Samsung A5 Specification

    In this job we are constantly jostling between different phones. Often they're the latest and greatest handsets, so when a mid-range model such as the SamsungGalaxy A5 comes along we tend to cross our fingers and hope there will be something standout to get excited about.

Only to call the Galaxy A5 out-and-out mid-range is to do it a disservice. We've been using its bigger brother, the flagship (and soon-to-be-replaced) Galaxy S5, for a few weeks in the run up to this review - and we can confidently say that, on looks alone, the more affordable A5 is the better designed phone. What gives?

Samsung is undergoing something of an internal revolution at the moment. It doesn't want to be left in the dust behind the design chic of its nearest competitors, and with the S6 incoming, the A5 is a nod to that more advanced design, but at a more affordable price point for those non-plussed about having every feature under the sun crammed into a phone.

Do its abilities match its exterior? We've been living with the Galaxy A5, provided by outr friends at O2, for a few days to see.

Delightful design

About six months ago we got our hands on the Galaxy Alpha, Samsung's first dip into a metal bodied phone - well, almost, as it still has a plastic rear panel. In essence the Galaxy A5 is a tweaked version of this concept.

And it's hot. Blue Steel hot (yes, we've been watching too much Zoolander of late). At 6.7mm thick it's a slender slice of metal, here shown in its "midnight black" finish which, in the case of the plastic rear panel, has a more than a hint of deep blue to its look. The dark colour really highlights the chamfered metal edge, so it stands out a lot more than the "champagne" or "pearl" colour options.