Samsung Galaxy A8+: Note 8’ s admirable, affordable spin- off
Samsung has gone for a different design approach with their 2018 lineup of their second- premium A- series and their first offering — the ` 32,990 Galaxy A8+ aims to fight it out with the flagship killers. However, the A8+ is simply not the same old wine in a new bottle. The A8+ focuses on a premium user experience — it looks and feels ‘ outright luxurious’. Samsung has gone for the familiar Note 8- like aesthetics, sans the curved edges on the front. The icing on the cake is the IP68 water and dust resistance certification, which means you can take it all out without worrying about liquid damages.
The Galaxy A8+’ s 6inch AMOLED display has a screen- to- body ratio of 75 per cent, which renders eye- popping colours — particularly the mesmerising deep black colour, and the exceptional contrasts. The A8+ uses Samsung’s latest 14nm mid- range Exynos 7885 octa- core chipset along with a Mali- G71 GPU, which along with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage, and Samsung Experience 8.5 UI based on Android Nougat 7.1, manages to utilise the hardware efficiently with pleasing aesthetics. It feels swift, although not as eager as its rivals. There’s a stripped- down version of Bixby with no voice recognition and translation features, Always- On Display, Samsung Pass ( allows you to log in social media accounts using biometric sensors) and Samsung Pay, which makes using credit/ debit cards easier on the move.
The 16MP + 8MP dual selfie camera captures great looking selfies ( portrait mode also available) with ample details and vibrant colours, even in low- light ambience. The 16MP rear camera features negligible noise in low light scenarios and manages to retain natural colours in all lighting conditions.
With a 3500mAh power resource, the Galaxy A8+ manages to extract a maximum of a day’s backup under moderate usage. Overall, the A8+ shines where it matters the most for casual smartphone users — aesthetics, display, photography and battery. It’s a pleasant ‘ non- flagship killer, ‘ premium phone.