When talk of Samsung Galaxy A8 2018 as a successor to the Galaxy A5 2017 started showing up, it sounded unreal, especially since the company already has a Galaxy A8 series that started selling back in 2015.
The original Samsung Galaxy A8 was unveiled in July 2015 and its successor, the Galaxy A8 2016, was unveiled in September 2016. As you may already know, the Galaxy A series is a high-end Samsung midrange offering that is very close to the flagship Galaxy S family when compared to other midrange handsets like the Galaxy C family. With the launch of the Galaxy A 2017, the company made this relationship even more vivid by including some high-end specs such as IP68 glass and metal design, but it also made it official that this is a camera-focused series.
Last year’s Samsung Galaxy A8 can easily fit the bill of a flagship phone thanks to what it brings to the table, but the same can easily be said of the Galaxy A8 2018. What makes the former look more flagship than the latter is the processor on board. It uses the same hardware specs as the 2015 flagship phones from Samsung, namely Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6, S6 Edge and S6 Edge+. This, in essence, makes it a very powerful phone even when compared to the new Galaxy A8 2018, but the latter is no slouch either.
Of course, with the two more than a year apart, there are significant differences between them than there are similarities. In addition, the new Samsung Galaxy A8 2018 isn’t a direct successor to the Galaxy A8 2016. Comparing the Galaxy A8 2016 and Galaxy A7 2017, for instance, will tell you that the former was meant to be a more powerful handset than the A7 series. If Samsung was to upgrade it in 2017, it would definitely be better than the A7 2017, but this isn’t happening. In fact, it seems the previous Galaxy A8 has been scrapped completely in favor a new Galaxy A8, which is essentially a renamed Galaxy A7 2018.
To make the differences and similarities more vivid, here is a tabular comparison between the Samsung Galaxy A8 2018 and Galaxy A8 2016.
| Samsung Galaxy A8 2018 | Samsung Galaxy A8 2016 | |
| Dimensions | 149.2 x 70.6 x 8.4 mm | 156.6 x 76.8 x 7.2 mm |
| Weight | 172g | 182g |
| Display | 5.6-inch Super AMOLED, Full HD+ (Infinity Display) | 5.7-inch Super AMOLED, Full HD |
| Processor | Exynos 7885 octa, 2.2GHz | Exynos 7420 octa, 2.1GHz |
| RAM | 4GB | 3GB |
| Storage | 32GB/64GB, microSD card of up to 256GB | 32GB, microSD card of up to 256GB |
| Software | Android 7.1.1 Nougat, upgradable to Oreo | Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, upgradable to Nougat |
| Main camera | 16MP, f/1.7 aperture, PDAF | 16MP, f/1.9 aperture, AF |
| Front camera | 16MP+8MP, f/1.9 aperture, Live Focus | 8MP, f/1.9 aperture |
| Battery | 3000mAh, fast charging | 3300mAh, fast charging |
| Connectivity | Dual-SIM, LTE, rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C | Dual-SIM, LTE, front-mounted fingerprint scanner, NFC, Bluetooth 4.1, microUSB |
| Extras | IP68, Gear VR support, FM Radio, Samsung Pay, Always On Display | FM Radio |