For quite some time now, Samsung is rumoured to launch the Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018) and A8+ (2018), which will replace the Galaxy A5 (2018) and Galaxy A7 (2018) smartphones. Samsung is going for a different approach, and it will be interesting to see how this fares. But for the most part, the newly announced Galaxy A8 (2018) and A8+ (2018) are great devices from the house of Samsung, thanks to the stellar specs on paper.
Both the devices will be initially available in European market starting January 2018. The phone is expected to launch in India in March 2018, followed by the flagships Galaxy S9 and S9+ launch. Let's take a close look at the specifications of the Galaxy A8 (2018) and A8+ (2018).
Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018) and A8+ (2018) Specifications
Like the previous Galaxy A range of smartphones, both the Galaxy A8 (2018) and A8+ (2018) are differentiated with only some features. The former flaunts a 5.6-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080×2220 pixels, while the latter has a 6-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display with the same resolution. And the best part is they pack Samsung's Infinity Display technology with small bezels on top and bottom. That said, these phones don't have the same edge-to-edge as the Galaxy S8 duo.
Internally, both the phones are powered by Samsung Exynos 7885 chipset, built on the 14nm manufacturing process. The Exynos 7885 chipset is an octa-core processor with two cores clocked at 2.2GHz and six cores clocked at 1.6GHz. The A8 (2018) comes in two variants with 4GB of RAM and 32GB/64GB of internal storage, while the A8+ (2018) comes in two variants- 4GB RAM & 32GB storage and a 6GB RAM & 64GB storage option. Both the phones have a microSD card slot for storage expansion. Mali-G71 GPU takes care of graphics in both the smartphones.
The Galaxy A8 (2018) weighs 172grams, and the A8+ (2018) has a weight of 191grams. The A8 (2018) has a 3000mAh battery, whereas the A8+ (2018) has a 3500mAh battery. They both have support for 4G LTE, VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, GPS, and USB Type-C. These are probably the first mid-range smartphones with Bluetooth 5.0 on board.
Samsung also changed the fingerprint placement in these phones, which is now located below the rear camera sensor. The upcoming Galaxy S9 and S9+ are also expected to have the fingerprint scanner at the same position. Samsung has gone with a single rear camera setup of 16MP on both the phones, but the South Korean giant has upped the game when it comes to selfie camera department.
Both the newly launched devices come with dual selfie camera setup. A primary 16MP f/1.9 sensor is paired to a secondary 8MP sensor. Guess what, Samsung's famous Live Focus camera mode is coming to both the phones. The secondary 8MP sensor captures depth information to blur the background.
Both the devices boot Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box and offer IP68 water and dust resistant properties.
Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018) and A8+ (2018) Pricing and Colour Options
There you have it. The Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018) and A8+ (2018) are the best mid-range devices we have today. It's good to see Samsung upping the game, and looking to compete with brands.
Samsung will offer both the phones in four colours: black, orchid grey, gold and blue. As stated, the devices will be initially sold in the European market, and will later on make it to other markets.
Samsung also revealed the prices of both the phones. The European price of the Galaxy A8 (2018) is set at Euro 499 (approx. Rs 37,500), whereas the A8+ (2018) will be available at a starting price of Euro 599 (approx. Rs 45,400).
