Samsung just announced the Galaxy A8 2018 and Galaxy A8+ 2018 smartphones, bringing the key features of their award-winning Galaxy S8 series to the masses. We had the opportunity to review the new Samsung Galaxy A8 2018 (SM-A530F) smartphone before its official launch. Let’s check it out in depth!

 

The Samsung Galaxy A8 2018 & A8+ 2018 Compared

The Samsung Galaxy A8 2018 (Price Check) and Galaxy A8+ 2018 may look like they differ only in size, but that’s not quite accurate. Let’s take a look at their specifications :

Specifications	Samsung Galaxy A8	Samsung Galaxy A8+
Display	5.6" Super AMOLED display - 1080 x 2220 pixels (440 ppi)	6.0" Super AMOLED display - 1080 x 2220 pixels (410 ppi)
Operating System	Android 7.1.1	Android 7.1.1
Platform	Samsung Exynos 7885	Samsung Exynos 7885
Processor	2 x ARM Cortex-A73 cores (2.2 GHz) 6 x ARM Cortex-A53 cores (1.6 GHz)	2 x ARM Cortex-A73 cores (2.2 GHz) 6 x ARM Cortex-A53 cores (1.6 GHz)
Graphics Processor	ARM Mali-G71	ARM Mali-G71
Memory	4 GB LPDDR4 SDRAM	6 GB LPDDR4 SDRAM
Storage	32 GB internal flash storage microSD card (up to 256 GB)	64 GB internal flash storage microSD card (up to 256 GB)
Front Camera	Main Camera - 16 MP Samsung ISOCELL S5K2P6SX sensor with f/1.9 lens Wide-Angle 85° Camera - 8 MP Samsung ISOCELL S5K3P8SP sensor with f/1.9 lens	Main Camera - 16 MP Samsung ISOCELL S5K2P6SX sensor with f/1.9 lens Wide-Angle 85° Camera - 8 MP Samsung ISOCELL S5K3P8SP sensor with f/1.9 lens
Rear Camera	16 MP camera with f/1.7 lens and single LED flash - Samsung ISOCELL S5K2P6SX sensor with PDAF technology	16 MP camera with f/1.7 lens and single LED flash - Samsung ISOCELL S5K2P6SX sensor with PDAF technology
Connectivity	4G : LTE Cat11 WiFi : 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (dual band) Bluetooth v5.0 USB Type C	4G : LTE Cat11 WiFi : 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (dual band) Bluetooth v5.0 USB Type C
SIM Capability	Single SIM Model : Single SIM Dual SIM Model : Dual SIM, Dual Standby	Single SIM Model : Single SIM Dual SIM Model : Dual SIM, Dual Standby
NFC	Yes	Yes
GPS	GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou	GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou
Fingerprint Sensor	Yes, Rear-Mounted	Yes, Rear-Mounted
Audio	24-bit Ultra High Quality (UHQ) support - PCM support up to 32-bits	24-bit Ultra High Quality (UHQ) support - PCM support up to 32-bits
Water Resistance	IP68 rated	IP68 rated
Battery	3,000 mAh lithium-ion battery (non-removable) - fast charging capable	3,500 mAh lithium-ion battery (non-removable) - fast charging capable
Other Sensors	Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyro, Geomagnetic, Hall, Proximity and RGB light sensors	Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyro, Geomagnetic, Hall, Proximity and RGB light sensors
Dimensions	70.6 mm wide 149.2 mm tall 8.4 mm thick	75.7 mm wide 159.9 mm tall 8.3 mm thick
Weight	172 g	191 g
Available Colours	Black, Orchid Gray, Gold, Blue	Black, Orchid Gray, Gold, Blue

As you can see, the Samsung Galaxy A8+ 2018 is only a little larger than the Galaxy A8 2018 (Price Check). But it not only comes with a larger 3,500 mAh battery, it also has 50% more memory (6 GB) and twice as much storage (64 GB).

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The Samsung Galaxy A8 2018 Up Close

The Samsung Galaxy A8 2018 (Price Check) is very similar to the Samsung Galaxy S8 in design. They both boast the same glass and metal design, with an Infinity Display and IP68 dust- and water-resistance.

Of course, there are some differences. The Samsung Galaxy A8 2018 has two front cameras, instead of one. It also comes with a dedicated microSD card slot, instead of a hybrid SIM slot; and features a centrally-aligned fingerprint sensor.

 

The Samsung Galaxy A8 2018 Price & Availability

The Samsung Galaxy A8 2018 (Price Check) is available from 19 January 2018 onwards. At launch, there will be four colour options – Black, Orchid Gray, Gold and Blue. However, not all colours are available in every country. Here in Malaysia, only the Black, Gold and Orchid Gray colours will be available.

Samsung has only announced the Samsung Galaxy A8 2018 (Price Check) prices for select countries. Let’s take a look at what’s announced, and what we project will be the launch prices in other countries.

Countries	Samsung Galaxy A8 2018	Samsung Galaxy A8+ 2018
Russia	34,990 Rubles	37,990 Rubles
Vietnam	VND 10,990,000	VND 13,490,000
Malaysia	RM 1,799 (~US$ 449)	RM 2,499 (~US$ 625)
United States	$599 (Estimated)	$649 (Estimated)
United Kingdom	£449 (Estimated)	£559 (Estimated)
Europe	€499	€599
India	Rs 30,980 (Estimated)	Rs 38,040 (Estimated)

Next Page > Key Features of the Samsung Galaxy A8 2018

 

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