There is no arguingwith the fact that Samsung Galaxy S6 is still one of the best devices out there in terms of looks, performance, camera and all you can name. However, it is also true that in Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016), you have one of the best mid-range smartphones you can ever dream of.
So, how do Samsung Galaxy S6 compare against Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016)?
Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) is a mid-range device based on specs, but you still get one of the best designs and premium looks. Available for about $326 on Amazon for the unlocked 16GB variant with one SIM card, you will still be getting a phone that is very close to the flagship Samsung Galaxy S6. The S6 has since been replaced by a new Galaxy S7, meaning the 2015 flagship has now dropped its price. This makes it available for a price tag that is similar to what new mid-range devices are offering.
Having said that, here is a close look at the Galaxy S6 vs. Galaxy A5 (2016).
Design and display
From a distance, you might think these two are twins, but getting closer will reveal to you that the Galaxy A5 (2016) is slightly taller than the Galaxy S6. In addition, the edges are not as rounded as the ones on the 2015 flagship. Other than these, you will find it a little hard to tell these two apart thanks to the fact that they both use glass and metal in their material builds, with the backs turning glossy and edges becoming silverfish.
There are physical home buttons on both handsets and the snapper is slightly protruding at the back as well. There is nothing to do with water or dust resistivity with respect to these two – a feature that Samsung decided to bring back with this year’s Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge.
Coming down to the displays, the flagship Galaxy S6 turns out on top for obvious reasons. The phone has a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED QHD panel with 2560 by 1440 pixels of resolution as opposed to the 5.2-inch Super AMOLED Full HD panel with 1080 by 1920 pixels of resolution you get on the A5 (2016). However, the naked eye will notice very little about this difference.
Performance and battery
Since Samsung Galaxy S6 is a flagship phone, it definitely packs more superior performance specs than what you get on the mid-range Galaxy A5 (2016). However, you will be impressed with the battery life offered by the 2900mAh unit used on the A5 as compared to the 2550mAh available on the S6.
As for the specs under the hood, the Galaxy S6 is powered by an Exynos 7420 SoC that is paired with a RAM of 3GB as compared to the Snapdragon 615 SoC used on the Galaxy A5 (2016), which has been paired with a RAM of 2GB. It gets better for the A5 (2016) as far as storage is concerned. While you get up to 128GB of onboard storage on the Galaxy S6, the mid-range model offers only 16GB, but it can be expanded via a microSD card of up to 256GB.
Cameras and other features
You will come across a decent 13MP main camera on Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016), a snapper that features things like f/1.9 aperture, OIS, LED flash and autofocus. On the front is a 5MP sensor with the same aperture and ability to record 1080p videos. As for the Galaxy S6, you get a 16MP rear sensor with the same features as the A5 (2016). You also get an almost equal front-facing camera of 5MP, but it adds features such as Auto HDR and 1440p video recording.
Coming down to the features of these two phones, you get a fingerprint scanner on both units located in the home button. To ensure you get that extra protection layer needed for your personal data, Samsung Knox is available on the two handsets. Unfortunately, you won’t be getting the heart rate monitor on the Galaxy A5 (2016), something that is available on the flagship S6.
You might also be disappointed in the fact that Samsung Galaxy S6 has already been updated with the latest Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, but the same has yet to happen with respect to the Galaxy A5 (2016). However, the phone has been lined up for an update later this year.