Samsung has strengthened its Galaxy smartphone line up with the unveiling of the A5 and A3 devices in the UAE, as it aims to attract younger users and those who frequent social media.
The arrival of the 5-inch A5 and 4.5-inch A3 follows on from Samsung's launch of the impressive Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note Edge towards the end of last year.
The new A5 and A3 are Samsung’s slimmest smartphones to date and feature a full metal body.
The front facing 5-megapixel camera is designed for selfie lovers, with features such as Wide Selfie, Palm Selfie, Beauty Face and Rear-cam selfie included.
Like the Galaxy S5, they have a Super Amoled display, though the resolution is lower.
The A5 and A3 are available in pearl white, midnight black, platinum silver and champagne gold and are priced at Dh1,499 and Dh1,099 respectively.
“The Galaxy A5 and A3 offer our young consumers the superior features that users have come to expect from Samsung’s premium Galaxy devices, as well as an advanced way to capture, connect and share their digital lives,” said Hayssam Yassine, head of telecommunications group at Samsung Gulf Electronics.
Samsung is the biggest selling mobile phone brand in the world, however its market share fell from 25.7 per cent in the third quarter of 2013 to 20.6 per cent in the third quarter of last year, research company Gartner revealed.
The company has come up against a revitalised Apple following its launch of the iPhone 6, while smartphone makers such as Huawei and Xiaomi are increasing their market share.
According to the most recent data from the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, the Galaxy S5 was the tenth most popular smartphone in the UAE in the third quarter of 2014.
The Galaxy Note 3 was eighth most popular, the Galaxy S Duos sixth, S4 fifth, and S3 third.
How the Samsung Galaxy A5 compares to the S5
Weight: A5 123g, S5 145g
Battery capacity: A5 2,300mAh, S5 2,800mAh
Removable battery: A5 no, S5 yes
Screen size: A5 5ins, S5 5.1ins
Resolution: A5 720x1280 pixels, S5 1080x1920 pixels
Colours: A5 16 million, S5 16 million
Processor: A5 1.2GHz quad-core, S5 1.9GHz octa-core
RAM: A5 2GB, S5 2GB
Rear camera: A5 13-megapixel, S5 16-megapixel
Front camera: A5 5-megapixel, S5 2.1-megapixel
Operating system: A5 Android 4.4, S5 Android 4.4.2
ioxborrow@thenational.ae
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