Updated 12/21/17 – Added pricing and availability info.
The market for mid-range phones is more aggressive than ever, and Samsung is driving this point home as much as it can with its newly announced Galaxy A8 and A8+. These two phones bared all in a recent leak, but we now have confirmation from Samsung on their specifications and release date.
The A8 and A8+ share a lot of the same specs, including Samsung's Exynos 7885 processor, 32-64GB of storage, 4GB RAM (up to 6GB on A8+), Android 7.1.1 Nougat, a 16MP f/1.7 rear camera, and two front-facing cameras. You'll find a 16MP and 8MP lens on the front of the A8 and A8+, and this allows for a portrait selfie mode like we've seen on the Pixel 2 and iPhone X.
Another standout feature for these two phones is their displays. The A8 and A8+ come equipped with a Super AMOLED Infinity Display, allowing for slim bezels, an 18:9 aspect ratio, and rounded corners. The A8 has a screen size of 5.6-inches while the A8+'s measures in at 6.0-inches, but both share the same resolution of Full HD+.
Other welcome additions include a glass back with a metal frame, rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, IP68 dust/water resistance, Gear VR support, and Samsung Pay for NFC and MST transactions.
Samsung says the A8 and A8+ will be launching in early January 2018, and while availability for all markets has yet to be announced, the company has confirmed the phones will be launching in at least Vietnam on January 6. As for pricing, the Galaxy A8 will cost €499 while the A8+ will be unsurprisingly more expensive at €599.
What are your first impressions of the Galaxy A8/A8+?
Samsung's Galaxy A8 might be one of 2018's best budget phones
