By now you're probably well aware that Samsung took the wraps off the Galaxy A3 (2017), Galaxy A5 (2017) and Galaxy A7 (2017) earlier today. We've already put the Galaxy A3 (2017) and Galaxy A5 (2017) head-to-head with their predecessors to pick out all the differences in specifications, and now we're following suit with the Galaxy A7 (2016) and Galaxy A7 (2017).
The Galaxy A7 (2017) is actually pretty similar to the Galaxy A5 (2017). It sports the same 1.9GHz Exynos 7880 octa-core CPU, 3GB of RAM and 16MP front- and rear-facing camera. However, it also bundles a slightly larger display and a bigger 3,600mAh battery, which should see it through over a day of medium-to-heavy use. Although, that's unconfirmed at present.
A detailed comparison of the Galaxy A7 (2016) and Galaxy A7 (2017) can be seen in the table below. For more specifics on the handset’s internals, click here.
| Galaxy A7 (2016) | Galaxy A7 (2017) | |
| Display | 5.5-inch FHD Super AMOLED, 424ppi, Corning Gorilla Glass 4 | 5.7-inch FHD Super AMOLED, 424ppi, Corning Gorilla Glass 4, Always On Display |
| Processor | Exynos 7580 Octa, 1.6GHz octa-core CPU, and Mali-T720MP2 GPU | Exynos 7880 Octa, 1.9GHz octa-core CPU, and Mali-T830MP3 GPU |
| RAM | 3GB | 3GB |
| Rear Camera | 13-megapixel CMOS, f/1.9, autofocus, OIS, 1080p video recording | 16-megapixel CMOS, f/1.9, autofocus, OIS, 1080p video recording |
| Front camera | 5-megapixel, f/1.9 aperture, 1080p video recording | 16-megapixel, f/1.9 aperture, 1080p video recording |
| Storage | 16GB internal, microSD card slot (up to 128GB) | 32GB internal, microSD slot (up to 256GB) |
| Software | Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, upgradable to Android 7.0 | Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, upgradable to Android 7.0 |
| Connectivity | Dual-SIM, LTE, FM Radio, dual-band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth v4.1, GPS, microUSB v2.0 with OTG | Dual-SIM, LTE, FM Radio, dual-band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth v4.2, GPS, USB Type-C with OTG |
| Battery | 3,300 mAh, fast wired charging | 3,600 mAh, fast wired charging |
| Other features | Samsung KNOX, Fingerprint sensor, Samsung Pay (NFC model only) | Samsung Pay (NFC and MST), KNOX, fingerprint sensor, IP68 dust and water resistance, and USB Type-C port |
