MANILA, Philippines – Samsung starts the new year with the launch of two phones, the Galaxy A5 and the A7. The phones were officially launched at the Z Hostel in Makati on Wednesday, January 11.  They will be available first on Lazada starting on Saturday, January 14. 

The A5 will be available for P19,990 while the A7 will retail for P23,990 – price tags that put the units firmly in the increasingly competitive midrange market. 

In spite of the price, Samsung boasts that the phone is designed with a premium experience in mind. It’s encased in a metal frame and 3D glass back that mimics flagships from the tech giant. The A5 has a 5.2-inch screen while the A7 boasts a 5.7-inch one. Unlike the Galaxy S7 and its Quad HD resolution (1440 X 2560) though, the A phones are only full HD (1080 X 1920).  Both will come with two color options: Black Sky and Gold Sand. The higher-priced A7 comes with an extra color option, Blue Mist.  

Beyond the cosmetic features, the A5 and the A7 will be carrying a feature that’s still rare in this price range: IP68 certification for water and dust resistance. This means it can be submerged in up to 1.5 meters of fresh water for up to 30 minutes – a great feature for those with active lifestyles. Its rear and front cameras are both 16-megapixel (MP) shooters that have an f/1.9 aperture. 

The A5 and A7 feature 32GB of internal memory, but is expandable up to 256GB. Making more consumers happy is the fact that it’s a dual-sim unit, coming with a dual socket for two sim cards and a microSD.  

Powering the two units are a 1.9 GHz octa-core processor and 3GB of RAM. The A5 comes with a 3,000 mAh battery while the A7 features a 3,600 mAh unit. Both use the USB Type-C configuration and Samsung’s fast-charging feature. 

To learn more about the Samsung’s 2017 A-series, visit www.samsung.com/ph/ASeries2017 – Rappler.com

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