Samsung has unveiled the 2016 editions of the Galaxy A3, Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A7 smartphones, which are being tagged as mid-range devices with premium features.
The company, which is looking to bolster its struggling smartphone business, is releasing the updated versions of the Galaxy A3, Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A7 in an attempt to better challenge Chinese rival mobile phone makers Huawei and Xiaomi. These Chinese companies have been offering budget-friendly devices with flagship-level features, which have led to a market share drop for Samsung.
Samsung is still the top maker of smartphones worldwide, but Huawei and Xiaomi are now third and fourth in the rankings, respectively, according to research company TrendForce.
"With the introduction of the Galaxy A (2016), we took the consumer feedback on our original Galaxy A models and made thoughtful and impactful improvements offering consumers a seamless convergence of style and performance for their everyday lifestyles," said outgoing Samsung Mobile President JK Shin in a statement.
The three new smartphones, which are expected to be released in China by the middle of the month before expanding to other markets all over the world, feature different-sized screens and high-resolution displays.
All three devices utilize the Super AMOLED displays of Samsung, with the Galaxy A3 offering a 4.7-inch 1,280x720 display, the Galaxy A5 packing a 5.2-inch 1,920x1,080 display and the Galaxy A7 featuring a 5.5-inch 1,920 x 1,080 display.
Three updated mid-range Galaxy devices also include better cameras to be able to take clearer and brighter images and videos compared to their predecessors, with the new camera systems including Optical Image Stabilization for sharper images and Quick Launch to allow users to take pictures of fleeting moments.
The frames of the devices feature a combination of glass and metal, with a bezel that is narrower to provide space for larger displays without increasing the size of the smartphone.
The two higher models, the Galaxy A5 and the Galaxy A7, also come with fingerprint sensors, which make them compatible with the Samsung Pay mobile payments system.
The Galaxy A3 is powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core processor with 1.5GB of RAM, the Galaxy A5 is powered by a 1.6GHz octa-core processor with 2GB of RAM and the Galaxy A7 is powered by a 1.6GHz octa-core processor with 3GB of RAM. All the smartphones ship with Android 5.1 Lollipop pre-installed.
While Samsung did not disclose the prices of the three mid-range devices, Samsung news website Sammobile acquired information that states that the Galaxy A3 will cost around $347, the Galaxy A5 will cost around $421 and the Galaxy A7 will cost around $495.
