We continue to explore the Samsung Galaxy A line. We have already talked about the Galaxy A30 and A50, then the Galaxy A70. The series is considered a mid-budget series, but our today’s guest is at the level of the Chinese flagships. Why is that? It’s all about one innovation that we have to study today.

I’ll open the cards right away – this phone is officially worth 45 rubles… For the purchase they give AKG Y500 Wireless wireless headphones, a separate cost of which 10 rubles.

Specifications Samsung Galaxy A80:

• Dimensions: 165,2 x 76,5 x 9,3 mm, 220 grams
• Display: 6,7 ″, 2400 × 1080, Super AMOLED, 20: 9, Gorilla Glass 3
• Processor: 8-core Snapdragon 730, 2,2 GHz, Adreno 618
• Memory: 8 GB RAM, 128 GB ROM
• Cameras: 48 MP, f / 2,0 + 8 MP, f / 2,2 + ToF, f / 1,2 (main triple)
• Battery: 3700mAh (fast charging)
• OS: Android Pie (One UI)
• Communication: Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, 4G LTE, GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, NFC, ANT +
• Cost: 45 990 rubles

Without mini-jack and Bixby button

Galaxy A80 looks at all its 46 thousand. We’ve got a gold version that appears pink at certain angles. There is also a black and silver version.

Glossy metal frame. Behind the glass – Gorilla Glass 6, and in front – Gorilla Glass 3. A very unusual combination, usually a more recent version of glass is put on the front part, but here it is vice versa.

On the left are two buttons for adjusting the volume, on the right is the power button, at the top is a microphone, at the bottom is Type-C, a speaker, a second microphone and a slot for two nanoSIMs.

On the back there is only the logo and the camera mechanism, located horizontally at the top. Everything, not a mini-jack, not a place for a fingerprint scanner, not a separate button for the Bixby assistant.

Display without cutouts

On the front, a 6,7-inch display with no side fillets, cutouts or holes. Only frames on the sides and a small chin at the bottom. Sounds like perfect, but I’m a fan of folds like in the Galaxy S flagships, so this option seems boring.

Fortunately, the flagship AMOLED matrix with FullHD + resolution. There is Always On Display, blue filter (eye protection), night mode and increased sensitivity for working with gloves. White balance and color saturation can be adjusted separately.

A fingerprint scanner is hidden under the screen at the bottom. The trend is modern, but personally for me on the Galaxy S10 + it works so-so, it often misses the mark. The situation is roughly the same here. Face ID one love, but here there is no unlocking on the face at all.

Not Exynos

Under the cover is not the top-end Qualcomm Snapdragon 730 processor, made using an 8-nanometer process technology. Graphics chip Adreno 618. One version of RAM – 8 GB, built-in also only 128 GB, cannot be expanded.

For me, a Galaxy S8 + and Galaxy S10 + user, the lack of an Exynos processor is good news. There is no such strong heating under load, in theory, the battery does not eat so much, and the power is quite decent here.

In synthetic tests, the indicators are as follows:

• AnTuTu – 204 points
• GeekBench – 2491 and 6915 points

Needless to say, the device will cope with all your tasks without any problems? The question remains about autonomy, because a 6,7 mAh battery seems insufficient for a 3700-inch screen.

For a day, one charge is boldly enough for most tasks. But if you shoot a lot of video, you will have to charge the device more often. Fast wired charging should solve this problem, up to 25W is supported. The kit includes an adapter with a Type-C input, for which a special thanks to the company, this is rarely seen now. Wireless charging is not supported – in the best OnePlus tradition.

All the trick is in the cameras

This is how we gradually came to the main distinguishing feature of the Galaxy A80. Samsung does not say that it has the best camera, and that would be strange for a non-flagship. But all the commercials are actively promoting the shooting of the A80 video, supposedly you will get an unforgettable experience and look at the filming process differently.

The fact is that the main camera is also front-facing due to the swivel mechanism in which three sensors are hidden at once. The main resolution is 48 megapixels and aperture of f / 2,0, the second wide-angle 123 degrees is only 8 megapixels with an aperture of f / 2,2. A third Time-of-Flight sensor with an aperture of only f / 1,2 is needed to measure depth – it is also where the background blur function is concentrated.

The latter is relevant not only for portraits, but also for video, allowing you to record videos, simulating the capabilities of SLR cameras. This mode is highlighted separately and is called Live Focus Video.

In addition, the same sensor is used for augmented reality applications. For example, you can take measurements – the corresponding application is already preinstalled.

For video, the Super Steady Shot image stabilization mode is available, in addition, during recording, you can change the shooting angle, but not as you want, as it is implemented in the Asus ZenFone 6, but only on yourself. This is exactly what the company advertises actively. The switching process is smoothed out by software.

Among the modes there are panorama, pro, night (only works with the main eye), live focus, slow motion video, hyperlapse and normal video.

In general, the quality of photos on the main sensor is decent, at the level of flagships. But the wide angle lathers and does not reach the ideal at all, which turned out to be offensive for me personally, since I often use a wide-angle lens.

The video stabilization mode only works at 1080p at 30 frames per second. The same goes for continuous shooting with switching to yourself. The maximum you can shoot in 4K at 30 frames per second.

One UI and NFC

Out of the box, the Galaxy A80 comes with its latest One UI skin based on Android Pie. There is a chance it will upgrade to Android Q in a year, but the company hasn’t promised anything yet.

Among the features of the shell: minimalistic design, dark theme, control gestures, fine-tuning the desktop, Game Launcher to optimize games. There is a separate section with time control that allows you to evaluate which applications you spend the most time on. The Bixby assistant is still there and is located to the left of the main desktop.

As for communication, they did not save money: Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC and ANT +. The latter, if you are hearing it for the first time, is a secure data transmission technology used in sports equipment. Samsung puts ANT + in all of its flagship smartphones, and it is here too.

View

Coming to the finish line of my material, I wondered – who in general can this smartphone be oriented towards? Yes, it has an unusual solution in the form of a PTZ camera, but does this somehow influence the choice? Hardly.

Therefore, the strong impression was created that the Galaxy A80 is aimed at those who like to shoot video. Not professional, but short unusual videos, which, for example, are posted in stories. In this case, we get the perfect selfie phone – you can shoot what is happening around and your reaction to it. And the picture stabilization feature helps you shoot great videos on the go without the need to purchase a mobile gimbal.