After the launch of the popular Samsung S5830 in 2011, Samsung did not achieve the same success in the mid-range market for a long time. However, in 2015, Samsung successfully reclaimed its position at the top of the smartphone market with the Samsung S6. The Samsung S6 and S6 edge not only featured stunning designs but also achieved the highest standards in system optimization and photography in the industry. With a foothold in the flagship market, Samsung began to consider its strategy for the mid-range market in 2016.
At the end of 2015, Samsung officially launched three new products in its mid-range A series: the 2016 versions of the Samsung A3, A5, and A7. It is reported that the 2016 version of the A7 has undergone significant changes in overall appearance and has also seen performance improvements compared to last year’s model. Today, we will provide an in-depth analysis of this product. But first, let’s take a look at the basic specifications of the device.
| 2016 Samsung A7 Configuration Parameters | |
| CPU |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 |
| RAM | 3GB |
| ROM | 16GB |
| Screen | 5.5 inches, 1920×1080 pixels |
| Rear Camera | 13 million pixels |
| Front Camera | 5 million pixels |
| Network Type | Dual SIM, 4G for China Mobile/Unicom/Telecom |
| Operating System | Android 5.1.1 TouchWiz UI |
| Battery | 3300mAh, non-removable |
| Dimensions | 151.5×74.1×7.3mm |
| Weight | 172g |
| SIM Card Type | Nano SIM |
| Body Color | Rose Gold |
Detailed Parameters of the 2016 Samsung A7
In terms of appearance, the 2016 Samsung A7 has seen significant improvements compared to the previous version. Firstly, the original metal back cover has been upgraded to the new fourth-generation Corning Gorilla Glass, enhancing both visual appeal and tactile experience, which elevates the device’s aesthetics to a new level. The rose gold color variant of the 2016 Samsung A7 is particularly attractive.
Front View
The front of the 2016 Samsung A7 features a 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1920×1080. Coupled with a 2.5D screen and ultra-narrow bezel design, the overall display effect is quite impressive.
Above the screen 
Below the screen
Above the screen are the 5 million pixel front camera, earpiece, and light/proximity sensor, arranged in a straight line, which is pleasing for users with OCD. Below the screen is the Samsung logo-shaped home button, along with the back and task management buttons, all surrounded by a rose gold metal frame, enhancing the premium feel. It is worth noting that the home button supports fingerprint recognition.
Volume Button 
Card Slot
The design of the middle frame of the 2016 Samsung A7 is also a highlight. This three-segment design effectively transitions between the front and back 2.5D screens, ensuring that the device does not have the “fat and flat” appearance seen in the iPhone 6. The 2016 Samsung A7 looks more refined. The left side of the middle frame features the volume button, while the right side has the power button and card slot. Notably, the 2016 Samsung A7 adopts a dual card slot design, where one slot can accommodate either a SIM card or a Micro SD card.
Bottom View
The bottom of the middle frame features the Micro USB port, speaker, and 3.5mm headphone jack, with the Micro USB port centered and the 3.5mm jack and speaker arranged on either side. It is somewhat disappointing that the 2016 Samsung A7 still uses a Micro USB port instead of a USB Type-C port.
Back View 
Rear Camera
The back of the device still features a 2.5D glass design, which feels very nice, and compared to competitors’ back covers, the 2016 Samsung A7’s back cover is cleaner. The 2016 Samsung A7 is equipped with a 13 million pixel camera that supports a large aperture of F1.9, and the camera protrudes slightly, but fortunately, it is surrounded by a metal border, so there is no need to worry about the lens getting scratched.
Summary: Overall, the 2016 Samsung A7 has seen significant upgrades compared to the older version, especially in appearance, with the dual 2.5D screens and rose gold color being particularly eye-catching. Additionally, Samsung has done a great job with the middle frame design, ensuring it looks good while maintaining a comfortable feel. Samsung has clearly put a lot of effort into the aesthetics of this device.
In terms of the system, the 2016 Samsung A7 still uses Samsung’s own TouchWiz UI, which is deeply customized based on Android 5.1.1. While maintaining Samsung’s unique style, it has incorporated elements from Android 5.0 and added more practical features. It is reported that the 2016 Samsung A7 will also receive an update to Android 6.0 in the future.
Lock Screen & Home Screen
Notification Bar
The UI interface features rounded rectangle icons, but compared to those on the market, the rounded corners in the TouchWiz UI are more pronounced, making them appear less crowded when arranged in sequence. The overall color scheme of the UI is Samsung’s classic blue, while the system interface has completely adopted Google’s Material Design style.
Task Management Interface & Desktop Settings Interface
Settings Interface
Samsung has put a lot of effort into system functionality. In earlier versions of TouchWiz, Samsung’s localization customization for Chinese users was not high, which led to many users being unfamiliar with Samsung’s system. Recently, Samsung has significantly optimized the TouchWiz UI for Chinese users, incorporating many features that were previously only seen in domestic ROMs.
Smart Manager
For domestic Android users, system management is very important, and Samsung has added the Smart Manager app in TouchWiz, which allows users to manage system space, including memory usage and RAM usage.
Fingerprint Function
Additionally, the 2016 Samsung A7 features a fingerprint recognition function, allowing users to log into websites, verify Samsung accounts, and use Alipay for payments. In the future, when Samsung Pay is launched in China, this function will also support fingerprint payments.
Summary: With continuous updates, I feel that the TouchWiz UI is becoming increasingly suitable for Chinese users. The system of the 2016 Samsung A7 not only features a simple and stylish interface but also offers rich functionality that meets the needs of the vast majority of users, eliminating the need to download many bulky third-party apps to fulfill their requirements, as the built-in features of the system can now achieve this.
In terms of performance, the 2016 Samsung A7 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8939 64-bit octa-core processor, which is part of the Snapdragon 615 series. This chip is built on the Cortex-A53 architecture and 28nm process technology, with a GPU model of Adreno 405. The storage configuration includes 3GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. Next, let’s see how this device performs through several software tests.
AnTuTu Benchmark Score
AnTuTu Benchmark is a software specifically designed for benchmarking the hardware of Android smartphones and tablets. It can run a complete test project with one click, evaluating multiple performance metrics such as memory performance, CPU integer performance, CPU floating-point performance, 2D and 3D graphics performance, database I/O, and SD card read/write speeds, and provides scores for the overall and individual hardware performance of the device, while also uploading scores to view the device’s ranking worldwide.
Vellamo Benchmark Score
Vellamo is a benchmark application developed by Qualcomm that allows you to test the performance and stability of mobile browsers, including JavaScript performance, rendering, networking, and user interface. The results of this tool also include multiple sub-items, but we will only take the total score, with higher scores indicating better optimization of the browser and a better web browsing experience.
In practical testing, we will evaluate the performance of the 2016 Samsung A7 through gaming and video playback tests, followed by AnTuTu compatibility tests and 3D gaming tests.
AnTuTu Video Test Score
3D Gaming Test
From the above tests, it can be seen that the 2016 Samsung A7 has good local video decoding capabilities, with only four formats it cannot play, and only one of those being 4K format. In terms of 3D gaming, the experience with the game “Riptide GP2” shows that the 2016 Samsung A7 performs well, with fast loading times, high frame rates, and realistic graphics.
Battery Life Test
In terms of battery life, from 1:00 PM to 5:48 PM, the battery only dropped by 17%, which is an excellent performance, allowing for two to three days of use without issue. Regarding charging, using the official charger, it takes only 2 hours to charge from 15% to 100%, which is quite satisfactory.
Summary: From the series of tests above, it is clear that the performance of the 2016 Samsung A7 is quite good. Although its benchmark scores cannot compete with flagship devices, it meets basic daily needs without any issues. Additionally, the device has excellent heat control during performance testing, with the highest temperature near the camera, but overall, it does not get too hot, just warm to the touch. The large battery and system optimization contribute to a satisfying battery life performance for the 2016 Samsung A7.
Finally, regarding photography, the 2016 Samsung A7 is equipped with a 13 million pixel rear camera with an F1.9 large aperture. Let’s take a look at some sample photos to evaluate the camera performance.
Sample Photo 1 
Sample Photo 2
Sample Photo 3 
Sample Photo 4 
Sample Photo 5
Summary: From the above sample photos, it is evident that the camera performance is quite good. The weather in Beijing today is not ideal, with insufficient light, but the 2016 Samsung A7 still manages to maintain high contrast in the sample photos. The style of the photos leans slightly cool, with accurate white balance, and the details of distant buildings are well preserved.
Conclusion: Overall, the 2016 Samsung A7 has undergone significant upgrades in appearance, particularly with the change in back cover material, greatly enhancing the product’s aesthetics. While the configuration has seen slight changes, the actual differences are minimal. The 2016 Samsung A7 has made substantial improvements in system functionality and battery life. It is a very good smartphone, and importantly, it is priced at only 2699 yuan!
