02.06.2017

Preface

Hi all. So, I finally decided to review one of the new products from Samsung - Galaxy A5 2017. What prompted me to buy this particular smartphone? After all, I have a wonderful one that works great! Yes, it’s good in everything: the screen, the power, and everything that’s possible. But there is one "but". And this “but”, in fact, covers up the numerous advantages of this 2013 flagship. Battery. Which constantly swells, as if there is nothing to do. I’ve already changed a bunch of batteries on this flagship, and they all lasted no more than six months, both the originals and their Chinese counterparts.

And so, at the end of 2016, I saw announcements of the updated A-series line on the website, and the middle device, number 5, attracted me both with its characteristics and appearance. Although the price, of course, was steep at that time. So, having read the few reviews on it that were just beginning to appear, I already knew for sure that as soon as it went on sale, I would buy it! And I bought it!

Selection criteria

The camera has always been important to me in smartphones. Although it is clear that for high-quality shots it is better to have a DSLR, it is still nice to have both a phone and a high-quality camera in a single bottle. And if this bottle is also beautiful, then that’s even better. And he’s beautiful, you can’t argue with that! Well, for me at least.

Battery. What was important was not the capacity, but how economically the charge was used. And according to reviews, this smartphone holds its charge well.

Multi-SIM and MICRO-essentiality. And preferably, all together, which is rare even for flagships.

Protection against water and dust, well, that is, IP68 standard. I've never had a secure phone before...

Appearance

And what I also like is the high-quality assembly. And although I used to be constantly confused by the peculiarity of some smartphones with non-removable batteries, I must admit that such smartphones really feel monolithic. Well, although it was also distinguished by good build quality, it is very superior to it in this parameter.

Plus, the speaker here is located not on the back of the smartphone, but on the side. This is very cool, because when you play on a smartphone, you won’t be able to cover the speaker with your hand. And when it lies on the table, the sound, again, will not overlap. In my opinion, this is the best location. Although it doesn't match the sound quality. Yes, it’s loud, and there’s a hint of bass. But, probably, its not the best sound is due to its protection from water.

The buttons are made quite in the spirit of Samsung, clearly and minimalistically. They press clearly and do not hang out in their usual holes. Just like the Home button, which I’m used to in , is also present and does its job properly, also serving as a fingerprint scanner. But more on that a little later.

The camera and flash are located on the back of the smartphone. The camera does not protrude from the body, and there is no fear of scratching the peephole. The flash doesn't stand out either.

Screen. Display

The more, the better, I think. And that’s why I didn’t take a smartphone with a diagonal of less than five inches. And I took a smartphone with a diagonal of 5.2 inches. And the resolution is not lower than Full HD. Because I already see less grain on the display. And 2K is like that in general. Okay, this is all chatter, because it’s not the resolution that decides, but the number of ppi. Right? Just having read about the A3 2017, whose HD resolution is too grainy, I refused to buy it in favor of the A5 2017, which is fine with this matter. And my favorite AMOLED with acidic colors is in place, everything I love. Of course, you can also turn off this acidity in the display settings, but I didn’t. It may not look natural, but it’s cute.

No grain is visible. The viewing angles are the widest. But when you deviate to the sides, you can still see that the colors are not exactly inverted, but a small proportion of green, very small, is present. And this is such a feature of this model. Interestingly, this has not been observed, and there is a several-year difference between these smartphones. But let's not forget that this was a flagship, and this is a middling one...

As for the tactile sensation, everything is fine here. The fourth generation Gorilla Glass makes its presence felt. I don’t know about the strength, I haven’t tested it and don’t intend to, but my finger glides over this “monkey” like butter. As for the oleophobic coating, it seems to be there, but it’s not particularly effective. But what I want is that if you use any smartphone and move your finger across it, then traces of them will remain in any way. They also appear and more or less disappear, no discomfort is felt.

I read an interesting fact on one site about oleophobia - they say that these new smart phones have some kind of defect - in some places of the display it quickly wears off, and the traces of this are too visible. I don’t know what it looks like in real life, I rubbed it, rubbed it, dirty it, dirty it, wiped it - but I didn’t notice such a defect, or it doesn’t look bright on my device. It doesn't matter, because I immediately put tempered glass on the screen to prevent scratches. After all, no matter how they assured that Gorilla Glass protects against scratches, I did not manage to get a scratch... True, this glass does not completely cover the display, because the A5 2017 now has the newfangled 2.5D.

I have always been dissatisfied with the fact that Samsung's Tachwiz shell is slow, overloaded, even though it looks beautiful. And it was strange for me to see how everything was done slower on the flagship than on inexpensive Chinese smartphones with pure Android. Now I’ll say something else - the shell has changed its name and began to look much better - and... most importantly, it just flies.

It really flies, I'm not kidding. Everything opens quickly, be it the gallery, the dialer, or the camera. I don’t notice any lags or slowdowns, surprisingly.

The version here is Android 6, a kind of marmalade.

Over-the-air updates are supported, and I constantly turn it on in order to detect the “nougat,” that is, the seventh version that Samsung promises in the spring. Summer is coming, and there is no new version. I would really like to. Look, mid-range or even basic models from LG come out with seven, but what do we have? Still a six. How so?

In general, the design of the new shell from Samsung is different not only visually, but practically, the settings menu has been slightly changed, there is even support for things that I was incredibly happy about, so I won’t risk installing custom firmware, so as not to get a “brick”. And here you can change Android externally in such a way that you don’t need any firmware - you just need to go to the Samsung brand store and register, download the necessary themes, and even separately the icons you want. Which is, in fact, what I did.

There is also a blue light filter that reduces eye strain by limiting the amount of blue light. In fact, the screen is simply made dimmer and more yellowish.

I have never used a device with such a screen parameter.

By the way, there is no LED here that signals missed calls, messages, turns on the screen and shows a screensaver with a clock if you hold your palm over the LED. At first I suffered from this, then I got used to it, especially since instead of an LED there is one feature that was previously available only to the latest generation flagships - this is the Always On Display, which, thanks to AMOLED technology, constantly displays the clock and notifications on the screensaver, or you can set calendar. And this function does not consume much battery power.

In the “Optimization” item, the parameters of the battery, memory and RAM are conveniently located. Everything is convenient and clear.

This smartphone also supports NFC for payment. Everything is standard.

A fingerprint scanner, as I already said, is present, and I didn’t understand this feature before. But having experienced it myself, I realized that the fingerprint scanner is a convenient thing. First of all, because of the protection. Because no one outsider, whose fingerprint is not included, so to speak, in the database, will be able to unlock the smartphone and thereby view its internal contents. The speed of the scanner is not satisfactory, everything is fast enough, you just have to put your finger on the Home button and the screen immediately unlocks. Even in some narrowly targeted applications, such as banking, this method of logging into your personal account also works. Very convenient. And I’m so used to unlocking a smartphone using a scanner that when I pick up another Samsung device, I automatically try to unlock it in the same way!

Otherwise, the shell over pure Android is quite wow, convenient to use. Otherwise, this is a familiar “robot”.

Performance. "Power", RAM

It's time to say a little about the hardware. Inside, the new smartphone is powered by a processor of Samsung's own design - Exynos 7 Octa 7880. If you need dry numbers, here are 8 Cortex-A53 cores up to 1.88 GHz, Mali-T830 MP3 950 MHz. Now, according to personal feelings: if the flagship one seemed to be fast, although the shell was heavy, then everything here is an order of magnitude higher and faster. All operations are performed with lightning speed, programs open quickly, and it’s a pleasure to use. I understand that now there will be those who will say that even last year’s flagships will be faster and more powerful than . Perhaps this is so, because neither, nor and, and even more so, I did not use it, because I used the old one, and I directly compare it with the brand new A5 2017, and for me it is much faster than my previous device. Judging by the test in AnTuTu, it is clear that this is a real average and scores “only” 60078 points.

Yes, this is not much, but for me, who saw the figure on the 2013 flagship of 28,000 points, this is a monster in the good sense of the word ☺.

As for heating under load, this was a pleasant surprise for me in the sense that no matter how hard I tried to load the smartphone in order to generate heat from all sides, I was unable to do this. Even when scrolling through desktops, the screen was already becoming noticeably warm, and if you spent a little time surfing the Internet, the screen was already heating up quite a bit. As soon as I played a toy, even an undemanding one like Angry Birds, the heating was felt even more strongly. And if you took photos or recorded videos, it was simply painful to hold the smartphone in your hand, because the heating was felt both in front and behind.

Vladimir Nesterov

Samsung produces mobile phones based on the Android operating system. Each new gadget is equipped with a modern version of the operating system. Owners of older devices are recommended to update the software to the latest versions. If you still have an old firmware version, then let's look at how to update Android OS on a Samsung phone.

The simplest method

It belongs to the list of powers of an ordinary user and does not require deep knowledge, so anyone can do it on their own.

Before making changes, we recommend that you back up your stored data to an external drive. It is also important to check the battery charge level. The process is lengthy, so it's worth charging your phone to 80-90% to avoid the update stopping suddenly.

Before the procedure, it is recommended to turn on the Wi-Fi signal reception to avoid financial losses from your mobile account. When the data is received from the server, go to the “Install” field and wait for a notification that the changes are complete. After the adjustments have been made.

This algorithm is described for use on a Samsung galaxy s3 smartphone. However, the essence remains relevant for all devices.

Update via computer or laptop

You need to install the Kies program. The utility must be licensed so as not to spoil the operating system.

Return to factory settings

It happens when a person is not satisfied with the expansion. Then they perform a rollback.

How to get rid of the pirated version

Let's say you accidentally installed an unlicensed file and are wondering how to remove the update.

Update the software in a timely manner, this will help you ensure the stability of your smartphone and also use new functionality of the programs. In addition, it increases the security and safety of data on your device.

Update via Wi-fi

If possible, use a wi-fi connection - this will avoid installation failures and save mobile traffic.

Before updating, check the battery charge (50% or more is required), do not turn off the phone or remove the battery during the update process.
Go to the menu "Settings" - "Advanced" - "About device" - "Software update"
Select "Update" and wait for the process to complete. Read notifications carefully; some system updates may delete your data or contacts.

Other ways

Automatic update

When new versions of applications are detected, your phone will display a notification. Open the Quick Access Toolbar and confirm to download new components. After the download is complete, select install updates.

Updating using a computer

Install the Kies (or Kies3) program to synchronize your PC with your phone.
Connect your phone to your computer using a USB cable and launch the program.
Select the "Updates" menu item and follow the instructions.

Update in the store

You can also contact a Samsung service center or a company store and use “smart updates”.

Does your Samsung Android smartphone constantly update applications and programs spontaneously and you don’t know how to turn it off in the settings? In this article you will find information how to disable automatic app updates on Samsung and similar smartphones and tablets running the Android operating system.

Why do you need to disable app updates on smartphones? Mainly, of course, because of the Internet. Since Android applications and programs can weigh many megabytes or even several GB, they can download a lot of Internet traffic without your knowledge. It’s okay if you have unlimited Internet, but what happens if applications and programs, when updating, use the Internet from your phone for which you have to pay a lot of money and so on all the time. If you do not have unlimited Internet and you use it, then it is better to prohibit automatic application updates on Samsung. If you don’t use the Internet at all, then you can simply turn off the Internet and the applications themselves will not be able to update until they gain access to the Internet. It also happens that children or themselves accidentally activate the Internet and then applications will download an update without your knowledge and can spend all your money in your account. Therefore it is worth it if possible completely disable app updates or configure Samsung so that programs and applications are updated only when you connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi. Below you will find a way to do this; any user can do it, even without experience. Please leave a review about whether the information helped prevent applications from updating on your device or not, do not forget to indicate the model of your Android smartphone or tablet.

Let's see How to turn off automatic app updates on Android Samsung. If you don’t want to turn on the Internet on your smartphone because the programs will immediately start updating and eat up your money, then connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi. If you do not have the ability to connect to a Wi-Fi network, then you can use Wi-Fi from another phone that has an unlimited tariff.

So that prevent spontaneous software updates and applications on Samsung do the following:
1) The Internet must be turned on on the smartphone or connected via Wi-Fi.
2) Open in the "Pley Market" applications.
3) Open the menu in the Pley Market in the form of three stripes or something similar, and to get to the menu you can move the screen from left to right, that is, pull the screen.
4) Find the "Settings" item. If you can't see it, scroll through the list, it may be lower.
5) Select "Auto-update applications". In the window that appears, select “Never”. Or you can select “Only via Wi-Fi”, when you connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi, the applications will automatically start updating.

Ready! Now your applications on Samsung will not be able to update automatically without your permission. You can also configure other items, such as notifications about the availability of updates or reminders about auto-updating applications.
If you need to update one selected application, then in the “My Applications” item you can enable the update yourself or select update all, then all installed applications, if there is an update, will download it.
Don't forget to leave a review and indicate the model of the device to which the specified method worked or not. Thanks and good luck!

I hope the article helped you solve the problem with updating applications on android.
Reviews, additions, questions and answers on the topic of the article can be added below.
We kindly ask you to provide mutual assistance and share useful tips.
Thank you for your responsiveness, mutual assistance and useful advice!!!

Add a review, additional information or useful advice on the topic of the article.

09-07-2019
16 o'clock 29 min.
Message:
Excellent recommendation

16-06-2019
15 o'clock 20 min.
Message:
Thank you All OKAY.

14-02-2019
19 o'clock 59 min.
Message:
Respect, everything worked out

04-02-2019
10 p.m. 58 min.
Message:
Thank you. Everything worked out. I would also like to find an article on how to remove double photos from the cloud. I downloaded different programs, nothing worked.

24-11-2018
15 o'clock 35 min.
Message:
You turn it off, and then the updates turn on again and the same thing is written everywhere.

03-09-2018
08 o'clock 52 min.
Message:
Thank you, the article was very helpful)))

15-06-2018
20 o'clock 51 min.
Message:
Thanks for your help! Everything is easy and simple! Write necessary and useful information

15-05-2018
10 o'clock 58 min.
Message:
Yes. Updates always eat up memory. I had to manually clean each application. And Wi-Fi is always needed because... I use the phone as a bullet for the TV. Now let's see how they won't update. Thank you in advance for the tip.

19-03-2018
19 o'clock 36 min.
Message:
samsung j3 2016 everything is ok

13-01-2018
11 o'clock 50 min.
Message:
Thank you, your article helped me a lot. Everything is accessible, clear and simple.

11-01-2018
16 o'clock 49 min.
Message:
Thank you) Everything worked out)

22-11-2017
02 o'clock 24 min.
Message:
It was possible to disable automatic updates. But where can I find the “My Applications” item to update what I need?

31-10-2017
01 o'clock 31 min.
Message:
Thank you for turning it off.

17-10-2017
09 o'clock 10 min.
Message:
Samsung A5 2017; Thank you

14-10-2017
10 p.m. 05 min.
Message:
Thank you. Everything worked out. Thank you very much.

07-10-2017
11 p.m. 44 min.
Message:
Thanks for the information! I found what I needed and turned it off; I'll see if updates will be automatically downloaded in future! ;)

20-09-2017
21 o'clock 57 min.
Message:
Current question. Auto-updates are disabled. I read the article, turned it off, no problem. Samsung A5 2017.

10-08-2017
12 o'clock 34 min.
Message:
Thank you))))your article helped me a lot))))

21-07-2017
12 o'clock 02 min.
Message:
Thank you. Everything is clear and it worked out.

14-07-2017
12 o'clock 21 min.
Message:
Kuzya, try in the same settings to clear all the checkboxes where Notifications are, I removed it, it seems like it hasn’t been updated yet...

04-06-2017
15 o'clock 41 min.
Message:
It didn't help at all, it's still updating

12-05-2017
12 o'clock 18 min.
Message:
thank you, everything worked out

06-05-2017
11 p.m. 52 min.
Message:
Thanks for your help

17-04-2017
07 o'clock 39 min.
Message:
Thank you, the information was very helpful. Samsung j3.

25-02-2017
6 p.m. 05 min.
Message:
Thank you, everything worked out.

18-02-2017
10 o'clock 42 min.
Message:
HOORAY! I finally got rid of it. Thank you! Samsung J3

16-02-2017
12 o'clock 01 min.
Message:
Thanks for the valuable information. Everything worked out.

10-02-2017
21 o'clock 16 min.
Message:
samsung galaxy grand Thank you, the article helped

09-01-2017
16 o'clock 59 min.
Message:
Thank you. Samsung j5 turned out