Samsung Galaxy A5 vs A3

As you might have guessed from their almost identical names, both the Samsung Galaxy A3 and A5 are similar in many ways.

With both devices being optimised for social networking, these alternatives to the pricey Samsung flagships might be perfect for anyone in search of a smart-looking and powerful handset. So what’s the difference between the Galaxy A5 and A3? Let’s get straight down to it!

Premium design, affordable handsets

The Samsung Galaxy A5 is a picture of perfect clarity with its a 5” Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels. The Samsung Galaxy A3 on the other hand is slightly less so with a smaller 4.5” display that has a resolution of 540 x 960 pixels.

The user experience, however, is impressive on both smartphone thanks to Samsung’s display technology that produces deep contrast, vivid colour, wider viewing angles and view-ability under direct sunlight.

With the absence of a flagship Samsung metal phone, the manufacturer has controversially transferred the Galaxy Alpha’s premium look and feel to the low and mid-range end of the market. In spite of their smooth metal finish, both the Samsung Galaxy A5 and the Samsung Galaxy A3 are also extremely thin at 6.7mm and 6.9mm respectively and both weigh next to nothing.

It may be a challenge for some to choose a colour as these latest Samsung phones come in six tones which include Pearl White, Platinum Silver, Midnight Black, Soft Pink, Light Blue and Champagne Gold.

Specs: Galaxy A5 v A3

On the inside we find further differences between the two smartphones, with the 1.2GHz quad-core processor supported with 2GB RAM on the Galaxy A5 and only 1GB RAM on the Galaxy A3. And with more RAM, your phone can handle faster multitasking, speedier web surfing, more efficient video editing and enhanced gaming, so it really is central to everything you do!

The internal memory is on an equal footing though with 16GB and this can be expanded upon with a MicroSD card and Cloud storage. Both looking to hit the shelves in February 2015.

Galaxy A5 and A3 camera comparison

Although the main cameras on these Samsung phones are miles apart with a 13 megapixel resolution on the Galaxy A5 and a 8 megapixel resolution on the Galaxy A3, considering the flagship S5 only sports a 16 megapixel lens, the mid-range and budget handsets both offer far more than you’d expect for your money.

What’s really key is that these mobile phones are aimed at those who love social sharing and to this end both phones have the same 5 megapixel forward facing camera for taking that all important selfie.

Selfie features to explore include:

• Wide Selfie – This is just like panorama mode and you can shoot in both horizontal or vertical directions.
• Animated GIF – This allows you to capture a still photo plus a 5 second video where you can animate parts of the scene.
• Beauty Face – Here you can touch up your self portraits by slimming the face, reducing noise for a better skin complexion and enlarge the eyes.
• Rear-cam Selfie – If only high resolution will do then you can put the main camera to use with automatic face detect and focus.

Key Samsung features

These Samsung smartphones are on an even playing field when it comes to features that are backed up with 4G and Wi-Fi connectivity. Android KitKat v4.4 is onboard so you get a full set of Google features such as the Chrome web browser, Maps for use with GPS and Google Voice Search.

Multitasking with multiscreen will, for example, allow you to download apps on one half of the screen and read your emails on the other and Samsung’s Private Mode allows you to secure your personal content and make it invisible to others that may use your phone.

The Samsung Galaxy A3 and Galaxy A5 also have intelligently adapting audio that enhances automatically to your surroundings.

The only difference between the two here is that Ultra Power Saving Mode is supported by a 2,300mAh battery on the Galaxy A5 and a 1,900mAh battery on the Galaxy A3, although with different screen sizes the longevity of the batteries will be similar.

Samsung Galaxy A5 vs A3: The Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy A5 is the superior smartphone and pushes itself into the mid-range when we balance performance with price. The Samsung Galaxy A3 sits at the lower end of the pricing scale but it is a great handset for those looking for a budget friendly device with a premium feel.