Samsung launches Galaxy A7, it's slimmest phone with an octa-core processor and 5MP front camera

Samsung today unveiled the new Galaxy A7, which is part of the A series of smartphones that focus on slim design and full metal body instead of the plastic back-casing that has often between criticised. Where features are concerned, the screen is a let down since it is not full HD. The A7 has a 5.5-inch super AMOLED screen and it appears that there was some confusion on the screen resolution initially. Tech sites like The Verge reported that A7 has an HD screen with 720 p resolution, but according to Samsung’s official press release the device has a full HD screen. However on  the Samsung tomorrow website the infographic mentions A7 as having an HD screen. For now, most sites have confirmed that this is an HD screen and not Full HD. As far as the specifications of the Galaxy A7 are concerned there will be two versions of the device, both of which have octa-core processors that combine two quad-core processors. The first variant is a dual-SIM LTE/3G version which uses Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 SoC (MSM8x39) which has a Cortex A53 1.5GHz quad-core + Cortex A53 1.0GHz quad-core processor. The second variant is an LTE single-SIM version which has the Samsung Exynos 5430 chipset with a Cortex A15 1.8GHz quad-core + Cortex A7 1.3GHz quad-core processor. The Exynos variant of the Galaxy A7 will also have the Ericsson M7450 chipset for LTE. The Galaxy A7 comes with 16GB internal storage space and a microSD slot (up to 64GB), 2GB RAM and has 2,600mAh battery. Samsung has introduced the Ultra Power saving mode in this smartphone too.  Also the A7 is only 6.3mm deep, which makes it thinner than the iPhone 6 and the A5 and A3. Where camera is concerned, it has a 13 megapixel rear camera with auto-focus and LED flash, and the front camera is 5 megapixels. The front camera also has features we saw on the Galaxy Note 4 like ‘Ultra Wide Shot’ and ‘Auto Selfie’ modes. The second feature makes possible to take a photograph using only a voice command or even a simple wave of the hand. Ultra Wide Shot allows large groups to take a selfie on the phone. The Galaxy A7 also offers a Private Mode, which offers security for important files and documents along with the multi-screen app function. Sadly, the A7 runs Android 4.4. KitKat, which is a bit disappointing. Given that the A3 and A5 were priced in the between Rs 20,000-25,000 and that both have quad-core processors, while the A7 has an octa-core processor, this new phone could be priced north of Rs 25,000 when it launches in India. Also the A7 has a bigger screen than the A3 (4.5-inch 540 x 960 pixels screen) and A5 which had 5-inch HD Super AMOLED display. For now, it’s not clear when the phone will hit the markets. It will be available in Pearl White, Midnight Black, and Champagne Gold colours. For now, check out our video impression of the Galaxy A3 and A5 **here**. ​