Samsung A3 is waterproof or not. The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on the back of the body and is used for taking photos and videos. Communication between devices in mobile networks is carried out using technologies provided

All 2017 Galaxy A series smartphones have gotten much more rounded. So rounded that some reviewers even refer to the design as "shabby". In my opinion, everything is not so bad. On the contrary: gadgets look extremely neat, no pretentiousness. Around the perimeter there is a metal panel, in front - 2.5D glass with a volume effect, at the back there is a curved glass "back".

Galaxy A3 (2016)

Galaxy A3 (2017)

Please note that the front panel no longer has a LED that signals incoming messages, received SMS or missed calls. Instead, there is now an Always On function.

If you find fault with anything, then only the rear panel, which looks empty due to the small camera lens. By the way, now it does not come out at all.

The glass case with brushed metal on the ends slides in the hands. If it's frosty outside and your hand is in a knitted glove, then you really need to be extremely careful. Drops are unacceptable - this is an almost 100% crack or scratch on either the front or rear window.

The main plus of the A3 (2017) is its very compact size. It is convenient to hold the device, you can work with it with one hand even on the go, even on the run. Still, it's a pity that there are fewer and fewer models with 4.7-inch screens on the market every year.

Not without a wow factor: like the flagships of S7 and S7 edge, all smartphones Samsung A-series 2017 are also protected according to the IP68 standard. This means that dust will not get inside the case, plus the phones can be kept for 30 minutes at a depth of 1.5 meters.

Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) is protected from water: the gadget can be kept for half an hour at a depth of up to 1.5 meters.

Another important nuance: support for Samsung Pay appeared in A3 (2017). In the 2016 model, it was not, although A5 (2016) and A7 (2016) work with a payment service.

The speaker is located cleverly - on the top of the right side. And, you know, it's convenient! It does not overlap with your fingers either vertically or horizontally. The sound, however, is far from ideal. The volume is slightly above average, the audio is a little dull due to the protective membrane, the low frequencies are frustrating.

The fingerprint scanner, as in other Samsung smartphones, is built into the mechanical Home button under the screen. The papillary pattern is recognized quickly, and it is not necessary to press the key to unlock.

Sometimes the sensor is buggy: it completely refuses to recognize the fingerprint, and that's it. Only entering PIN, password or pattern key... I got sick of this on the second day of testing, and I simply turned off the scanner.

Good picture, low resolution

This would be enough for IPS, but the AMOLED features are such that, due to the PenTile effect, individual pixels are easily distinguishable with the naked eye. This is especially frustrating when reading. e-books or texts from web pages. And the graininess makes it difficult to adequately assess the quality of the resulting photos after shooting - they look better on a smartphone screen than on a computer monitor.

Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) Super AMOLED screen with a resolution of 1280x720 pixels. Not enough.

The Always On function migrated from the flagships to the A3 and other models of the 2017 A-series. This is when, in sleep mode, the display shows a clock or a calendar plus notifications about missed calls and messages.

According to various estimates, this feature eats up from 1.5 to 3% of the smartphone's charge per hour. For the day we get from minus 20 to minus 35 percent of the battery. So it's better not to turn on Always On at all.

There is a night mode. By the name "Blue color filter" it is easy to guess that it turns off the shades of the blue spectrum, and in the dark the eyes are less tired. There are also four color profiles to choose from and the ability to manually adjust the color balance of the screen.

One of the options for displaying information on the screen of a locked smartphone in Always On mode

Games on low or medium settings

The Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) is not designed for mobile games. The eight-core Exynos 7870 with a frequency of 1.6 GHz and 2 GB of RAM (of which more than half is consumed by the system) is not enough for serious mobile entertainment. For example, when playing at high (and sometimes even medium) graphics settings in demanding games like World of Tanks Blitz and Unkilled, frame drops often occur - the image jerks. So for serious projects it is better to choose the minimum. Of course, there will be no problems with simple arcades or puzzles. But the case practically does not heat up and the performance does not drop after a long load.

A far more serious problem is the constant lack of memory. The built-in 16 GB, of which the user only has less than 6 GB, is very small. The necessary applications, one episode of the series plus a couple of decent games and that's it - it's time to put the memory card in the compartment instead of the second SIM. In general, there is no need to harbor any illusions about the "two-sense" Galaxy A3 (2017). The maximum allowable microSD size is 256 GB.

Comparison of A3 (2017) performance with other smartphones in benchmarks. The bigger the result, the better.

Excellent front camera and good main camera

13-megapixel camera Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) pleased quick start by double click on the "Home" button and a user-friendly interface. Everything you need is always at hand, there is a manual mode and a convenient slider with which you can quickly make the frame lighter or darker. This is called exposure compensation.

During the day, at dusk and in rooms with artificial light, the automation works great. The smartphone focuses quickly (although A5 and A7 are steeper in this regard due to phase AF), there are no errors with white balance, frames are saved to memory quickly. In short, taking pictures is comfortable. There is only one problem - in some places the pictures look like a little blurry. When viewed on a computer, I just want to go into Photoshop and turn on the sharpening macro.

No HDR

With HDR

When it comes to shooting at night, things get sad. Autofocus scours and misses, detail drops, a lot of noise appears. It is best to switch to manual mode and compensate for automatic errors with your knowledge of the shooting parameters.

Video can only be recorded in Full HD, but something more could hardly be pulled by a modest processor. You shouldn't play the operator at night, but during the day you can. The main thing is to hold your smartphone firmly, drive smoothly and do not remove on the go. There is no optical stabilization.

Summing up the main camera, the impressions are as follows. Galaxy A3 (2017) photographs better than budget Meizu and Xiaomi, but worse than some competitor smartphones with larger diagonal. Of the more budgetary alternatives, the most interesting in this regard is the Honor 6X. You can also look at Sony Xperia XA - the image quality is higher there, but the automation is worse. Comparable by huawei price nova may well compete with A3 (2017) also in terms of selfies.

By the way, about self-portraits. They are good: the 8-megapixel front camera works wonders in normal lighting. Sharpness, detail, color rendition - everything is in perfect order. The correction only needs to be made for the lack of autofocus. Examples of shooting with comments, see our gallery:

photos

photos

photos

Lasts a long time, charges quickly

There is a 2350 mAh battery inside the smartphone, but you should not be afraid of such a modest capacity. The Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) does its fair share of above average load or 1.5 days in economy mode.

Affected by the combination of an economical processor and a low-resolution AMOLED screen. This is especially evident in mono tests. Full HD video at maximum brightness, the smartphone can spin for 19.5 hours. Our favorite unpretentious arcade game Subway Surfers at maximum brightness drains the battery in about 7 hours.

Time samsung work Galaxy A3 (2017) vs. competitors and record holders, reported in minutes

All three new smartphones of the A-series, including the A3, the Koreans equipped with a connector USB Type-C, and it is right. The road to unification! Fast charging is declared in A5 and A7, in A3 there is no support for such technology, which, however, does not prevent the gadget from fully charging from 0 to 100% in 1.5 hours.

Comparison with competitors

Finding a decent smartphone with a screen diagonal of less than 5 inches is still a quest. Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) has actually only two competitors in this field - Sony Xperia X Compact and iPhone SE... Both are much more expensive in official retail. However, the compact Apple smartphone from the "gray" supplies can be considered as an alternative - get a stable OS, powerful filling and a bundle of good main and disgusting front cameras.

Starting from five inches, very good options appear. Of course, nowhere is IP68 protection (this is cool, but do you really need it?) And Samsung Pay support (not everyone needs it either), but many of the main characteristics of competitors are better, and prices are lower.

The most interesting alternative is Huawei nova... You will win a little in price (from 1 to 4 thousand), get more high quality screen, an all-metal body, 32GB of storage instead of 16GB, and slightly better performance with roughly the same cameras. You will lose in autonomy.

The nomination "budget model with a guarantee" is a metal Meizu M3S mini c 32 GB of internal memory. The camera and battery are worse here, and the overall performance is slightly lower, but this is compensated by 3 GB of "RAM" versus 2 GB for Samsung. The screen is also HD, but IPS, so there is no grain. The most important thing is the price. In official retail, the gadget costs 9,000 rubles cheaper.

About the same, but without a guarantee - this is Xiaomi Redmi 3S with 32 GB of memory, starting at 10,000 rubles. You can, of course, and officially from one of the retailers for 15,500, but since there is Meizu, it makes little sense. For almost 2.5 times less money, we get comparable performance, good autonomy and more memory. Plus glitches of the shell, compatibility with applications and the ability to run into a model without support for Russian LTE bands as a bonus.

If the diagonal of the screen is up to you, then among the 5.2 and 5.5-inch models the choice is even wider, but we will not dwell on them. Still, A3 (2017) is a device specifically for lovers of small smartphones, competitors should be appropriate.

Opinion site

Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) is an interesting smartphone. No one has yet offered mass models from the mid-price segment with water and dust resistance. Ugly rubberized bricks from obscure brands don't count. These are niche products.

However, at a price of 23,000 rubles, this phone should be an almost ideal compact "average". The situation is different: there is a weak filling, lack of memory (only 16 GB, of which only 6 are free) and a hybrid slot, a grainy screen and a buggy fingerprint scanner.

Does it make sense to change A3 (2016) to new model? In my opinion, only if you really want to start using the Samsung Pay service. His support appeared in A3 (2017). It can also be justified if you love taking self-portraits - the selfie camera is good here. Protection from water does not pull for a serious reason for updating, but here everyone probably has their own opinion.

Pros:

• Water and dust resistant (IP68)
• Compact and convenient body
• Excellent build quality
• Bright AMOLED screen
• Good main camera automation
• Cool selfie camera
• USB Type-C connector
• Charges fast
• Upgrade to Android 7.0
• Supports Samsung Pay

Minuses:

• High price
• Low performance
• Slippery body
• Low screen resolution
• 16 GB storage and hybrid slot
• Glitchy fingerprint scanner

Not so often Samsung smartphones of the middle and budget segments come to our test. It's even somehow embarrassing to admit: the last time a non-flagship of this company was with us almost three years ago, and it was Galaxy Alpha (review). That model was largely a turning point for Koreans: after an extremely unsuccessful design experiment in the Galaxy S5 (review), the company finally stopped considering plastic as the only possible material for a smartphone body and began to actively use metal and glass. The success of Galaxy Alpha has led to the birth of the line of stylish "strong middle peasants" Galaxy A. At the beginning of 2017, the third generation of these devices was presented, with the youngest representative of which we will now meet with you.

Specifications Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017):

• Network: GSM (850/900 MHz), UMTS / WCDMA (Band 1, 2, 5, 8), FDD-LTE (Band 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20), TDD-LTE (Band 40 )
• Platform: Android 6.0 Marshmallow with a proprietary shell
• Display: 4.7 ", 1280x720 pixels, 312 ppi, SuperAMOLED with PenTile
• Camera: 13 MP, f / 1.9, Sony IMX258 sensor, LED flash, video recording [email protected]
• Front camera: 8 MP, f / 1.9, Sony IMX219 sensor
• Processor: 8 cores, 1.6 GHz, 14 nm, 64 bits, Samsung Exynos 7870
• Graphics chip: Mali-T830
• RAM: 2 GB
• Internal memory: 16 GB
• Memory card: microSD (up to 256 GB)
• Dual SIM slots (nano-SIM + nano-SIM / microSD)
• GPS, GLONASS
• Bluetooth 4.2
• Wi-Fi (802.11a / b / g / n / ac), 2.4 / 5 GHz,
• USB Type-C 2.0
• The fingerprint scanner
• Battery: non-removable, 2350 mAh
• Dimensions: 135.4x66.2x7.9 mm
• Weight: 138g

Video review

Design

Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) is available in three colors - black, blue and gold. We got the most classic version for the test, that is, the first (but for the photo session we took the blue one). The body is made of glass (front and back panels) and metal. The design is full of rounds: 2.5D glass on the front, 3D glass on the back (which means both the inside and the outside are non-planar), rounded corners of the body, rounded ends, squares with rounded corners for camera eyes and flash. The abundance of roundness, in my subjective feeling, only spoils the impression of the design - the exterior of the device seems too soft and soothing, soapy. However, you may like these features, this is pure taste.

Let's study the arrangement of the elements on the case, there are a lot of interesting things here. On the left are only the volume keys. Above is the first surprise: in addition to the additional microphone, there is a SIM-card tray (the usual location for Samsung, but unusual for its competitors; the sled has one nano-SIM slot and one combined nano-SIM + microSD). On the right is the second surprise: not only the lock key, but also the multimedia speaker. It seems that only a well-drunk designer could place it there, but in fact the place is very good: you can block the sound only with a grip in portrait orientation, and that is unlikely (more likely your finger will lie in the area of \u200b\u200bthe lock key). Bottom - 3.5mm microphone jack, reversible uSB connector Type-C and microphone, the relative position of which will infuriate the perfectionist:

The back panel (it is not removable, the battery cannot be pulled out by "legal" means) is boring: only a camera, a flash and the Samsung logo. There is no oleophobic coating on the glass, so it quickly becomes covered with unpleasant fingerprints. At the front, everything is traditional for Samsung: a logo, a protruding earpiece, a front camera and sensors above the screen, two backlit touch buttons and a hardware home button below it. The button has a built-in fingerprint scanner, which works quite well if you enter your finger several times (with a dirty and clean button, with a dirty and clean finger).

The screen of Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) has a diagonal of 4.7 "and a resolution of 1280x720 pixels. 312 ppi is a good pixel density, but ... Samsung uses SuperAMOLED screens with a special pixel structure (PenTile), which is why the pixel density indicator it is reasonable to divide by one and a half. Indeed, at 208 ppi it is much more similar: the diagonal grid is distinguishable with the naked eye, fonts are loose and with red halos. The screen has excellent maximum brightness, a clear day does not interfere with it, and an excellent minimum. Reading from the screen in the dark - this is not a problem at all, especially when the blue filter is on. The viewing angles are excellent, but even under slight tilts there are slight color inversions. However, when the tilt is increased, they do not grow, so this should not be considered a serious disadvantage. Black is very deep, and white as usual with OLED screens, dirty. There are four modes of operation of the screen - "adaptive", "film", "photo" and "main." In contrast to the flagship Galaxy, where all modes We are working, because of the low resolution of the Galaxy A3, only "adaptive" can be recommended for use. The other three give out very dirty light colors.

Software

Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) is based on operating android system 6.0 Marshmallow, an update to Nougat is being prepared. Like all other smartphones of the Korean giant, our today's hero uses the proprietary Samsung shell. This is one of the most feature-rich and cluttered firmware I've come across. It is impossible to describe it in any detail, I will limit myself to the necessary minimum. So, in the shell there are traditional desktops with icons and widgets, and the leftmost table is the news aggregator Briefing, a simplified Flipboard. The application menu also has desktops and folders. In the curtain, the switches are opened by a repeated swipe, but the five most important (of your choice) are available immediately. Screenshots are obtained by pressing "home" and the lock key, it is almost impossible to take them with one hand.

There are 45 preinstalled applications on the smartphone, and almost all of them cannot be removed (with the exception of Yandex, UBANK and a couple of Samsung branded programs). Many can be disabled, but this is akin to removing shortcuts from the desktop - this does not greatly free up the device's resources. What are these applications? Utilities standard for all smartphones (every one is redesigned by Samsung), Samsung branded apps (S Voice, Samsung Health tracker, technical support + Samsung Members news, Gifts from Samsung Galaxy (free apps), Samsung online store, "Protected folder "based on KNOX and app store Galaxy Apps), the set google applications, microsoft package Office, oneDrive cloud, Skype, Facebook, Samsung Pay, Yandex and Ubank.

There are not so many items in the "Settings", but this is due to the fact that a lot is grouped. So, the parameters of RAM, ROM, battery and security are hidden in a single section "Optimization". “Sounds and Vibrations” has an equalizer and audiophile chips like reverb, “Display” - the ability to enable simple mode and Always On Display (shows a clock, calendar or picture of your choice). The discharge rate in Always On is not high, so you can not be afraid for it. "Additional functions" are mainly gesture controls, eye tracking (not turning off the screen while you are looking at it, and so on), as well as chips to reduce the screen (they are almost useless by 4.7 "). There are also game functions - screencast , blocking buttons, etc. The application itself has a lot of cross-references, which is very convenient - if the desired function is not in the section where you looked, then you will still find this item by reference.

In general, the firmware gives the impression of something solid, but very overloaded and redundant. And it's not just 45 preinstalled apps - the shell hides two new ones behind each menu, which makes it seem infinite in its hidden sub-items. On the other hand, convenience is hidden behind the abundance of functions, because every little thing that may be useful to you will probably be found somewhere. And the shell also lays in the menu, yes, how could it be otherwise?

Camera

Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) is equipped with a 13MP camera based on Sony IMX258 sensor. It has a good aperture - f / 1.9. The camera app doesn't spoil ample opportunities: regular photos, panoramas, HDR, food and night photography. There is a professional mode, but only white balance, ISO and exposure compensation can be adjusted in it. All pictures below were taken in automatic mode. The quality of the pictures can be judged by a series of examples. I can say that their detailing is not the best (more like 8 megapixels), that the camera is trying to fix it by oversharp, but there are no problems with color rendition and noise. I didn't like the fact that in imperfect lighting conditions (cafe, house) the camera can take a picture up to 2-3-4 seconds, trying to figure out the algorithms and shutter speed, without reacting to the shutter key. After that, the shot is good, but only if you were shooting a stationary subject.

The video is written in [email protected] Detailing at a height, the sound is recorded with high quality. There is autofocus. It is so smooth that it is rather slow than smooth. Shaking from walking is not compensated.

The front camera made me happy. It has a resolution of 8 megapixels and the same aperture as the rear - f / 1.9. Sony IMX219 sensor is used. Selfies are obtained with excellent detail and good color reproduction. Lovers of self-portraits will love it. There is a face beautifier, it widens the eyes, whitens the skin and smooths out wrinkles.

Do not forget that you can quickly launch the camera from any application by double-clicking on Home. An extremely convenient opportunity.

Performance and benchmarks

Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017), according to official specifications, uses an eight-core chipset with a frequency of 1.6 GHz. The Koreans traditionally do not name the system-on-a-chip model, but you cannot hide from AIDA64 - this is Samsung Exynos 7 Octa 7870. It is made according to the 14-nm process technology, and the Mali-T830 video accelerator is responsible for the graphics. Of the 16 GB of internal memory, the user has only 6.5 GB, the amount of free RAM is 0.9 GB. Here's what this stuff shows in benchmarks.

Information about the brand, model and alternative names of a specific device, if any.

Design

Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Materials used, offered colors, certificates.

Width Width information - refers to the horizontal side of the device in its standard orientation during use.	66.2 mm (millimeters) 6.62 cm (centimeters) 0.22 ft (feet) 2.61 in (inches)
Height Height information - refers to the vertical side of the device in its standard orientation during use.	135.4 mm (millimeters) 13.54 cm (centimeters) 0.44 ft (feet) 5.33 in (inches)
Thickness Information about the thickness of the device in different units measurements.	7.9 mm (millimeters) 0.79 cm (centimeters) 0.03 ft (feet) 0.31 in (inches)
Weight Information about the weight of the device in different units of measurement.	138 g (grams) 0.3 lbs (pounds) 4.87 oz (ounces)
Volume The approximate volume of the device, calculated based on the dimensions provided by the manufacturer. Refers to devices with a rectangular parallelepiped shape.	70.81 cm³ (cubic centimeters) 4.3 in³ (cubic inches)
Colors Information about the colors in which this unit is offered for sale.	The black Blue Golden Pink gold
Materials for the manufacture of the case Materials used to make the device body.	Aluminium alloy Glass
Certification Information about the standards by which this device is certified.	IP68

SIM card

A SIM card is used in mobile devices to store data that certifies the authenticity of mobile service subscribers.

Mobile networks

A mobile network is a radio system that allows multiple mobile devices to communicate with each other.

GSM GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) is designed to replace the analog mobile network (1G). For this reason, GSM is often referred to as a 2G mobile network. It is enhanced by the addition of GPRS (General Packet Radio Services) and later EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) technologies.	GSM 850 MHz GSM 900 MHz GSM 1800 MHz GSM 1900 MHz
UMTS UMTS stands for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System. It is based on the GSM standard and refers to 3G mobile networks. Developed by 3GPP and its biggest advantage is to provide more speed and spectral efficiency thanks to W-CDMA technology.	UMTS 850 MHz UMTS 900 MHz UMTS 1900 MHz UMTS 2100 MHz
LTE LTE (Long Term Evolution) is defined as a fourth generation (4G) technology. It is developed by 3GPP based on GSM / EDGE and UMTS / HSPA with the aim of increasing the capacity and speed of wireless mobile networks. The subsequent development of technologies is called LTE Advanced.	LTE 800 MHz LTE 850 MHz LTE 900 MHz LTE 1800 MHz LTE 2100 MHz LTE 2600 MHz LTE-TDD 2300 MHz (B40)

Mobile technology and data rates

Communication between devices in mobile networks is carried out using technologies that provide different data rates.

Operating system

An operating system is the system software that controls and coordinates the operation of the hardware components on a device.

SoC (System on a Chip)

A system on a chip (SoC) integrates all the major hardware components of a mobile device into a single chip.

SoC (System on a Chip) A system on a chip (SoC) integrates various hardware components such as a processor, graphics processor, memory, peripherals, interfaces, etc., as well as the software necessary for their functioning.	Samsung Exynos 7 Octa 7870
Technological process Information about the technological process by which the chip is manufactured. The value in nanometers is half the distance between the elements in the processor.	14 nm (nanometers)
Processor (CPU) The main function of the processor (CPU) mobile device is the interpretation and execution of instructions contained in software applications.	ARM Cortex-A53
Processor size The capacity (bits) of the processor is determined by the size (in bits) of registers, address buses and data buses. 64-bit processors have more high performance compared to 32-bit processors, which, in turn, are more productive than 16-bit processors.	64 bit
Instruction set architecture Instructions are commands with which the software sets / controls the processor. Information about the instruction set (ISA) that the processor can execute.	ARMv8-A
Number of processor cores The processor core executes program instructions. There are processors with one, two or more cores. Having more cores increases performance by allowing multiple instructions to execute in parallel.	8
CPU clock speed The clock speed of a processor describes its speed in cycles per second. It is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz).	1600 MHz (megahertz)
Graphics processing unit (GPU) A graphics processing unit (GPU) handles computation for a variety of 2D / 3D graphics applications. In mobile devices, it is most commonly used by games, consumer interfaces, video applications, and more.	ARM Mali-T830 MP2
Number of GPU cores Like a processor, a GPU is made up of several working parts called cores. They handle the graphical computing of various applications.	2
The amount of random access memory (RAM) Random access memory (RAM) is used by the operating system and all installed applications. The data that is saved in RAM is lost after the device is turned off or restarted.	2 GB (gigabytes)
Memory type (RAM) Information about the type of random access memory (RAM) used by the device.	LPDDR3
Number of RAM channels Information about the number of RAM channels that are integrated into the SoC. More channels means higher data rates.	Single channel
RAM frequency The frequency of the RAM determines its speed of operation, more specifically, the speed of reading / writing data.	933 MHz (megahertz)

Built-in memory

Each mobile device has built-in (non-removable) fixed memory.

Memory cards

Memory cards are used in mobile devices to increase the storage space for data.

Screen

The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.

Type / technology One of the main characteristics of the screen is the technology by which it is made and on which the image quality of information directly depends.	Super AMOLED
Diagonal On mobile devices, screen size is expressed in terms of the length of its diagonal, measured in inches.	4.7 in (inches) 119.38 mm (millimeters) 11.94 cm (centimeters)
Width Approximate screen width	2.3 in (inches) 58.53 mm (millimeters) 5.85 cm (centimeters)
Height Approximate screen height	4.1 in (inches) 104.05 mm (millimeters) 10.4 cm (centimeters)
Aspect ratio The aspect ratio of the long side of the screen to its short side	1.778:1 16:9
Resolution Screen resolution indicates the number of pixels horizontally and vertically on the screen. Higher resolution means sharper image detail.	720 x 1280 pixels
Pixel density Information about the number of pixels per centimeter or inch of the screen. Higher density allows information to be shown on the screen in clearer detail.	312 ppi (pixels per inch) 122 ppcm (pixels per centimeter)
Color depth Screen color depth reflects the total number of bits used for color components in one pixel. Information about the maximum number of colors the screen can display.	24 bit 16777216 flowers
Screen area The approximate percentage of the display area on the front of the device.	68.16% (percent)
Other characteristics Information about other functions and features of the screen.	Capacitive Multitouch Scratch resistant
	Corning Gorilla Glass 4

Sensors

Different sensors perform different quantitative measurements and convert physical metrics into signals that the mobile device can recognize.

Main camera

The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on the back of the case and is used for taking photos and videos.

Sensor type Digital cameras use photo sensors to take photographs. The sensor, as well as the optics, are one of the main factors in the quality of the camera in a mobile device.	CMOS BSI (backside illumination)
Diaphragm	f / 1.9
Focal length	3.6 mm (millimeters)
Flash type The most common types of flashes in mobile cameras are LED and Xenon flashes. LED flashes give softer light and, unlike brighter xenon ones, are also used for video filming.	LED
Image Resolution One of the main characteristics of mobile device cameras is their resolution, which shows the number of pixels horizontally and vertically in an image.	4128 x 3096 pixels 12.78 MP (megapixels)
Video Resolution Information about the maximum supported resolution for video recording by the device.	1920 x 1080 pixels 2.07 MP (megapixels)
Information about the maximum number of frames per second (fps) supported by the device when recording video at maximum resolution. Some of the main standard video capture and playback speeds are 24p, 25p, 30p, 60p.	30 frames / sec (frames per second)
Characteristics Information about other software and hardware features associated with the main camera to improve its functionality.	Autofocus Burst shooting Digital zoom Geographic tags Panoramic shooting HDR shooting Touch focus Face recognition Adjusting the white balance ISO setting Exposure compensation Self-timer Scene selection mode

Additional camera

Additional cameras are usually mounted above the screen of the device and are used mainly for video calls, gesture recognition, etc.

Diaphragm Aperture (f-number) is the size of the aperture opening that controls the amount of light reaching the photosensor. A lower f-number means a larger aperture opening.	f / 1.9
Focal length The focal length is the distance in millimeters from the photosensor to the optical center of the lens. Equivalent focal lengths are also indicated, providing the same field of view with a full frame camera.	2.91 mm (millimeters)
Image Resolution Information about the maximum resolution of the secondary camera when shooting. In most cases, the resolution of the secondary camera is lower than that of the primary camera.	3264 x 2448 pixels 7.99 MP (megapixels)
Video Resolution Information about the maximum supported resolution when filming with an additional camera.	1920 x 1080 pixels 2.07 MP (megapixels)
Video - frame rate / frames per second. Information about the maximum number of frames per second (fps) supported by the secondary camera when shooting video at maximum resolution.	30 frames / sec (frames per second)

Audio

Information about the type of speakers and audio technology supported by the device.

Radio

The radio of the mobile device is a built-in FM receiver.

Locating

Information about the navigation and positioning technologies supported by the device.

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi is a technology that enables wireless communication for transferring data over short distances between various devices.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless transfer of data between different types of devices over short distances.

Version There are several versions of Bluetooth, each of which improves communication speed, coverage, and makes it easier to find and connect devices. Information about the Bluetooth version of the device.	4.2
Characteristics Bluetooth uses different profiles and protocols to enable faster communication, energy savings, better device discovery, and more. Some of these profiles and protocols that the device supports are shown here.	A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile) AVRCP (Audio / Visual Remote Control Profile) DIP (Device ID Profile) HFP (Hands-Free Profile) HID (Human Interface Profile) HSP (Headset Profile) MAP (Message Access Profile) OPP (Object Push Profile) PAN (Personal Area Networking Profile) PBAP / PAB (Phone Book Access Profile) HOGP

USB

USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that allows different electronic devices to exchange data.

Headphone jack

This is an audio connector, which is also called an audio connector. The most widely used standard in mobile devices is the 3.5mm headphone jack.

Connecting devices

Information about other important connection technologies supported by the device.

Browser

A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.

Browser Information on some of the main features and standards supported by the device browser.

Html HTML5 CSS 3

Audio file formats / codecs

Mobile devices support different audio file formats and codecs, which respectively store and encode / decode digital audio data.

Video file formats / codecs

Mobile devices support different video file formats and codecs, which respectively store and encode / decode digital video data.

Video file formats / codecs A list of some of the major video file formats and codecs supported by the device as standard.

3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project, .3gp) 3GPP2 (3rd Generation Partnership Project 2, .3g2) AVI (Audio Video Interleaved, .avi) Flash Video (.flv, .f4v, .f4p, .f4a, .f4b) H.263 H.264 / MPEG-4 Part 10 / AVC video H.265 / MPEG-H Part 2 / HEVC MKV (Matroska Multimedia Container, .mkv .mk3d .mka .mks) MP4 (MPEG-4 Part 14, .mp4, .m4a, .m4p, .m4b, .m4r, .m4v) VC-1 VP8 VP9 WebM WMV ( Windows Media Video, .wmv) WMV7 (Windows Media Video 7, .wmv) WMV8 (Windows Media Video 8, .wmv) Xvid

Battery

Mobile device batteries differ in their capacity and technology. They provide the electrical charge required for their function.

Capacity The capacity of a battery indicates the maximum charge it can store, measured in milliampere-hours.	2350 mAh (milliampere-hours)
A type The type of battery is determined by its structure and, more precisely, by the chemicals used. There are different types of batteries, with the most common mobile devices using lithium-ion and lithium-ion polymer batteries.	Li-polymer
Talk time 2G 2G talk time is the period of time during which the battery is completely discharged during continuous 2G talk.	17 h (hours) 1020 min (minutes) 0.7 days
Talk time 3G Talk time in 3G is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 3G network.	17 h (hours) 1020 min (minutes) 0.7 days
Characteristics Information about some additional characteristics of the device battery.	Non-removable

Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)

SAR level refers to the amount of electromagnetic radiation absorbed by the human body when using a mobile device.

Head SAR (EU) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount electromagnetic radiationto which the human body is exposed if the mobile device is held close to the ear in the speaking position. In Europe, the maximum SAR value for mobile devices is limited to 2 W / kg per 10 grams of human tissue. This standard was established by the CENELEC committee in accordance with the IEC standards, following the ICNIRP guidelines of 1998.	0.349 W / kg (Watts per kilogram)
Body SAR (EU) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation that a person's body is exposed to when holding a mobile device at hip level. The highest SAR value for mobile devices in Europe is 2 W / kg per 10 grams of human tissue. This standard was established by the CENELEC committee in accordance with the ICNIRP guidelines of 1998 and IEC standards.	1.38 W / kg (Watts per kilogram)
Head SAR (US) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation that a person's body is exposed to when holding a mobile device near the ear. The maximum value used in the USA is 1.6 W / kg per gram of human tissue. US mobile devices are controlled by CTIA and the FCC conducts tests and sets their SAR values.	0.86 W / kg (Watts per kilogram)
Body SAR (US) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation that a person's body is exposed to when holding a mobile device at hip level. The highest SAR value in the United States is 1.6 W / kg per gram of human tissue. This value is set by the FCC and CTIA monitors mobile devices for compliance with this standard.	0.74 W / kg (Watts per kilogram)

In October 2016, rumors began to surface of Samsung's upcoming A series of smartphones for 2017. The most impressive thing was that the Galaxy A (2017) smartphones received IP68 waterproofing, because previously only flagship models were protected from water. Even the most affordable Samsung Galaxy A3 2017 is water and dust resistant, making it the most affordable waterproof smartphone from Koreans. I will try to reveal all its possibilities, charms and shortcomings in this material.

A-series is a high mid-price segment in samsung... This line dates back to 2015 and is the third generation. Koreans are trying every year to introduce premium features into this series at more affordable prices. The body of smartphones is always made of modern materials with modern design.

Samsung Galaxy A3 2017 first appeared on sale in Russia at a price of 23,000 rubles, a little later began to appear in Ukraine at a cost of 9,000 UAH. At the time of writing the review, at the current rate, approximately 360 USD (in Russia) and 330 USD (in Ukraine).

The smartphone has received a considerable price tag for its filling, compared to Chinese brands. However, the quality of execution in the little things should not disappoint.

Appearance overview

Galaxy A3 (2017) is made of glass and metal. The back cover is very similar to the plastic one, but in fact it is glass. How protected it is from scratches is unknown and only time will tell, but the back windows of last year's smartphones of this series scratched easily. The smartphone has four color options: black, pale blue, pale purple (called rose gold) and, as we have in our review, gold. Blue appeared for the first time among Samsung smartphones in the A series, and it is less common so far on sale.

The front panel is made of 2.5D glass and its cut resembles a piece of jewelry, associations with amber or pearls. This is not the curvature of the glass as in the previous series, but more pronounced and gives off mother-of-pearl around the edges. Below the display is a physical Home button with a fingerprint scanner. This year, it practically does not protrude from the body, apart from the metal edging, which you feel with your finger. To the left and right of the key are two backlit touch buttons. With inactive backlighting, they are absolutely invisible. Above the display is the company logo, above which there is a metal fingerprint grill to the left of which there is a window, under which two sensors are hidden: proximity and light. To the right of the speaker is the front camera.

Unlike the front part, I didn't like the implementation of the rear panel, now there are more stylish and elegant solutions on the market. Maybe it's the color. The back has rounding not only from the two long edges, but from above and below. Slightly above the center is another logo, above which a camera with an iron edge and a single-LED flash does not protrude from the body.

The back cover is not completely fitted to the iron frame, which you can see in the close-up photos of the Galaxy A3 (2017). A corner of a piece of paper easily goes there, and there is no guarantee that after a year the rubber gasket will not dry out and the panel will not start to lag.

The end is made of metal. Samsung's Galaxy A 2017 returns to a design with heavily rounded corners. On the right side, closer to the top, the sound speaker is well located, and now you will not cover the sound with your hand while holding the smartphone with the horizontal display orientation. Under the speaker is the power button.

On the left side there are two volume control buttons.

At the bottom end in the center uSB port Type-C, a spoken microphone, a headphone jack, and two plastic spacers for antennas.

At the top there is a microphone for noise cancellation and sound recording. A tray for SIM cards in Nano format, in which one cell is combined with a memory card of your choice. There are also two separators from the antenna.

Smartphone dimensions: width 66.2 mm, height 135.4 mm, thickness 8 mm. Weight 138 g.

The set includes a power adapter for 5V and 1.55A, a USB Type-C cable, an adapter with Micro USB to USB Type-C and headset.

Chipset

The Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) SM-A320F has a proprietary Exynos 7 Octa (7870) chipset. It has 8 Cortex-A53 cores operating in the 546-1586 MHz range. This chip is made according to modern 14 nm technological production standards. Today it is the smallest mobile chipset, due to which it is energy efficient, does not reduce frequencies under load and does not heat up.

The graphics in the chipset are processed by the graphics aRM processor Mali-T830 with one core and a frequency range of 343 - 1001 MHz.

All this gives as a result 45,700 points in the AnTuTu test. There is no throttling, with subsequent runs the result differed by a maximum of +/- 200 points. The increase in performance compared to the Galaxy A3 last year is about 10,000 points, but still falls short of the average level. It is difficult to call a gaming smartphone, given the small display and low-power chip. In tanks at maximum settings, the number of frames per second drops to 5. At the minimum settings, the graphics are stable at 60 frames per second, so you can play comfortably if you want.

Memory

RAM is here at first glance for price category not very much when compared to Chinese smartphones. However, due to good optimization, 2 GB of RAM is sufficient. Compared to the model from last year, the increase is 500 MB. The interface works smartly and you don't notice any slowdowns. Memory in LPDDR3 format. With a complete cleaning of minimized applications, 625 MB are free.

But there is also 16 GB of permanent memory, which can be expanded with a memory card by donating a SIM card. You cannot install applications on the memory card.

Battery

The battery capacity of the Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) has been increased by 50 mAh compared to its predecessor, and has 2350 mAh. But if you take into account a more energy efficient chip, an energy efficient display matrix and the manufacturer's constant work on optimizing the software, then the autonomy has improved.

I tested the device in different modes and determined that playing at the maximum graphics setting (WoT Blitz) and maximum screen brightness set the smartphone from 100 to 0% for6.5 hourswhich is a VERY good result for this battery capacity. Video at maximum brightness, using Youtube playback while connected to a network via Wi-Fi, consumed the full volume in13 hours! For comparison:

• LG Class (2050 mAh): games - 3 hours, video via Wi-Fi - 6 hours;
• LG K10 (2300 mAh): games 4 hours, video over Wi-Fi - 8 hours;
• Microsoft Lumia 550 (2100 mAh): games 4 hours, video 7 hours;
• Sony Xperia C4 (2600 mAh): games 4 hours, video 5 hours;
• Huawei Nova (3020 mAh): games 4.5 hours, video 8 hours;
• Huawei Y5 II (2200 mAh): video - 3 hours 30 minutes;
• Xiaomi Mi5s (3200 mAh): games 4 hours, video 9 hours;
• Xiaomi Mi4c (3080 mAh): games 5 hours, video 7.5 hours.

Of course, the diagonal of the display plays an important role, but this would not significantly affect the result. Samsung has managed to make the Galaxy A3 (2017) very autonomous without increasing the battery capacity. Of course, there are competitors in the face of Chinese brands, but there both the battery capacity and the thickness of the smartphone are larger.

Cameras

The main camera of the Samsung Galaxy A3 2017 has a Sony IMX258 sensor. This matrix is \u200b\u200b1/3 Vidicon inch. Pixel size 1.12μm, shots at 13 megapixels. Such a matrix is \u200b\u200bfound in OnePlus X, Sony Xperia XA, Meizu M3E and M3 Max, and one of the dual sensor Xiaomi Mi5s Plus.

The camera in the Galaxy A3 (2017) supports autofocus, which is automatically triggered without tapping the display. Not as fast as in flagships, but it works. The photos were too dark in cloudy weather, the dynamic range of the camera is small.

I liked how the noise reduction works in low light, with which the photos are a little blurry, but without noise.

Low light shot

The camera shoots well in the dark, conveying the correct white balance and good detail. The Galaxy A3 2017 in the picture below beats the Huawei Nova and Galaxy A5 2016.

A few more shots on Samsung A3:

The front camera has an 8MP sensor on the Sony IMX219. Size 1/4. This chamber focuses on low power consumption and lack of lubrication. Pixel size is the same standard 1.12μm. The dynamic range is small, against the background of the sky, objects will fall through in the light, but the face will be photographed clearly. This sensor is the main one in the Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016). Chinese brand Doogee likes to use it as a main camera using interpolation up to 13MP (software stretching).

Selfie shot

The video is filmed in FullHD resolution (on the main and front).

In my opinion, the camera does not claim to be the best, but surpasses the budget segment.

Display

The display matrix in the Galaxy A3 (2017) has a 4.7-inch diagonal and is made using Super Amoled technology. This matrix differs from other OLEDs by the arrangement of pixels called PenTile, where an additional green pixel goes to each three-color pixel, due to which an increased brightness of colors is achieved. The pixels themselves emit light in such a matrix and are organic light-emitting diodes, unlike LCDs, which require an additional backlit layer. This gives the display excellent viewing angles.

There is no air gap between the sensor and the touchscreen. The touchscreen supports 5 simultaneous touches, nevertheless it is responsive and there are no complaints about it. The 2017 A3 has maximum viewing angles and colors are not inverted when tilted.

The display colors are closer to cold shades, but in the settings it is possible to activate the reading mode. You can make it so that the reading mode will be activated on schedule, or when it gets dark. It is also possible to adjust the mode with a slider, from a barely yellowish tint of the display (from a yellow tint, eyes get tired less) to a rich red.

The bezels of the screen are small, but available.

Communication and communication

The smartphone supports LTE networks. Wi-Fi 802.11 operates in a / b / g / n / ac, dual-band, WiFi Direct, mobile hotspot.

There is GPS support with A-GPS and GLONASS support. The navigation works great and in most cases flawlessly. There is of course a compass. Bluetooth version 4.2.

From the sensors, a gyroscope has finally been built into the Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017), now using a smartphone you can view 360-degree video or VR content, if there is a helmet for such a display.

Sound

The sound from the external speaker is pretty clean. The set comes with a good headset with earbuds. Nothing remarkable can be said about the sound, the manufacturer did not focus on it.

There is an FM radio that works when headphones are connected. Sound recording during video recording is good.

operating system

Version operating system out of the box Android 6.0.1 with firmware version A320FXXU1AQA1. Everyone calls the firmware TouchWiz out of habit, but there is no mention of this anywhere. In the flagship models, it is called GraceUX, but in the more budgetary models, individual software for each model is “sawed”, for which you can applaud Samsung.

All Samsung smartphones at more affordable prices are kept up to date in the software plan, state employees of the J-series receive operating system updates and the Galaxy A3 2017 is no exception. An update to Android 7 is expected in the first half of 2017. Perhaps at the time of your reading this review, the smartphone has already received a fresh system.

Of the software innovations in this Galaxy A3, I would like to note the built-in secure folder for storing personal files and accounts under a separate password. The camera application has also been slightly updated, in which you can move the "shutter" button to any convenient place on the display. The gallery has the ability to create 6-second gifs from the video, automatically process photos, you can zoom the video being watched while viewing, and also minimize and view the video in a small window, which will be active when you go about your business in another smartphone application. During video playback, you can launch other third party applications, and a small window with the video being played will be active in the foreground.

The Galaxy A3 2017 migrated from the Always on Display flagships. When this mode is activated, the clock, incoming notifications and the date are always active on the off display. This feature does not drain the battery at all, I checked it (during the night, the smartphone sat down by only 5%).

It also became possible to communicate with the support service directly from the Samsung Members smartphone application, find out information about the nearest service center and even connect the operator to the control of your smartphone through the Smart Tutor application, so that he prompts something and clearly shows how and how to press. I filmed a separate video about this (look on my Youtube channel).

A proprietary application Samsung Notes has appeared, where you can draw with different tools and much more. In the proprietary S Health app, you can track your walking, running, cycling, food, water, caffeine, weight, sleep and more.

Features:

To the main samsung features Galaxy A3 2017, I will take it waterproof according to the IP68 standard, which means that the smartphone can be under water up to one and a half meters for at least 30 minutes.

The second feature for me is the Always on display function, which I described above. I note no less significant feature excellent autonomy with a small battery capacity.

It is also noteworthy that the camera and button do not protrude from the body. By the way, the sensor in the button unlocks the smartphone without having to activate the lock screen. Unfortunately, the scanner does not work with wet fingers.

Alternatives

Considering the alternatives in terms of display size, then Apple iPhone 6S (4.7 inches) and Apple iPhone SE (4 inches) are close in terms of compactness, but also twice as expensive. At the same price as the reviewed smartphone - iPhone 5S, but there the diagonal is much smaller, the autonomy is much worse, there is no moisture protection. If it is very important for you that "Yablochko" sparkles and the melody "iPhone" was, then 5S is definitely your version, despite the fact that this once masterpiece came out already 4 years ago.

The Sony Xperia X Compact has a similar display, the same cost and significantly better cameras. And in terms of performance and memory, the smartphone is more interesting. For some reason, the Japanese have not implemented moisture protection in this model, which cannot be said about their flagship compact model of 2015, the Sony Xperia Z5 Compact. Priced like the Galaxy A3 2017, it has the flagship Snapdragon 810 chip (hot guy) and internal memory more. And again, the cameras are a cut above. What not to say about Sony regarding their autonomy.

Well, competitors from China, where can we go without them. The closest 5-inch competitor officially presented on our market is Huawei Nova with an attractive design, about the same main camera, but much better than the front one. Huawei has more memory and a more powerful chipset. Of course, there is no such excellent autonomy, good software and moisture protection. Of course, there are other "animals" from China, but I don't want to compare with them, because there you will have to make compromises in some moments.

Pros and cons of Samsung Galaxy A3 2017

pros

• amazing autonomy;
• moisture protection;
• reliable software with timely updates;
• compactness (if you need it);
• Always on Display and other software "goodies";
• lack of heating;
• good main camera.

Minuses

• in this instance there are gaps between the back cover and the frame;
• little permanent memory, and the microSD slot is combined with a second SIM card;
• the display frequency is low, it is possible that some people will quickly get tired of the eyes

My review of Galaxy A3 2017

It's a compact device with good software, decent cameras and a bright Super AMOLED display. Many will be attracted to the purchase of moisture protection and an interesting design. But most of all I liked the autonomy, this is not visible "on paper", but the real results are pleasing.

previous records

Samsung Galaxy A3 is the youngest and most affordable model in the updated 2017 A-series lineup. Outwardly, it looks the same as the older models A5 and A7, only more compact.

Design

The smartphone is available in four colors - gold, pink, blue and black; visited the editorial office latest version... Like the older models, the Samsung Galaxy A3 boasts 2.5D glass on the front, metal bezels and a glass back. Due to the rounded corners and smooth edges, as well as small size, it fits well in the hand and does not strive to slip out, even despite the smooth surface of the back panel.

The bezels around the screen are relatively small (the display occupies 67.9% of the front panel area), traditionally for Samsung smartphones, it uses hardware home button (with a built-in fingerprint scanner) and touch buttons Back and Tasks (highlighted at the moment of touch), which additionally increases the "usable area" of the desktop, removing from it the standard panel with on-screen system buttons.

On the top there is a noise canceling microphone and a slot for a SIM card and microSD memory card, on the left there are volume buttons, on the right there is a power button and a multimedia speaker, on the bottom there is a USB Type-C connector, a microphone and a 3.5 mm jack for connecting a headset ...

In general, the device looks good, but it looks clearly more advantageous from the front than from the back - mainly due to the 2.5D glass. Note also that the black version, in our opinion, is somewhat inferior to the “color” versions of the smartphone. It is also worth noting that, like the rest of the 2017 A-series models, the Samsung Galaxy A3 case is protected from dust and moisture according to the IP68 standard (full protection against dust ingress, it can be immersed in water to a depth of one and a half meters for up to 30 minutes).

Display

The Samsung Galaxy A3 uses a 4.7 ″ Super AMOLED screen with a resolution of 720 × 1280 pixels. The pixel density is 312 PPI - you can see some graininess only by staring closely at the screen; during normal use of a smartphone, the image is perceived as dense, fonts - smooth.

Despite AMOLED, the colors of the display are quite calm, close to those of IPS-matrices. However, in the display settings, you can switch from the "Main" video mode (used by default) to more "colorful" - "Adaptive display" (the strongest effect) or more moderate, but still much more saturated compared to the "main" - " Movie AMOLED ”and“ Photo AMOLED ”. Here, by the way, you can activate the blue filter, which makes the image warmer and more pleasing to the eye when reading text on a white background for a long time.

The screen is bright and remains quite readable even in direct sunlight. Thanks to AMOLED, blacks are truly black, without gray highlights when viewed from an angle. However, a greenish tint, characteristic of this technology, appears in the image at a large angle.

Measurements taken in Basic mode show almost ideal characteristics - flat color temperature line around the standard 6500K, correct gamma curve and color gamut slightly above standard sRGB.

Calls, multimedia

A single-symbol version of the Samsung Galaxy A3 got to the editorial office for review, a two-symbol version will be on sale in Ukraine (with the ability to install a microSD memory card instead of a second SIM card). The earpiece is loud enough, the interlocutor can be heard well, but the multimedia speaker could have been louder - it is quite possible not to hear the call through the clothes on the street. There were no special complaints about the sound in the headphones, except that high frequencies could sound a little brighter.

Hardware platform, performance

The smartphone is based on Samsung's own eight-core Exynos 7 Octa 7870 processor, manufactured using 14 nm technology. It includes ARM Cortex-A53 cores with clock frequency up to 1.6 GHz, as well as the Mali-T830 video subsystem. This processor is designed for mid-range models, and at one time was already used in a smartphone. RAM is 2 GB, internal - 16 GB (of which 10 GB is available to the user), with the possibility of expanding it using a microSD memory card.

The chipset belongs to the middle class, and in the benchmarks the smartphone is expected to demonstrate the corresponding performance - relatively speaking, between "average" and "medium-high". It will be enough for any modern task, with the exception of perhaps the most difficult 3D games.

Software

Samsung Galaxy A3 runs Android 6.0.1 OS, supplemented by a new proprietary shell - Grace UX (we first saw it in Galaxy Note7). It features an updated notification panel and a new look for the settings menu; in addition, the new A-line has an additional screen to the left of the home screen - it houses a news aggregator; depending on the firmware, it can be either the Russian-language Briefing (based on the well-known Flipboard service) or the English-language Upday. The shell supports a system of interchangeable skins and icons downloaded from the store, displays clocks, notifications and other information on the screen off in Always On Display mode, can keep the screen on while you look at it, offers its own menu for optimizing energy consumption and contains a rather large number of additional features.

The fingerprint scanner works quite confidently, the screen unlocks in less than half a second. In general, the interface works quickly and smoothly, minor slowdowns are rarely observed and mainly when accessing the built-in news aggregator.

Camera

The smartphone is equipped with a 13-megapixel main camera (f / 1.9) and an 8-megapixel front camera. Own camera app except completely automatic mode, also offers Pro - in this case, the user can manually select the white balance, ISO, enter exposure compensation and select the metering method (spot / center-weighted / matrix).

The camera quickly focuses and takes a picture, the pictures are enough good quality - with a decent dynamic range, natural colors and fairly accurate automatic white balance. In low light or indoors, the quality deteriorates slightly. The clarity could be higher, small details like thin branches, grass or needles may suffer noticeably from the noise reduction algorithm.

The camera has an HDR mode, it works very delicately, and if the frame does not have a sufficiently strong difference in brightness between different parts of the image, the result of its work may turn out to be purely cosmetic. However, in a situation where there is a light source in the frame or just a very bright object against a dark background, this shooting mode can significantly improve the image by "stretching" the shadows. An example of his work (on the left - a regular frame, on the right - HDR):

Autonomy

The Samsung Galaxy A3 is equipped with a 2350 mAh non-removable lithium-ion battery. Thanks to the Super AMOLED screen and the energy efficient Exynos 7870 Octa processor, the smartphone turns out to be quite "tenacious", even despite the not very high battery capacity - for example, in the PCMark test it lasted almost 10 hours, which is a very good result. We can say that in an average load mode, it will almost certainly last 2 full days.

Site evaluation

Pros: high-quality screen; waterproof case; Fingerprint's scanner; good camera; long working time

Minuses: relatively high cost

Conclusion: For technical samsung specifications Galaxy A3 looks interesting, in terms of design the smartphone (especially in black) cannot boast of anything particularly outstanding. But with ergonomics, everything is in order. But the price (9 thousand UAH at the time of writing the review) looks somewhat overpriced, as for the younger model in the series - so we can say that those who need a compact smartphone with a small screen, and not those who looking for "something budget".

Specifications

		there is no data
Number of Cores	8
Frequency, GHz	1,6
Accumulator battery	2350 mAh (non-removable)
Opening hours (manufacturer's data)	internet working time (3G) (hours) - up to 12, Internet working time (LTE) (hours) - up to 16, Internet working time (Wi-Fi) (hours) - up to 17, working time in video playback mode (hours) - up to 17, operating time during audio playback (hours) - up to 41, audio playback (hours, "Always on screen" off) - up to 55, talk time (3G WCDMA) (hours) - up to 17
Diagonal, inches	4,7
Resolution	720x1280
Matrix type	Super AMOLED
PPI	312
Brightness adjustment sensor	+
Other	HD sAMOLED, 16 million colors and shades
Main camera, MP	13
Filming	FHD (1920 x 1080) 30 fps
Flash	+
Front camera, MP	8
Other	13 MP (f / 1.9, main filter, food mode), 8 MP (f / 1.9)
High speed data transfer	GPRS / EDGE / 3G / LTE
Wi-Fi	802.11 a / b / g / n / ac 2.4 + 5GHz, Wi-Fi Direct
Bluetooth	4.2
GPS	+ (Glonass)
IrDA	-
FM radio	+
Audio jack	3.5mm
NFC	+
Interface connector	USB 2.0 (type-C)
Dimensions, mm	135.4x66.2x7.9
Weight, g	138
Dust and moisture protection	IP68
Type of shell	monoblock (non-separable)
Body material	metal, glass
Keyboard type	screen input
More	The fingerprint scanner. Symmetrical on all sides. Durable 3D glass back. Withstands immersion in water to a depth of 1.5 m for up to 30 minutes. MST technology. Synchronization with PC - Smart Switch (PC version). Screen rotation sensor. Barometer. Gyroscope. Geomagnetic sensor. Hall Sensor. Proximity sensor. RGB light sensor. S-Voice.