Samsung Galaxy A series (2017) with IP68 Dust and Water Resistant

Samsung Galaxy A series (2017) is the company’s first mid-range smartphones carry an IP68 dust and water resistance rating.

In the first week of 2017, Samsung Malaysia launches the new Galaxy A series (2017) with IP68 dust and water resistance rating.

The target market of the new Galaxy A series (2017) is the millennial consumers who are socially active, fun-seeking individuals who live in the moment.

“For the first time ever in the Galaxy A series, we made the 2017 variant to be dust and water resistant – youthful, trendy and cool as the right companion for millennials!” said Mr Lee Jui Siang, Vice President, IT & Mobile Business Unit, Samsung Malaysia Electronics.

IP68 Dust and Water resistance

For the first time, Samsung’s mid-range smartphones get IP68 dust and water resistance rating.

Meaning, the Galaxy A5(2017) and Galaxy A7(2017)phones can stay in 1.5 metres of water for 30 minutes and protected against dust ingress.

IP stands for “Ingress Protection”. The first digit is for solids protection rate. The second digit is for liquids protection. 6 is the highest rate for solids protection. The highest rate for liquid protection is 9K, a level above IPx8.

Camera

Both front and rear camera of Galaxy A5(2017) and Galaxy A7(2017) are 16MP resolution with F1.9 big aperture lens.

With Light+ Camera feature, the phone camera would take sharper and brighter photos in low light or at night.

The new phone series has a Floating Camera Button which can be moved freely anywhere on the screen. It is a convenient feature for selfies.

Samsung Pay

The new Galaxy A series (2017) is Samsung Pay ready. It allows you to make purchases using the phone where credit, debit, prepaid cards are accepted. It is compatible with NFC (Near Field Communication) and MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) terminals.

Currently, Samsung Pay in Malaysia is beta testing for selected Maybank Visa cardholders. More Malaysia banks (CIMB, Citibank, Standard Chartered) will support Samsung Pay.

Other features

Other features of the new Samsung Galaxy A series (2017) include a bigger battery, fast-charging via USB Type-C port, “Always On” display feature, secure folder, and free Samsung Cloud storage.

Galaxy A5 (2017) vs Galaxy A (2017)

Besides the prices, Galaxy A7(2017) and Galaxy A5(2017) only have small differences:

• Display: 5.7″ (A7) vs 5.2″ (A5)
• Battery: 3,600 mAh (A7) vs 3,000 mAh (A5)

Compared to last year (2016) Galaxy A series, the 2017 models have higher resolution cameras, especially for the front-facing camera – a major upgrade from 5MP to 16MP (2017)!

Also, Galaxy A series (2017) have double phone storage space, larger battery capacity and, of course, IP68 dust and water resistance.

Samsung Galaxy A series (2017) Price and Availability

The recommended retail price is RM1,899 for Galaxy A7(2017) and RM1,699 for Galaxy A5(2017) inclusive of GST.

The new Galaxy A series (2017) will be available at all Samsung brand stores in Malaysia from 25th January 2017 onwards (just before Chinese New Year).

Customers who make in-store pre-order at selected Samsung outlets start from 6th to 15th January 2017 will receive a free Samsung Level U Pro wireless headphones worth RM399.

Online-preorder is available on Samsung online stores at Lazada and 11street.