After announcing the Galaxy A8 in December last year, Samsung Australia has brought the phone to Australia offering the phone for $649.
Though Samsung announced both the A8 and a larger screened A8+ model, it appears we’re only going to be seeing the smaller A8 model here in Australia. At launch Samsung described the Galaxy A8 as being made with a metal frame with sleek glass offering curves which makes for a comfortable grip. The phone includes the curved Infinity Display of the S9 series, and the A8 brings the 18.5:9 aspect ratio to the A-series as well. Internally, the phone includes an octa-core Exynos 7885 processor with 4GB of RAM, 32GB of on-board storage and MicroSD (Up to 400GB).
The Galaxy A8 is all about photography, with Samsung includes a single 16MP rear camera with f/1.7 aperture, but on the front a dual-camera setup is included with a 16MP and 8MP sensors included with f/1.9 aperture on both. The dual front cameras works with Samsung’s live focus feature allowing for stunning Bokeh effects from the front camera.
| Key Specifications: | Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018) |
|---|---|
| Release date | — |
| Screen size | 5.6-inch |
| Screen technology | AMOLED |
| Resolution | 2,280 x 1,080 |
| PPI | 441 |
| Rear camera | 16MP |
| Front camera | 16MP+8MP |
| Chipset | Exynos 7885 |
| Core config | — |
| RAM | 4GB |
| Storage | 32GB |
| MicroSD | Yes, up to 400GB |
| Battery | 3,000 mAh |
| Battery removable | — |
| Connector | USB type-C |
| Headphone Port | — |
| Headphone Location | — |
| Speaker Configuration | — |
| NFC | Yes |
| Android OS | Android 7.1.1 (Nougat) |
| Vendor skin | — |
| Dimensions | 149.2 x 70.6 x 8.4 |
| Weight | 172g |
| Colours | Black + Orchid Grey |
The new phone includes support for both NFC and MST payments and will be compatible with Samsung Pay, which all four of the ‘big four’ Australian banks, plus a large portion of smaller financial institutions, are offering to their customers.
Both JB Hifi and The Good Guys are offering the Samsung Galaxy A8 in Black, however JB Hifi is also offering the phone in Orchid Grey – Samsung Australia is also offering the phone in both colours on their website as well. We’ve yet to hear whether any Australian carriers will be offering the Galaxy A8 (or A8+) but we’re sure to find out shortly.
I buy various phones, play with them for a few weeks and then sell them again. Unless I find a keeper. Currently on the Note8 as it is my favourite. Was looking forward to getting the A8+ as I also have an A7 (2017) but it seems Samsung has withdrawn the A7 and it looks like they won’t be releasing the A8+ at all… Could this be a marketing strategy to push bigger screen seekers to their flagship devices??