Introduction
A 5.2-inch Super AMOLED display, 14nm Exynos chipset, a body made out of a glass/metal combo, IP68 certification, 16MP f/1.9 cameras front and back - it sure sounds like Samsungs next flagship. Only its not the flagship were talking about, but the Galaxy A5 (2017) premium mid-ranger.
Of course, we are guilty of hand-picking that selection of specs to prove a point, and there are other fields in that spec sheet that would give away the A5s lower position in the Galaxy universe. Display resolution is one (1080p), and the chipset is another (Exynos 7880). Even though its made on a cutting-edge 14nm fabrication process, its still only mainstream Cortex-A53 cores inside and not hard-hitting Mongooses or Kryos. And then the cameras lack OIS and 4K video recording, even if they both offer higher resolution than the Galaxy S7.
Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) at a glance:
- Body: Aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass front and back
- Screen: 5.2" 1080p Super AMOLED screen (424ppi); Always On Display
- OS: Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow; Samsung Grace UX; Nougat update in the works
- Chipset: Exynos 7880, 14nm process
- Memory: 3GB of RAM; 32GB storage, dedicated microSD slot for expansion
- Camera: Primary 16MP, f/1.9, 27mm; Secondary 16MP, f/1.9
- Video: 1080p
- Connectivity: nano SIM (dual SIM version available); LTE (Cat. 6); Wi-Fi ac; Bluetooth 4.2; FM Radio; USB Type-C; 3.5mm jack
- Battery: 3,000mAh
- Misc: Fingerprint reader, IP68 certification for dust and water resistance, Samsung Pay
Main shortcomings
- Somewhat expensive - the Galaxy S6 can be had for less, the S7 is slightly pricier, but will certainly dip in a couple of months when the S8 comes out.
- Android is still Marshmallow, though an update is coming.
- No 4K video recording at a price point, where you can find plenty of phones that support it.
Its not exactly what you call a bargain, the A5 (2017), unfortunately. Its price tag makes a pretty solid case for the Galaxy S6, and why not even the S7 when the time is right? Its also not looking good that Samsung is putting out a new premium product with good ol Marshmallow, and no shiny fresh Grace UX can make up for that.
None of that means we dont like the premise of a premium full-featured (or thereabout) smartphone positioned a notch below the flagships - quite the opposite. Well be looking into just how much the A5 (20 17) deserves its place in the world on the following pages, starting (not unusually) with a hardware overview.
Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) 360-degree spin
The Galaxy A5 (2017 measures 146.1 x 71.4 x 7.9 mm which is standard for a 5.2-inch phone - most other devices with the same diagonal are within a millimeter in each direction.
As for weight, the A5 (2017) is on the heavy side of average. Its 157g arent really an issue, but the similarly sized Huawei P9, for example, tips the scales at just 144g. The brand new HTC U Play is even a notch lighter at 143g, though admittedly it is severely battery-deprived (2,500mAh).
Hardware overview
If theres one area where the Galaxy A5 (2017) can stand up to flagship-grade scrutiny its build and looks. To a non-discerning eye the A5 can easily pass for an S7 - the aluminum frame, the dual-glass sandwich, the shapes and proportions - its all top-shelf material.
Theres the home button with a fingerprint sensor embedded - a staple of Samsung smartphone design. It may very well be destined for retirement with the S8, but for now, its here to stay. The fingerprint reader works just as on the Galaxy S7, which is another way of saying - its good but its not the fastest one around.
Galaxy A5 (2017) vs. Galaxy S7 - spot the differences
Whats been missing on the A-series for a while now and hasnt made an appearance on the A5 (2017) either is a notification LED. That one seems to be a flagship-only feature as of late. The top bezel of the midranger does contain all the other usual stuff though - earpiece, proximity/ambient light sensors, and selfie camera.
AMOLED display • Always on, too • H ome button with fingerprint sensor • The usual stuff, minus LED
More importantly, and unlike any previous non-flagship or non-rugged phone, the A-series for this year have IP68 certification for dust and water resistance.
We do tend to compare the A5 (2017) to both the existing S7 and the projected S8 and while the S7 is so last year with its 3.5mm jack, the S8 may be one of the trendsetters to lose it. So there - the A5 (2017) is on par with the current top model in this respect, and possibly better than the upcoming one.
The A5 (2017)s wired interface is in fact more up-to-date than the current flagship S7. The Type-C USB port only made it on a Samsung phone with the Note7, but we all know how that ended. Other than a somewhat obscure C9 Pro, the A-series remain the only Samsung handsets with a Type-C port. Beat that, S7.
USB Type-C and 3.5mm jack - our favorite combo
One odd design decision sees the loudspeaker placed on the right side of the phone, right above the power button. For ringtones thats as good as any other position and in a way its better for video viewing when holding the display in landscape orientation that the prevalent bottom placement. There are no stereo speakers, but there arent any on Samsung flagships either. Not yet, at least.
A power button where its supposed to be • A loudspeaker where its never been
As with a few other previous A-series models, the A5 (2017) has a couple of card slots. The one on the side accommodates one nanoSIM, while the slot on top takes a microSD card. The latter can also fit an additional nanoSIM card on dual SIM versions of the A5 (2017) and in this case the microSD slot remains available - its a dedicated solution and not a hybrid one and we cant stress enough just how much we prefer it this way.
Volume rocker and nanoSIM slot on the left side • microSD slot and a secondary mic on top
On the back, the S-series have been having all sorts of sensors, but not the As - its the bare minimum here with just the camera module and the LED flash.
Minimalist back • Just the camera and LED flash
Your palms will undoubtedly appreciate the curves on the back, which make the A5 a joy to handle. Some people tend to complain that glass is slippery, but weve had more issues in this respect with satin-finished aluminum on some phones, so its probably down to the individuals skin properties. Whats not debatable is that on glass backs smudges reign.
Galaxy A5 (2017) in the hand
Display
The Galaxy A5 (2017) like all self-respecting Galaxies packs a Super AMOLED display. The A5 in particular is smack in the middle between the 4.7-inch A3 (2017) and the 5.7-inch A7 (2017) in terms of diagonal, and its 5.2-inch panel has FullHD resolution. That amounts to a 424ppi density but the Diamond Pixel arrangement makes that less sharp than a competing LCD with equal number of subpixels for each color. Its still plenty sharp though.
The display can give you that AMOLED punch thats become synonymous with the tech, at the expense of color accuracy. In Adaptive mode average DeltaE is 5.3 with Red waaay off at 11.2, but also quite inaccurate whites. Switch to basic mode, however, and youre treated to an excellently calibrated display with an average DeltaE of just 2.0 and a maximum of 3.2. Cinema and Photo modes are somewhere in between - whatever floats your boat.
Maximum brightness is excellent, particularly if you engage the Auto mode, in which case the display gets a healthy boost in bright conditions. That said, last years model could pump out more nits in Auto mode. Even so, the A5 (2017)s numbers are right up there with the S7 flagship - excellent. Contrast is infinite, its Super AMOLEDs treat for you. With a minimum brightness of just 1.8 nits night-time scrolling sessions wont strain your eyes either.
| Display test | 100% brightness | ||
| Black, cd/m2 | White, cd/m2 | ||
| 0 | 421 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 601 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 413 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 559 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 408 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 518 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 391 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 563 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 392 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 610 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 363 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 619 | ∞ | |
| 0.34 | 374 | 1101 | |
| 0.34 | 395 | 1161 | |
| 0.37 | 460 | 1243 | |
| 0.25 | 385 | 1540 | |
| 0.46 | 500 | 1094 | |
| 0 | 433 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 447 | ∞ | |
As for sunlight legibility, the AMOLED A5 for 2017 is on par with last years model, and slightly better than the A3 (2017), but none of them is a match for this or last years flagships. In fact, the A5 (2017) sunlight contrast ratio is virtually identical to the budget J7 (2016) - sounds great from that phones perspective, not as flattering from the A5s. That said, only top-of-the-line LCD-equipped phones can post such results (the likes of the iPhone 7 and Xperia XZ), and its not them that the A5 is facing, pricey as it may be.
Sunlight contrast ratio
- Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+
4.615 - Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
4.439 - OnePlus 3
4.424 - Samsung Galaxy S7
4.376 - HTC One A9
4.274 - Samsung Galaxy Note7
4.247 - Samsung Galaxy A3
4.241 - OnePlus 3T
4.232 - Google Pixel XL4.164
- ZTE Axon 7
4.154 - Samsung Galaxy S6
4.124 - Samsung Galaxy S6 edge
4.124 - Samsung Galaxy Note5
4.09 - Huawei Nexus 6P
4.019 - OnePlus X
3.983 - Vivo Xplay5 Elite
3.983 - Apple iPhone 7
3.964 - Oppo R7s
3.964 - Huawei P9 Plus
3.956 - Meizu Pro 6 Plus
3.935 - Lenovo Moto Z
3.931 - Samsung Galaxy A7 (2016)
3.918 - Samsung Galaxy C5
3.911 - Samsung Galaxy C7
3.896 - Samsung Galaxy A5
3.895 - Samsung Galaxy J7 outdoor
3.879 - Samsung Galaxy J2 outdoor
3.873 - Samsung Galaxy A8
3.859 - Samsung Galaxy A9 (2016)
3.817 - Motorola Moto X (2014)
3.816 - Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
3.804 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016) outdoor mode
3.802 - LG V20 Max auto
3.798 - Xiaomi Redmi Pro
3.798 - Sony Xperia XZ
3.795 - Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016)
3.789< /span> - Apple iPhone 6s
3.783 - Meizu Pro 5
3.781 - Microsoft Lumia 650
3.772 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016)
3.756 - Oppo F1 Plus
3.709 - Vivo X5Pro
3.706 - Sony Xperia X Compact
3.694 - Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017)
3.688 - Apple iPhone SE
3.681 - Samsung Galaxy A7
3.679 - Meizu PRO 6
3.659 - BlackBerry Priv
3.645 - Apple iPhone 7 Plus
3.588 - Apple iPhone 6s Plus
3.53 - Motorola Moto Z Play
3.526 - Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) outdoor mode
3.523 - Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016)
3.523 - Acer Jade Primo
3.521 - Microsoft Lumia 950
3.512 - Oppo R7 Plus
3.499 - nubia Z11
3.466 - Samsung Galaxy J7
3.422 - Meizu MX5
3.416 - LG V20
3.402 - Oppo R9s
3.352 - Oppo R7
3.32 - Xiaomi Mi 5s
3.276 - Samsung Galaxy J2
3.235 - Sony Xperia X Performance
3.234 - Xiaomi Mi Note 2
3.228 - Motorola Moto X Play
3.222 - Huawei P9
3.195 - Lenovo Vibe Shot
3.113 - Motorola Moto X Force
3.105 - LG Nexus 5X
3.092 - Huawei Mate S
3.073 - Microsoft Lumia 640 XL
3.065 - Sony Xperia X
2.989 - Huawei Mate 8
2.949 - Xiaomi Redmi 3S
2.913 - Sony Xperia XA Ultra
2.906 - LG G5
2.905 - HTC One S
2.901 - Xiaomi Redmi 3s Prime
2.893 - Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus
2.884 - Sony Xperia Z5
2.876 - Microsoft Lumia 550
2.851 - Lenovo Moto M
2.813 - Xiaomi Redmi 3 Pro
2.803 - Sony Xperia Z5 compact
2.784 - Meizu MX6
2.751 - LG V10
2.744 - Xiaomi Redmi 3
2.735 - Sony Xperia M5
2.69 - Xi aomi Redmi 4 Prime
2.679 - Huawei P9 Lite
2.679 - Vivo V3Max
2.659 - Xiaomi Mi Mix
2.658 - Xiaomi Mi 4i
2.641 - Sony Xperia XA
2.609 - Motorola Moto G4 Plus (max auto)
2.582 - Motorola Moto G4 Plus
2.582 - Xiaomi Mi 4c
2.574 - LeEco Le Max 2
2.567 - Microsoft Lumia 640
2.563 - Asus Zenfone 3 ZE552KL
2.563 - Lenovo K6 Note
2.544 - Lenovo Moto G4
2.544 - Oppo F1
2.528 - Sony Xperia Z5 Premium
2.525 - Huawei Honor 7 Lite / Honor 5c
2.506 - Sony Xperia M4 Aqua
2.503 - Oppo F1s
2.481 - Motorola Moto G
2.477 - Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus
2.473 - Huawei G8
2.471 - Huawei nova
2.467 - Sony Xperia Z
2.462 - Lenovo Vibe K5
2.459 - Meizu m3 max
2.447 - Huawei Honor 7
2.406 - Sony Xperia E5
2.386 - ZUK Z1 by Lenovo
2.382 - HTC 10
2.378 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016)
2.378 - Meizu m1 note
2.362 - Huawei nova plus
2.329 - HTC One E9+
2.305 - Alcatel One Touch Hero
2.272 - Apple iPhone 4S
2.269 - Lenovo Vibe K4 Note
2.254 - Sony Xperia C5 Ultra
2.253 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 (MediaTek)
2.249 - Sony Xperia C4 Dual
2.235 - Xiaomi Mi Note
2.234 - Motorola Moto G (2014)
2.233 - Huawei P8
2.196 - Huawei Honor 6
2.169 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 2
2.166 - OnePlus Two
2.165 - HTC One X
2.158 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4
2.145 - LG Aka
2.145 - Archos 50 Diamond
2.134 - Xiaomi Redmi Note
2.119 - Acer Liquid X2
2.084 - Huawei P8lite
2.078 - Moto G 3rd gen max manual
2.026 - Xiaomi Mi Max
1.996 - Sony Xperia E4g
1.972 - OnePlus One
1.961 - Meizu m3 note
1.923 - Meizu m2 note
1.892 - BlackBerry Leap
1.892 - ZTE Nubia Z9 mini
1.759 - Sony Xperia U
1.758 - Asus Zenfone Selfie
1.68 - Motorola Moto E (2nd Gen)
1.675 - ZTE Nubia Z9
1.659 - Jolla Jolla
1.605 - Motorola Moto E
1.545 - Sony Xperia M
1.473 - HTC Desire C
1.3 - Sony Xperia C
1.283 - Meizu MX
1.221 - Sony Xperia E
1.215
Connectivity
The Galaxy A5 (2017) is well-stocked on connectivity options. Samsung specifies Cat.6 LTE (300Mbps downlink, 50Mbps uplink), with a disclaimer that it may vary by region and carrier, and since the Exynos 7880 itself supports Cat.7 you may want to check locally if the 100Mbps DL speed is of such crucial importance to you (you know who you are).
There are single SIM and dual SIM versions, each of them with two card slots. In each case theres a dedicated microSD slot as well - on single SIM models (such as the one we had) theres no cutout for the second SIM in the top slot (presumably, no contacts and hardware, maybe?).
There is also dual-band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth v4.2 (but no detail on aptX for high-quality audio), NFC and MST (for Samsung Pay, where available), and an FM radio receiver. There is no IR transmitter, though.
A Type-C port is in charge of charging, but only adheres to USB 2.0 spec, so youre limited to a measly 480Mbps theoretical maximum transfer speeds. USB OTG is supported for attaching peripherals, but theres no MHL support for wired video output. Thankfully, theres a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) battery life
The Gal axy A5 (2017) is powered by a 3,000mAh battery - oh, look, its the same capacity as the Galaxy S7. And this one has fewer pixels to render, plus a chipset that should be more frugal than the thirsty flagship number-crunchers.
Well, indeed it is. The Galaxy A5 (2017) only fell short of the S7s time in the voice call test, and just by an hour and a quarter. At close to 22h its result is still perfectly acceptable.
It gets better in the screen-on disciplines. It takes 14 and half hours of our Wi-Fi web browsing test to deplete the A5s battery - a remarkable feat, even if the smaller A3 (2017) does outlast it by an hour. The S7, on the other hand, cant even make it to 10h.
In video playback the A5 crosses the 16-hour mark before calling it quits - another superb performance. The flagship is closer here, but still falls short by an hour and a half.
As for standby, weve tested the phone both with the Always On Display feature engaged and then turned off. While it d oes take a massive toll on standby time (and consequently on the overall endurance rating), you should bear in mind that our testing cant account for the phone turning off the display completely when its in a pocket, for example. So, presumably, actual real-world standby with the AOD on should be much better.
The overall endurance rating of 95h is an excellent result and is a testament to the inherent benefits of having a 14nm chipset on board - be it an Exynos or a Snapdragon.
The battery testing procedure is described in detail in case youre interested in the nitty-gritties. You can also check out our complete battery test table, where you can see how all of the smartphones weve tested will compare under your own typical use.
Software
Remember the Note7? The Galaxy flagship phablet (that wasnt meant to be) introduced a redesigned Samsung user interface called Grace UX. The Note7 being absent, the 2017 A-series are the only phones to come with the updated Android overlay out of the box, but it is also being seeded as we speak with the Nougat update for the S7 and S7 edge. Mind you, in the A5 (2017)s case its on top of Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, though a bump to Android 7 is in the works.
This generation of A-series is the first to feature Always On Display (AOD). Three main views are available - Clock, Calendar and Image, with some customization available. Notifications from third-party apps show up (something that didnt work when the S7 launched, but was added later).
The Always On Display dims when ambient light is low and will shut off when the Galaxy A5 is in your pocket. This saves energy, but you can be more explicit about it and put AOD on a schedule (or it may just be that you dont like the extra light while you sleep).
Always On Display: Settings overview • Clock • Calendar • Image
The lockscreen can be secured with the fingerprint reader. Its not the fastest weve seen, but its no slower than the readers that flagship Samsungs use but its not the fastest one weve seen.
The fingerprint reader can do more than that. Web sign-in remembers the passwords you use for site s and can automatically fill them in when you touch the fingerprint reader. You can also secure your Samsung account (more on that in a bit).
Lockscreen: plain • with notifications • Setting up a fingerprint • Reader options
The Homescreen has the Briefing pane on the left (which you can disable) and supports themes and icon packs. More interestingly, it supports sort of a 3D Touch feature, not unlike the one found on the Google Pixel phones - you tap and hold on an app and a contextual menu appears. However, it offers just basic app handling actions and is not tied to the actual functionality of app.
Homescreen • Homescreen settings • Folder view • Contextual menu
The notification area should be quite familiar as well. A line of quick toggles is available above the notifications. Pulling the shade further down reveals all toggles, a brightness slider and a handy search field (Google prefers to put the search field on the homescreen ins tead).
We like the idea of the Block notifications button, it allows you to quickly mute notifications from pushy apps (games are often guilty of crying for attention when you havent played them in a while). Still, we dont like the aesthetics of it.
Notification area • Expanded view • Editing toggles
The app switcher is the usual rolodex, but unlike the A3 here it offers split-screen multitasking (standard on Nougat, but this is Samsungs implementation in Marshmallow). The apps that can go in multi-window have an icon next to the X, and thats one way of doing it - the other is to hold the ta sk switcher capacitive key.
App switcher • Multi-window multi-tasking
The App drawer has a search field that looks through the apps you have installed, but also suggests apps from Galaxy Apps (you can search the Play Store if you prefer).
App drawer • Organizing apps • Searching • Sorting
Being a somewhat larger phone than the A3, the A5 also gets a one-handed operation mode. Its part of the Advanced features menu where you can also enable other actions like double press on the Home button to launch the camera and screenshot capture with a palm swipe.
App switcher • One-handed operation
Secure folder creates a separate zone so sensitive files (photos, documents, etc.) and apps can be locked away from prying eyes. Once you enter the Secure folder, taking a photo with the camera or snapping a screenshot places the file in the Secure folder. To access those from the regular gallery, youll first have to move them.
Secure folder • Fingerprint authentication • 2 apps, 1 phone
The reason you want to secure your Samsung account with your fingerprint is that you get 15GB of cloud storage for free. Everything from contacts to photos can be synced and you get to choose which files are synced over LTE and which are left for when Wi-Fi is available (contacts, calendar and notes dont use much data, but photos do).
Selecting what to sync to Samsung Cloud • Network settings
Game launcher
This is your go-to place for play time, you can even hide game shortcuts from the regular app drawer and have them only in the Game launcher. A floating button offers essential features - you can lock the capacitive keys (to prevent accidental presses), mute notifications, start recording a video and theres ev en an app switcher.
Game launcher • In-game options • The in-game options can be disabled
You can record gameplay and include video of view from the selfie camera if you want to upload to YouTube (you cant livestream, though). You can select lower resolutions and bitrates if youre strapped for storage.
Video recording • Changing video resolution • Camera and mic settings • Recorded videos
The launcher will also keep statistics on what youve played. It clocks individual games as well as genres (e.g. it can tell if youve played more racing games or more puzzles).
My Diary knows what kind of games you like
This app allows you to boost the performance of a game by limiting the resolution or save battery by capping the frame rate.
Synthetic benchmarks
The Galaxy A5 (2017) is powered by the Exynos 7880 chipset - Samsungs own silicon manufa ctured on a 14nm process. The 7880 is an improved version of the 7870 chipset, which were familiar with from the J7 (2016) and the A3 (2017). The differences include a higher CPU clock rate of the Cortex-A53 cores (1.9GHz vs. 1.6GHz), more and higher-clocked GPU cores (3x950MHz vs. 2x700MHz) and support for LPDDR4 RAM as opposed to the 7870s LPDDR3. We already established that the 7880 is great at efficiency, lets see how it performs.
In single-core GeekBench 4 the A5 (2017)s Cortex-A53 scores higher than the same CPU core inside the A3 (2017) - no wonder, given the gap in frequencies. The Snapdragon 625 inside the Huawei nova has its Cortex-A53 ticking slightly higher at 2GHz, and delivers a 10% better score for a 5% bump in clock rate.
The Mi 5s, affordable as it may be, packs in a Snapdragon 821, where a single Kryo puts out twice the performance of a modest Cortex-A53. Same for the Cortex-A72 in the Kirin 950 powering the Honor 8.
GeekBench 4 (single-core)
Higher is better
- OnePlus 3T
1890 - Huawei Honor 8
1720 - OnePlus 3
1719 - Xiaomi Mi 5s
1682 - Huawei nova
842 - Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
764 - Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017)
681
The Huawei nova loses its modest lead over the A5 in the multi-core test, where the Exynos 7880 does in fact catch up with the Mi 5s Snapdragon 821. Its the Kirin 950 that rules here, though.
GeekBench 4 (multi-core)
Higher is better
- Huawei Honor 8
5447 - OnePlus 3T
4364 - OnePlus 3
4045 - Xiaomi Mi 5s
3987 - Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
3958 - Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017)
3294 - Huawei nova
3105
An indicator of overall performance, Basemark OS II 2.0 puts the A5 (2017) in the middle of the pack. The nova and the A3 (2017) are only seen in the rear-view mirror, but even the almost two-generations-old Galaxy S6 flagship outperforms the A5 (2017) by quite the margin. The Kirin 950 and the high-end Snapdragons 82x are much better.
Basemark OS 2.0
Higher is better
- OnePlus 3T
2678 - Xiaomi Mi 5s
2378 - OnePlus 3
2365 - Xiaomi Mi 5
2180 - Sony Xperia X Performance
2179 - Huawei Honor 8
2099 - Huawei P9
2068 - Samsung Galaxy S6
1674 - Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
1417 - Huawei nova
1218 - Oppo F1 Plus
1092 - Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017)
999 - Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016)
833 - Samsung Galaxy C5
815 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016)
532
The all too popular Antutu benchmark paints a similar picture, only here the Huawei nova is slightly ahead of the A5 (2017).
AnTuTu 6
Higher is better
- OnePlus 3T
165097 - OnePlus 3
141764 - Xiaomi Mi 5
131758< /span> - Xiaomi Mi 5s
131666 - Sony Xperia X Performance
116217 - Huawei P9
98069 - Huawei Honor 8
94892 - Samsung Galaxy S6
79038 - Huawei nova
65021 - Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
61020 - Oppo F1 Plus
51299 - Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017)
45742 - Samsung Galaxy C5
44438 - Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016)
35689 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016)
27487
Three is more than two, even if one is FullHD, and the other is 720p. What are these guys rambling on about, you ask? Well, its the tri-core Mali-T830MP3 GPU in the A5 (2017), which needs to feed a 1080p display, and were comparing it to the Mali-T830MP2 of the A3 (2017).
In GFXBench, the A5 posts higher framerates in both offscreen (rendered at 1080p resolution) and onscreen tests (rendered at the devices respective resolutions, hence being easier on the A3). Both the Huawei P9 and Honor 8 (Kirin 950) can put out 2fps more than the A5 though, and lets not even try to compare it to the proper flagship GPUs.
GFX 3.1 Manhattan (1080p offscreen)
Higher is better
- OnePlus 3T
33 - OnePlus 3
31 - Sony Xperia X Performance
30 - Xiaomi Mi 5
30 - Xiaomi Mi 5s
26 - Huawei P9
10 - Huawei Honor 8
10 - Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
9.1 - Huawei nova
6.3 - Samsung Galaxy C5
4.2 - Oppo F1 Plus
3.3 - Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017)
3.2
GFX 3.1 Manhattan (onscreen)
Higher is better
- OnePlus 3T
33 - Sony Xperia X Performance
31 - OnePlus 3
30 - Xiaomi Mi 5
29 - Xiaomi Mi 5s
26 - Huawei P9
11 - Huawei Honor 8
11 - Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
9 - Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017)
7.3 - Huawei nova
6.5 - Samsung Galaxy C5
4.1 - Oppo F1 Plus
3.3
GFX 3.1 Car scene (offscreen)
Higher is better
- OnePlus 3T
20 - OnePlus 3
18 - Sony Xperia X Performance
17 - Xiaomi Mi 5
17 - Xiaomi Mi 5s
16 - Huawei P9
6.5 - Huawei Honor 8
6.3 - Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
5.2 - Huawei nova
3.5 - Samsung Galaxy C5
2.6 - Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017)
1.9
GFX 3.1 Car scene (onscreen)
Higher is better
- OnePlus 3T
20 - Sony Xperia X Performance
18 - OnePlus 3
18 - Xiaomi Mi 5
17 - Xiaomi Mi 5s
16 - Huawei P9
7.1 - Huawei Honor 8
6.9 - Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
5.2 - Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017)
3.9 - Huawei nova
3.7 - Samsung Galaxy C5
2.6
Overall, the Galaxy A5 (2017) with its Exynos 7880 puts out quite good performance numbers for its hardware and its on par with Qualcomms energy efficiency champion - the Snapdragon 625.
However, much higher scoring phones can be found for the same amount of money, or even less, so if ultimate raw performance for your dollars is top on your list perhaps you should be looking elsewhere.
The 7880 is so efficient though, that if were to be looking at a different metric, something more in line with power for battery life, the A5 (2017) may very well top a chart or two.
Telephony
The Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) comes in single-SIM and dual-SIM flavors, and it so happe ned that we had the single-SIM version.
Dialer • Call log • All contacts • In-call screen
Theres native support for blocking incoming calls - you can block specific numbers and all anonymous calls.
Blocking unwanted calls • More call settings
Loudspeaker
This years A-series have their loudspeakers in a novel position - on the right side of the phone. The single speaker on the A5 (2017) posted numbers that put it in the Good category in our test in terms of loudness, just like the A3 (2017). Its a noticeable improvement over the 2016 model, and puts the A5 (2017) on par with most of its competition. Output quality is quite good, too.
| Speakerphone test | Voice, dB | Ringing | Overall score | |
| 61.3 | 61.1 | 65.7 | Below Average | |
| 61.9 | 66.0 | 62.1 | Below Average | |
| 65.8 | 66.0 | 66.5 | Below Average | |
| 65.9 | 66.3 | 70.7 | Average | |
| 63.1 | 66.7 | 74.3 | Average | |
| 67.9 | 71.9 | 66.5 | Average | |
| 68.1 | 66.3 | 73.7 | Good | |
| 66.9 | 67.2 | 74.0 | Good | |
| 66.1 | 66.9 | 75.5 | Good | |
| 67.4 | 69.0 | 72.9 | Good | |
| 69.5 | 69.3 | 7 1.1 | Good | |
| 66.4 | 66.2 | 78.0 | Good | |
| 72.1 | 66.6 | 75.6 | Good | |
| 67.1 | 66.2 | 82.6 | Good | |
| 64.2 | 70.0 | 84.9 | Very Good | |
| 74.0 | 68.3 | 78.0 | Very Good | |
| 69.2 | 71.9 | 80.6 | Very Good | |
| 75.7 | 73.5 | 79.5 | Excellent | |
| 73.4 | 72.1 | 84.1 | ||
| 75.7 | 73.5 | 80.7 | Excellent |
Messaging and text input
Samsung preloaded its own Messaging app to handle SMS/MMS instead of using Googles Allo (which isnt even available out of the box). The app has a clean but powerful interface, much of its functionality hides behind a slide-out menu on the right.
This menu lets you view all photos (or even general attachments) in a conversation, sort of like a two-person gallery. You can also insert canned responses, block numbers (or just mute notifications for the contact) as well as pin the conversation thread so its always on top.
You can insert smiles and photos, similar to popular chat apps (except that files are sent over MMS).
Threaded view • Chatting with Dee Dee • Slide-out menu • Attachments: Smilies • Photos
The Samsung Keyboard handles text input. It can be heavily customized - you can resize it (in height and width), hide the number row and add additional symbols (punctuation on long key press).
Swipe input can be tasked with one of two tasks - move the cursor or text input. A High contrast mode is available for people with poor eyesight.
Samsung keyboard: Default view • Settings • Resizing/secondary symbols • High contrast mode
Other apps
Samsungs S Health is available and it can track your walks/runs and your sleep. With help from the right accessory, it can track a lot more - it works with Samsungs activity trackers, of course, but you can connect heart rate monitors, bike sensors, smart scales, even blood pressure and glucose monitors. Both Bluetooth 4.0 LE and ANT+ accessories are available. If it was a flagship, youd have a hear rate sensor built in, but not here.
For those who need motivation, you can challenge a friend and compete to win virtual crowns. You also get a global leaderboard so you know where you stand. S Health can cooperate with a number of third-party apps (from Withings and others).
S Health: Main screen • Tracking screen • Rewards • Nope, no heart rate sensor on board
The File manager shows the most recent files by default and supports basic folder operations as well as compression.
File browser
Finally, theres Galaxy Apps, an alternative (or, rather, parallel) source of apps. A number of Samsung apps are available here, including ones not pre-installed on the Galaxy A5 (2017). You can also find freebies and exclusives here.
Galaxy Apps
Gallery
The gallery integrates with Samsung Cloud to automatically sync your photos. The ones on your phone are split into three categories - Pictures, Albums and Stories. Pictures is just a timeline view, while Albums is the folder-based view.
Stories are collaborative online projects - you can invite people to add their own photos and videos to the Story gallery and create a cool slideshow.
Gallery: Pictures • Pictures zoomed all the way out • Albums • Settings
The built-in editor is fairly powerful, going from basic tools to straighten photos through image correction to downloadable image effects.
The built-in image editor is powerful and extensible
Video player
The video player is part of the gallery. It supports subtitles with customizable styles and can play in a pop-up window.
Video gallery • Player • Settings • Subtitles
Music player
The Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) comes with Google Play Music by default. The app should be familiar, it can play locally stored music as well as stream from Googles library (and you can cache music over Wi-Fi to save mobile data).
Google Play Music
You get comprehensive control over the listening experience thanks to the SoundAlive equalizer, a manual 7-band equalizer, an automatic equalizer (Adapt sound) and even a UHQ upscaler.
Sound customization
FM Radio
Theres an FM radio on board as well, another area where A > S. It cant fi nd the names of the stations (you can do it manually), but supports favorites and sound recording.
FM radio
Audio output is very good
The Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) did very well when hooked up to an active external amplifier. Its loudness was well above average and its clarity was outstanding.
Volume remained just as good when we hooked up a pair of headphones, but the quality deteriorated a bit. Stereo rose and some intermodulation crept in - neither is too bad and the overall output is pretty solid.
Anyway, here go the results so you can do your comparisons.
| Test | Frequency response | Noise level | Dynamic range | THD | IMD + Noise | Stereo crosstalk |
| +0.02, -0.32 | -93.1 | 93.3 | 0.0039 | 0.0032 | -90.2 | |
| +0.29, -0.09 | -88.3 | 87.7 | 0.015 | 0.232 | -60.2 | |
| +0.04, -0.02 | -93.0 | 93.1 | 0.0018 | 0.0085 | -93.8 | |
| +0.05, -0.02 | -92.7 | 92.8 | 0.0023 | 0.054 | -52.4 | |
| +0.01, -0.02 | -93.3 | 93.2 | 0.0010 | 0.0070 | -93.5 | |
| +0.19, -0.35 | -92.3 | 92.2 | 0.0098 | 0.295 | -58.3 | |
| +0.10, -0.03 | -94.2 | 94.0 | 0.0019 | 0.0064 | -89.3 | |
| +0.30, -0.07 | -92.5 | 93.0 | 0.810 | 0.271 | -31.3 | |
| +0.03, -0.30 | -86.6 | 83.6 | 0.0017 | 0.049 | -91.1 | |
| +0.06, -0.03 | -92.4 | 92. 4 | 0.0018 | 0.021 | -88.2 | |
| Xiaomi Mi 5s | +0.01, -0.03 | -89.6 | 90.2 | 0.0029 | 0.040 | -85.5 |
| Xiaomi Mi 5s (headphones) | +0.71, -0.31 | -82.9 | 84.8 | 0.229 | 0.559 | -48.0 |
| +0.06, -0.10 | -92.4 | 92.3 | 0.0015 | 0.0093 | -80.9 | |
| +0.03, -0.11 | -92.3 | 92.3 | 0.0011 | 0.012 | -77.0 |
Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) frequency response
You can learn more about th e tested parameters and the whole testing process here.
Camera
The Galaxy A5 (2017)s primary camera is based on a 16MP sensor that sits behind a 27mm-equiv. lens with an f/1.9 aperture. Its lost the optical stabilization, unfortunately - last years model had that. Autofocus is also contrast-detect only - or at least no phase detection is being advertised. There is a single-LED flash, but thats been Samsungs treatments of its flagships, so why should the A-series be any better.
The camera interface has not received substantial changes. Grace UX has brought only minor refinements like swipe gestures.
As usual for Samsung smartphones, you can launch the camera with a quick double press on the Home key. The viewfinder greets you with only a flash mode toggle and a shortcut to settings.
From here you can swipe down to switch between the front and rear cameras, which is much appreciated even if not very original (LG says hi!). Swiping to the left gives you a panel with color filters, while in the other pane you get access to the shooting modes.
Thats where HDR mode resides - there is no Auto HDR like on flagships and the HDR mode is a swipe and a tap away, instead of just a tap. A Pro mode is present too, though thats clearly a huge overstatement - you get control over exposure compensation, ISO and white balance presents, plus a metering mode selector, but no manual focus and no manual shutter speed. We gather the pro could pass for program, but not professional, really.
Camera interface
Image quality is quite good, with low noise and minimal signs of noise reduction. Colors are pleasingly vivid too, without being over the top - in this weather its mostly the iPhone graffiti in the second image that can testify to that, but its enough (also the Photo compare tool down below). Dynamic range is good, though in extreme cases like the 4th and 5th sample youre bound to end up with blown highlights.
Camera samples
HDR needs to be engaged manually, theres no Auto and certainly no live preview like on the flagships. In high-contrast scenarios you might be wise to take a shot in normal and HDR mode, just in case. It does what it promises without much drama - shadows get a modest boost, and some detail in the highlights is salvaged, adding up to a very natural-looking image. Some might prefer a little less subtlety here.
HDR: off • on
Weve seen better panoramas than the ones coming out of the Galaxy A5 (2017), but then again, weve seen better weather too, though certainly not lately. Anyway, the A5s panoramas are about 1,800px tall, detail is about average, and stitching is very good, of course provided there are no moving objects.
Panorama sample
As promised, here are the shortcuts to the Photo compare tool, where you can pixel-peep to your hearts content. Weve pre-selected the Galaxy S6 and the Huawei P9, but you can pick any two of the smartphones weve tested.
Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) against the Galaxy S6 and the Huawei P9 in our Photo compare tool
Selfie camera
The selfie camera on the Galaxy A5 (2017) is another 16MP f/1.9 unit, though naturally not of the same caliber as the rear one with the same numbers. For one, the front-facer lacks autofocus, and youd think thats a non-issue for a cam used almost exclusively at arms length. It would have been, had the focus distance been tuned to arms length shooting, and thats not the case.
Which is sad, because at the proper distance the results are superb, only that means just your face is in the frame, and presumes some serious interest in your pores. At arms length everythings a blur.
Selfie samples: At arms length • Close-up best focus • Beautification on
The evenly matched pixel count prompted us to make a comparison between the front and rear cameras, and... well... makes you wonder just how crucial composition needs to be for it to make such a trade-off in quality worth it.
Front camera selfie • Rear camera selfie
Video camera
The Galaxy A5 (2017) captures video up to 1080p/30fps, so no 4K recording out of this one. Weve sort of grown used to expecting a phone in thi s price range to be able to do it - damn you, OnePlus 3.
The A5s videos are encoded with a 17Mbps bitrate, the usual number, while audio gets a generous 256Kbps, stereo.
The FullHD video output is good, with nice levels of detail and low noise. Colors are rendered quite well too, though once again youre better off looking at the Video compare tool to get a better idea. Audio, by the way, is surprisingly clear, and it cant be down to just the bitrate.
An unedited sample (10s, 22MB) straight out of the camera is waiting for you to download from our server and examine in detail.
Finally, the Video compare tool is a good place to go and check how the A5 (2017)s video output stacks up against the rest.
Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) against the Galaxy S6 and the Huawei P9 in our Video compare tool
Final words
One thing is clear from this review - Samsung has got the alphabet wrong. A has never been as close to S as it is with the A (2017) series. The Galaxy A5 (2017) carries more than a passing resemblance to the reigning Galaxy S7 flagship - lets just say that if the S7 were to stumble into the A5, theyd take a selfie together.
Its hard to split the two for looks and build quality, and that includes the IP68 certification. Only now making it outside of a select group of flagship or rugged Samsungs, the dust and water proofing is shared across the entire A lineup this year. S ame for the Home button with a fingerprint reader, complete with Samsung Pay capabilities, but thats old news - it was already available on last years As.
Another thing to trickle down into the upper midrange is the cutting-edge internals. The 14nm chipset at the heart of the A5 (2017) may not outperform the top-end silicon of the day, but its efficiency is immediately evident - the battery life of the A5 is just marvelous.
The 5.2-inch Super AMOLED display is equally great - gone are the days of dim AMOLEDs with colors all over the place. This one is bright, it can be accurate if you want it to be, and it is well visible in the sun. Flagships retain the QHD resolution as a trump card, but the A5 is perfectly okay with its FullHD.
16MP cameras front and back - we can see smiles lighting up the faces of Samsungs marketing team. The front-face can be super-detailed, only you need to keep the phone a foot away from your face, and that barely fits our grown-up mugs. We dont know about you, but thats not how we like our selfies. The rear camera is a lot more balanced and a capable overall performer. Its images are detailed and exhibit mature detail rendering, pleasing colors, and dynamic range is quite wide.
Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) key test findings
- Build quality and materials are flagship-grade (IP68 rating, too), but the glass back is inevitably prone to fingerprints.
- The high-quality Super AMOLED display has excellent maximum brightness and infinite contrast and can put out punchy or spot-on colors depending on your preference. Sunlight legibility is not quite up there with the best, but its still better than any LCD.
- Battery life is superb - the phones endurance rating is 95h, and it posted excellent numbers in all our individual tests.
- Grace UX or TouchWiz, Samsungs interface is functional and feat ure-rich, now also sleeker. Its still based on Android Marshmallow, which is less than ideal in 2017.
- The Exynos 7880 performs great if you take into account its efficiency. In absolute terms, its an average midrange SoC thats not greatly suited to the most demanding tasks. Then again, Game launcher could help you alleviate that by lowering the resolution at which games are rendered so you get all the special effects.
- The loudspeaker posts a Good rating for loudness, its nice and clear at maximum volume too.
- Image quality from the main camera is good - theres sufficient detail, colors are nicely saturated, and dynamic range is pretty wide.
- 1080p video quality is very good, so is the audio that accompanies it.
- The 16MP selfie camera produces spectacular results, but its focus is fixed way too close, so youre forced to choose between wide coverage or images that are simply not in focus.
The Galaxy A5 (2017) may look like the (still) current flagship S7, but it is the S6 that it will give it the hardest time. The previous-gen top model boasts a higher-grade camera with 4K video recording and OIS, a higher-res display and a superior chipset. Wed even cautiously suggest that the much more versatile 5MP selfie shooter of the S6 wins over the 16MP one of the A5. The A5 (2017) fights back with its IP68 rating (the S6 carries none), a microSD slot, a FM radio and longer battery life, plus a Type-C port if thats a decider for you.
Oh, we almost forgot - the S6 is one of the best choices if you want to take advantage of Samsungs Gear VR platform. The A5 (2017) stays quietly in the corner when the big boys talk VR.
Samsung Galaxy S6
Then there are the other As from this year. Maybe youre eyeing the A3 (2017) for its pocketability, just beware that its got a lower-res (an d lower pixel density) display, a slower chipset, less RAM and storage and lower-res cameras. It does keep a lot of the important stuff like the microSD slot (though hybrid on the dual-SIM version), IP68 rating, and superb display and battery life. Its also cheaper, duh.
Or, you could go one up and pick the 5.7-inch Galaxy A7 (2017) if thats available near you. Much fewer trade-offs here - the hardware is almost identical, only youd be paying a little more for a larger diagonal and more battery (so possibly better battery life). The one caveat - Samsung wont be selling the A7 in Europe - a decison which is beyond us.
Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) • Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017)
Theres yet another option that needs to be mentioned, and its none other than the Galaxy S7. Of course, its considerably more expensive right now, but its due for replacement in three months, so if you could wait, the S7 will certainly be a much better deal then. The A5 (2017) has nothing on the flagship - all the advantages over the S6 vanish (alright, theres the FM radio), and the S7 is hands-down the better phone altogether.
Samsung Galaxy S7
The Xperia X Performance goes for Galaxy A5 (2017) money in most markets. Its a model thats close to being a year old if you count from the announcement or half that if you consider the actual launch.
The X Performance is among a select few devices to offer an IP68 rating for dust and water protection, so the A5 has found its match on this front. Not regarding battery life, though - the Sony is nowhere near. It does boast a Snapdragon 820 chipset, which it chooses not to use for UHD video, but its advantages for mobile gaming remain - its much better suited to the task than the A5s Exynos 7880.
Sony Xperia X Performance
Huawei has a couple of phones to compete with the A5 (2017) for your affection. Another flagship due for replacement, the P9 is a bit pricier but has a lovely dual 12MP camera (color+monochrome) on its back and a more powerful chipset (that still doesnt support 4K video recording, mind you). The A5 is dust and water resistant, though, and makes much better use of its 3,000mAh battery than the P9.
Going for the Huawei nova instead, youd save a few notes, but still get a premium midranger - this one made of metal. Unlike the P9, the nova has a single rear camera (but then so does the A5), only it can record 4K video. Battery life isnt half bad, but its no match for the marathon runner that the A5 is and the Samsung handsets display is superior in all respects. Did we mention the A5s IP68 rating? Well, now we have.
Huawei P9 • Huawei nova
Priced identically to the Galaxy A5 (2017), the OnePlus 3T deserves a spot here. Sure, you cant find it in a store, and claiming a warranty might be a minor pain in the...hassle, but its hard to beat it regarding in bang-for-buck ratio. Packing one of the most powerful chipsets available, the 3T also comes with more RAM and storage. The latest from OnePlus packs 2x16MP cameras too, and both are arguably slightly better than the A5s, plus the main one can capture 2160p video.
The A5 has its strengths - the 32GB of memory may look modest next to OnePlus 64GB or 128GB (has anyone actually gotten one of those), but a 256GB microSD card can easily dwarf that, as the 3T offers no option for expansion. Perhaps youre tired of reading about the A5s water-resistance and excellent battery life, but thats only because no other phone manages to match it on both of those counts, most not even on one. The OnePlus 3T certainly cant.
OnePlus 3T
Going through the numbers that define the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) its all too easy to focus on the negative stuff. No 2160p video recording. £400/€430. Android 6.0.1. Even that name is a bit too much - A5 (2017).
Those numbers can easily be countered with a few others that ring much more nicely, but lets not get so hung up on the digits. The facts are that the Galaxy A5 (2017) is beautifully-built; it will live through a downpour; it packs a screen thats only bested by flagships, and has battery life to sp are. Of course, its not ideal, and its not cheap, but youre also unlikely to find a better match for the description in the previous sentence. Well, not unless you dig even deeper into your pocket.
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