Key specs of Samsung’s slimmest phones ever: Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A3

Samsung made two thin metal phones in early 2015. They are called the Galaxy A5 and the Galaxy A3. Both phones cost less than the flagship models. The A5 costs Rs 25,500 and the A3 costs Rs 20,500. They were announced in November 2014 and sold in India in the first week of January 2015.

Design and Build

Both phones have a unibody metal frame. This makes them feel solid and premium. The A3 is 6.7 mm thick and the A5 is 6.9 mm thick. That makes them the slimmest Samsung phones at the time. They are not as thin as the Oppo R5, which is 4.85 mm, but they are still very thin.

The phones have flat sides and small bezels. They look similar to the older Samsung Galaxy Alpha. You can buy them in six colours: Pearl White, Midnight Black, Platinum Silver, Soft Pink, Light Blue and Champagne Gold.

Later, Samsung kept the slim trend. In 2026 the company added the Galaxy A57, which also has a thin profile and a vertical camera layout, according to a TENAA database entry.

Display

The Galaxy A3 has a 4.5‑inch Super AMOLED screen. Its resolution is 540 × 960 pixels. That works out to about 245 ppi, which is low for a modern phone.

The Galaxy A5 gets a bigger 5‑inch Super AMOLED screen. Its resolution is 720 × 1280 pixels. This gives a sharper 294 ppi display.

Both screens use Samsung’s Super AMOLED technology, which means bright colours and deep blacks.

Camera Features

The rear camera on the A5 is 13 MP with auto‑focus and an LED flash. It can record video at 1080p @ 30 fps. The front‑facing camera is 5 MP and includes a wide selfie mode and beauty face features.

The A3’s rear camera is 8 MP, also with auto‑focus and LED flash. It shares the same 5 MP front camera as the A5.

Both cameras are good for everyday photos, but they are not as powerful as newer flagship cameras.

Performance and Software

Both phones run Android 4.4 KitKat out of the box. Samsung has not announced an upgrade to Android 5.0 Lollipop for these models.

The A5 has a 1.2 GHz quad‑core processor and 2 GB of RAM. The A3 also uses a 1.2 GHz quad‑core processor but only has 1 GB of RAM.

Samsung usually uses its own Exynos chips in India, so these phones likely have Exynos processors rather than Snapdragon.

Storage and Battery

Both phones come with 16 GB of internal storage. You can add a microSD card up to 64 GB.

The A3 has a 1,900 mAh battery. The A5 has a slightly larger 2,300 mAh battery. Both phones include Samsung’s Ultra Saving Mode to stretch battery life.

Connectivity and Extras

Both models are sold as Dual‑SIM phones. They support Bluetooth 4.0, Wi‑Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n and A‑GPS/GLONASS.

Only the LTE versions have NFC. This lets you use contact‑less payments where supported.

Bottom Line

Samsung made the A5 and A3 to stay strong in the mid‑range market. Sales were falling and many rivals were offering cheap phones. By giving a thin metal look, good screens and decent cameras, Samsung hoped to win back customers.

These phones are not the fastest or the most powerful, but they are well built and look premium for their price.

FAQ

Are the Galaxy A5 and A3 still supported with software updates?

Both phones launched with Android 4.4 KitKat. Samsung has not confirmed any official update to Android 5.0 Lollipop, so they may not receive newer versions.

Can I use a microSD card larger than 64 GB?

The official specification says up to 64 GB. Using a larger card may not work reliably.

Which phone has a better camera?

The A5 has a 13 MP rear camera, while the A3 has an 8 MP rear camera. So the A5 generally takes sharper photos.

Is the metal body fragile?

The metal unibody is sturdy, but it can dent if dropped on a hard surface. Using a case can protect it.

For more details, you can read the original Firstpost article here.