Galaxy A 2017 series in SA: what you’ll be paying

Samsung has announced that its 2017 Galaxy A series smartphones have launched in South Africa, delivering IP68 water-resistance and fingerprint scanners across the board.

As for prepaid pricing, you’ll be looking at R5999 for the Galaxy A3, R7499 for the Galaxy A5 and R9499 for the Galaxy A7.

The Galaxy A3 packs a 1.6Ghz octacore A53 processor (Exynos 7870), 2GB of RAM, 16GB expandable storage, a 4.7-inch 720p AMOLED screen and 2350mAh battery. Other than that, you’ve also got a 13MP f/1.9 main camera and 8MP selfie shooter.

The A5 ups the ante, featuring a 1.9Ghz octacore A53 processor (Exynos 7880), 3GB of RAM, 32GB of expandable storage, a 5.2-inch full HD AMOLED screen and a 3000mAh battery. In the camera department, you’ve got a 16MP f/1.9 main camera and a 16MP f/1.9 selfie snapper.

Samsung’s Galaxy A 2017 range brings water-resistance to a lower price point in South Africa

The Galaxy A7 is mostly identical to the A5 on the spec front, but offers a 5.7-inch full HD AMOLED screen and a 3600mAh battery.

The Galaxy A 2017 launch comes as the Galaxy S8 launch looms. The flagship device, which is widely rumoured to launch in late March or April, is expected to make for a visual change from the Galaxy S7 range.

Leaks and rumours claim the device will have a high screen/body ratio (with no branding on the front, owing to the large, curved display), a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and Samsung’s own virtual assistant (reportedly called Bixby).