Samsung unveils Galaxy A8 and A8+

Samsung Electronics Singapore has debuted their two new smartphones – the Galaxy A8 and the Galaxy A8+ – at their newly revamped Samsung Experience Store at VivoCity today.

Aesthetically, the Samsung Galaxy A8 and A8+ look almost identical to the S-series, which is the high-end flagship smartphones that Samsung Electronics manufactures. They too have an Infinity Display that adds to the uncanny resemblance. But what sets them apart is mainly the camera.

Dual Front Camera with Live Focus

The new Galaxy A8 and A8+ feature a new 16MP and 8MP F1.9 Dual Front Camera with Live Focus, and a 16MP rear camera with an aperture of F1.7.

For people who are unfamiliar with Live Focus, which was first introduced to the Galaxy Note 8, it is a feature to blur the subject’s background to create a Portrait mode effect. The level of blur can also be adjusted before and after taking the picture. There’s a new feature added to the Live Focus called the Change Focus, which allows users to reselect the subject that they want to focus on after even taking the photo.

Other features include Snapchat-like AR stickers to beautify or “cutify” your photos and a Beautify mode for video selfies, which used to be available only for still images.

The Galaxy A8 and A8+ are IP68-certified water and dust resistant, a feature that is expected in all smartphones today. They also have an Always-on Display to give the user a quick glance at the time and calendar without having to wake the screen. Both the new additions to the A-series are also the first in their category to support the Samsung Gear VR.

The two models are equipped with Samsung Pay, letting consumers make fuss-free, safe and secure mobile payments almost anywhere. All it needs is your fingerprint or your PIN to initiate the payment. The Galaxy A8 and A8+ do not have an Iris scanner. However, what they do have are facial recognition security features alongside with fingerprint, PIN lock and pattern lock to keep your devices secure.

Technical Specifications

Delving into the technical specifications, the Galaxy A8 and A8+ are very similar on the inside as well, but there are still some noteworthy differences that you should know. The smaller Galaxy A8 has a 5.6-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display, 4GB of RAM, 32 GB of internal storage (expandable up to 256GB with a microSD card)and a 3,000mAh battery. On the other hand, the Galaxy A8+ has a 6-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display, 6GB of RAM, 64 GB of internal storage (expandable up to 256GB with a microSD card) and a 3,500mAh battery.

The Galaxy A8 and A8+ will be available from 27 January 2018 onwards at a recommended retail price of S$648 and S$748 respectively. It comes in Black and Gold, and you can find them in major telecommunication stores, consumer electronic stores, authorised retailers, Samsung Experience Stores and selected online marketplace.

Specifications of the Samsung Galaxy A8 and A8+