Samsung Galaxy A3, A5 and A7 2016 Editions Release Date: Samsung Working On Its Second-Generation Metal Smartphone Range

Sep 22, 2015 12:09 PM EDT

Samsung's recently launched flagship models, the Galaxy Note 5 and S6 Edge+, may get most of the attention but the company also offers some decent mid-range metal phones with its popular Galaxy A series. A new report now claims that the South Korean tech giant could be working a next generation of Galaxy A lineup.

The mid-range series, which includes the Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, and A7, has done a neat job of blending premium features such as metal bodies with middle-range specs, resulting to more affordable prices. On Monday, Samsung-focused tech site SamMobile reports that the device maker is already preparing for a sequel to the said devices.

The site reveals that the upcoming handsets will carry model numbers SM-A5100, SM-A7100 for China and SM-A310F, SM-A510F and SM-A710F models numbers for Russia. Users can expect that these phones will once again be mid-range offerings with the A7's successor being the most powerful out of the three.

Samsung first introduced handsets wrapped in metal bodies via the Galaxy A line before deciding to utilize the chassis design later on its Galaxy S and Galaxy Note range. The A series itself has been fairly well-received by consumers, offering great a solid build and sub-flagship specifications for competitive prices.

The Galaxy A3 is the smallest model in the lineup, sporting a 4.5-inch Super AMOLED display with 245ppi pixel density. Like the other two, the A3 first came running Android 4.4.4 KitKat out of the box but has since been upgradable to Android 5.0.2 Lollipop.

It is powered by a quad-core 1.2 GHz Snapdragon 410 chipset from Qualcomm supported by 1GB RAM and 16 GB of internal storage. The device comes with an 8-megapixel main camera and 5-megapixel front snapper. A non-removable, 1900mAh battery is also packed within.

The specifications gradually increase as Samsung moves to the A5 and A7. For instance, the A5 and A7 feature 5-inch and 5.5-inch displays, respectively. While the A5's processor is similar to the A3, the larger A7 packs a more powerful Snapdragon 615 chip. Both A3 and A7 are furnished with a 13-megapixel camera at the back.

Apart from the model numbers, little else is known about the second-generation Galaxy A handsets. However, the slight change in those model numbers indicates that they will not feature drastic changes and the improvements will be incremental.

Since the Galaxy A3 and A5 are launched back in December 2014 and the Galaxy A7 was just unveiled in January, users can expect the updated versions to surface early next year. As Google is believed to release Android 6.0 Marshmallow later this month, all the Galaxy A models can be presumed to run the said OS once they arrive next year.