The Samsung Galaxy A7 2016 is different from the Galaxy A7 that was launched in 2015. A7 2016 is a dual SIM handset with 4G LTE support and it is powered by Exynos octa core (64 Bit) processor. This handset is priced at ₹33,400.
A7 2016 unboxing
Box pack contents : Handset, quick start guide, SAR info, warranty card, SIM tray ejector pin, data cable, premium quality earphone and fast charger (9V/1.67A).
Design
This handset is using metal frame with glass on front (screen) and back (back panel). It’s a 2.4D glass with gorilla glass 4 protection. The frame is slightly bent for better and comfortable grip. The glass part on the front and the back however makes the hand a lot slippery. Galaxy A7 2016 is available in Gold, White and Black colour options. Weight with battery is 170 grams and dimensions are 7.38 x 74.29 x 151.39 (mm).
Power button is on the right along with a SIM tray. On the top there is another SIM tray along with secondary microphone. Volume rocker is on the left side and at the bottom there is audio jack, micro USB port, speaker out vent and primary microphone.
A7 2016 comes with dual SIM slots – Tray 1 houses a nano SIM 1 and micro SD card and tray 2 houses a single nano SIM. You can use 2x nano SIM and a micro SD card all together.
There is no LED notifications. A7 is loaded with following sensors – accelerometer, hall, light, proximity and magnetic. Native video calling is supported.
Display
Like most Samsung premium smartphones the Samsung Galaxy A7 2016 is also using a Super AMOLED screen of size 5.5 inches supporting 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution. Colour reproduction, viewing angles and touch response are very good.
Memory, Storage and OS
There is 3GB RAM and 16GB of internal storage space. On the first boot you will get around 11GB free storage space and 1.4GB free RAM. OTG is supported and you can install / move selected apps to external storage.
Handset is running TouchWiz UI over Android Lollipop 5.1.1 (64 Bit).
Performance
A7 2016 houses the Samsung Exynos 7580 1.6GHz octa core processor (Cortex A53) with Mali T720 GPU. Overall performance is smooth and handset heat up was well under control. Maximum temperature encountered was 38 degrees (when using fast charger).
I tried playing 4K videos, it did work, however occasionally the sound would go off for few seconds.
Benchmark
- Quadrant – 19936.
- Antutu (64 bit) – 1st time 41995.
- Nenamark 2 – 59.1fps
- Internal storage Speed – Read (171MB/s), Write (56MB/s)
- Multi Touch – 10 Point.
Gaming
I played Asphalt 8 in high visual quality mode. Game was playable, smooth and lag free. This handset can play many high end games with ease. I played Asphalt 8 for about 19 minutes and battery temperature was 36 degrees.
Camera
There is a 13MP primary camera with LED flash support and 5MP camera on the front. Both front as well as back cameras are with an f/1.9 aperture. Rear camera can shoot full HD videos. Camera quality is above average.
Samsung Galaxy A7 2016 Rear Camera Sample
Front Camera Sample
FHD video sample
Others
4G, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS and NFC worked well. Sound is loud and clear, incall sound quality is also very good. Did not find any issues with networks.
There is touch ID based finger print sensor (home button doubles up as the finger print scanner). Finger print accuracy and detection speed is pretty good.
Battery
Galaxy A7 2016 houses a 3300 mAh non-removable battery that does a pretty good job. You can expect about 4 to 9 hours of continuous moderate to heavy usage on a single charge.
Battery Performance
- Running Benchmark app – 23 minutes / battery % dropped by 6 / battery temp = 33 degrees.
- Played Asphalt 8 – for 19 minutes / battery dropped by 7% / battery temp = 36 degrees.
- FHD video playback with full brightness (WiFi /4G on) – for 38 minutes / battery dropped by 7% / battery temp was 33 degrees.
- Handset charging (wall charge) – 2 hours 5 minutes from 19% to 100%.
Verdict
A7 2016 is a beautiful premium looking smartphone with 4G LTE (Cat6) support. Performance is smooth, camera quality is above average, handset hardly heats up and battery backup is pretty good. Overall it is a good handset but pricey.
Samsung Galaxy A7 2016 is available for ₹33,400.
A7 2016 Image Gallery
