Samsung Galaxy A5 (2015)

This article is about 2015 smartphone. For 2016 model, see Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016). For 2017 model, see Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017).

The Samsung Galaxy A5 (2015) or Samsung Galaxy A5 2015 Edition is an Android smartphone produced by Samsung Electronics. Serving as a premium upper mid-range device, it was introduced on 30 October 2014, along with the smaller and related Samsung Galaxy A3 (2015) and larger Samsung Galaxy A7 (2015) introduced later in January 2015. The Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) is a successor to the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2015) edition, featuring a revised metal and glass build that debuted with the Galaxy S6.

Samsung Galaxy A5

Samsung Galaxy A5 (SM-A500FU) in white, with back panel and camera facing upwards
Brand	Samsung Galaxy
Manufacturer	Samsung Electronics
Type	Touchscreen smartphone
Slogan	Access The A Life.
Series	Galaxy A series
First released	October 2014
Availability by region	December 2014
Predecessor	Samsung Galaxy Alpha
Successor	Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016)
Related	Samsung Galaxy Alpha Samsung Galaxy A3 (2015) Samsung Galaxy A7 (2015) Samsung Galaxy E5 Samsung Galaxy A8
Compatible networks	2G, 3G, 4G
Form factor	Slate
Dimensions	5.48 in (139 mm) H 2.74 in (70 mm) W 0.26 in (6.6 mm) D
Weight	123 g
Operating system	Original: Android 4.4.4 "KitKat" Current: Android 6.0.1 "Marshmallow"
System-on-chip	Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 MSM8916
CPU	Quad Core 1.2 GHz 64-bit CPU
GPU	Adreno 306
Memory	2 GB RAM
Storage	16 GB
Removable storage	up to 64 GB
Battery	2300 mAh (non-removable)
Rear camera	13 MP, 1080p@30fps
Front camera	5 MP
Display	5.0" Super AMOLED HD display with Corning Gorilla Glass 4, 720×1280 px
Connectivity	802.11 a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotspot; Bluetooth v4.0, A2DP; USB 2.0 via microUSB
Data inputs	Multi-touch touchscreen
Model	SM-A500x (Last letter varies by carrier & international models)

Samsung's Galaxy A5 runs on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow.

Hardware

Samsung Galaxy A5's system-on chip is Qualcomm Snapdragon 410, which is a 64-bit 1.2 GHz ARM Cortex-A53 processor. The graphic processor of the phone is Adreno 306. The smartphone has 2 GB RAM and 16 GB internal storage, with support for removable MicroSD cards of up to 64 GB. The device's MicroSD card slot has been designed to allow insertion of a SIM card, and thus the A5 can also be used in Dual SIM mode.

Design

The Samsung Galaxy A5 shifts away from the plastic design of previous phones, featuring an aluminium unibody with chamfered metal edges. While its design is almost similar to the earlier Samsung Galaxy Alpha and Samsung Galaxy Note 4, the A5 has a larger 5-inch Super AMOLED HD display compared to the 4.7-inch display of Galaxy Alpha, as well as being slimmer at 6.7 mm, becoming the thinnest Samsung smartphone at the time of release. The A5's display features screen protection, utilizing the newer Gorilla Glass 4. The phone carries over the 13-megapixel rear camera sensor from the successful Galaxy S4, with software tweaks for sharper detail and better low-light capability. The front of the device features a new 5-megapixel camera for better detail capture, with the phone marketed towards a 'selfie' oriented younger audience.

Software

The device runs on Google's 4.4.4 "KitKat" Android operating system out of the box, featuring the improved TouchWiz Nature UX 3.5 as well as introducing a theme suite, later made standard on newer devices. The Note 4, Note Edge, and the Galaxy A-series were the only devices to ship with this interface on Android 4.4.4. The Galaxy A5 would later receive Android 5.0.2 "Lollipop" in May 2015. Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow for the Galaxy A-series was announced in July 2016 and the devices are currently receiving the newer operating system. The OTA update also brings a slightly updated TouchWiz UI that remains largely similar to the nature UX 3.5 and 4.0 user interfaces from the Note 4 and Galaxy S5, but features newer 'squircle' icons introduced in the Note 5. This is considered to be the last major Android update for the phone, following Google and Samsung's 2-year software support policy.