smartphone by the user. Here short instruction for those who faced this problem:
In the settings of the MX player, select the section "Decoder" → "Download custom codec" (the bottom line). After that, a page should open in the browser with a suggestion to select and download the desired codec for your phone (the player itself will tell you which version to choose). After downloading, we return to the MX player settings, again go to the "Decoder" section, only now select the penultimate item "Select custom codec", a list of internal folders will open, from which you need to select the folder where you downloaded the codec. Select it and confirm your choice. The sound will reappear.
| Format | container, video, sound | MX Video Player | Regular video player |
| DVDRip | AVI, XviD 720×400 2200 Kbps, MP3+AC3 | plays normally | plays normally |
| Web-DL SD | AVI, XviD 720×400 1400 Kbps, MP3+AC3 | plays normally | plays normally |
| Web-DL HD | MKV, H.264 1280x720 3000Kbps, AC3 | played without sound | |
| BDRip 720p | MKV, H.264 1280x720 4000Kbps, AC3 | plays fine with custom codec | played without sound |
| BDRip 1080p | MKV, H.264 1920x1080 8000Kbps, AC3 | plays fine with custom codec | played without sound |
Video output features tested Alexey Kudryavtsev.
MHL interface, like Mobility DisplayPort we are in this smartphone were not found, so we had to limit ourselves to testing the output of video files on the screen of the device itself. To do this, we used a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see “Methodology for testing video signal playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices) Red marks indicate possible problems associated with the playback of the respective files.
According to the criterion for displaying frames, the quality of video files playback on the screen of the device itself is good, since frames (or groups of frames) can be displayed with more or less uniform alternation of intervals and without frame drops. When playing video files with a resolution of 1280 by 720 pixels (720p) on a smartphone screen, the image of the video file itself is displayed exactly along the border of the screen, one to one in pixels, that is, in its original resolution. PenTile features appear on the worlds - a vertical world through a pixel looks like a grid, but on a horizontal world with stripes through a pixel there is no typical greenishness. The brightness range displayed on the screen actually corresponds to the standard range of 16-235 - in the shadows, only a couple of shades merge with black, but in the highlights, all gradations of shades are displayed.
Battery life
The capacity of the lithium-ion battery installed in the Samsung Galaxy A5 is not the largest - only a modest 2300 mAh. However, the smartphone proved to be quite worthy when tested in traditional load modes, which, in general, is not surprising - because there is neither a powerful productive platform nor a high-resolution energy-intensive screen. The novelty does not break autonomy records, but everything is at a very decent level.
| Battery capacity | Reading mode | Video mode | 3D game mode | |
| Samsung Galaxy A5 | 2300 mAh | 14:00 | 11:00 a.m. | 4h 20m |
| Huawei Ascend G7 | 3000 mAh | 20:00 | 13h 30m | 6:30 a.m. |
| Sony Xperia C3 | 2500 mAh | 2:30 p.m. | 9:30 a.m. | 5h 50m |
| LG L Bello | 2540 mAh | 14:00 | 10:20 | 4h 50m |
| LG L Fino | 1900 mAh | 10:00 a.m. | 7:00 a.m. | 4h 10m |
| LG L90 | 2540 mAh | 15h 20m | 10:00 a.m. | 4h 50m |
| Acer Liquid Jade | 2100 mAh | 13h 20m | 8h 40m | 4h 30m |
| Wexler Zen 5+ | 2000 mAh | 8h 10m | 5:30 a.m. | 3 a.m. |
| Alcatel Idol 2 mini S | 2000 mAh | 15:50 | 9 a.m. | 4 a.m. |
| Huawei P6 | 2000 mAh | 14h 50m | 7h 10m | 4 a.m. |
| Asus Padfone E | 1820 mAh | 15h 20m | 7h 10m | 3h 50m |
| Samsung S4 mini | 1900 mAh | 16h 40m | 10:30 | 4h 40m |
| LG G2 mini | 2440 mAh | 16:00 | 10:00 a.m. | 5 a.m. |
| Motorola Moto G | 2070 mAh | 15h 20m | 8 a.m. | 4h 20m |
| ZTE nubia Z5 mini | 2300 mAh | 11:05 am | 8 a.m. | 3h 50m |
Continuous reading in the FBReader program (with a standard, light theme) at the minimum comfortable brightness level (brightness was set to 100 cd / m²) lasted about 14 hours until the battery was completely discharged. When watching video continuously high quality(720p) with the same brightness level through home network Wi-Fi device lasted 11 hours. In the 3D-games mode, the device worked for almost 4.5 hours. Full charge time is just over 2 hours.
Outcome
Something strange is going on with Samsung's marketing, and it seems that the matter is in declining revenues of late and more complicated competition with hardened Chinese manufacturers advancing on the heels. The Koreans have released a completely simplified smartphone on all fronts, cutting out everything that is possible from it, and now they are trying to sell it at the price of a full-fledged flagship. Samsung doesn’t seriously think that just due to the appearance of metal in the case, users should put up with poor performance, screen resolution, far from the flagship, cropped user interface, and charge 24 thousand rubles to the cashier for this? And this despite the fact that, even unlike a cheaper counterpart, the Galaxy S5 mini model, the hero of the review has neither a fingerprint sensor, nor a heart rate sensor, nor an infrared transmitter, nor moisture protection. There is not even a mention of the fact that the smartphone lacks a lot of such fundamentally useful little things as led indicator events, a flashlight, support for USB OTG and the second Wi-Fi band (5 GHz), etc. etc. There is no need to talk about competitors: for the same 24 thousand, an excellent, maximally rich in functions and capabilities a true flagship, HTC Desire Eye, and even for much less, you can still get twice the performance of the Lenovo Vibe X2 with a Full HD screen. Even though the Samsung Galaxy A5 smartphone is made of quality materials with the inherent company high level performance, nevertheless, in terms of its capabilities and characteristics, is very simple, and its place is in a completely different price category.
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Introducing Samsung model Galaxy A5 (2017) SM-A520F / DS (SM-A520FZKDSER), made in black (Black) with 32GB of internal memory.
The updated A-series from Samsung received a premium design, similar to the flagship S7, a body made of glass on both sides, framed by a metal frame at the ends. For the first time, all smartphones in this series are dustproof and waterproof. Protection standard IP68 (Protection against water when immersed in fresh water to a depth of 1.5m for up to 30 minutes). What else is new in the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)?
Samsung updates Galaxy A5 (2017) SM-A520F/DS
As noted above, the 2017 A5 received a more technological design. The front of the case forms a panel of 2.5D glass, back panel made of 3D glass, the edges are protected by a metal frame. Now the smartphone is protected from dust and moisture. The device lies pleasantly in the hand and it is comfortable to use it in any conditions, even in the rain. In addition to the design, the gadget received a modern technical stuffing: a new more powerful processor, increased RAM, improved main and selfie cameras, changed the parameters of the wired and wireless connection, the possibility of expanding the memory is preserved and the maximum possible size of the memory card has been increased. The device itself has slightly increased in size - 146.1 x 71.4 x 7.9 mm versus 144.8 x 71 x 7.3 mm for the 2016 A5, while the battery capacity has been increased and the power consumption of the device has been reduced. The manufacturer also promises a lot of software intuitive "chips" that will take the use of the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) to a new level.
Display
Perhaps the only thing that has not changed in the phone is its display. The screen of the smartphone has retained the size of 5.2 inches. The display does not look bulky, thanks to the presence of thin frames. The screen is made using Super AMOLED technology, which gives a juicy, contrasting picture. Also, do not forget about the deep black color, excellent viewing angles and several preset profiles, with which everyone can customize the image for themselves. The resolution is 1920 x 1080 pixels (FullHD) with a density of 424 ppi. So, nothing prevents you from enjoying a high-quality picture, under any conditions. And all this is protected by 2.5D Gorilla Glass 4 with an oleophobic coating that will protect the display not only from scratches, but also from dirt and fingerprints. By the way, you will have to touch the smartphone screen less, because. it has an Always-on Display feature, thanks to which all the necessary information is always on the screen.
Cameras
The main and front cameras have a resolution of 16 megapixels. The rear camera is equipped with phase detection autofocus and a Light + sensor, as well as a built-in flash. Both cameras support HDR technology, which allows you to get high-quality images with vivid colors, even in difficult conditions. It is possible to record video in Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) at 30 frames per second and stereo sound. For the most successful shots, you can apply one of the 16 built-in filters or use the "Food" mode. Camera setup is completely simple and intuitive. Selfie lovers will be pleased with the updated front-camera 16 megapixels with the ability to install the shutter button anywhere on the display. The display itself acts as a flash.
Processor and Memory
AT new version The smartphone is equipped with an eight-core Samsung Exynos 7880 processor with a core frequency of 1.9 GHz (in the 2016 version there was an Exynos 7580 - 1.6 GHz). The RAM of the device has been increased from 2 to 3 GB. The built-in memory can be expanded with a memory card up to a maximum of 256 GB. Separate memory card slot.
Connection
Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) SM-A520F/DS has two separate Nano-sim slots that can work simultaneously. The maximum possible Internet speed is up to 300 Mbps, thanks to LTE cat. 6. In the absence of a network, it is possible to connect via Wi-Fi. Communication of the smartphone with other devices and with wearable electronics ( smart watch, headphones, fitness bracelets and more) provides Bluetooth 4.2. The following Bluetooth profiles are supported: A2DP, AVRCP, DI, HFP, HID, HOGP, HSP, MAP, OPP, PAN, PBAP. Built-in GPS and GLONASS modules will help you find a fast and accurate route. The wired connection in the 2017 A series is via USB type C. The manufacturer took care of users with accessories with a microUSB connector by including a USB Type C to microUSB adapter with the phone.
Food
Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) has a 3000 mAh battery increased in comparison with its predecessor. Compared to the SM-A510F/DS, the time spent on the Internet via 3G decreased by 1 hour - up to 13 hours, but the time spent on the Internet via 4G and Wi-Fi increased by 2 hours - up to 16 hours and 18 hours. respectively. The video playback time has grown significantly from 2 pm to 7 pm. The talk time in 3G networks remained at the same level - up to 4 pm, and the time of listening to music increased slightly to 78 hours. In this case, the battery has the ability fast charging.
The new Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) has retained all the charms of its predecessor, while receiving modern technical stuffing, new cameras, protection against water and dust, and has become more autonomous when working in 4G networks and when using multimedia. Now to communicate, receive impressions and share them with friends, enjoy content has become even easier and more comfortable in any conditions.
Functional, reliable, relatively nimble - this is how the Samsung A5 2015 can be characterized, which showed not only stable operation, but also ease of management. The device, first of all, is suitable for those people who do not want to chase new gadgets, but prefer to use all the advantages modern technologies. As for hardware, the smartphone has a quad-core processor at 1200 MHz of its own production, and, together with 2 GB of RAM, this configuration is enough for most not the most demanding applications and games. Also, we have a good battery capacity, and the cameras recreate good pictures. Regarding the screen, then everything is in order here - high-quality color reproduction, as well as decent viewing angles. In general, we can recommend Samsung A5 2015 for a more detailed and intimate acquaintance.
Samsung Galaxy A5 SM-A500F: specifications and price
Samsung Galaxy A5 SM-A500F: reviews
- Excellent matrix with decent viewing angles;
- Good design;
- Relatively good cameras;
— High-quality communication;
- The presence of a bright flash;
— A large number of branded chips from the manufacturer;
- Even by modern standards, not the weakest iron;
- Availability of fast charging;
- A large number of positive reviews;
- Does not collect fingerprints;
- The presence of a metal case;
- Suitable for most not the most demanding games, as well as applications;
— High impact resistance;
- Slim body;
— The smartphone is pleasant to hold in hands;
- Updating the operating system;
- Own shell;
- Light weight;
- Of the minuses, it is worth highlighting a small amount of internal memory;
- Built-in power saving function;
- Excellent work with Wi-Fi networks;
- If desired, the device is used as a navigator;
- Ideal screen size;
- Availability of fast charging;
- Autonomy as a plus;
- Pleasant sound in the headphones;
- Looks more expensive than it actually costs;
- Impact-resistant case, which is typical, even if scratches appear, they are invisible;
- The matrix is made using SUPER AMOLED technology;
- The cameras take relatively good pictures in various lighting conditions;
- Support for two SIM cards;
- Inconvenient location of the speaker;
Conclusion
It's safe to say that the Samsung A5 2015 is a very good smartphone that has pretty good functionality, decent cameras, positive reviews, and good hardware. Separately, it is worth mentioning the shell, which is convenient to use. In general, we can recommend a smartphone for a more detailed and intimate acquaintance.
Pros:
- Quality assembly;
- Matrix with excellent color reproduction;
- Appearance;
- Good cameras;