Samsung Galaxy S7 vs. Galaxy A5 (2016): Bargain bin

03 January 2017
A fourth installment is due in our Bargain bin series that aims to establish whether you're better off shelling top-dollar for a current big-name flagship or you'd be just as fine saving a few notes and opting for a more affordable alternative.

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I hope that a5 2017 will be good not a trash. They are pricey. I am very dissapointed about a5 2016. Samsung premium midrangers are simply too pricey.

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    • AnonD-503930
    • f}I
    • 04 Jan 2017

    mmm...a trash and flagship. How did you even compare..?

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      • AnonD-628407
      • gCN
      • 04 Jan 2017

      While it's nice to pit them against each other to see if it's worth the extra spending, the w0rding of the review makes this pointless.
      Yes, you get a lot of features better with the more expensive phone, but at the end of they day it all boils down to if the extra cash is worth it. From what I've seen, I could live with all of the lesser features of A5 perfectly well. This is coming from an a guy who wants to try the A5. Your conclusion and remarks makes it sound like it's the end of the world if I don't go for the S7. I would, if it weren't so f ugly. AAMOF, most Samsung phones have no sense of style whatsoever since the S3. Last pretty phone they had was the S2. RiP. Then they came out with this rounded plastic BS and the hefty price tag.

      PS: your spam protection sucks... what's wrong with "w0rding"?

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        • AnonD-628407
        • gCN
        • 04 Jan 2017

        "we think we can live with the design of the Galaxy A5"
        Um... OhhhhhKeeeyyy... in case you haven't noticed the trend, the A5 and A3 for that matter are popular because of their beautiful designs. The thing you wrote makes 0 sense. S7 is an ugly phone, be it feature packed. PERIOD.

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          • AnonD-610378
          • CkC
          • 04 Jan 2017

          Jerz, 04 Jan 2017Really? A series (2016) vs. S series (2016)? What's the poi... moreto be very honest with you i was about to post then same comment...
          whats the point comparing a mid ranger with a very high ranger phone ?
          im still thinking about it lol

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            • AnonD-623808
            • n9B
            • 04 Jan 2017

            Very good comparison of the two mobile phones, which are difficult to compare. I am surprised that A5 (2016) even got an advantage in some details. As user of A5 (2016), I can say that is a great phone, but S7 is completely different league.

              • M
              • Max
              • Mvv
              • 04 Jan 2017

              Quite an instructive comparison - i for one have learned that there's nothing that could set the S apart from the A that I would care about in the least (no wait, there actually is one single thing i do care about: FM radio, so S loses - then again, my previous Samsung had an FM _transmitter_ too that I miss much more, so hey: BOTH LOSE). Ultimately though there's a really good chance there's some once-noname-now-probably-well-known Chinese manufacturer who ALSO does everything I care about equally well as either the A or the S except it halves the price one MORE time.

                • J
                • Jerz
                • 0wN
                • 04 Jan 2017

                Really? A series (2016) vs. S series (2016)? What's the point?
                I thought the idea was comparing nearly equal phones from different manufacturers with huge price gap...
                How can anyone (with sane mind) expect any kind of equality here?

                  • ?
                  • Anonymous
                  • SvH
                  • 04 Jan 2017

                  FaceGle, 04 Jan 2017If you're using Samsung phones. Even though you are using A... moreis Samsung than as good as you say ?

                    • s
                    • skb
                    • uu3
                    • 04 Jan 2017

                    The hallmark of S7 is its camera whereas A5 doesn't have anything as its USP.

                    It all boils down to one thing - if you are a camera buff, you buy S7 else if a so-so camera is okay with you may go for A5 and save money. In my view, the J7 Prime camera is as good as the A5 one. And it has all the features of A5 plus a sturdy metal build. If A5 is okay with you you may as well buy J7P and save some more money.

                      Ridiculous to compare it with S series, A series are just glamourous versions of J series with better cams. Performance is more or less the same. The S series on the other hand are in a other league

                        • M
                        • Myself
                        • 7tW
                        • 04 Jan 2017

                        LLL, 04 Jan 2017In the end, Samsung wins unless one decides not to buy any ... moreAbsolutely, thats what Samsung wants too. And, they have been very strategic to not allow A5 2016 to creep close to S7.

                        But come A5 2017, it will be really really close to S7, they are only 8 months separated and you won't see this year's flagship till May. So I believe that a comparison between these two phones could change the final conclusion. The points which everyone have been mentioning - AOD, Waterproofing are there on the new one. Plus it has the secure folder feature which S7 will only get post the Nougat upgrade. So those complaining that the A series is expensive, Keep Calm and Get Yourself One.

                          • D
                          • AnonD-628294
                          • 3bi
                          • 04 Jan 2017

                          Is €460 a realistic price for a legit, new S7? It's €600-€649 in official Samsung shops. €460 is probably for some Vodafone Italy handset that's been unlocked and resold. Seems a bit of a low-ball figure to me - that's all

                            • D
                            • AnonD-628290
                            • KcP
                            • 04 Jan 2017

                            I would have preferred a comparison of Galaxy S7 and Xiaomi Mi5

                              • L
                              • LLL
                              • PA7
                              • 04 Jan 2017

                              In the end, Samsung wins unless one decides not to buy any of those two.

                                • F
                                • FaceGle
                                • Q5x
                                • 04 Jan 2017

                                If you're using Samsung phones. Even though you are using A5 of S7 Edge. as long as it's Samsung, it's fine. That is Samsung.

                                  • ?
                                  • Anonymous
                                  • 7Ac
                                  • 04 Jan 2017

                                  Cassy O, 03 Jan 2017"You know what, we think we can live with the design of the... moreTo each their own. I prefer the design of the Xperias

                                    • ?
                                    • Anonymous
                                    • 7uF
                                    • 04 Jan 2017

                                    But A5 2017 is more beautiful.

                                      • D
                                      • AnonD-628177
                                      • K85
                                      • 04 Jan 2017

                                      Those are both excellent phones. I used the A5 for 4 months and the main reason I switched to S7 Edge is the water proofing - I spend too much time in subtropical climate and my phone often gets wet... other than that, I found the A5 to be just as capable but have a better battery life, even when compared to S7 Edge. As for the screen, I remember thinking that A5 screen was actually brighter than the S7 Edge and easier for me to read outdoors...

                                      There is one huge difference between A5 and S7 that GSM Arena doesn't mention: A5 (DUOS) takes 2 SIM cards AND a memory card. This is huge for travelers (pretty much everyone these days) because it allows you to keep your regular SIM and expandable storage card and add a local SIM every time you arrive to a new County. Most countries nowadays offer cheap prepaid SIM cards so you can have the data plan while still keeping your phone in the same (everyday life) configuration. What a great feature to have when you're on the road.

                                        • ?
                                        • Anonymous
                                        • wnx
                                        • 04 Jan 2017

                                        These are getting ridiculous. Anyone seriously considering a S7 edge is not going to settle for an A5 and anyone in the market for an A5 is actually settling for it because they can't afford to spend that much on a phone to get the S7.

                                        While even I don't like to spend that much on phones if it came down to these two I would still choose to overspend and get the S7.

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