The Samsung Galaxy A7 (2016) is poised to get its next-gen variant soon if a new leak is to be believed.
The 2017 model of the Galaxy A7 (SM-A720x) has now surfaced online on GFXBench, giving a peek into some of the specs and features of the impending Android-powered handset.
Since the 2016 version of the Galaxy A7 sported the SM-A710X model number, it suggests that the current device listed on the benchmarking site is the successor of the smartphone.
The GFXBench listing points to a 5.5-inch Full HD screen for the smartphone with a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels, which is the same as that of the 2016 model. Under the hood, the Galaxy A7 2017 will apparently house a powerful octa-core Exynos 7870 chipset, which is based on 14nm architecture, as well as Mali T830 GPU. This processor is the same one that powers the company's popular Galaxy J7 2016 and is an improvement on the octa-core Exynos 7580, which powers the Galaxy A7 2016.
Like its predecessor, the Galaxy A7 2017 will offer 3 GB of RAM. However, it will pack in 32 GB of on-board storage and not 16 GB like the 2016 model of the handset. The benchmark listing does not reveal whether the new offering will have support for expandable memory, but it is likely that it will since the previous-gen model did.
The notable change and standout feature of the 2017 Galaxy A7 though will be its camera. The leak points to a 16-megapixel primary and secondary camera for the device. However, the camera will not support 4K video recording but FHD.
The Galaxy A7 2017's battery capacity is not known, but it is anticipated to come with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow out of the box.
The handset will offer support for both 4G LTE and NFC and house a fingerprint sensor, which will make the device compatible with Samsung Pay.
Samsung unveiled the 2016 model of the Galaxy A7 in December 2015 alongside the Galaxy A3 and Galaxy A5. In August, the 2017 model of the Galaxy A5 was also spotted on benchmarking site Geekbench, offering a glimpse into the device's specs.
The launch date and pricing for the 2017 Galaxy A7 is not yet known. However, a strong possibility exists that Samsung will launch both the 2017 models of the Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A7 smartphones in December. The devices would possibly hit the shelves in early 2017 if it follows the traditional cycle.
The Galaxy A7 2017 will be the third-gen model of the handset and could possibly be priced in the $450 range like the older-gen model.
