Samsung's Galaxy A Series comes in Peach (pictured) and has an impressive camera set up Samsung

They may not be flagship models, but Samsung is starting 2017 with the launch of two new phones in its Galaxy A range.

The Galaxy A5 2017 is the larger of the two, with a 5.2-inch screen, while the A3 2017 is smaller at 4.7 inches. Both are IP68 water and dust resistant, for the first time, and are said to have improved battery life, with the A5 shipping with Samsung's Fast Charging technology built in. This technology was added to the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge and is designed to give your battery a boost. During tests, a phone will charge to around 50 per cent in less than 30 minutes.


The A3 has a 2,350mAh battery, while the A5's battery is 3,000mAh. There are other subtle differences too. The Galaxy A5 runs on a 1.9GHz octa core processor; the A3 runs on 1.6GHz.

Elsewhere the phones have reversible USB Type-C ports, as seen on the OnePlus 3 and 3T, come with Always on Displays (designed to save battery life by showing notifications without waking up the entire device), and microSD support up to 256GB.

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“At Samsung, we are always trying to ensure our customers have the most advanced products on the market,” said DJ Koh, president of mobile communications business, Samsung Electronics. “We integrated our unique approach to design as well as the features Galaxy customers have come to love to provide added performance without compromising on style.”

Samsung


On the rear of the Galaxy A3 is a 13MP camera, with an 8MP on the front. Both front and rear cameras on the A5 are 16MP.

Taking aim at the likes of the Huawei P9, the 2017 Galaxy A range has added improved selfie features that let you take a photo of yourself by pressing anywhere on the screen, while the display acts as a front flash.

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Both the Samsung Galaxy A3 and A5 will be available to pre-order in the UK from January 20 and will then be sold across Europe "from early February" in four colours – Black Sky, Gold Sand, Blue Mist and Peach Cloud. Pre-order customers will also get Samsung Level Active Wireless Headphones for free, if they order from selected partners (more details to come).

Samsung has not announced the exact sale date for the new Galaxy A range, nor has it revealed prices. For reference, the 2016 models of the two mid-range phones cost £299 for the A3, and £303 for the A5 – although the latter increases to £309 if you choose the pink gold option.

By comparison, the OnePlus 3T – considered a flagship Android phone, but with similar specifications – starts at £399.