Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) launches: Official specs, features, price and release date revealed

Samsung has officially launched its new line-up of Galaxy A series handsets. The latest Galaxy A3, Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A7 (2017) are going to be made available in Russia in the next few days before hitting global markets.

The 2017 Galaxy A3, which is the smallest among its group, furnishes a 4.7-inch HD Super AMOLED display with a 720 x 1280 pixel resolution and 312 ppi pixel density. It packs a 1.6 GHz octa-core Cortex-A53 CPU with 16 GB of internal storage and 2 GB of RAM. An external microSD memory slot is also available that is expandable up to 256 GB.

The Samsung Galaxy A3 has a 13 MP primary camera along with its 8 MP secondary shooter. Both cameras have f/1.9 apertures. The A3 has the least powerful battery capacity among the 2017 Galaxy A series smartphones, with only 2,350 mAh stored in its non-removable lithium-ion cell. In comparison, the Galaxy A5 packs a 3,000 mAh battery while the A7 boasts of a robust 3,600 mAh unit.

The new Galaxy A3 runs on Android 6.0.16 Marshmallow, not the latest Nougat OS. It has an IP68 rating, which means that it is water resistant to a maximum depth of 1.5 meters and for up to 30 minutes. The IP certification also means that the Galaxy A3 is dust proof and doesn’t need additional covers to block off dirt and sand.

Additional features of the new A3 include Samsung Pay, Samsung KNOX and S-Voice. The handset also retains the 3.5 mm headphone jack and the usual utility sensors (fingerprint sensor, accelerometer, proximity, compass and barometer).

The Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) is available in four colour options: blue coral, black sky, peach cloud and gold sand. The new handset retails for €329 (AU$479) and will hit Russian shores first before being distributed worldwide.

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