Samsung launches Galaxy A80 with 'infinity' full-screen display to take on OnePlus in India

BANGKOK: Samsung has announced a new premium Galaxy A series smartphone, the A80 which is set to compete with offerings from a slew of Chinese manufacturers in the mid- to premium- segment when it becomes available for sale in India.

Samsung hopes to generate around $4 billion in sales from A series smartphones in calendar year 2019 and the A80 is set to be the highest tier offering in this series, the company said.


“The Galaxy A Series provides a range of models so everyone can choose a device that fits their unique needs," said DJ Koh, President and CEO of Samsung Mobile Communications.

The Galaxy A80 will first be availabe for sale on May 29. However, Samsung officials did not confirm whether India would be part of the initial launch. Samsung also did not reveal the official price of the Galaxy A80 at launch A80 but sources within Samsung have suggested that the price of the device will likely be between Rs 45,000 and Rs 50,000.

Samsung has already launched a number of phones under the Galaxy A series with prices ranging from Rs 8,490 for the A10 to Rs 19,990 for the A50. Samsung will also be launching the A70 in India which has been announced earlier. The A70 will first be available to consumers on April 26th. Samsung however did not confirm whether India would be part of the initial launch.

A key feature of the A80 is a 6.7 inch “infinity” full-screen display which sports no notch or cut-out for a front facing camera. This is possible because the top of the back panel of the phone slides up while the rear cameras rotate to function as front cameras when needed. The display also features an in-display fingerprint sensor.

Samsung engineers said that the product had been through rigorous quality testing and they were confident in the durability of the product despite the addition of the motorized rotating cameras. As a protective feature, back of the phone slides the back of the phone back into place if it falls to “minimize any potential damage”.

The smartphone sports three cameras including a 48 MP primary camera, an 8 MP ultra- wide lens and a 3D time of flight sensor. The phone also uses a motor underneath the screen to transmit sound for phone calls instead of the traditional earpiece to maximise the screen to body ratio.

The device is powered by a 3700 mAh battery which can be can be topped up quickly through 25W "super fast charger" and the Snapdragon 730G processor which was announced by Qualcomm earlier this week.The device which has a glass and metal construction will be available in three colors – Ghost White, Phantom Black and Angel Gold with 8 GB RAM and 128 GB Storage.

The hue of the device changes somewhat depending on how the light strikes the device but the "scattered light" effect on the A80 is more subdued than on other Galaxy A series devices. The phone does not have a micro SD card slot that would allow for more storage or a 3.5 mm headphone jack.



Hands on experience
Design: The A-80 stands apart from the rest of the A series because if its camera system and notch less display. The device still has a slightly larger bottom bezel or "chin" than its very minimal side and top bezels. The colors on the A80 are relatively subdued compared to other A series devices.

The same is true for the "scattered" light effect which gives the back of the device a different shade depending on how light hits the surface. This effect is far more prominent on other A series phones than on the A80. The device is also noticeably heavy even for a 6.7 inch device and is noticeably heavier than the Galaxy A70 which sports a similar but notched 6.7 inch display and a larger 4500 mAh battery.

Performance: Even on pre-release software, the One UI on the A80 is a smooth performer. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G processor is able to deliver a smooth experience.

Camera: The fact that the primary camera and the ultra wide camera can be used for selfies definitely sets a strong standard. Pictures and videos are sharp and colour accurate.

Conclusion: The galaxy A80 seems to deliver on the promise of innovation but will likely face tough competition from other major players in the mid premium segment that tend to price their offerings more aggressively.

(The reporter is in Bangkok at the invitation of Samsung to cover the launch of the device.)