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Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018) · Samsung Mobile Press; SM_A530F_GalaxyA8_Front_Gold-2.jpg

Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018)
Photo 1 of 24

Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018) · Samsung Mobile Press; SM_A530F_GalaxyA8_Front_Gold-2.jpg

Samsung · Galaxy A

Galaxy A8 (2018)

Released January 2018

A 4G Android phone with a 5.6-inch OLED screen, dual front cameras and IP68 water resistance.

Model history · 4 models, 2014–2018
  1. 2014Galaxy A5 (2015)Compare
  2. 2015Galaxy A5 (2016)Compare
  3. 2017Galaxy A5 (2017)Compare
  4. 2018Galaxy A8 (2018)
Screen
5.6″
Display
OLED
Chip
Exynos 7885
Memory
4 GB
Storage
32 GB
Main camera
16 MP
Zoom
–
Battery
3,000 mAh
Weight
172 g

What reviewers say

TechRadar and Notebookcheck praised the vivid OLED screen, sturdy build and water resistance. Both considered it expensive beside faster alternatives. TechRadar found its low-light photos disappointing, while Notebookcheck was more positive about the rear camera.

From techradar.com and notebookcheck.net

Specifications

Report a wrong or missing spec

Display

Screen size
5.6″
Resolution
2220 × 1080
Sharpness
441 pixels per inch
Panel
OLED
Display type
Full HD+ Super AMOLED Infinity Display, 18.5:9; Always On Display

Performance

Chip
Exynos 7885
Memory
4 GB
Storage
32 GB
CPU
Exynos 7885 octa-core; chip identified in Notebookcheck's exact-model review
Storage type
Dedicated microSD slot supports up to 512 GB on the BTU product page

Cameras

Main camera
16 MP
Ultra wide camera
None
Telephoto camera
None
Optical zoom
None
Front camera
16 MP
Main camera
16 MP, F1.7, phase-detection autofocus; no optical image stabilisation
Front camera
Dual 16 MP and 8 MP, both F1.9, with Live Focus portraits
Video recording
Full HD 1920 × 1080 at 30 fps; digital video stabilisation

Battery and charging

Battery
3,000 mAh
Video playback (maker's claim)
Up to 17 hours
Wireless charging
None
Battery life detail
3,000 mAh; up to 17 hours video playback; fast charging

Design

Type
Standard
Weight
172 g
Thickness
8.4 mm
Height × width
149.2 × 70.6 mm
Water and dust resistance
IP68
Materials
Curved glass front and back with metal frame
Colours
Black, Gold and Orchid Grey announced for UK and Europe
Water resistance detail
IP68 dust and water resistance, up to 1.5 metres for 30 minutes in fresh water
Biometrics
Rear fingerprint reader and face recognition
Speakers
3.5 mm headphone socket

Software

Operating system
Android
Software at launch
Android 7.1.1 Nougat
Safety features
Samsung Knox, Secure Folder and Samsung Pay

Connectivity

Mobile network
4G LTE Cat. 11, 3G WCDMA and 2G GSM
SIM
Single nano-SIM with separate microSD slot on the BTU configuration
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 5 (802.11a/b/g/n/ac), 2.4 and 5 GHz
Bluetooth
Bluetooth 5.0
NFC
Supported
USB
USB-C 2.0
Positioning
GPS, GLONASS and BeiDou

Storage options

Storage
32 GB

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Full HD+ Super AMOLED screen
  • IP68 water and dust resistance
  • USB-C, headphone socket and dedicated microSD slot

Cons

  • No optical image stabilisation
  • Video recording limited to Full HD

Closest rivals

Model
ScreenDisplayChipMemoryStorageMain cameraZoomBatteryWeightReleased
GooglePixel 3
5.5″OLEDQualcomm Snapdragon 8454 GB64 GB – 128 GB12.2 MP–2,915 mAh148 gOct 2018
MotorolaMoto G6
5.7″LCDQualcomm Snapdragon 4503 GB – 4 GB32 GB – 64 GB12 MP–3,000 mAh167 g2018
SonyXperia XZ2
5.7″LCDSnapdragon 8454 GB64 GB19 MP–3,180 mAh198 gApr 2018

Previous model: Galaxy A5 (2017).

Sources

  1. samsung.com/ie/business/smartphones/galaxy-a/galaxy-a8-sm-a530-sm-a530fzdabtu
  2. news.samsung.com/uk/samsung-introduces-the-galaxy-a8-with-dual-front-camera-lar…
  3. news.samsung.com/kr/%EC%82%BC%EC%84%B1%EC%A0%84%EC%9E%90-2018%EB%85%84%ED%98%95…
  4. notebookcheck.net/Samsung-Galaxy-A8-2018-Smartphone-Review.287276.0.html

Photo: Samsung Mobile Press; SM_A530F_GalaxyA8_Front_Gold-2.jpg

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