Samsung was heavily rumored to skip a step with its midrange Galaxy A line, going directly to an A8 and A8+ naming scheme, instead of sticking with the usual A3, A5 or A7 (2018) model titles. Lo and behold, the rumors turned out to be true, and Samsung just made the Galaxy A8 and A8+ official. It makes sense, too, as releasing an A8 and A8+ models moves Samsung's midrangers in lockstep with the flagship Galaxy S line in terms of titling, simplifies its roster for users, and leaves less barely-different choices to pick from in each category.
Design
The similarities with the S8 and S8+, and the eventual ones with the S9 and S9+ don't end up with the naming only. Samsung's newest midrangers are made entirely of glass, and sport the Infinity Display design of their flagship siblings, albeit in a more unrefined form, with thicker top and bottom bezels, and no flexible, side-sloping displays. The 5.6" and 6" 1080x2220 pixels displays still keep Samsung's weird signature 18.5:9 aspect ratio, though. Samsung itself acknowledges that the A8 and A8+ fit "the stunning ergonomic design that draws on Samsung’s flagship design heritage and experience" in the presser.
Processor and memory
So, what are these two waterproof, IP68-certified beauties powered by? An octa-core Exynos chipset with 2.2 GHz maximums, coupled with 4GB RAM (the A8+ has a 6GB RAM version with 64 GB storage as well). Internal memory strikes above the midrange crowd with up to 64GB models, while the battery packs are 3000mAh and 3500mAh, respectively.
Camera
If you expected good 12MP cameras with large 1.4micron pixels like on the flagship line, you are in for a disappointment. The Galaxy A8 and A8+ are equipped with a single 16MP camera with f/1.7 lens on the back, and dual 16MP fixed focus (f/1.9) + 8MP (f/1.9) selfie snapper at the front. We don't expect wonders from these kits, as last year's A7 also had 16MP cameras with small pixel sensors and pretty mediocre snappers, but Samsung may pleasantly surprise us, as there is much wider aperture and phase-detection autofocus on the rear now, and a dual camera at the front for some pleasant portrait selfie photography.
Price and release date
How much for the Galaxy A8 and A8+? They will be available in January in black, orchid grey, gold and blue for about EUR499 and EUR599, respectively, and the fact that the pricing is given in European currency should hint at you that we might never see these two released officially on a US carrier.
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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.
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