The Galaxy A6 and Galaxy A6+ took us by surprise when they were announced, revealing Samsung's plans to take elements of both its mid-range A series and budget J series phones and mixing them to create something that's different from anything we have seen from the company in recent memory. What hasn't changed is that the Plus model has the upper hand in a few key areas as far as the specs are concerned, making the Galaxy A6+ more attractive than the Galaxy A6 despite the slightly higher price tag.
But the Galaxy A6+ also has a few specs and features that put it above the Galaxy A8+, Samsung's most premium and feature-packed mid-range smartphone right now when you consider the overall package. What are these specs/features? Well, let's take a look.
Both the rear and front cameras are impressive
The Galaxy A8+, along with the Galaxy A8, was Samsung's first phone with a dual front camera, and we were impressed by its ability to take attractive Live Focus (bokeh) selfies. But how often does one really take bokeh selfies, especially when you have a group of people with you? That's where the Galaxy A6+ takes the lead with its 24-megapixel front camera. It's a single sensor, but it will give you sharper selfies with more detail.
The difference might not be as big as one would expect as front-facing cameras don't have the same fancy hardware as rear cameras, yet you should be able to notice the improved clarity a higher-resolution sensor will offer. And, for those portrait selfies when you need them, you can always use the software-based Selfie focus feature, which may not work as good as a proper dual camera setup but will still get the job done. Oh, and did we mention the Galaxy A6+ also comes with a flash for the front camera?
The rear camera on the Galaxy A6+ is better equipped than the Galaxy A8+ as well. Samsung has opted to put a dual camera at the back this time around, with the A6+ featuring a primary 16-megapixel sensor paired with a 5-megapixel sensor. The 16 MP camera will probably not take regular photos that are better than the 16 MP camera on the Galaxy A8+, but you will get the option to take Live Focus photos of practically unlimited types of subjects instead of just yourself. Of course, if you are someone who prefers take bokeh selfies, the A8+ would be a better choice. For all others, the A6+ has the more sensible camera setup on both the front and back, putting it ahead of the A8+ in our books.
Android 8.0 Oreo without months of waiting
If there's one major complain Android users have from OEMs, it's that they tend to take months to start releasing phones with the latest version out of the box after Google makes said version of Android official (and pushes it to its Pixel and Nexus devices). Samsung tends to do the same, so while the Galaxy A8 and Galaxy A8+ hit retail around four months after Android 8.0 Oreo was released, they were running Android 7.0 Nougat. Oreo hasn't arrived yet, even though the 2017 models have been updated in at least one or two markets around the world.
The Galaxy A6+, therefore, offers an advantage here. Sure, the Android P upgrade for the A6+ (and the A6) probably isn't going to be coming out anytime soon, but that doesn't take away from the fact that the Galaxy A8+ is running quite an old version of the operating system at this point.
Dolby Atmos for the improved sound quality
This is one feature Samsung's isn't highlighting much in its Galaxy A6 and A6+ marketing, probably because these phones don't have stereo loudspeakers. But that's the thing: The effect of Dolby Atmos is more pronounced on headphones than it is on loudspeakers, so it doesn't take away anything from the Galaxy A6+ and puts it a step ahead of the A8+ as far as the audio experience is concerned. And believe us when we say that Dolby Atmos makes a positive difference. You may need to use third-party earphones to get the full benefit as we're not yet sure what kind of earbuds Samsung is offering in the box, but again, the fact that you have Dolby Atmos support on the A6+ gives it the upper hand over the plus-sized Galaxy A8.
What do you think? Do you agree the features listed here make the Galaxy A6+ a more attractive purchase over the Galaxy A8+? Tell us in the comments, and look forward to our review of the Galaxy A6 and A6+ in the near future!
