We knew it was coming, but not this fast, Samsung has finally announced the Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018) and Galaxy A8+ (2018) following several rumors and leaks. The new entrants to the Galaxy A series highlights Samsung’s Infinity Display hitherto reserved for the flagship S series and a dual front camera with Live Focus.
Made out of a premium looking metal and glass build with the IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, the Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018) & Galaxy A8+ (2018) are largely the same in terms of look but differ slightly in their internal configurations.
Both devices are made for selfie lovers, thanks to their dual front-facing camera placed on the tiny bezels above the infinity display. Unlike their predecessors, the fingerprint sensor on both devices has been relocated to a location below the rear camera- a similar arrangement that has been widely rumored for the upcoming flagship S9.
Like we mentioned earlier, these devices are very similar in look and even in their internals but with few differences. The Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018) is the most basic of the duo, at 149.2 x 70.6 x 8.4mm and weighing 172g, the device flaunts a 5.6-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display, while the plus size variant which measures 159.9 x 75.7 x 8.3mm at 191g comes fitted with a slightly larger 6-inch Full HD+ display. With a resolution of 1080×2220 pixel, the infinity display on both devices has the breathtaking 18.5:9 aspect ratio that has become the dominant features in most recent mid-range and flagship phones.
Both devices are powered by an Octa-Core Exynos 7885 14nm processor with Mali-G71 GPU coupled with 4GB RAM and 32/64GB of storage for the Galaxy A8 (2018), while the plus size variant offers 4GB RAM + 32GB storage and a 6 GB RAM + 64 GB storage options. The storage on all variant can be expanded up to 256GB via micro SD card.
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Much like the Predecessors, the front-facing camera is one of the major selling points of these devices, but unlike the Galaxy A5 (2017) and Galaxy A7 (2017), the latest devices come with a dual front-facing camera and a single 16-megapixel f/1.7 camera on the flip side. The front shooter includes a 16-megapixel primary camera with f/1.9 aperture coupled with an 8-megapixel secondary f/1.9 camera.
The front shooters are made of two separate cameras, which can supposedly switch between taking regular photos or close-ups with background blur/bokeh. It is also equipped with live focus feature to adjust the blur effect before and after they take a picture.
The Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018) is fitted with a non-removable 3000mAh battery, while the plus size variant gets a 3500mAh battery both with adaptive fast charging.The Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018) and Samsung Galaxy A8+ (2018) boot Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box, that is quite disappointing, but we suppose they will eventually be updated to the latest Google OS in no distant time.
On the connectivity front, both devices get a USB Type-C port with support for LTE Cat.11, NFC and MST for Samsung Pay support, and other connectivity options like Wi-Fi ac and Bluetooth 5.0.
The Galaxy A8 (2018) and Galaxy A8+(2018) will both hit the shelves later in January 2018 in Black, Orchid Grey, Gold, and Blue color options. pricing will be based on the market, these devices are expected to retail in Europe at 499 Euros (US$ 588 / Rs. 37,755 approx.) and 599 Euros (US$ 706 / Rs. 45,320 approx.).
Samsung knows how to make a good bezel-free phone. The new A8 (2018) is only 70.6 mm wide, unlike most Chinese competitors whose similar looking phones are mainly close to 75 mm wide – the same width as a normal 5.5 inch phone.
Samsung knows how to make a good bezel-free phone. The new A8 (2018) is only 70.6 mm wide, unlike most Chinese competitors whose similar looking phones are mainly close to 75 mm wide – the same width as a normal 5.5 inch phone.