The Galaxy A7 2018 is official: Samsung's first tri-lens camera phone arrives in India

Samsung usually holds two major smartphone events in a year – one in the first half of the year for releasing the Galaxy S series and another in the second half for the Galaxy Note launch. This year’s events are already behind us, but Samsung isn’t done yet.

The company will be in Malaysia on October 11 to hold a Galaxy event in which the Samsung Galaxy A7 2018 will be unveiled to the globe. The phone has already been launched in South Korea, meaning that we already have details of the specs and features to expect when it arrives at your next-door Samsung shop.

Galaxy A7 2018 specs

6-inch 18.5:9 FHD+ Super AMOLED display
2.2GHz octa-core processor
4GB or 6GB RAM
64GB or 128GB expandable storage
Tri-lens 24MP + 8MP + 5MP main camera
24MP front camera
3300mAh battery
Android 8.0 Oreo
Extras: Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C, side-mounted fingerprint scanner, face unlock, NFC, Samsung Pay, 3.5mm audio jack, etc.

The Galaxy A series is the company’s stepping stone to the high-end Galaxy S and Note series and also bridges the gap between the high-end and budget family of Galaxy J handsets. For these reasons, the Galaxy A7 2018 puts together a series of midrange and premium qualities to bring about a perfect blend of specs and features aimed at delivering optimal performance at an affordable price.

High up on the list is the introduction of a Triple Camera system on the back of the Galaxy A7 2018, making it the second major handset to adopt this technology following its debut on the Huawei P20 Pro earlier this year. According to Sammy, the three lenses make it more fun to record and share photos and videos.

The 8MP lens in the setup will provide a wide-angle view of up to 120 degrees – the same as the human eye, meaning you can capture images just like you see them. Even better is that Panorama mode lets you shoot more landscapes scenes more easily and with the help of the main 24MP shooter supported by a 5MP lens, you will end up with beautiful bokeh effects on your shots. Samsung says the A7 2018 camera app will also let you adjust how smooth or blurry the background gets even after you’ve saved the photos in the Gallery app.

For improved low-light photography, the main camera combines 4 pixels into one to ensure that the phone captures brighter and clearer photos even when in dark places. The Galaxy A7 2018 camera also supports a function known as Intelligent Camera that eliminates the need to manually adjust camera modes or even apply filters depending on shooting scenes. Instead, the feature will recognize people, animals, food, landscapes, etc. and capture photos of them with optimal color.

Samsung didn’t solely focus on delivering quality photography on the main camera of the Galaxy A7 2018. On the front, the phone ships with a massive 24MP lens for selfies. The company says this sensor can take advantage of the display screen light and LED flash to capture brighter photos in the dark. Furthermore, there’s a function known as Pro Lighting and with it, you’ll get a lighting effect on the left or right side of the target object that makes the photo look like it was taken in a professional studio.

The Galaxy A7 2017 and A8 2018 both had an IP68-rated body featuring glass and metal. While the Galaxy A7 2018 keeps the design material, what is still unclear is whether there is dust and water resistance, but it’s likely to be present rated at the same IP68. The A7 2018 still keeps the fingerprint scanner, but this time it’s side-mounted. The phone also comes with support for facial recognition, but of course, this should be nowhere near Apple’s Face ID.

Like any other premium Samsung phone released in 2018, the Galaxy A7 2018 also brings you support for Bixby, Samsung Health, keeps the trendy USB-C port alongside the 3.5mm audio jack, and runs Android Oreo out of the box. The phone can be had in Black, Blue, Pink or Gold color variants.

Galaxy A7 2018 price and availability

Samsung launched the Galaxy A7 2018 in South Korea on September 19, 2018, and beginning September 25th, the phone will be available for purchase in India as a Flipkart exclusive. The base model goes for INR 23,990 while the high-end variant is valued at INR 28,990, figures that translate to about $330 and $400, respectively.

Some European retailers have already put an asking price of €350 on the A7 2018, but this isn’t official just yet. A Galaxy event will be held in Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur on October 11, which is when the Galaxy A7 2018 will be announced to the rest of the globe. It is on this day that we’ll get all the details regarding the phone’s pricing as well as if and when it will arrive in your local shop.