Samsung has announced the Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A3 smartphones at CES 2017, adding two mid-tier devices to its portfolio.

The A5 and A3 will be available towards the end of January, plugging the gap in the wait for the Galaxy S8 flagship, which is expected to appear later this year. Here is how the two new devices compare to each other and 2016's Galaxy S7.

Samsung Galaxy A5 vs A3 vs S7: Design

  • All 7.9mm slim
  • All have IP68 waterproofing
  • All have front-mounted fingerprint sensors

The Samsung Galaxy A5 is the largest of the three devices being compared here, measuring 146.1 x 71.4mm, while the A3 is the smallest at 135.4 x 86.2mm. The S7 therefore sits in the middle with its 142 x 69.6mm body, but the A5, A3 and S7 all have the same 7.9mm thickness.

All three smartphones are IP68 water and dust resistant, and all three feature metal frames, glass rears and a fingerprint sensor built into the button on the front.

Samsung Galaxy A5 vs A3 vs S7: Display

  • Galaxy A5 largest display
  • Galaxy S7 crispest display
  • All Super AMOLED and always-on functionality

The Galaxy A5 has the largest display at 5.2-inches, while the S7 has a 5.1-inch screen and the A3 has a 4.7-inch display.

All three devices feature an always-on display, allowing users to see certain notifications without having to turn the main display on. They also all opt for Super AMOLED technology, meaning rich and vibrant colours.

The S7 has the highest resolution at 2560 x 1440 pixels, resulting in a pixel density of 577ppi, compared to the A5's Full HD screen that delivers a 424ppi and the A3's HD display that offers a 312ppi.

Samsung Galaxy A5 vs A3 vs S7: Camera

  • Galaxy A5 offers highest resolution front and rear cameras
  • Galaxy S7 has more advanced functionality
  • Galaxy S7 slightly wider aperture

The Galaxy A5 has a 16-megapixel rear camera and a 16-megapixel front camera, both of which have a f/1.9 aperture. The A3 has a slightly lower resolution on both with a 13-megapixel rear camera and an 8-megapixel front camera.

The S7 has a 12-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front camera, but both have a slightly wider aperture than the A5 and the A3 at f/1.7. The rear camera also has phase detection autofocus and OIS, while the front-facing camera features Auto HDR.

Samsung Galaxy A5 vs A3 vs S7: Hardware

  • Galaxy S7 has more RAM and higher storage capacities
  • Galaxy S7 and A5 both have 3000mAh batteries
  • Galaxy A5 and A3 have USB Type-C

The Galaxy A5 and A3 both have octa-core Exynos processors under their hoods, with 3GB and 2GB of RAM, respectively. The A5 has 32GB internal storage, while the A3 has 16GB, but both have microSD support for further storage expansion.

Depending on the region, the S7 has either a Qualcomm quad-core processor under its hood, or an octa-core Exynos chip. Both models have 4GB of RAM and either 32GB or 64GB of internal memory with microSD.

The A5 and S7 both have a 3000mAh battery, while the A3 has a slightly smaller capacity at 2350mAh. All three devices support fast charging, but the A5 and A3 do this through USB Type-C, while the S7 opts for Micro-USB.

Samsung Galaxy A5 vs A3 vs S7: Software

  • All run on Android Marshmallow, for now

The Galaxy A5 and A3 will both launch on Android Marshmallow, which is what the S7 currently runs on.

An update to Android Nougat for the S7 should appear soon, and no doubt the A5 and A3 will also receive it too, so the user experience across all three devices will be very similar.

Samsung Galaxy A5 vs A3 vs S7: Price

  • Price of Galaxy A5 and A3 likely to be quite a bit lower than S7
  • Galaxy S7 retails at £599

Samsung has yet to reveal a price for the Galaxy A5 and A3, but it will be lower than the S7.

The Galaxy S7 costs £599 from Samsung, while the 2016 model of the A5 cost £350 when it launched.

Samsung Galaxy A5 vs A3 vs S7: Conclusion

The Samsung Galaxy S7 features more advanced camera functionality, a higher resolution display and more RAM but the Galaxy A5 and A3 have some great attributes of their own.

Their glass-reared designs sound promising, along with their IP68 waterproofing and an octa-core processor should mean they will both be more than capable.

The A3's HD screen lets it down a little on the spec sheet, but both the A5 and A3 have decent resolution front and back cameras, as well as good battery capacities. The S7 might be the current flagship, but depending on what price Samsung attaches to the A5, it could be well worth considering as an alternative.