Samsung relaunches the Galaxy A3, A5 and A7 smartphones

Samsung has, rather quietly, announced newer, upgraded versions of its Galaxy A series. These include the Samsung Galaxy A3, the Samsung Galaxy A5 and the flagship Samsung Galaxy A7.

While it might seem strange for the company to launch a new version of the A7 so soon after its Q1 2015 launch, but both the A3 and A5 were due an upgrade.

The cheapest model, the Samsung Galaxy A3 (above), now sports a 1.5GHz quad core processor, 1.5GB of RAM, and 16GB of internal storage with a microSD expansion slot. There’s also a 2300mAh battery, a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front snapper. Overall, the device is just 7.3mm thick, and thanks to it’s 4.7-inch screen (laden with 1280×720 pixels), it’s a fairly compact unit.

Read more: Samsung Galaxy A3 and A5 now available in South Africa

The Samsung Galaxy A5 (lead image) is where the real interesting advancements begin though.

The A5 now features a fingerprint reader, for use with Samsung Pay. There;’s now a 1.6GHz octa-core CPU, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage with a microSD card expansion slot. The battery’s bigger now too, tipping the meter at 2900mAh, with fast charging. It now also features a 5.2-inch Full HD screen — on par with the Sony Xperia Z5 — and the same camera sensor setup as the A3.

The Samsung Galaxy A7 (above) — the flagship of this particular range — also features the same octa-core CPU as the A5, but boasts 3GB of RAM and a 3300mAh battery. There’s 16GB of internal storage as well as a microSD expansion slot for images and videos. And speaking of imaging, the same 13MP rear snapper is used but now arrives with OIS, while the 5MP camera is retained up front.

Read more: Samsung Galaxy A7 arrives in South Africa with swanky exterior

The fingerprint reader is now also standard on the Samsung Galaxy A7, beneath a 5.5-inch Full HD screen. Overall, that makes for a slightly heavier device — at 172g — but it does also boast a dual SIM option as well.

While the Samsung Galaxy A range has always been regarded by the company as the fashionable, youthful sub-range, it does seem that it’s all grown up.

All Samsung Galaxy A phones will be available in China from mid-December, “and will be expanded to global markets” thereafter, according to the presser.