We saw the leaked renders, and we saw the leaked manual. Well, the wait is now officially over as Samsung and South Korea’s SK Telecom have finally unveiled the Galaxy A8 (2016).
As you see above, the 2016 edition of the Galaxy A8 is undeniably a Samsung device: from the rounded corners to the home button, the design hasn’t changed much since last year’s Galaxy A8. Though we can’t see the back of the device, SK Telecom describes it a “full-metal” device, so we might be looking at a similar design as last year’s Galaxy A8.
See also: Samsung Galaxy A8 review29
In any case, there are some significant changes inside the device. The screen size and resolution remain unchanged, but this year’s Galaxy A8 has Samsung’s Always On Display feature. Since the device is running on Grace UX found on the Galaxy Note7, we are guessing that the A8 (2016) will have the upgraded AOD instead of the one found on the Galaxy S7 siblings. With a slight bump in the battery capacity from 3,050 mAh to 3,300 mAh, the Galaxy A8 (2016) should be able to handle AOD without giving up on you midday.
Under the hood, Samsung has revamped its internals: it now has 3GB of RAM instead of 2GB, and uses the same Exynos chipset found in the Galaxy S6 family, which is the octa-core Exynos 7420. If the Galaxy S6 is any indication, the upcoming Galaxy A8 (2016) should have no problem handling demanding tasks.
As for the camera department, the rear camera seems to be unchanged. Although we don’t know what sensor it uses, according to SK Telecom, it will have a 16-megapixel shooter just like last year’s model. The front-facing camera, however, has been bumped from 5-megapixels to 8-megapixels. That’s something that we are seeing from other manufacturers, so it’s good that Samsung is following suit.
One biggest addition is Samsung Pay. Just like its other 2016 Galaxy A series siblings, the Galaxy A8 (2016) now supports Samsung Pay out of the box. And of course, along with that comes a fingerprint scanner embedded into the home button.
One biggest addition is Samsung Pay. Just like its other 2016 Galaxy A series siblings, the Galaxy A8 (2016) now supports Samsung Pay out of the box.
If you are in South Korea, the Galaxy A8 (2016) will be exclusively available in blue with SK Telecom, for now at least. Pre-orders start tomorrow on October 1st, and for those who place an order before October 4th, SK Telecom will be offering a free phone case, a screen protector, and a micro-SD card. Currently, there’s no official word on when it will launch outside Korea, but we will keep you posted!
What are your thoughts on the Galaxy A8 (2016)? Let us know by leaving a comment below!
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