Samsung Galaxy A8 2018

The Galaxy A8 (2018), White, 64GB (4GB RAM) runs for Rs.29,900. It comes with a 5.6 inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display with 1080 x 2220 pixels at 441 PPI (pixels per inch). This flagship is powered by Exynos 7885 Octa-core processor and comes with 4GB RAM. It also has 32/64 gigs of internal storage that can be expanded up to 256GB with a microSD card. The phone runs Android 8.1 and a 3000mAh non-removable battery. It measures 149.2 x 70.6 x 8.4 mm and weighs 172 gm. Further, it also houses a 16MP primary camera on the rear and an 8MP front shooter for selfies.

The black Samsung Galaxy A8 2018 is a successor to 2017’s Galaxy A5 and like Samsung’s 2017 phones, is a build of glass on the front and the back is a polished aluminium frame. The A8’s bezels and frame are rounded to lend some curviness, which is a definite contrast to the slim, tapered look that you see on a lot of phones these days. The A8 is a bit thicker and heavier than the Galaxy S8. The A8 2018 has full IP68 dust and water resistance rating.

On the back, Samsung has finally found a perfect spot for its rear-mounted fingerprint reader – and it’s directly below the camera. The reader is decently fast and much easier to reach than it was on the S8. The internal memory comes at either 32 or 64 gigs and is expandable through a microSD card. There’s a USB type-C port at the bottom as well as a 3.5mm jack for headphones and, just like on the A5, a single speaker is mounted on the side.

The A8 2018 is a 5.6 inch AMOLED display with a 1080p resolution and a trendy 18.5/9 aspect ratio. It is an Infinity Display – slightly curved with rounded corners – but it’s not quite what you would see on the S8. The display gives excellent sunlight legibility where colours are accurate and you can choose from a few different colour profiles. Moreover, there’s an always-on display so when your phone’s off you can see the time and notifications at a glance.

Inside this phone is an octa-core Exynos 7885 chipset with 4 gigs of ram, which benchmarks the A8’s performance when compared to its mid-range competition. The A8 runs Android 8.1 with Samsung’s UX on top, the one which usually comes with Samsung’s flagship phones under the Note series. Just like on other Galaxy phones, the home screen can be customized through Samsung’s theme store. Bixby, Samsung’s virtual assistant, can be accessed through the home screen, and thankfully there is no dedicated Bixby button which helps avoids a lot of accidental activations! Bixby is also active through Bixby vision, which can recognize things in the camera and can give you options to search for or buy them online.

The single main camera is 16 MP and this model comes with a brighter f1.7 aperture, though there is still no OIS. Shots look quite good, though with low noise and plenty of detail. The dynamic range is about average and the colours are nice and vivid, and thanks to the wider aperture, the low-light shots come out nice too.

The selfie setup has two cameras, a very first for Samsung. Both cameras come with fixed focus and a f1.9 aperture, with one at 16 MP and the other at 8MP. The 16-megapixel camera captures plenty of detail, superb colours and contrast, and has a great dynamic range. You can switch the 8-megapixel camera on the fly and use the wider angle lens, and this is recommended for group shots. The two cameras can work together to produce a photo with a deep focus background. Portrait shots look good as well, with a gradual blur and subject separation. Video recording is in 1080p, and is decent, having low noise and vibrant colours.

The A8 2018 has a 3000mAH battery which is quite impressive since it records an endurance time of 92 hours of battery life. When your battery does get low, don’t worry – thanks to the fast charging, you can go from zero to around 40% in only 30 minutes.

The A8 2018 is an excellent phone. It’s not a flagship, but with this AMOLED screen, a great battery, and impressive camera, it delivers what people are expecting from a smartphone. Despite its high asking price, people are sure to get their value for money – should they choose to spend it!