Samsung's new Galaxy A series phones are finally out, and they bring substantial upgrades to the company's mid-range lineup. There's the Infinity display for a virtually all-screen experience, dual front cameras, and even support for the Gear VR. When you compare the Galaxy A8 and Galaxy A8+ to the Galaxy A series devices from 2016, when the lineup first encroached on flagship territory with a premium design and high-end specs, the A8 and A8+ become even more impressive.
Specs comparison: Galaxy A5 (2016) vs Galaxy A8 (2018)
We'll have a detailed review for both devices in the future, but for now, take a look at the table to see how the smaller of the new A series phones compares to the Galaxy A5 (2016) on the specifications front. To see how it compares to the A5 (2017), go here, and also see the full spec sheet on our devices page.
| Galaxy A5 (2016) | Galaxy A8 (2018) | |
| Display | 5.2-inch FHD Super AMOLED | 5.6-inch FHD+ (2220×1080 pixels) Super AMOLED Infinity |
| Processor | Exynos 7580 Octa, 1.6GHz octa-core, Mali-T720MP2 GPU | Exynos 7885 Octa, 2.2GHz dual-core + 1.6GHz hexa-core, Mali-G71 GPU |
| RAM | 2GB | 4GB |
| Rear Camera | 13-megapixel, f/1.9 aperture | 16-megapixel, f/1.7 aperture, phase detection autofocus |
| Front camera | 5-megapixel, f/1.9 aperture | 16-megapixel + 8-megapixel dual camera, f/1.9 aperture, Live Focus portrait mode |
| Storage | 16GB internal, microSD card slot (up to 128GB) | 32GB/64GB internal, microSD slot (up to 256GB) |
| Software | Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, upgradable to Android 7.0 | Android 7.1.1 Nougat, upgradable to Android 8.0 Oreo |
| Connectivity | Dual-SIM, LTE, FM Radio, dual-band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth v4.1, GPS, microUSB v2.0 | Dual-SIM, LTE, FM Radio, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, NFC, USB Type-C |
| Battery | 2,900 mAh, fast wired charging | 3,000 mAh, fast wired charging |
| Other features | Fingerprint sensor, Samsung Pay (NFC model only) | Samsung Pay (NFC and MST), fingerprint sensor, IP68 dust and water resistance, Always On Display, Gear VR support |
