The Samsung Galaxy A80 – Rotating camera? Say whaaaat…
With new phones being released frequently it is quite rare to find something that catches your eye immediately. But with the Samsung Galaxy A80, this happened way before I even got my hands on one. Why, do you ask? Well, it is something different, isn’t it? Not to say that innovation has not been rampant of late BUT with the A80 it’s a tangible innovation – not just software or camera pixels.
Let’s get past the tech talk quick. This device places just below the premium top tier space but, you wouldn’t say so. Packing a punch with 8GB RAM (yes 8GB RAM) I have never had the pleasure of such a smooth user experience, quick and fast – just what you want on the go. The Samsung Galaxy A80 has 128GB onboard memory and although it is lacking a memory card slot 128GB is solid – the average user will not exceed this in my opinion.
You get a 3700mAh battery and the phone is supported by Fast Charge at 25W. I tested the device to the hilt and found the battery performed very well. I was concerned that the battery may be a bit small to support all the functionality but after fully charging up on a Friday night after a full day’s use it only dropped to 81%.
For those who do not use their phone very often, with low usage, I managed to get a 7-day standby time and only saw the battery dropping by 20%. This phone is efficient with power.
If this hasn’t got you interested yet the design most will. Some will call it heavy – I call it solid. It is not uncomfortable to operate one-handed and really isn’t that much heavier than your average device. Yes, it is a bit thicker, but the beautiful glass design and metal frame make it worth it.
The real kicker here though is the display. I kept coming back to it and honestly it had my friends mesmerized. At 6.7 inch you are bordering on tablet territory, but this display is notch-less and almost completely bezel-less – a new Infinity Display. This is the most screen real estate I have seen on a device. They have managed this by building their Selfie Camera into the main camera and using a rotating mechanism to pop up and out when it is selfie time.
The Super AMOLED Full HD+ display provided a vibrant colour and great viewing experience. Now not as highly spec’d as your top range devices I really don’t think this will matter to most users – it certainly didn’t to me. Honestly, this display will speak to all content viewers be it the occasional Facebook user, Content Uploader or your “bored at work” Netflix watcher.
Another excellent feature currently only found on flagship devices is the in-display fingerprint sensor. Yes, this device has it.
Unfortunately, due to the innovation, there is a concern as to the exclusion of an IP rating (one can only assume it is due to the moving parts required for the rotating camera) and the possibility of not being able to find a cover. Samsung has also excluded a headphone jack but quite honestly for me, this is no longer the biggest deal.
The design mixes old school charm with new-age innovation and I personally salute Samsung on this incredible creation.
Now let’s get to the camera. Off the bat, the rear camera gives you a triple 48MP + 8MP + TOF camera. The 8MP works with your ultra-wide-angle and your TOF camera provide great 3D depth – excellent for Live Focus and Background Blur. And best of all you get all of these on the Selfie camera as well. No more balancing act to use your back camera – simply flip the switch wait for the camera to flip and there you go! It may just be me, but I found looking at the pictures almost like looking at the scene with the naked eye – but clearer.
All the usual suspects performed brilliantly (Panorama, Slo-Mo, Live Focus,) with no lag and performed commendably in low light conditions.
Again, and I can’t stress this enough – I was blown away by the camera. The clarity and colour of the images and the ease of use make it a home run for me. I tested Live Focus and Live Focus Video with great success. This camera creates magic – take my word for it!
Finally, the Samsung Galaxy A80 has added a new software feature in its Intelligent Performance Enhancer. Essentially what this does is uses AI to learn your routine and adjusts your CPU, RAM and battery usage to enhance the performance of your phone. I didn’t have the phone long enough to test this but judging the fact my battery is still going strong and based on all the other features I can only assume it’s the real deal!
I think Samsung has really nailed it with this one. This device is so exciting, easy to use and remarkable that I will be very surprised if it doesn’t land on thousands of Christmas Wish Lists this year. It is certainly going on mine!
