Samsung Galaxy A7 2017: Here's how it compares against the competition

Samsung Mobile India on 6 March launched its new line up of A Series smartphones. The new smartphones pack in new additions in terms of features that trickle down from Samsung's premium smartphone range. These would include two hardware features in particular, an Always on Display and an IP 68 dust and water resistance rating.While the budget segment in India seems overcrowded with Chinese smartphones, it's the mid-range segment that the Chinese are now after. With that said, Samsung had long established itself as the king of all segments, but with more and more Chinese smartphones entering the Indian market, we have begun to witness a shift in consumer preferences once again. Consumers at times get better hardware and features in the budget segment from a Xiaomi smartphone than they can from a mid-range HTC device. Which is why Samsung seems to have reached into its kitty and pulled out an Always on Display and an IP 68 rating. But will these stand up against the competition? Let's find out.

	Samsung Galaxy A7 2017	OnePlus 3T	Xiaomi Mi 5	Vivo V5 Plus	Samsung C9 pro
Starting price (In Rupees)	Rs 33,490	Rs 34,999	Rs 22,999	Rs 26,849	Rs 36,900
Display Size	5.7-inch	5.5-inch	5.2-inch	5.5-inch	6.0-inch
Resolution	1080 x 1920 pixels	1080 x 1920 pixels	1080 x 1920 pixels	1080 x 1920 pixels	1080 x 1920 pixels
Pixel Density (PPI)	386 ppi	401 ppi	416 ppi	401 ppi	367 ppi
Display Type	Super AMOLED	Super AMOLED	LCD	IPS	Super AMOLED
Dimensions	156.8 x 77.6 x 7.9 mm	152.7 x 74.7 x 7.4 mm	144.6 x 69.2 x 7.3 mm	152.6 x 74 x 7.3 mm	162.9 x 80.7 x 6.9 mm
Weight	186g	158 g	129 g	158 g	189 g
Sensors	Accelerometer, Proximity, Gyro, Compass, barometer	Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass	Accelerometer, Proximity, Gyro, Compass, barometer	Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass	Accelerometer, Fingerprint Sensor, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Proximity Sensor, RGB Light Sensor
Processor	Samsung Exynos 7880	Qualcomm Snapdragon 821	Qualcomm Snapdragon 820	Qualcomm Snapdragon 625	Qualcomm Snapdragon 653
RAM	3GB	6GB	3GB	4GB	6GB
OS version out of the box	Android 6.0 Marshmallow	Android 7.0 Nougat	MIUI 7.0	Android 6.0 Marshmallow	Android 6.0 Marshmallow
On-Board Memory	32GB	128GB	16/32GB	64GB	64GB
Memory card Support	Yes	No		No	Yes, up to 256GB
Battery	3600mAh	3400mAh	3000mAh	3055mAh	4000mAh
GPS	A-GPS and GLONAAS	A-GPS and GLONAAS	A-GPS and GLONAAS	A-GPS and GLONAAS	A-GPS and GLONAAS
Wi-Fi	802.11 a/b/g/n/ac	802.11 a/b/g/n/ac	802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ad	802.11 a/b/g/n/ac	802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth	v4.2	v4.2	v4.2	v4.0	v4.2
NFC	Yes	Yes		No	Yes
USB Connectivity	Type-C	Type-C	Type-C	microUSB	Type-C
Infrared	No	No		No	No
Fingerprint scanner	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Primary Camera	16MP	16MP	26MP	16MP	16MP
Secondary Camera	16MP	16MP	8MP	20MP	16MP

OnePlus 3T: Rs 34,999Indeed there is no other smartphone brand that comes to mind when comparing mid-range and premium smartphones. This is because OnePlus has priced its new and updated OnePlus 3T at Rs 34,999 (6GB RAM, 128GB storage). Those looking for raw power and good camera performance can easily overlook the Samsung A7, and buy a OnePlus 3T instead.Vivo V5 Plus: Rs 26,849Again from across the fence comes another fine contender in the form of the Vivo V5 Plus, that not just performs better but also gets you the best selfies possible. I reviewed the Vivo V5 and it made for a great camera smartphone that also delivered great battery life and all of this at a price tag lower than Samsung's Galaxy A7. If selfies is all you want to click, look no further than the V5 Plus. But since the A7 features a IP 68 certification, you may want to have a look because those underwater selfies will definitely get you more likes on Facebook.Xiaomi Mi 5: Rs 22,999Xiaomi's Mi 5 may be old, but it still is a great combination of power, size and price. Its camera may not be the best but it still packs in decent performance compared to the flagships out there. Then there's the decent size that's not too big and not too small at 5.15 inches either. All-in-all a great all-rounder that's priced way lower than what Samsung's A7 and the A5 offer, but with a lot more horsepower.Samsung C9 Pro: Rs 36,900When you are in the business of making one too many smartphones across segments you end up with multiple listings in articles like these that will make your product portfolio look rather confusing. Yes, there's also the more worthy C9 Pro that packs in everything under the sun, better hardware and oddly comes from the same manufacturer that's pitching you something far worse. The C9 Pro is a much better deal compared to the A7 and is priced just Rs 4,000 higher. Its got the bigger display, better build quality, a bigger battery, the same camera that will make you wonder why Samsung introduced the A7 to begin with. But its does not have the A7's Always on Display and IP 68 which kind of turns the tables the other way around.ConclusionGoing through the specifications table, it's easy to say that Samsung's 2017 Galaxy A7 falls seriously short in terms of raw processing power (at least on paper). But once again Samsung has done something really smart here, it has looked across the board and figured out that not a single manufacturer out there in this price bracket offers an IP 68 rating nor an Always on Display. And if this is exactly the combination that you happen to be looking for, then go ahead and pick the A7. We will still be thoroughly reviewing the device soon. But before that do glance through our first impressions of the 2017 Samsung Galaxy A5 and A7.