On April 10, Samsung unveiled a bevvy of new A Series phones at its simultaneous launch events in Bangkok and Milan, with the new Galaxy A80 serving as the most powerful and interesting member of this latest lineup. We’ve placed the Galaxy A80 against the company’s current flagship, the Galaxy S10, to see just how far the Apple falls from the tree. We don’t often place mid-rangers up against flagships, even when they’re from the same manufacturer, however, the A80 brings a number of interesting technologies to the table, some of which are absent from the S10 lineup and some which we’ve never before seen on a Samsung phone, period. Related: What the A80 tells us about the Galaxy S11 Samsung Galaxy A80 vs S10 – Design There’s no disputing the quality of the offering made by the Galaxy S10, from its refreshed software to its powerful hardware, to its exceptional fit and finish. It is undoubtedly a worthwhile 2019 flagship handset, but for all its merits, it’s a touch bland. Its design centres around a similar glass and metal build to that of every other Galaxy S phone since the Galaxy S6, and just about every other flagship handset that’s available right now. Its 6.1-inch Dynamic AMOLED Infinity-O display incorporates a front-facing camera that sits within the real-estate of the screen. This follows the hole-punch design pioneered by the S10 range. This sees the camera surrounded by pixels, while the display and the cover glass on top run to the edge of the phone’s front with almost zero bezel. There’s a headphone jack, USB-C port and stereo speaker output (by relying on the earpiece) all wrapped up in a body that despite its good looks, comes IP68 dust and water resistant too. Related: Best Android phones The new Galaxy A80 dwarfs the S10, with a significantly larger 6.7-inch (versus 6.1-inches on the S10) Super AMOLED display but there’s no notch or hole-punch camera to speak of. The A80 is the first example of a Samsung phone sporting a ‘New Infinity Display’, which is to say there’s no visible camera on the front at all, there’s not even a visible earpiece, just pixels to the edge of the phone’s narrow bezels. Despite a lower resolution when compared to the Wide Quad HD screen on the S10, the A80’s sizeable panel offers a bigger and unobstructed view of content. So where’s the front camera? There isn’t one; not exactly. Unlike the S10’s solution, the A80 uses a motorised sliding mechanism that raises the top of the phone up (similarly to the Oppo Find X) and in the process, flips the rear-facing triple camera module around to face forward. Samsung’s built the A80 with live-streaming and vlogging in mind, so it makes sense that users would want to be able to capture front-facing video with the best cameras on the phone. Naturally, moving parts like this, paired with the A80’s mid-range standing mean it doesn’t offer any sort of water resistance like the S10. As such, it’s unquestionably a little less hardy than the company’s top blower. It also loses out on the S10’s wireless charging support and there’s no headphone jack; one of the notable inclusions amongst the S10 family. Samsung Galaxy A80 vs S10 – Specs and cameras Being a mid-ranger, the A80 sports a larger but lower resolution AMOLED display compared to the Samsung flagship. With regards to biometric authentication, it shares in the S10’s in-display fingerprint sensor technology but it’s likely an optical solution, instead of the S10’s more advanced (albeit imperfect) ultrasonic sensor – we’ve reached out to Samsung to confirm this. Galaxy A80 Galaxy S10 Dimensions 165.2 x 76.5 x 9.3 mm 149.9 x 70.4 x 7.8 mm Weight Unknown 157g Display 6.7-inch 2400 x 1080 ‘New’ Super AMOLED Infinity Display 6.1-inch 3040 x 1440 Dynamic AMOLED Infinity Display w/ hole-punch Rear camera 48-megapixel f/2.0 + 8MP ultra-wide f/2.2 + ToF 3D depth sensor Dual Pixel 12-megapixel OIS f/1.5 – f/2.4 AF + 16-megapixel ultra-wide f/2.2 FF + 12-megapixel telephoto OIS f/2.4 AF Front camera Rear camera rotates to double as front camera Dual Pixel 10-megapixel f/1.9 AF Memory 8GB + 128GB 8GB + 128GB or 8GB + 512GB microSD up to 512GB (all versions) Battery 3700mAh 3400mAh Fast charging 25W 15W Security In-display fingerprint sensor In-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor Processor 8nm octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 730 8nm octa-core Exynos 9820 While memory and internal storage start as equals between these two phones, the A80 is among the first Galaxy handsets to not include microSD expandability, which might be a sign of things to come; we hope not. The S10 meanwhile, can accommodate memory cards up to 512GB on top of either 128GB or 512GB of internal space. Naturally, the larger phone benefits from a larger battery, which paired with a more conservative processor and lower resolution display should result in longer battery life than the higher-powered flagship. What’s more, Samsung has been pretty slow to implement improved fast-charging on its phones, with only the S10 5G benefiting from such technology within the lineup. The Galaxy A80’s sizeable 3700mAh power pack can be rejuvenated significantly faster than the S10’s by way of superior 25W fast charging. There’s no faulting the S10’s impressive triple-camera arrangement, which grants you great quality shooting with its variable aperture main sensor, plus lossless zoom and an ultra-wide sensor for more versatile shooting. There’s some overlap, with the A80’s rear triple arrangement also granting you the option of ultra-wide capture (albeit at half the resolution of the S10). The main sensor, however, is a whopping 48-megapixel effort (in place of the S10’s 12-megapixel offering) that likely uses pixel binning to render a superior quality 12-megapixel final photo. It’ll be interesting to see how these two main sensors compare come review time, especially in low light. The third piece of the A80’s camera setup is actually a 3D ToF (time-of-flight) sensor, similar to those found on the S10 5G, Oppo RX17 Pro and Huawei P30 Pro. It helps the phone’s camera more accurately gauge depth to add bokeh (a natural-looking background blur) around a subject (or subjects) in-frame. Related: Best camera phones The A80 can use this feature when shooting video too (dubbed ‘Live Focus Video’); a rarer inclusion in the current smartphone landscape and something the standard S10 can only emulate. There’s also the matter of the front-facing camera experience; the S10 uses a single 10-megapixel snapper while A80 users can make use of the full feature set of the phone’s main camera, including the ability to capture ultra-wide angle selfies. Samsung Galaxy A80 vs S10 – Price and availability The Samsung Galaxy S10 starts at £799 in the UK and is available now, those interested in the Samsung Galaxy A80 will have to wait until May 29 to get their hands on one, with pricing not yet announced. There’s also no guarantee that the phone will launch in the UK, with double-digit A series phones previously being omitted from the British market. This phone might have what it takes to change that trend, however.<doc-sep>Samsung has gone a little bit mad. It has announced the Galaxy A80, which has the most over-engineered selfie camera setup we’ve seen yet. It not only has a slider system, like the Honor Magic 2, but the camera array rotates around as it lifts up, meaning the main camera is used for both regular photos and selfies. If the Galaxy S10 felt a restrained and sensible, the Galaxy A80 shows what Samsung can do when it has had a few drinks. Updates Release date Samsung has provided more details on the Galaxy A80’s launch. The phone will be available in selected markets from July, both in Samsung stores and online. While the company has not provided many other details, the price is said to be 650 euros by Sammobile.com. Cameras There are three cameras on the Galaxy A80 — a 48-megapixel, f/2.0 main sensor, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera lens with a 123-degree field of view, and a 3D depth-sensing camera. The Scene Optimizer artificial intelligence software previously seen on the Galaxy Note 9 and S10 has been included for scene recognition, along with predictive image stabilization for video. Screen and specs Why has Samsung gone crazy with the camera? It’s so the Galaxy A80 has a notch-less, hole-less screen. The Super AMOLED panel is big at 6.7 inches and the borders around the edge are thin. The Galaxy A80 is the first Samsung phone to use its Infinity display technology, one of several new screen types it has detailed recently, including the Infinity-O screen featured on the Galaxy S10. The screen contains the fingerprint sensor inside it, too, rather than it being on the back or side of the phone. Samsung has not named the processor powering the Galaxy A80, but states it’s an octa-core chip, accompanied by 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage space. A 3,700mAh battery supplies the energy, ready to be topped up using a 25w fast charger. This is a midrange phone from Samsung, despite the innovative camera, yet the body is still made from glass wrapped around a metal frame. It will come in three colors: Black, gold, or white. The white and the gold are gradient-style finishes, showing different colors depending on the light and reflection. Availability Samsung originally said it would release the Galaxy A80 at the end of May; but the release date has shifted to July. Exact locations are unknown, but a U.K., European, and international release is expected. Updated on July 1, 2019: Added in official release news. Editors' Recommendations<doc-sep>Making "cutting edge innovation standard for everyone," Samsung has added a new mid-range model to its A series of phones. The Galaxy A80 borrows some tricks from the top-end Galaxy S10 series, as well as adding a few new tricks of its own – including a rotating, pop-up camera. The Cinematic Infinity Display uses Super AMOLED technology, just like the S10 phones, but there's no notch and very little in the way of bezels – that's because there's only one camera, around the back. With a tap, that camera slides above the screen and rotates, ready to do double-duty as a front-facing camera too. It's the headline feature of the new Galaxy A80, and it also means the phone can be Samsung's first truly full-screen model, with a 6.7-inch, 1,080 x 2,400 pixel display free from any kind of notch or hole punch cut out. Under the hood, the specs of the Galaxy A80 include 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage (with no memory card slot available to expand that, unfortunately). Samsung hasn't named the exact processor inside, but it's a mid-range octa-core model that should be capable of handling just about everything you can throw at it. The pop-up camera on the Samsung Galaxy A80 means no need for a notch on hole punch on the 6.7-inch display Samsung As for that rotating camera, it's a triple-lens model, with a main 48 MP F2.0 camera, an ultra-wide 8 MP F2.2 camera, and a 3D depth sensor working in tandem. That gives you access to wide-screen shots, versatile background focus effects, and – according to Samsung – "vivid images day and night." There's a Super Steady video mode too, for reducing shake when capturing video. Elsewhere the phone brings with it a 3,700 mAh battery, fast charging, and support for Dolby Atmos audio in apps that make use of it. The phone comes with Android 9.0 Pie on board, plus the new Samsung OneUI interface, and there's a fingerprint sensor built into the display on the front. You've got a choice of black, gold and white for colors, and we're still waiting for Samsung to tell us how much it's going to charge for the phone – expect it to be significantly lower than the US$899 starting price of the Galaxy S10. The Galaxy A80 joins the recently announced Galaxy A70 and a total of five other models in the A series, all unveiled in the last few weeks, and made to match your needs and budget. If your budget can't quite stretch to a Galaxy S10, Samsung has you very well covered. The video below has more. Source: Samsung<doc-sep>
(Pocket-lint) - Samsung refreshed its A series range of smartphones in April 2019, introducing the flagship Galaxy A80 with a rotating camera and the Galaxy A70 with a huge screen and battery, alongside the A50, A40 and A20e. We're focusing on the Galaxy A80 and the Galaxy A70 in this feature, comparing their similarities and differences. Which flagship Samsung Galaxy A model is the right one for you? The Samsung Galaxy A80 and A70 both have the same size display at 6.7-inches and they both have a Full HD+ resolution and a Super AMOLED panel. The two devices also feature a metal frame with a glass front and rear, an under-display fingerprint sensor, and they both offer up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The software experience is also the same for the most part. Galaxy A80: Full display, rotating camera, sliding design Galaxy A70: Teardrop notch, standard design The Samsung Galaxy A80 has full uninterrupted screen, made possible by a rotating triple camera that slides up automatically and flips to selfie mode when the selfie button is pressed in the camera app. The Galaxy A70 meanwhile, has a more standard design with a tear-drop notch at the top of its display, and a triple vertical camera on the rear in the top left corner. Galaxy A80: New Infinity Galaxy A70: Infinity U Whilst the size and resolution of the Samsung Galaxy A80 and A70 are the same, the displays themselves are different. The A80 has a full, uninterrupted display, which Samsung is calling the New Infinity Display. The A70 meanwhile, has a small notch at the top of its display in the centre, allowing for the front camera. Samsung calls it the Infinity U Display. You still get almost a full screen though. Galaxy A80: 165.2 x 76.5 x 9.3mm Galaxy A70: 164.3 x 76.7 x 7.9 mm The Samsung Galaxy A80 and A70 are almost identical in size, except for their thickness. The A80 is noticeably thicker than the A70 and quite top heavy too. The A70 meanwhile, feels slim and light. Galaxy A80: Triple front and rear (48MP + 8MP + 3D Depth) Galaxy A70: Triple rear (32MP + 5MP + 8MP), single front (32MP) The Samsung Galaxy A80 has the same camera for both the front and the rear thanks to the rotating mechanism. It means you'll get the same specifications and features on the front and the rear because it's the same camera. The Galaxy A70 has a triple camera on the rear but it's a different setup to the A80. Rather than a main sensor, ultra wide sensor and a Time of Flight sensor like the A80, the A70 has a main sensor, ultra wide sensor and a depth sensor. It also has a separate single front camera sensor. Galaxy A80: 3700mAh Galaxy A70: 4500mAh The Samsung Galaxy A80 has a smaller battery than the A70, though it does offer some intelligent software features that bring in AI to reduce power consumption. There is also 25W fast charging on board. The Samsung Galaxy A70 has a huge battery and it too features fast charging. Neither support wireless charging. Galaxy A80: Qualcomm Snapdragon 730 Galaxy A70: Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 The Samsung Galaxy A80 has a slightly more advanced processor than the Galaxy A70, so the flagship model is likely to be a little quicker and a little more powerful. Galaxy A80: No microSD, no 3.5mm headphone jack Galaxy A70: MicroSD up to 512GB, 3.5mm headphone jack The Samsung Galaxy A80 doesn't offer a 3.5mm headphone jack and it doesn't have microSD on board for storage expansion either. It is also only available in one model, which has 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. The Galaxy A70 meanwhile, has both a headphone jack and microSD support. It also comes in two models, one with 6GB of RAM and the other with 8GB of RAM. Like the A80, there is 128GB of internal storage. Galaxy A80: Phantom Black, Angel Gold, Ghost White Galaxy A70: Black, Blue, Coral, White The Samsung Galaxy A80 comes in three colours, with the Angel Gold option the most striking. The Galaxy A70 comes in four colours with the Coral and Blue models the most interesting. The Coral model has a gold frame, which looks great. Galaxy A80: TBC Galaxy A70: TBC Pricing for Samsung Galaxy A80 and A70 have yet to be revealed, though the A80 will no doubt be more expensive than the A70.