Samsung Galaxy A7 2017: Software overload

The Galaxy A series smartphones — A5 and A7 — are replacing the older A series ones from last year. The mid-range devices are not in the same league as the flagship S7 series, but have many common features. 

In the new phones, Samsung is yet again promoting the glass-and-steel design. The mid-frame is metal, sandwiched between two layers of glass: 3D curved at the back and 2.5D in front. It looks uncannily similar to Galaxy S7, and since the flagship device was one of the best-designed smartphones, this is not a bad choice. Also, unlike other smartphones, the camera does not protrude outwards, making A7 quite sleek. Unfortunately, all the glass and metal make the phone slippery; it also attracts dust and fingerprints.

Despite looking like S7’s poor cousin, it is not really one. As far as the hardware is concerned, its dust and water resistance has been augmented. A 32 GB internal memory and a powerful battery that easily lasts a  day make this a rounded package. The performance might be a little disappointing with a 3GB RAM, but if you are using it for web browsing or generic applications, there shouldn’t be a problem. You can also play games on it, but be careful to not have too many tabs open at the same time.

The one problem I faced was that of too much software. There are two browsers (Samsung’s own and Google Chrome), two applications for pictures and two more for music. You can’t uninstall them; you can only disable them. Surely the burden of software, a tad irritating till you get used to it, can be streamlined.

At Rs 33,490 and with the brand tag of Samsung, you can surely consider it. Huawei Honor 8 might be a better performer, but A7 is stunning to look at, so why not?