Samsung Galaxy A8 vs A7 vs A5 specs and size comparison

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Samsung Galaxy A8 vs A7 vs A5 specs and size comparison
Now that the latest and probably last phone for the year in Samsung's novel metallic A-series has been announced, it's time to put the fresh Galaxy A8 against its slightly smaller Galaxy A7 sibling, and the little Galaxy A5 brother that was announced late last year.

Starting with size, we have to admit that Samsung did a great job with the compact chassis of every member in this trio. The Galaxy A7 used to be the most compact metal Android for its screen size, but the A8 takes it to the shed with its 5.9mm body, the thinnest that Samsung has ever produced. 

Granted, it is taller than the A7, allowing it to fit a 5.7-incher against the 5.5" panel of the A7, and a fingerprint scanner in the home key below the display, but that's about it when it comes to the size difference. The A8 is about as wide, and on top of that thinner than the middle child in the family, making it also one of the most compact Androids for its display diagonal, and just 10 grams heavier.

Samsung Galaxy A8
Dimensions

6.22 x 3.02 x 0.23 inches

158 x 76.8 x 5.9 mm

Weight

5.33 oz (151 g)

Samsung Galaxy A7
Dimensions

5.94 x 3 x 0.25 inches

151 x 76.2 x 6.3 mm

Weight

4.97 oz (141 g)

Samsung Galaxy A5
Dimensions

5.48 x 2.74 x 0.26 inches

139.3 x 69.7 x 6.7 mm

Weight

4.34 oz (123 g)

Samsung Galaxy S6
Dimensions

5.65 x 2.78 x 0.27 inches

143.4 x 70.5 x 6.8 mm

Weight

4.87 oz (138 g)

Samsung Galaxy A8
Dimensions

6.22 x 3.02 x 0.23 inches

158 x 76.8 x 5.9 mm

Weight

5.33 oz (151 g)

Samsung Galaxy A7
Dimensions

5.94 x 3 x 0.25 inches

151 x 76.2 x 6.3 mm

Weight

4.97 oz (141 g)

Samsung Galaxy A5
Dimensions

5.48 x 2.74 x 0.26 inches

139.3 x 69.7 x 6.7 mm

Weight

4.34 oz (123 g)

Samsung Galaxy S6
Dimensions

5.65 x 2.78 x 0.27 inches

143.4 x 70.5 x 6.8 mm

Weight

4.87 oz (138 g)

Compare these and other phones using our Size Comparison tool.

The little guy A5 is, naturally, the most manageable in the hand, and the cheapest, but then again, its siblings are spec'd way better, sporting 1080p displays, against the HD panel of the A5, and running on octa-core Snapdragon 615 chipsets with multiband LTE connectivity. When it comes to memory, though, the phones are identical, with 2 GB of RAM, 16/32 GB storage models, and microSD slots for expansion. Where the A8 shines, besides its bikini body, is the camera department, as it is equipped with a 16 MP ISOCELL shooter, against the 13 MP cams on the A7 and A5.

Last, but not least, the Galaxy A8 will run battery life circles against its siblings in the A-series, as Samsung managed to fit a large, 3050mAh battery in the sub-6mm chassis. No word of official pricing on the A8 yet, but the leaks so far indicate that the A8 will be pegged at around $500 off-contract, or a level below the $600 Galaxy S6, and above the $400 Galaxy A7. The $300 munchkin is the cheapest in this gang, so there is something for everyone in Samsung's excellent A-series portfolio.

Samsung Galaxy A8 Samsung Galaxy A7 Samsung Galaxy A5

Design

Dimensions
6.22 x 3.02 x 0.23 inches
158 x 76.8 x 5.9 mm
5.94 x 3.00 x 0.25 inches
151 x 76.2 x 6.3 mm
5.48 x 2.74 x 0.26 inches
139.3 x 69.7 x 6.7 mm
Weight
5.33 oz (151.0 g) 4.97 oz (141.0 g) 4.34 oz (123.0 g)
Materials
Back: Plastic
Frame: Aluminum
Back: Plastic
Frame: Metal
Back: Plastic
Frame: Metal
Biometrics
Fingerprint (touch)
Features
Touch sensitive control keys Notification light
Keys
Left: Volume control; Right: Lock/Unlock key Left: Volume control; Right: Lock/Unlock key Left: Volume control; Right: Lock/Unlock key
Colors
Pearl white, Midnight black, Champagne gold Gold, Black, White Pearl white, Midnight black, Platinum silver, Soft pink, Light blue, Champagne gold

Display

Size
5.7-inch 5.5-inch 5.0-inch
Resolution
1920x1080px, 386 PPI 1920x1080px, 401 PPI 1280x720px, 294 PPI
Technology
Super AMOLED Super AMOLED Super AMOLED
Screen-to-body
73.91 % 72.54 % 71.14 %
Features
Scratch-resistant glass (Corning Gorilla Glass 4), Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor Scratch-resistant glass (Corning Gorilla Glass 4), Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor

Hardware

System chip
Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 5430 Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 8939 Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 8916
Processor
Octa-core
1500 MHz
ARM Cortex-A53
Octa-core
1500 MHz
ARM Cortex-A53
Quad-core
1200 MHz
ARM Cortex-A53
GPU
Adreno 405 Adreno 405 Adreno 306
RAM
2GB (LPDDR3) 2GB (LPDDR3) 2GB
Internal storage
32GB 16GB, available to use: 12 GB 16GB, available to use: 12 GB
Storage expansion
microSDXC up to 128 GB microSDXC up to 64 GB microSDXC up to 64 GB
OS
Android (6.0 Marshmallow, 5.1 Lollipop) Android (5.0 Lollipop, 4.4.4), Samsung TouchWiz UI Android (5.0 Lollipop, 4.4.4)

Battery

Capacity
3050 mAh 2600 mAh 2300 mAh
Type
Li - Ion

Camera

Rear
Single camera Single camera Single camera
Main camera
16 MP (Autofocus)
Aperture size: F1.9
Pixel size: 1 μm
13 MP (Autofocus, CMOS image sensor) 13 MP (Autofocus)
Aperture size: F2.0
Flash
LED LED LED
Video recording
1920x1080 (Full HD)
Video calling
1920x1080 (Full HD) (30 fps), 1280x720 (HD), 640x480 (VGA)
Video calling, Video sharing
1920x1080 (Full HD) (30 fps)
Video calling
Front
5 MP 5 MP, Video capture: 1920x1080 (Full HD) 5 MP

Connectivity & Features

Bluetooth
4.1 4.0 4.0
WLAN
802.11 a,b,g,n,dual-band 802.11 a,b,g,n
Hotspot
802.11 a,b,g,n,dual-band
Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot
USB
microUSB, USB 2.0 microUSB, USB 2.0 microUSB, USB 2.0
Location
GPS, A-GPS, Glonass GPS, A-GPS, Glonass GPS, A-GPS, Glonass
Sensors
Accelerometer, Compass Accelerometer, Compass, Hall (for flip covers) Accelerometer, Compass, Hall (for flip covers)
Other
NFC, ANT+ NFC, Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync NFC, ANT+, Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync

Multimedia

Headphones
3.5mm jack 3.5mm jack 3.5mm jack
Speakers
Earpiece, Loudspeaker Earpiece, Loudspeaker Earpiece, Loudspeaker
Features
Album art cover, Background playback Album art cover, Background playback Album art cover, Background playback
Screen mirroring
Wireless screen share Wireless screen share

Cellular

4G (FDD)
Bands 1(2100), 3(1800) Bands 1(2100), 3(1800), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 20(800 DD) Bands 1(2100), 3(1800), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 20(800 DD)
4G (TDD)
Bands 38(2600), 39(1900+), 40(2300), 41(2600+)
3G
Bands 6(800), 5(850), 8(900), 2(1900), 1(2100) Bands 5(850), 8(900), 2(1900), 1(2100) Bands 5(850), 8(900), 2(1900), 1(2100)
Data Speed
LTE Cat 4 (150/50 Mbit/s), HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s LTE Cat 4 (150/50 Mbit/s), HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s, UMTS
SIM type
Nano SIM Nano SIM

Regulatory Approval

FCC approval
Date approved: Jun 30, 2015
FCC ID value: A3LSMA800F
Date approved: Nov 26, 2014
FCC ID value: A3LSMA700FD
Date approved: Oct 17, 2014
FCC ID value: A3LSMA500G
Measured SAR
Head: 0.11 W/kg
Body: 0.98 W/kg
Simultaneous Transmission: 1.10 W/kg
Wireless Router: 0.98 W/kg
Head: 0.16 W/kg
Body: 0.71 W/kg
Simultaneous Transmission: 1.10 W/kg
Wireless Router: 1.10 W/kg
Head: 0.37 W/kg
Body: 0.94 W/kg
Simultaneous Transmission: 0.96 W/kg
Wireless Router: 1.07 W/kg

Availability

Officially announced
Jul 14, 2015 Jan 11, 2015 Oct 30, 2014

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