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Welcome to the 2015 Samsung Galaxy A3 and A5 review. This is going to be a short review because there are only a few differences including the best build and design compared to any other Android based phone in the same price range. The Galaxy Alpha series phones are about style expected in a mobile phone but for those who missed out on the Galaxy S3 in its heyday. The Galaxy A5 is priced around the $550 mark and the the Galaxy A3 $350 for outright purchases.
In terms of construction both A3 and A5 share the same design as the Note 4 except for the removable rear panel. The fit and finish is top of the class. While the design is not leading edge they look and feel good. They are the arguably the best built phones in the current mid-range class.
In terms of hardware both Galaxy A3 and A5 have the acceptable specifications, that is quad core CPUs memory and graphics with 4G capability. Both also feature a 5MP selfie camera which is a unusual but excellent selling point in range. The results of the camera sn video look great for a mid-range model too! The only point worth complaining about is the resolution of the main screen of 1280x720 pixels on the A5 and mere 540x960 pixels on the A3. That said both screens still manage to look good. The icing on top at that both have microSD card expansion slots for additional memory despite having metal cases.
In terms of use the Galaxy A3 and A5 are the same. Thanks to the customisable nature of Android OS you can have the simplest phone to use or something fully customised. It's the freedom to use in a phone that can't be matched in 2015.
Either phone would be a good choice for those who value size and design over top range hardware specs. The industry standard for mid-range phone in 2015 is arguably the quad core for 1.2 CPU and even screen resolution is standard but equipped with AMOLED so gives them colour punch very few phones have in the price range. Both work smoothly with what ever Apps we tried to run on them overall both work really well and amongst the best if not the best choices in the price range that we've tested - not withstanding the slow internet speeds we get in this country. However when you can buy the relatively old and superseded Galaxy S4 for the same price of a A5 it becomes a tougher choice.
Specifications
- Samsung Galaxy A3 and A5
- Network
Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900
Tri-band 3G 850/900/2100
Tri-band 4G 899/1800/2600
- Design
Touch screen
- A3 - L130.1 x W65.5 x D6.9 mm - 110 Grams
A5 - L139.3 x W69.7 x D6.7 mm - 123 Grams
- Weight 131 grams
- Display
A3 - 4.5 inch 1,280 x 1080 AMOLED
A5 - 5 inch 1,280 x 1080 AMOLED
- Camera
A3 - 8MP auto-focus
A3 - 13MP auto-focus
LED Flash
2nd forward facing selfie/video call camera 5MP
- Video Camera
1080p high definition 30FPS main video camera
- Connectivity
Wi-Fi
Bluetooth V4
- CPU
Quad core 1.2 Ghz
Separate Andreno 306 Graphics CPU
- Memory
1.5 Gig RAM
Up to 32 Gig for user
Up to 64Gig micro-SD expansion
- Features
A-GPS, GLONASS, Accelerometer, Geomagnetic,
Hall, RGB, FM Radio
A3 - Li-Po 1900 mAh battery - Up to 4 days Standby - Up to 12hours Talk Time
A5 - Li-Po 2600 mAh battery - Up to 5 days Standby - Up to 15 hours Talk Time
- Price history
Galaxy A3 Approx $450 AUD late 2015 (Outright)
Galaxy A5 Approx $550 AUD late 2015 (Outright)