I have always been at ease using Samsung smartphones for many years since the untimely death of my favourite swedish Nokia brand. Once the market leader, it was very difficult for me to comprehend the incompetent show put up by Nokia in India & eventually like many other Nokia fans. I switched over & remained loyal to the Korean major Samsung & began liking their smartphone line up. I believe in upgrading my mobile every two years keeping in mind newer technology that is usually on offer. After extensively using my galaxy grand max 3G for a little over two years, I decided to upgrade to a premium 4G smartphone not costing more than 30, 000 INR.
After many hours of intensive browsing, comparisons & contemplation I decided that the Samsung A7 was the best bet. Dropped into Sangeeta Mobiles & availed an interest free EMI offer from Home Credit Finance. I paid 8000/- as down payment & the rest in EMI of 2558/- for 8 months. Sangeeta Mobiles(Jayanagar 4th blk - Bangalore branch) lived up to their mark & ensured easy purchase in an hours time. Kudos to Sangeeta Mobiles.
Dashed back home with a smile & started the dissection of the box! I don’t know how it feels with other brands but somehow unboxing Samsung smartphones really feels nice as all contents are superbly packed & the packaging quality is top notch - as are its contents. The brand itself is re-assuring & you always end up telling yourself - that you have made a wise decision to put your hard earned money on.
I really do not want to bore the readers here by being too tech saavy but would like to put forth some basic technical details:
This beast(ha-ha.as I call it) is equipped with:
1.6 Ghz Octacore processor+ 3GB RAM, 3300 mAh battery, 16GB ROM, 1080x1920 res AMOLED 5.5 in. display, 13MP / 5MP camera & shipped with Android 5.1 lollipop.
I immediately upgraded to Android 6.0 Marshmallow as I was prompted to.
What I Really liked about the A7:-
Stunning design & build quality. Feels rock solid to hold & feels like it can take in lots of abuse.
The Gorilla Corning 2 glass is really reassuring & ensures the unit remains scratch resistant.
Brilliant AMOLED display sharpness & high pixel density.Viewing under the bright sun(outdoor) is not as strainful.
The Quick charging 2A charger is a boon for this power consuming beast. I roughly regain 50% battery power within 20 minutes of charging.
DSLR like quality snaps from both rear & front cameras.
The galaxy apps, particulary the s-health app is very useful. Everything works as it is intended to. No hanging issues at all. The built in smart manager helps clear the ram & close apps & refresh. Really smart!
Superb multi tasking, split screen view, seamless and fast scrolling of pages noted. Nothing much to complain here.
Feature rich phone comparable to pricier phones. Very rich feel & looks upmarket. Total quality stuff by Samsung leaves one speechless.
Brand Image & Ownership experience far better than many chinese brands available in the market.
What could have been better( A few things I disliked) in the A7:-
The phone heats up on charging sometimes.
The backlighting on the two capacitative touch buttons could stay on for longer.( Though this useful feature is hard to find on many smartphones of late)
I miss the LED notification light that blinks for missed calls / sms etc.
Battery(3300 mAh) though is big on power delivery, still drains out earlier than you expect so!
Limited choice of built in ring tones. None of the ring tones is up to my liking.
I strongly feel that the phone is overpriced by about 4000 to 5000 INR.
My Final Verdict:-
I feel I have made a very sensible decision to stick to the Samsung brand( resisting several advises & recommendations from my friends who suggested cheaper chinese brands), they now are in awe whenever they tend to lay their hands on my A7. It is a high performance device & am sure will grow upon you as your best companion for your daily life.I cannot, atleast as of now go to bed without this device next to my pillow! Simply Adore you A7!
The much awaited 2017 edition may be even better. I would surely recommend the A7 to those who are contemplating on possessing one. Cheers!