Samsung Galaxy A8 Star: All you need to know

Samsung’s Galaxy A series is meant to bridge the gap between the company’s $1000 flagships and the $300 budget phones and so far, it seems Samsung isn’t done with the number of handsets it wants to fill this category.

The latest addition to the growing list of Galaxy A devices is the Samsung Galaxy A8 Star. Launched in China as the Galaxy A9 Star, the company says this phone’s market target is to capture the young consumers aged below 30. To do this, Samsung has designed the A8 Star to match the expectations of what most of the consumers in this age group look for in a phone: it has a modern-day design, powerful specs under the hood, top-notch photography specs, a huge battery, and comes at a price that is significantly lower than what the Galaxy S9 commands.

Samsung Galaxy A8 Star specs

6.3-inch 18.5:9 FHD+ AMOLED screen
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor
4GB RAM
64GB expandable storage, up to 400GB
Dual 24MP + 16MP main camera
24MP front camera
3700mAh battery
Android 8.0 Oreo
Extras: Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C, 3.5mm audio jack, rear-mounted scanner, selfie flash, Live Focus, AR stickers, Bixby Home, Bixby Reminder, Bixby Vision, Bixby Voice, AOD, Dual Messenger, App Pair, supports Gear VR, etc.

Since the taller aspect ratio has become a staple among modern mobile devices, Samsung is keeping it alive with the Galaxy A8 Star. While the display screen (and design) is quite similar to the current Galaxy A8 with its sharp and vibrant AMOLED panel, you don’t get the QHD screen resolution of the flagship Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S9.

One element that the new A8 Star does offer over the existing A8+ is an improved battery capacity of 3700mAh. Similar to the standard A8, though, you get 4GB of RAM and 64GB onboard storage that can be expanded using a microSD card of up to 400GB, but the biggest difference seems to be the processor. The Galaxy A8 Star is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor, which is contrary to Samsung’s very own Exynos 7885 SoC that powers the A8 and A8+.

The Galaxy A8 Star is the first in the Galaxy A series to come with a dual-lens camera on the back. The Galaxy A8+ does have a dual camera, but it’s for the selfie shooter. Also, the A8 Star is the first to adopt iPhone X-style dual-lens camera setup on the back, but unlike the Apple flagship, you get a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner.

Samsung Galaxy A8 Star price and availability

As pointed out earlier, Samsung Galaxy A8 Star was launched in China as the Galaxy A9 Star, but it is the former name that you’ll see when the phone hits your local store. We don’t know the exact markets that will get the A8 Star, but the phone is already available in South Korea beginning July 6 priced at 649,000 won, which is about $580.

Typically, Samsung phones tend to have steeper price tags in Korea, but this is in no way trying to imply that the Galaxy A8 Satr will come to your local shop priced lower than what it costs in its home country. In fact, don’t be surprised if the A8 Star commands a similar price tag as the Galaxy A8+, which means we are looking at pricing in the regions of $600.

Do you think it was time for Samsung to already replace the 2018 Galaxy A8, or will you make the use of Galaxy A8 Star to get a deeper discount on the latter?