Not a lot of smartphone manufacturers have stepped into the “upper midrange” market space — or at least not in the Philippines.
Brands like OPPO and Vivo are offering enticing options in the midrange segment. But neither of them are launching devices in the Php20k and above price bracket, a category that blurs the line between the midrange smartphones and the high-end ones.
However, a more global brand like Samsung and Nokia are brave enough to come up with devices for this price range. Since they are a long-standing and prominent brand, they can easily lure people to spend more for a smartphone.
That’s the reason why we’re comparing two of their offerings for this price category. This Nokia 7 Plus and Samsung Galaxy A7 2017 specs and features comparison show which between the two is worth the money in terms of hardware. Are you better off with the newer 7 Plus? Or should you go for the Galaxy A7 2017? Let’s figure that out.
| Nokia 7 Plus | Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | Android 8.0 Oreo | Android 7.0 Nougat |
| SIM | Dual SIM Dual Standby Hybrid | Dual SIM Dual Standby |
| Display | 6-inch FHD+ IPS 2160 x 1080 resolution ~402ppi 18:9 aspect ratio Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | 5.7-inch FHD Super AMOLED 1920 x 1080 resolution ~386ppi 16:9 aspect ratio Corning Gorilla Glass 4 |
| Processor | 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 octa-core | 1.9GHz Exynos 7880 octa-core |
| RAM | 4GB RAM | 3GB RAM |
| GPU | Adreno 512 | Mali-T830 MP3 |
| Storage | 64GB eMMC 5.1 expandable via microSD up to 256GB | 32GB internal storage expandable via microSD up to 256GB |
| Front camera | 16-megapixel ZEISS optics f/2.0 | 16-megapixel f/1.9 |
| Rear Camera | 12-megapixel (f/1.75) + 13-megapixel (f/2.6) ZEISS optics dual-tone flash | 16-megapixel (f/1.9) dual-tone flash |
| Audio | Nokia OZO audio Triple built-in microphone Mono speaker | Mono speaker |
| Security | Fingerprint scanner | Fingerprint scanner |
| Protection | n/a | IP68 water and dust resistant |
| Connectivity | HSPA+ 4G LTE WiFi a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band Bluetooth 5.0 GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS FM Radio NFC USB Type-C | HSPA+ 4G LTE WiFi a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band Bluetooth 4.2 GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS FM Radio NFC USB Type-C |
| Dimensions | 158.38 x 75.64 x 7.99mm | 156.8 x 77.6 x 7.9mm |
| Weight | n/a | 186g |
| Color | Copper Black Copper/White | Blue Mist Peach Cloud Gold Sand Black Sky |
| Battery | 3800mAh | 3600mAh |
| Price | Php21,990 | Php21,990 |
It looks like the Nokia 7 Plus easily overtakes the Samsung Galaxy A7 2017 in this battle. They did have a tie score in some rounds, but the 7 Plus clearly has the bigger numbers.
Nokia’s bet packs a bigger and taller screen, while Samsung’s fighter is still stuck at 16:9 aspect ratio. Although let’s not discount the fact that the Galaxy A7 2017 uses a far better screen panel with its Super AMOLED display, while the Nokia 7 Plus is using the customary IPS panel.
Moving on, the 7 Plus has a more recent operating system, larger RAM, twice the storage capacity, has dual cameras with ZEISS optics, and a slightly bigger battery.
Clearly, this battle ends with the Nokia 7 Plus taking home the trophy. But if you really are a Samsung fanboy, you can wait for a 2018 version of the Galaxy A7 instead. Alternatively, you can also check Samsung’s other offerings like the Galaxy A8 and A8+ 2018.