Samsung’s new big-screen metal Galaxy phone is its thinnest yet

By Andy Boxall July 15, 2015

samsung galaxy a8 news — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Samsung has made the Galaxy A8 smartphone official, following rumors of its existence spreading for several months. The device’s standout feature is the massive screen mated to a super thin chassis, which is the slimmest Samsung has produced yet. Here’s everything you need to know about the phone.

The Super AMOLED touchscreen has a 1080p resolution and measures a whopping 5.7-inches, and Samsung has wrapped it in a metal body that’s only 5.9mm thick. It looks stunning in the images, particularly thanks to a set of equally thin bezels around the display, and that sleek body should help the big-screen phone feel quite compact in the hand. It also weighs just 151 grams. The A8 is slimmer than the 6.3mm A7, and the 6.7mm thick Galaxy Alpha. It also beats some of the competition, including the 6.3mm thick Huawei P8.

Samsung has opted for Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 615 octa-core processor to power the Galaxy A8, and added 2GB of RAM, plus 16GB of internal storage memory. The rear camera has 16-megapixels and an f/1.9 aperture, while there is a 5-megapixel wide-angle camera above the screen for selfies. It also has an LG-style hand gesture control — a wave instead of a clenched fist — and a comprehensive beautification mode.

Galaxy A8 Side — Image used with permission by copyright holder

There’s a fingerprint sensor in the home button beneath the screen, 4G LTE connectivity, a MicroSD card slot, and a big 3050mAh battery. The Galaxy A8 runs Android, and has a variety of China-only software features, plus a reworked localized user interface. This suggests that in its current form, the Galaxy A8 is going to be a Chinese exclusive, and it’s available to order online there through Samsung’s store right now.

Samsung hasn’t made any announcements regarding an international launch, but we’ll update you if the situation changes.

CONTINUE TO PAGE 2 FOR ALL THE RUMORS LEADING UP TO THE GALAXY A8’S OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Samsung may be preparing a super-thin smartphone for release. It’s being leaked as the Galaxy A8, and the chassis may measure just 5.9mm, which while not the thinnest in the world, it would be the thinest phone Samsung has produced so far.

Galaxy A8 shown on video

A video has been posted to YouTube supposedly showing the Galaxy A8 in action. Apparently sourced from the TENAA Chinese regulatory board, it shows a device which looks very similar to the model seen in earlier leaked pictures. The shape is reminiscent of the original Galaxy Alpha, and a metal chassis is evident, although the phone looks thicker than the rumors suggest.

Samsung Galaxy A8 Hands On Video

The specs listed in the video include a 1080p screen resolution, a 5-megapixel front camera, a 16-megapixel rear camera, the Snapdragon 615 processor, and Android 5.1.1. While the OS is in Chinese, it’s interesting to note the lack of an app drawer — a striking difference between it and the user interface on the Galaxy S6. However, this may be an idiosyncrasy of the test device.

Galaxy A8 leaked specs and pictures

Details of the Galaxy A8 first started appearing back in March, when the name was registered as a trademark, along with the A6 and the A9. Subsequently, SamMobile spread the word about the device in April, revealing a few technical specifications, before we were treated to some sneaky early pictures of the phone.

The images came from nowhereelse.fr, and were accompanied with a leaked spec list. Apparently, the phone will have a big 5.7-inch screen with a 1080p resolution, making the 5.9mm thick body especially interesting. A Snapdragon 615 oct-core processor should drive the Android 5.1.1 operating system, along with 2GB of RAM.

A Samsung 16-megapixel rear camera could be joined by a 5-megapixel selfie camera above the big screen, and there is also talk of the home button housing a fingerprint sensor. This feature is set to become more common, ready to support both Android Pay and Samsung Pay. Finally, a large 3050mA battery may be inside the all-metal body, that could weigh just 140 grams.

Approaching the end of June, a phone with the model number SM-A8000 showed up on the website of China’s TENAA telecoms regulatory board, giving another look at the phone’s possible features. It’s in agreement with the earlier leak, showing a 5.7-inch 1080p screen, a Snapdragon 615, 2GB of RAM, and a 16-megapixel camera on the rear. Additionally, 16GB of internal memory with a MicroSD card slot are listed.

Crucially, the TENAA page also has the phone measuring 5.94mm thick. In the photos, the Galaxy A8 is shaped more like the Galaxy S6 than the Galaxy A7 and Galaxy A5, although the rear panel is closer to the Galaxy S5.

It’s not clear when Samsung will announce the Galaxy A8, or where it will put the device on sale when it is made official. The images show a localized version of Android and Samsung’s UI, suggesting it may not be ready for an international release just yet.

We’ll keep you updated with Galaxy A8 rumors right here.

Previous updates:

Updated on 07-01-2015 by Andy Boxall: Added in hands-on video showing the unofficial Galaxy A8.

Updated on 06-22-2015 by Andy Boxall: Added in further spec leaks, this time from China’s regulatory board.

Article originally published on 06-16-2015

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Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…

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