If you can’t afford the super-premium Galaxy S8 or Galaxy Note 8, you might want to hang on for the new Samsung Galaxy A5 2018. This slick-looking mid-range mobile costs a lot less than Samsung’s top-end smartphones, yet offers solid specs, strong camera tech and a gorgeous edge-to-edge screen; if the leaks and rumours are to be believed.
As much as we love Sammy’s flagship devices, it’s hard to justify those steep asking prices on an honest working wage. Especially when all you really want is respectable performance, a dependable camera and – maybe – a phone that won’t make you blush when you yank it out in public.
Which is why Samsung’s Galaxy A-series smartphones are so great. These mid-range handsets cost about half as much as the premium stuff, yet some of that slick design work trickles down, along with many of the great software features.
The Galaxy A5 2017 was launched just before the S8, back at the beginning of the year. The A5 is the piggy-in-the-middle of the A-series phones, sat between the Galaxy A3 and Galaxy A7 in terms of size as well as specs.
This year we were treated to a gorgeous 5.2-inch AMOLED display, slick performance and a solid 16-megapixel camera, all wrapped in a good-looking glass and metal frame. On the flip side, the A5 2017 was outdone in the specs department by some rivals, while a lack of Android Nougat and 4K video recording also jarred.
Good news though, Galaxy fans. Samsung appears to be going all out for the Galaxy A5 2018, which retains that low asking price while serving up that drool-worthy edge-to-edge design of the S8.
Leaks so far definitely have us looking forward to the A5 2018’s launch, shortly after the new year. Here’s what we know so far, and check out our Galaxy A-series coverage from 2017 below.
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Samsung Galaxy A5 2018 release date and price
Samsung seems to stick quite strictly to its launch schedule, as long as extraneous circumstances don’t mess things up. In other words, it’s pretty easy to predict when the Korean giant is likely to launch its next set of phones.
We’re already excited about the official unveiling of the Galaxy S9, which is expected to drop in March of 2018. The Galaxy A-Series normally launches even earlier in the year, around the start of February. So you can expect to hear the full skinny on the Galaxy A5 2018 just a month or two into the new year.
What about the UK asking price? Well, there’s no word on that so far, although the current handset was £399 SIM-free when it first hit stores. We’re fully expecting the 2018 model to sport a similar price tag, to undercut the likes of the OnePlus 5.
Samsung Galaxy A5 2018 Specs and features
Despite sporting a relatively low asking price, the Galaxy A5 always sports some slick features and decent specs. Here’s what we think we know so far, from various leaks and web rumours.
What processor will the Galaxy A5 2018 use?
Early reports suggest that Samsung’s new mid-range mobile will rock the manufacturer’s own Exynos 7885 chipset. For our more tech-inclined readers, this 10nm chip is a hexa-core platform, which should offers slick everyday performance and smooth multi-tasking when running two apps side-by-side.
We’re also fully expecting 4GB of RAM to be on board, which is backed up by recent leaks. That should assist nicely in keeping the A5 2018’s performance smooth.
Will the Galaxy A5 2018 use a dual lens camera?
Samsung finally jumped on board the dual lens camera bandwagon with the Galaxy Note 8, launched towards the end of 2017. However, this premium handset will remain the sole double-vision Samsung snapper, for the foreseeable future.
Leaked renders of the Galaxy A5 2018 show just a single, centrally-positioned camera lens housed on the back of the phone. We’re not sure what the megapixel count will be, or which sensor will be on-board. However, you can certainly expect a camera that performs admirably across a range of conditions, even in quite low light, if the A5 2017’s camera is anything to go by. We’re also hoping for 4K resolution video recording, something that so far has been missing.
Some rumours suggested we’d get a dual lens selfie camera on the A5 2017, yet leaked renders suggest that’s unlikely. The next time we’ll see a dual lens Samsung smartphone camera could be the A7 2018, although we’re expecting to wait until the Galaxy S9.
Will the Galaxy A5 2018 use Android Oreo?
The strange thing about Samsung’s A-series phones is the way they seem to be one behind as far as Android versions are concerned. Last year’s Galaxy A5 shipped with Android Marshmallow, even though Nougat had been around for a few months at the time of release. Likewise, we’re expecting Nougat to come packed onto the A5 2018. An Oreo update is more than likely, although you might have to wait a while.
Edge-to-edge display
One of the biggest changes in the new Galaxy A5 2018 will be that Infinity Display design, which has migrated from Samsung’s flagship devices to the mid-range.
The new A5 will therefore boast a bigger 5.5-inch panel, squeezed into a chassis that’s the same size as the 5.2-inch Galaxy A5 2017. That’s made possible thanks to the seriously slender bezels surrounding the screen.
You can also expect the fingerprint sensor to shift to the back, to free up space around the front. Renders show this scanner housed just beneath the camera lens, which means it should be easier to locate than the Galaxy S8’s awkward sensor.
Any other leaked specs?
Recent leaks have also pointed to 32GB of storage, expandable via microSD. It also looks like the Galaxy A5 2018 will sport a dedicated Bixby button on the side, just like the flagship phone. Good news if you actually like Bixby (which to be fair is at least available in the UK now).
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