Vivo T5 Pro and Google Pixel 10a approach the mid-range segment with clearly different priorities. Vivo leans into aggressive hardware, larger battery, faster charging, and a high-refresh display, while Google focuses on software optimization, computational photography, and long-term support. With both devices targeting similar buyers at very different price points, this comparison breaks down where each phone stands and which one makes more sense depending on usage priorities.

Design and Display

Build and Feel

The Vivo T5 Pro leans toward a bold, rugged approach with a plastic frame and back, backed by strong IP68/IP69 protection. It feels built for durability and endurance, clearly targeting heavy users. The Pixel 10a, on the other hand, brings a more refined finish with an aluminum frame and Gorilla Glass protection. It feels more premium in hand, even if it doesn’t push extreme durability standards as aggressively. The cleaner design language on the Pixel makes it feel more polished for everyday use.

Display Quality

Vivo takes a clear lead in raw display specs with a larger AMOLED panel, ultra-smooth 144Hz refresh rate, and extremely high peak brightness. It’s built for immersive viewing and gaming. The Pixel 10a focuses more on balance, offering a smaller P-OLED panel with 120Hz and strong HDR tuning. While not as aggressive, it delivers more natural colors and better consistency.

Verdict

Vivo T5 Pro is for big-screen lovers and gamers, while Pixel 10a feels more refined and balanced for daily use.

Specifications Including Battery

Performance

The Vivo T5 Pro runs on the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4, delivering solid mid-range performance with a focus on efficiency and stable gaming. It handles multitasking smoothly but stays within predictable limits. The Pixel 10a’s Tensor G4, however, is more AI-focused and optimized for real-world tasks like photography and smart features. While not always the fastest in raw benchmarks, it feels smarter and more adaptive in daily use.

Battery and Charging

This is where Vivo dominates. The massive 9020 mAh battery is designed for extreme endurance, easily lasting far beyond a typical day. Combined with 90W fast charging, it minimizes downtime significantly. The Pixel 10a offers a more standard 5100 mAh battery with slower wired charging and the addition of wireless charging. It’s more about convenience than raw power.

Verdict

Vivo T5 Pro wins on battery and charging by a huge margin, but Pixel 10a offers a smarter, more balanced performance experience.

Camera

Main and Secondary Lenses

The Pixel 10a clearly leads in camera versatility and processing. Its dual-camera setup includes a reliable main sensor with OIS and an ultrawide lens, backed by Google’s computational photography features like Ultra HDR and Best Take. Photos tend to look more detailed and consistent across lighting conditions. The Vivo T5 Pro focuses on a simpler dual setup without an ultrawide, delivering decent shots but lacking flexibility and advanced processing.

Selfie Camera

Vivo offers a higher-resolution 32 MP front camera capable of 4K recording, making it appealing for selfie-heavy users and content creators. The Pixel 10a uses a lower-resolution ultrawide selfie camera but compensates with better HDR tuning and more natural skin tones. It prioritizes realism over sheer detail.

Verdict

Pixel 10a is the clear winner for overall photography, while Vivo T5 Pro appeals more to selfie-focused users.

Pricing

The Vivo T5 Pro is priced around ₹30,000, positioning itself as a strong value-driven device focused on hardware. In contrast, the Pixel 10a sits at around ₹50,000, making it significantly more expensive. The price gap is substantial and immediately affects buying decisions.

Is the Price Justified

Vivo delivers exceptional value with its massive battery, high-refresh-rate display, and fast charging. It feels like a specs-first device built to impress on paper and in usage time. The Pixel 10a justifies its higher price through software longevity, premium build, AI features, and camera performance. It’s less about specs and more about experience.

Verdict

Vivo T5 Pro offers better value for money, while Pixel 10a justifies its price with long-term usability and smarter features.

Disclaimer:
Prices are approximate and may vary based on country, region, and applicable taxes.

Conclusion

Vivo T5 Pro stands out with its massive battery, ultra-fast charging, and high-refresh-rate display, making it ideal for power users and gamers. It’s built to last long and perform consistently without worrying about charging cycles. The Pixel 10a differentiates itself with long-term Android updates, AI-powered features, superior cameras, and cleaner software. It feels more future-proof and polished in everyday use.

Verdict

If only one has to be chosen, the Google Pixel 10a is the better pick overall. It delivers a more refined experience with superior cameras, longer software support, and smarter day-to-day performance that ages well over time. 

While the Vivo T5 Pro offers incredible battery life and strong value, it feels more like a spec-driven device, whereas the Pixel 10a provides a more complete, polished, and future-proof smartphone experience.

Disclaimer: This comparison is based on the specifications provided and is intended for general informational purposes. Actual performance, camera results, battery life, and overall experience may vary depending on real-world usage, software updates, and individual preferences.

Read More:

• Vivo T5 Pro vs V70 FE: Which One Should You Buy in 2026?
• Vivo T5 Pro vs OnePlus Nord 6 Comparison: Power, Battery, Camera
• iPhone 17e vs Nothing Phone (4a): Full Comparison, Specs, Price & Verdict

The post Vivo T5 Pro vs Google Pixel 10a Comparison: Specs, Camera, Battery & Price appeared first on Gizmochina.

The Apple iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max had just recently been launched in the global market. It is the company’s latest flagship grade handset, and it appears that the device has managed to beat some other high end competitors in a battery life comparison.

This battery comparison test was done by PhoneArena on its YouTube channel. In the test, the tech publication compared the new iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max to other flagship grade smartphones. This includes the like of the Google Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 7, Pixel 6 Pro, and even the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. While this is admittedly not a very diverse lineup, the Pixel 7 Pro is one of the latest premium device, and the Galaxy S22 Ultra is one of iPhone 14 Pro series biggest competitors in the ultra premium segment.

Here, we can see the new 2022 iPhones dominating the list in multiple tests. The first had the smartphone put through a simulator to replicate typical web browsing. Both iPhone 14 Pro models were hours ahead of the competition. Taking a look at the results:

• ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ Max: 19 hrs & 5 mins
• ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌: 16 hrs & 18 mins
• Pixel 7 Pro: 14 hrs & 19 mins
• Pixel 7: 13 hrs & 56 mins
• Galaxy S22 Ultra: 13 hrs & 17 mins
• Pixel 6 Pro: 13 hrs & 13 mins

In the second test, all of the smartphones had to play the same YouTube video until they died out, with each handset having 100 percent brightness levels. The iPhone 14 Pro Max managed to dominate the list again, while the results of the Pixel 7 Pro managed to edge over the iPhone 14 Pro model. The top end iPhone 14 model recorded 11 hours of playback, while the Pixel 7 Pro had 9 hours and 39 minutes. Base iPhone 14 Pro offered around 9 hours and 14 minutes of runtime. While one would assume that its because both iPhones have the biggest batteries, but in actuality the two models have the smallest battery capacities in the entire list. So, Apple has clearly managed to offer a stellar battery life performance on its latest smartphones.

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• Brazil Court Fines Apple $19 million for shipping iPhones without chargers
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• Future Apple iPad to feature Hybrid OLED & thinner designs: Report

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In recent months, a bunch of new mid-range smartphones have greeted the Indian market. These include the iQOO Neo 6, the OnePlus Nord 2T, the POCO F4, the Redmi K50i, and the OPPO Reno 8.

These devices differ a lot from each other when it comes to specifications and pricing, however, how do they fair against one another when it comes to battery life? To find the answer to this question, MySmartPrice conducted a battery drain test of the above-mentioned smartphones. So, let’s take a look at the findings.

A battery charging test precedes the battery test under consideration. All of the cellphones have been fully discharged, and the posted times reflect a complete 0 to 100 percent charge cycle. With a 4,500mAh battery, the OPPO Reno 8, POCO F4, and OnePlus Nord 2T require 27, 56, and 34 minutes, respectively, to charge. The Redmi K50i, which has the largest 5,080mAh battery pack, requires a significant 1 hour and 4 minutes to fully charge, while the iQOO Neo 6, with its slightly larger 4,700mAh battery, requires about 41 minutes.

The two-hour video playback test, which the devices undertake with a full battery backup, kicks off the battery drain test. The Reno 8 has the least amount of battery left after the speaker test, with only 67%. Through the first two tests, every other device keeps at least 75% of its charge.

Following the media playback tests, we jump to the CPU stress tests using Geekbench 5 and Antutu. After 3 hours of running the benchmarks, the Reno 8 has only 40% charge left, while the iQOO Neo 6 has the highest charge remaining of the bunch at 57%.

A one-hour-long gaming session comes next with BGMI being the game of choice. After the game session, the Redmi K50i retained the most charge level at 35%m which was followed by the iQOO Neo 6 and POCO F4 at 33%. The Reno 8 got the closest to the red line at 20%.

The game round is followed by a camera round, and it is noticed that the OPPO Reno 8 has reached its final 2 percent of charge after having been used for around 4.5 hours. Even with only 10% of its battery charged, the Nord 2T isn’t far behind. Everyone else keeps their cool even with more than 20% of the battery left.

The final nail in all the coffins is the following challenge, a social media usage challenge. The Redmi K50i is the winner of the challenge as a result of this. This battery is not only the biggest of the bunch, but it also has the best battery drainage rate (measured in mAh/min) and lasts for a full 6 hours, 45 minutes.

RELATED:

• Nothing Phone (1) battery drain comparison with OnePlus Nord 2T, iQOO Neo 6 & POCO F4
• Redmi K50i vs OnePlus Nord 2T: Specs Comparison
• OPPO Reno 8Z 5G spotted on Geekbench with Snapdragon 695, 8GB RAM

The post Redmi K50i battery drain comparison with POCO F4, iQOO Neo 6, OnePlus Nord 2T, OPPO Reno 8 appeared first on Gizmochina.

Nothing recently launched the Nothing Phone (1) globally. The device has been selling like hot cakes in the Indian market. So, the folks at MySmartPrice have put the smartphone to test against the best devices offered in the mid-range segment in India right now.

These Include the OnePlus Nord 2T, iQOO Neo 6, and POCO F4. The tests were carried out at the highest levels of standardization possible in order to reduce the possibility of errors on the devices. The display was kept at its maximum brightness. It’s also worth noting that the batteries in the Nothing Phone (1), Oneplus Nord 2T, iQOO Neo 6, and POCO F4 are 4,500mAh, 4,500mAh, 4,700mAh, and 4,500mAh, respectively.

The first test lasted two hours and was a video playback test. The test put the most strain on the Nothing Phone (1), which dropped from 100 percent to 79 percent charge. All others had a good 80+ percent charge left, with the iQOO Neo 6 having the most with 89 percent.

The next test looked at device performance, including Geekbench, AnTuTu, and a CPU throttling test. This test strained the POCO F4, which dropped to 57 percent battery juice, while the iQOO Neo 6 maintained the lead with 65 percent power remaining in its battery pack. The performance test was followed by a quick round of gaming, where the Nothing Phone (1) took the lead while the POCO F4 trailed in last place.

The camera test followed, and it taxed the OnePlus Nord 2T, which died after 5 hours and 38 minutes of operation. After 5 hours and 51 minutes of work, the POCO F4 came in second. The camera tests were replaced by a round of social media browsing, and it was at this point that the iQOO Neo 6, which has the largest battery capacity, ran out of juice at 6 hours and 13 minutes. The newest mid-ranger, the Nothing Phone (1), was thus the last smartphone standing for the test, lasting 7 hours and 2 minutes.

So far, it appears that the Nothing Phone (1) is the king of battery life in the mid-range segment. However, the device lags behind when it comes to fast charging. As we know, the Nothing Phone (1) has 33W fast charging, enabling the device to completely charge in 1 hour and 17 minutes. While the Nord 2T, which features 80W fast charging takes just 32 mins to fully charge from 0 percent.

RELATED:

• Nothing Phone (1) next sale is on July 30 – Check Indian pricing & offers
• Nothing Phone 1 vs OnePlus 10R – Specs Comparison
• Nothing Phone (1) gets second update with July security patch & many improvements

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Ulefone’s latest rugged flagship is the Armor 7 and has been in the market for a while with upgraded battery capacity, faster charger, upgraded processor, and new operating system over the previous gen. It sports a 5500mAh battery capacity and the company released a video to demonstrate the battery performance. Let’s check it out.

In the video, we can see that after 1.5 hours of heavy use, the battery lost just 9% of its charge. The test included half-hour use in each different actions like music playback, movie playback, and online gaming. According to this data, we can safely assume that you can use the phone for approximate 17 hours continuously before it runs out of battery! With an average user using the smartphone for about 5 hours daily, Armor 7 can go on for 3 days or even more on a single charge. This is achieved thanks to the power-efficient Helio P90 SoC as well as the good power management performed by the Android 9 Pie.

The Armor 7 comes with a 6.3″ FHD+ waterdrop screen, a triple rear camera (48MP+16MP+8MP) and 16MP selfie shooter, 8GB/128GB configuration, Qi 10W wireless charging, fingerprint and face unlock, global network bands, and NFC with Google Pay. The device is available on Banggood at a special price of $369.99. To see the rest of the Ulefone lineup, visit their official website.

The post Ulefone Armor 7 shows awesome battery performance in test (video) appeared first on Gizmochina.

Battery life in laptops used to be awful but things got better since hardware manufacturers released low-power components and high-density batteries that allowed for a bigger battery to fit into the same space. The Chuwi UBook Pro features a power-conservative Intel Core m3-8100Y CPU and despite the slim profile of the 2in1 laptop, it should have a great battery performance. But, does it? Let’s see in the battery life test of UBook Pro.

Office scene

The first test is a simulation of office work, based on web browsing and document editing. As the device is mostly addressed to office personnel and students, it is the most important of all. As seen in the video below, 30min of web browsing consume 7% of the battery and 30min of document editing consume 5%. This means that you can go on for about 7 hours on a full charge.

Entertainment scene

Moving on to media consumption and gaming, the device lost just 13% of charge after 45min of online music playback while another 45min of 4K video playback consumed just 20% thanks to the UHD Graphics 615 GPU that supports hardware 4K decoding. That means about 4 continuous hours of 4K video playback on a single charge.

During the gaming test, the Core m3-8100Y processor proved to be quite powerful providing smooth experience during League of Legends gaming. It is not the heaviest gaming on earth but on the other hand, UBook Pro isn’t a gaming laptop either. During gaming, the battery went down just 22% in 30min.

Conclusion

After the test, UBook Pro still had 33% of battery left. According to the power consumption ratio calculated in the bar chart, UBook Pro can last 10 hours of office software usage or web browsing for 7 hours for every single charge. Obviously, the 38wh battery will take you through the day without the need for a recharge. Nevertheless, it supports PD quick charging, which can quickly restore full power without worrying about low battery.

Combined with the excellent power control of Core m3-8100Y processor, low power memory, fanless design, and other hardware configuration, the UBook Pro is a battery champ. The device is still in crowdfunding process on Indiegogo and you can find more information about it here.

The post Chuwi UBook Pro battery performance test reveals all-day battery life appeared first on Gizmochina.

Global presale of the new rugged duo Ulefone Armor 3W and Armor 3WT is in full swing and according to comments on tech sites, users are curious about the battery life of the two devices. Ulefone claims to have equipped both models with a massive 10300mAh battery and today, they released a video demonstrating the battery endurance. Let’s check it out.

As you can see, after 2 hours of heavy use that included a half-hour use in each different actions like phone calls, music playback, movie playback,  and online gaming, only 8% of the battery capacity was consumed. According to this data, we can safely assume that you can use the phone for 25 hours continuously before it runs out of battery! Just as a comparison, most phones -including expensive flagships- would last for 5-6 hours tops. With an average user using his smartphone for about 5 hours daily, Armor 3W/3WT can go on for 5 days on a single charge. The power-efficient Helio P70 helps in achieving these incredible numbers that are very helpful for those going on trips outdoors where no power outlet is available.

Besides the big battery, the phones come with a 5.7″ FHD+ 18:9 display as well as a Sony 21MP main camera and an 8MP selfie shooter. Also, there’s 6GB/64GB memory configuration, face and fingerprint unlock NFC with Google Pay support, and Android 9 Pie. The Armor 3WT has exactly the same specs with walkie-talkie function added. Of course, both feature IP68/IP69K and MIL-STD-810G certifications.

Ulefone Armor 3W is currently on sale at just $239.99 and the Armor 3WT at $279.99 on Aliexpress. For more details, visit the company’s official website.

The post Watch Ulefone Armor 3W/3WT go through a battery performance test appeared first on Gizmochina.

Oukitel just released their flagship killer in the mid-range segment, Oukitel Y4800, and Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro found a worthy opponent in the fight for the top spot. Both come with a 48MP camera as well as beautiful design and powerful performance that we went through in previous news but how do they compare in terms of battery consumption? Since both feature a 6.3″ FHD+ display and 4000mAh battery, the winner will be determined by software optimization and chipset power consumption management. The Redmi Note 7 Pro comes with the Snapdragon 675 octa-core SoC that is manufactured using the 11nm process while the Y4800 comes with Helio P70 8-core SoC with 12nm process. Also, both come with Android 9 Pie, MIUI-based on the Redmi and stock Android on Oukitel. So, which does the best job? Let’s see.

The test is based on a 3-hour test that includes 1 hour of online movie playing, 1 hour of camera recording, and 1 hour of online music streaming. As we can see in the video, after 1 hour of online movie playing, the Y4800 has 88% power left while the Redmi Note 7 Pro has 78% power. After 1 more hour of video recording, the Y4800 has 70% power remaining and the Redmi Note 7 Pro has 55% power left. At the end of the test, Oukitel’s device still has 55% power left while the Redmi has 27% power left. This is what a clear winner looks like.

The killer feature of Oukitel Y4800 is definitely the 48MP camera but performance is also satisfying with no lag or stutter during daily tasks. If you combine these features with the well-optimized battery consumption, then it is safe to say that the category just found a new king with longer battery life than similarly configured devices.

Starting on July 22nd, Oukitel Y4800 is entering the Global First Presale period exclusively on Banggood. Besides the discounted price of $199.99, buyers will also get extra free gifts like a Xiaomi finger ring holder, Xiaomi Mi Band 4 (limited units), and more. You can use the “In Stock Alert” and “Add to Wishlist” services on Banggood to receive a notification for when the presale starts. Also, there’s a Giveaway that you can participate in.

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We can’t really tell if the most famous series from Ulefone is the rugged Armor series or the big battery Power series. And that happens because both are excellent in their market segment. Power 6 is already out in the market for a while and while we know its strongest feature is its battery life, Ulefone released today a video to prove the endurance of the 6350mAh battery.

As we can see in the video, the device consumed just 9% of the total battery charge after 1.5 hours of heavy use that included a half-hour phone call, a half-hour online game, and a half-hour movie. On the basis of this data, the maximum continuous use reaches approximately 17 hours. And taking under consideration that an average heavy use in one day is 4.5 hours, Power 6 can go on for more than 3 days on a full charge. For less heavy users and thanks to the power-efficient Helio P35 SoC, it may support 4 days or even more.

Besides the excellent battery life, the device also comes with a large 6.3″ waterdrop display as well as 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. There is a dual rear camera with 16MP/2MP sensors and a front 16MP one that supports Face unlock combined with Fingerprint unlock for ultimate protection. Lastly, there is GPS/Glonass/Beidou/Galileo navigation system, global network support, NFC, and Android 9 Pie.

The Ulefone Power 6 is on promotion right now on Banggood and you can get it for just $159.99 with the offer expiring on July 7th. Apart from that, the phone has already arrived at distributors and deliveries should begin soon.

The post Ulefone Power 6 shows amazing battery life in this test (video) appeared first on Gizmochina.

Already some time in the market, the Ulefone Armor 6E has received good reviews by users and media thanks to its rugged features and smooth performance. In addition to these features, the device also sports great battery life and that is clearly seen in the battery test video conducted by Ulefone.

As you can see in the video, the battery lost just 10% of its charge after 1.5 hour of mixed use. The test included 30 minutes of music playback, 30 minutes of video playback, and 30 minutes of online gaming. This means that you can use Armor 6E for 15 hours continuously. If you are a casual user, it should last for 2-3 days on a single charge. Not bad for the 5000mAh battery that supports 9V/2A fast charging as well as 10W wireless charging.

The rest of the specs are no slouch either as it comes with a 6.2″ FHD display protected by Gorilla Glass 5 and sports a 16MP/2MP rear camera as well as an 8MP selfie shooter. The driver for all this performance is the new Helio P70 octa-core SoC backed by 4GB of RAM plus 64GB of internal storage (expandable up to 256GB more via microSD). What’s more, it supports Face and Fingerprint unlock, NFC with Google Pay, global network bands, and Android 9 Pie OS.

The Armor 6E sells for a special price of $199,99 on Gearbest, pretty low for all the features it offers. Also running is the promotion for the big battery flagship Ulefone Power 6 that costs just $159.99.

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Two days ago, Umi uploaded a video on Youtube of two women; one using the Umi Max and the other using an iPhone 6s and put them through a 5-hour battery test.

The test covered chatting (15 mins), camera usage (15 mins), web browsing (30 mins), E-book reading (30 mins), offline video watching (30 mins), phone calls (30 mins), gaming (30 minutes), music (1 hr), and instagram ming (1 hr).

Umi says at the end of the test, the Umi Max still had 45% of charge left while the iPhone 6s’ battery level was at 35%. Both phones had full charges before the test.

While the Umi Max clearly wins, it’s important to mention some important specs of both phones. The Max has a 4000 mAh battery, a 5.5” FHD screen, 3GB of RAM, and a Helio P10 SoC while the iPhone 6s has a 1715 mAh battery, a 4.7” 1334 x 750 screen, 2GB of RAM, and Apple’s A9 processor.

With less than half of the Umi Max’s battery, I don’t think the 6s did badly even though it has a smaller screen with a lower resolution.

READ MORE: Umi Max Can Help You when You Run Out of Memory

For a fraction of the price of a new iPhone 6s, you get a bigger screen, a larger battery, dual SIM slots, fingerprint scanner, HiFi Audio, and a SD card  slot. When the Umi Max launched over 2 weeks ago, it sold for $139.99, now it sells for $169.99. However, Geekbuying still has it for $139.99 and some sellers on Aliexpress still have it for $149.99. These prices are all pre-sale prices but Umi says the phones should start shipping soon.

The post Umi Max Takes on iPhone 6s in Battery Test Video appeared first on Gizmochina.

Samsung has changed their design language in the past several years and the company has also brought some premium materials and great build quality to their midrange phones lineup.

Galaxy A5 2016 year edition is a great example of it but is it any good? Learn more in the full Galaxy A5 2016 review. 

The review is brought to you by TechLineHD.

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Samsung Galaxy A5 2016 VIDEO REVIEW:

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfPbxXcge_U[/embedyt]

Samsung Galaxy A5 2016 Review: DESIGN and DISPLAY

Let’s start by the design as the Galaxy A5 looks and feels like a flagship phone. It uses a quality metal frame around the device along with metal buttons, which are located on the left and right sides and they have excellent tactile feedback. Also, there is a single SIM card slot and the microSD card slot for storage expansion. It’s worth mentioning that you can also opt in for a dual-SIM card model.

The Gorilla Glass 4 protects the 5.2” 1080p Amoled display, which is just gorgeous. It is sharp, vibrant, bright and it has great viewing angles. Also, you can adjust colour temperature to your liking in the settings menu. 

On the top we have a 5MP selfie shooter with a bright f/1.9 aperture. Unfortunately, the phones does not have a notification LED light. 

On the bottom there are typical Samsung capacitive buttons with a nice backlight. The physical home button also doubles as a fingerprint scanner. While it is very accurate and recognises your fingerprint quickly, it does not work straight from the standby mode. For me, it is a huge letdown, because even some cheapest budget phones have this feature. 

The backplate is also covered by the sheet of the Gorilla Glass 4 and it is a fingerprint magnet but at least it is not that visible on the gold colour unit I have. 

As far as optics, we have optically-stabilised 13MP shooter with a single LED flash and a bright f/1.9 aperture.

The usual set of ports along with the loudspeaker and the mic are located on the bottom.

Overall, the phone feels really solid and if you asked me, I would say it could easily rival even the Galaxy S6. By the way, the full comparison review is just around the corner, so stay tuned to the TechLineHD for that. 

Samsung Galaxy A5 2016 Review: USER INTERFACE

When it comes to software, we are looking at the Samsung’s Touchwiz UI, which is built on top of Android 5.1. 

Although it is not as heavy as it used to be in the past, it is still Samsung’s UI after all. We have a briefing app, which is basically a news feed similar to the Blinkfeed we’ve seen on HTC phones for years. Also, we have redesigned icons, different colour schemes and so on. 

Some of the notable features would be the ability to quickly access the camera app straight from the standby mode by simply double tapping the home button. I have to say this is really good feature and it works well. 

A dedicated theme store allows you to choose from a variety of themes and lets you make the device look your own.

Finally, the Touchwiz UI is fast and snappy, and it’s a pleasure to use it as I didn’t have any hiccups or lags. 

Samsung Galaxy A5 2016 Review: BENCHMARKS

Samsung Galaxy A5 2016 Review: HARDWARE and PERFORMANCE

Samsung Galaxy A5 has a mid-range level specs. It uses an octa-core Snapdragon 615 chip with the clock speeds of up to 1.6GHz, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of expandable storage and only 11GB of it are available to the user.

While the phone will not be your next benchmarks champion, the hardware is definitely enough to run some graphically intensive games like Asphalt 8 at the highest settings without any lags but with just a few skipped frames.

The Snapdragon 615 chip is infamous for its overheating issues. However, I have to tell you that Samsung optimised it well and the phone does not overheat even after extensive periods of gaming. 

Samsung Galaxy A5 2016 Review: MULTIMEDIA

The sound via earphones is actually very good. However, the volume output could be louder. 

The loudspeaker is pretty good too. While it is not the loudest out there, it has quite a balanced sound with a decent amount of depth.

Samsung Galaxy A5 2016 Review: CAMERA

As far as the camera app, we have a typical Samsung interface. There are some settings and shooting modes to play with but most importantly, the app is fast, responsive, easy to use and the capture speeds are very fast. 

Samsung Galaxy A5 2016 Review: IMAGE QUALITY

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNoP_kFBPXE[/embedyt]

The daylight images are near excellent and it is almost on par with most of the flagships. There is a huge amount of details, colours look natural and contrast levels are great. A few flaws that differentiate the Galaxy A5 from the e.g. Galaxy S6 are the dynamic range and exposure adjustment in some shots but these are just minor complaints. Well, the Galaxy A5 is a midrange phone after all. 

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When it comes to indoor and low-light shots, the level of details decreases and more noise kicks in. Still, the phone is capable of producing some good looking images and that is thanks not only to the capable hardware but also to mature post-processing.

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As for selfies, the Galaxy A5 is very good. It produces high-quality images with a good amount of details.

When it comes to the video recording, the phone can shoot up to 1080p videos and they look sharp, have lots of details, and the continuous auto-focus works fine. See a camera video review for various video samples. 

Make sure to check out my dedicated camera review video for more camera samples.

Samsung Galaxy A5 2016 Review: CONNECTIVITY

All the connectivity options that include Wifi, Bluetooth and GPS are working fine. Also, the signal reception is excellent and the call quality is good.

Samsung Galaxy A5 2016 Review: BATTERY LIFE 

The Galaxy A5 has a 2900mAh battery. In short, it performs really well. I could constantly get over 4.5h or even 5 hours of SOT even if used the phone quite intensively with maximum auto brightness setting. Also, the phone features a fast charging feature and I was able to fully charge the phone in less than 1.5 hours. 

Samsung Galaxy A5 2016 Review: CONCLUSIONS

So, there you have it, the Samsung Galaxy A5 2016 edition. For around $400 you are getting a phone that has a premium design and excellent build quality, great display, fast UI, a fingerprint scanner, great battery life and a very good camera. 

The Snapdragon 615 chip does its job for day-to-day tasks very well and even for some gaming. However, if you are a serious gamer and you love playing the all latest 3D games, the processor along with the GPU will not be powerful enough for you.

Another shortcoming would be a fingerprint scanner. Don’t get me wrong, it is fast and accurate. However, it does not work straight from the standby mode as the majority of even a lot cheaper phones. Cmon Samsung, step up you fingerprint scanner game. 

All in all, the Samsung Galaxy A5 is a great phone despite a few shortcomings and I can definitely recommend it. However, I can’t say there aren’t any other alternatives out there at this price point. E.g. the Galaxy S6, which is still a flagship, can be bought at a similar price right now. It has a much better chipset for gamers but has some other disadvantages like poor battery life. 

At the end of the day, the Galaxy A5 is still an awesome phone and the chipset is the only major shortcoming if you care about gaming.

Buy Samsung Galaxy A5 2016 from Amazon UK 

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