Samsung refreshed its A series range of smartphones in April 2019, introducing the flagship Galaxy A80 with a rotating camera and the Galaxy A70 with a huge screen and battery, alongside the A50, A40 and A20e. 

We're focusing on the Galaxy A80 and the Galaxy A70 in this feature, comparing their similarities and differences. Which flagship Samsung Galaxy A model is the right one for you?

What's the same between the Galaxy A80 and Galaxy A70?

The Samsung Galaxy A80 and A70 both have the same size display at 6.7-inches and they both have a Full HD+ resolution and a Super AMOLED panel. 

The two devices also feature a metal frame with a glass front and rear, an under-display fingerprint sensor, and they both offer up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The software experience is also the same for the most part.

What's different between the Galaxy A80 and the Galaxy A70?

Design

  • Galaxy A80: Full display, rotating camera, sliding design
  • Galaxy A70: Teardrop notch, standard design

The Samsung Galaxy A80 has full uninterrupted screen, made possible by a rotating triple camera that slides up automatically and flips to selfie mode when the selfie button is pressed in the camera app.

The Galaxy A70 meanwhile, has a more standard design with a tear-drop notch at the top of its display, and a triple vertical camera on the rear in the top left corner.

Display

  • Galaxy A80: New Infinity
  • Galaxy A70: Infinity U

Whilst the size and resolution of the Samsung Galaxy A80 and A70 are the same, the displays themselves are different. The A80 has a full, uninterrupted display, which Samsung is calling the New Infinity Display.

The A70 meanwhile, has a small notch at the top of its display in the centre, allowing for the front camera. Samsung calls it the Infinity U Display. You still get almost a full screen though.

Size

  • Galaxy A80: 165.2 x 76.5 x 9.3mm
  • Galaxy A70: 164.3 x 76.7 x 7.9 mm

The Samsung Galaxy A80 and A70 are almost identical in size, except for their thickness. 

The A80 is noticeably thicker than the A70 and quite top heavy too. The A70 meanwhile, feels slim and light.

Cameras

  • Galaxy A80: Triple front and rear (48MP + 8MP + 3D Depth)
  • Galaxy A70: Triple rear (32MP + 5MP + 8MP), single front (32MP)

The Samsung Galaxy A80 has the same camera for both the front and the rear thanks to the rotating mechanism. It means you'll get the same specifications and features on the front and the rear because it's the same camera.

The Galaxy A70 has a triple camera on the rear but it's a different setup to the A80. Rather than a main sensor, ultra wide sensor and a Time of Flight sensor like the A80, the A70 has a main sensor, ultra wide sensor and a depth sensor. 

It also has a separate single front camera sensor.

Battery

  • Galaxy A80: 3700mAh
  • Galaxy A70: 4500mAh

The Samsung Galaxy A80 has a smaller battery than the A70, though it does offer some intelligent software features that bring in AI to reduce power consumption. There is also 25W fast charging on board.

The Samsung Galaxy A70 has a huge battery and it too features fast charging. Neither support wireless charging.

Processor

  • Galaxy A80: Qualcomm Snapdragon 730
  • Galaxy A70: Qualcomm Snapdragon 675

The Samsung Galaxy A80 has a slightly more advanced processor than the Galaxy A70, so the flagship model is likely to be a little quicker and a little more powerful.

Hardware

  • Galaxy A80: No microSD, no 3.5mm headphone jack
  • Galaxy A70: MicroSD up to 512GB, 3.5mm headphone jack

The Samsung Galaxy A80 doesn't offer a 3.5mm headphone jack and it doesn't have microSD on board for storage expansion either. It is also only available in one model, which has 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. 

The Galaxy A70 meanwhile, has both a headphone jack and microSD support. It also comes in two models, one with 6GB of RAM and the other with 8GB of RAM. Like the A80, there is 128GB of internal storage.

Colours

  • Galaxy A80: Phantom Black, Angel Gold, Ghost White
  • Galaxy A70: Black, Blue, Coral, White

The Samsung Galaxy A80 comes in three colours, with the Angel Gold option the most striking. 

The Galaxy A70 comes in four colours with the Coral and Blue models the most interesting. The Coral model has a gold frame, which looks great.

Price and availability

  • Galaxy A80: TBC
  • Galaxy A70: TBC

Pricing for Samsung Galaxy A80 and A70 have yet to be revealed, though the A80 will no doubt be more expensive than the A70. 

The Galaxy A80 will be available from 29 May, while the Galaxy A70 will hit shelves on 26 April. 

Conclusion 

The Samsung Galaxy A80 is without a doubt the more exciting of the two flagships in the A series in terms of design, but that's not to say it's the best model for everyone. 

The A80 has some good specifications, including a decent processor, full display and the rotating triple camera on the A80 is certainly different, though we do have some concerns about the mechanism lasting the test of time. 

The A70 meanwhile, offers a big display, huge battery, a headphone jack and a microSD slot, whilst also featuring a good processor and plenty of RAM. It is also likely to be cheaper than the A80, which will no doubt make it a more appealing model for many.