The ‘Samsung Galaxy A’ lineup is Samsung’s mid-range smartphone lineup and has proven to be popular in South East Asia. The first-generation of the lineup was first launched by Samsung back in 2014, and initially contained three models, the Samsung Galaxy A3, A5 and A7. Fast forward two years later, the second-generation of the series is currently in the market and has two added models, the Samsung Galaxy A8 and A9. Now, Samsung has released the follow-up of the Samsung Galaxy A8 in South Korea, after many weeks of leaked specs and even the user manual.
Samsung and local South Korean carrier, SK Telecom have officially revealed the Samsung Galaxy A8 (2016) today and while it might not look very different on the outside compared to its predecessors, its internals have gotten a significant upgrade. The Galaxy A8 (2016) sports a “full-metal” design and comes with a 5.7-inch full HD display. Under-the-hood, an Exynos 7420 System-on-Chip, the same one which was found on the Samsung Galaxy S6, powers the device. Memory wise, the device comes with 3 GB of RAM, up from 2 GB on its predecessor, and 32 GB of internal storage which can be bumped up to 256 GB via a microSD card slot. As for optics, a 16 MP shooter can be found on the rear of the device, while an 8 MP shooter can be found on the front. The Galaxy A8 (2016) packs a 3,300 mAh battery, an upgrade from the 3050 mAh battery found on its predecessor.
Moving on to software, the smartphone comes with Grace UX, which can also be found on the Samsung Galaxy Note 7. Grace UX brings Always On Display to the Galaxy A8 (2016), and since it comes with Grace UX, the device might have the new Always On Display found on the Galaxy Note 7. There is no mention of the Android version this device runs on. However, the Galaxy A8 (2016) is able to support Samsung Pay, and also comes with a fingerprint scanner embedded into the home button for added security. As for the price, the device will cost 649,000 KRW ($589) and can be pre-ordered from SK Telecom starting on October 1, and for those who place an order before October 4, SK Telecom will be throwing in some free gifts, such as a free phone case, a screen protector, and a microSD card.
