Samsung launches Galaxy A5, A7 smartphones

‘The future is now’ aptly describes the Samsung Forum 2016, held at the Kuala Lumpur convention Centre on Thursday. Apart from launching the Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A7, the launches of a host of other consumer equipment and devices were announced at this event.

While the A7 is priced at ₹33,400, the A5 is slightly cheaper at ₹29,400. These glass-and-metal phones, which will be available from February 15, are being sold online exclusively through Snapdeal, and can be bought offline as well. With a Super AMOLED display, and a narrow bezel of 2.7mm, the A7 sports a 5.5-inch display, whereas the A5 sports a 5.2-inch one.

Both the smartphones have similar features — 13 MP rear camera, 5 MP front camera, which come with a f1.9 aperture, and Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS). Running on an Exynos octa-core processor, these phones also have 4G/LTE and Cat6 capability, and are dual SIM. Both have an internal memory of 16 GB, with external memory extendable to 128 GB. While the A7 has a 3 GB RAM, the A5 has a 2 GB RAM.

Apart from reiterating that Samsung will build more consumer-centric devices and equipment, HC Hong, President and CEO of Samsung Electronics in Southwest Asia, stressed the ‘Make in India’ concept. “While ‘Make for India’ will continue to be a strong focus area for Samsung Southwest Asia, we will introduce path-breaking innovations across various categories of products through the year. Our goal is to augment the consumer experience, while making our leadership position in the Indian market stronger,” he said, adding the company will take this concept to other countries, such as Make in Bangladesh and Make in Nepal.

Internet of Things is the new buzzword in the market and, in keeping with this, Samsung has introduced the SUDH TV, which runs on Tizen OS, and incorporates Quantum Dot Display. It can connect with all kinds of features, such as movies, apps and games, all of which can be controlled with a Smart Control remote.

The forum also showcased its smart home concept. Imagine leaving home and locking the door with the press of a button. Instantly, other devices — such as the TV or the window binder — close on their own. And the vacuum cleaner begins to clean the floor. When you come back, the TV switches on, the binder goes up and the vacuum cleaner is back in its dock. And you can control all this through your smartphone!

The writer is in Kuala Lumpur at the invitation of Samsung.

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