Samsung Galaxy A7 vs. Samsung Galaxy S7: Is Last Year’s Flagship Better than This Year’s Top Mid-range Phone?
Posted in: Today's ChiliMany sources today speak of the slowing down of the evolution of smartphone hardware. Apparently, smartphone processors don’t show jumps that big when it comes to their CPU speed and RAM size, screen sizes have reached another limit, and generally, smartphones have seen less spectacular processing power jumps in the last few years. Which is not a problem, really, since the average smartphone user doesn’t even make use of the current hardware resources of the handset. Usage statistics show that, on average, far more users play with simpler apps like Wild Jack online casino games and puzzle/word games than with hardware-intensive titles. And these games, especially the ones you can play at the Wild Jack, are also built to run on a wide variety of hardware profiles and operating systems, so those who usually stick to these don’t feel the need to replace their handsets at all.
Today, let us take a look at Samsung’s best mid-range handset, the Galaxy A7 (2017), and compare it to last year’s flagship model, the Galaxy S7.
Hardware
The Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) comes with an Exynos 7880 Octa-core System-on-a-Chip (SoC) with eight processor cores clocked at 1.9 GHz. This processing power is more than enough even for sophisticated and hardware-intensive apps and will take care of all everyday tasks with no issues at all. The chip is paired with a more than decent Mali-T830 MP3 GPU, 3 gigabytes of RAM, and 32 gigabytes of internal storage (expandable with a memory card).
The Samsung Galaxy S7 comes with a SoC worthy of a flagship – an Exynos 8890 Octa-core with four 2.3GHz cores and four 1.6GHz cores. It is paired with a Mali-T880 MP12 GPU, 4 gigabytes of RAM, and up to 64 gigabytes of internal storage, depending on the model. The difference between the two models’ processing power will most likely go unnoticed by the user – it will, in turn, show up in benchmarks.
Camera
Taking pictures on the go is one of the most important things for the average smartphone user. Both models we look at today have excellent cameras for this.
The A7 is equipped with 16-megapixel cameras both in the front and in the back, both capable of recording 1080p video. The S7’s front camera only has a 5MP sensor, more than enough for video calls and selfies, but its main camera has features that beat the A7’s by far, even though its sensor is smaller (12MP vs 16MP).
Features
The Galaxy A7 comes with something missing from most Samsung flagships: FM radio. Besides, it has a reversible USB type C connector for charging and data transfer, something the S7 doesn’t have. Sensor-wise, both phones are similarly equipped – the S7 comes with a heart rate sensor and a blood oxygen meter that is missing from A7 – but these are usually important only for fitness enthusiasts. And the S7 also comes with Qi-compatible wireless charging capabilities, a feature that should become a standard for all handsets already.
Price
Amazon still sells the Samsung Galaxy S7 (different models) with price tags around $400 but certified refurbished units can be purchased for as low as $299. The Galaxy A7 (2017) can be bought at a similar price when it comes to unlocked units but you can purchase it far cheaper if you opt for a contract with your wireless carrier.
The post Samsung Galaxy A7 vs. Samsung Galaxy S7: Is Last Year’s Flagship Better than This Year’s Top Mid-range Phone? appeared first on TechFresh, Consumer Electronics Guide.
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