Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus

The Samsung Galaxy A6+, Black Gold 64GB (4GB RAM) costs Rs.18,900. It comes with a 6 inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display with 1080 x 2220 pixels at a PPI of 411 (pixels per inch). This flagship is powered by Qualcomm SDM450 Snapdragon 450 Octa-core processor and comes with 3/4 GB RAM. It also has 32/64 gigs of internal storage that can be expanded up to 256GB with a microSD card. The phone runs Android 8.1 and a 3350mAh non-removable battery. It measures 160.2 x 75.7 x 7.9 mm and weighs 186gm. Further, it also houses a 16-megapixel primary camera on the rear and a 5-megapixel front shooter for selfies.

Moving over to the back, we have the stylised curved antenna band borrowed from last year’s J7. Below that is the dual camera setup and the fingerprint reader. Due to the reader’s proximity to the camera setup, it is possible for someone to smudge the lens accidentally. That being said, the fingerprint reader is always on and is a brilliant tool for unlocking the phone. The Face ID is also available for this access. The A6+ comes with dedicated micro-SD and SIM card slots as well.

At the bottom, you have the micro USB charging slot – even though the Type C port is an industry standard – and the 3.5 mm jack, which can be used to access Dolby Atmos surround sound. The speaker on the side of the phone is also quite loud and adds to the overall experience when it comes to watching videos.

The Samsung Galaxy A6+ has a gorgeous 6 inch AMOLED display of 1080×2220 px and an aspect ratio of 18.5:9 at 441 PPI. Samsung runs with the Infinity Display in this model as well, although you will not find the curved screen which is more closely associated with the higher end models that the company offers. It is a big step up from the 720p screen resolution that you get on the A6. The sunlight legibility is good, with the maximum brightness being a decent 378 nits. The phone also has an always-on feature which helps stay in touch with all notifications even when the phone is not turned on. 

The A6+ runs with a Snapdragon 450 chipset with 3/4GB RAM, which is similar to the Exynos chip which runs the A6. That frankly isn’t good enough considering any competitor at this range, in the market, can provide much better performance. 

The camera setup for the A6+ includes a16MP(f/1.7,PDAF) +5MP (f/1.9, Depth Sensor) and LED flash. The main camera is the same as on the A6, which uses facial detection technology and does not have an OIS. There is a “pro mode” where you can change the ISO, select exposure compensation, and choose from the white balance models that are preinstalled in the handset. In good lighting, the A6+ clicks good photos with great details, well-handled noise reduction, and laid back processing. Manually turning on the HDR might seem a bit of a task, but it is worth it if you want to solve your camera issues. At night, however, the photos are nothing but a disappointment – they are dull, noisy and without any vibrant colours. 

The selfie camera does an excellent job of taking photos, though, with a front flash and blur effect behind the subject. The selfie portrait mode also works very well with subject separation working brilliantly for the company. Recording videos is not a strong suit for the A6+, as it drags along with a shoot resolution of 1080p without electronic stabilisation.

Power efficiency is outstanding on this phone; despite only having a 3500mAH battery, the A6+ lasts much higher than the A6 on the battery life endurance test – an impressive 106 hours. The OS is a Samsung Experience over the Android oreo OS which has now become a common occurrence for all recent Samsung phones.

The Samsung Galaxy A6+  comes with some excellent upgrades. Perhaps the best feature the phone offers is its battery life which is brilliant compared to all other phones we’ve seen on the market. However, the charging speed is abysmal, due to the Snapdragon 450 processor that the phone flaunts. The severe problems faced with recording videos also raises concern. The Galaxy A6+ is still a brilliant mid-range phone and worth considering its merits.