Samsung’s newest A-series phones have a different take on the current design obsession with square camera lens modules. The two new phones are the Samsung Galaxy A51 and Galaxy A71, and rather than a square, Samsung has placed the camera lenses in a — wait for it — rectangular module instead, and then arranged the lenses themselves in an L-shape pattern.
If you disliked the Google Pixel 4 and Apple iPhone 11 Pro’s distinctive look, you may prefer this style. Or, you may hate it even more. Either way, take note, because this could be the same look Samsung will adopt for the Galaxy S11 next year.
However, these are entries into Samsung’s premium mid-range A-Series lineup, and the specifications on each are impressive, plus like many older A-Series phones, the design and colors are modern and eye-catching. Let’s take a closer look at them both.
Samsung Galaxy A71
This is the larger and more highly specced of the two new phones, and apart from the rectangular camera bump on the back, it’s notable for the central hole-punch selfie camera in the screen. This is Samsung’s Infinity-O display, and previously the centrally set camera was seen only on the Galaxy Note 10 Plus.
The Super AMOLED screen is a massive 6.7-inches with a 2400 x 1800 pixel resolution, and a 20:9 aspect ratio. Inside the phone is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 730 processor with either 6GB or 8GB of RAM, plus 128GB of storage and space for a MicroSD card too. It’s Android 10 and the latest version of Samsung’s OneUI operating system on board.
What about the camera? The primary lens has 64-megapixels and is joined by a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera, a 5-megapixel depth-sensing lens, and a 5-megapixel macro lens. The selfie camera has 32 megapixels. Security is handled by an in-display fingerprint sensor, and a big 4,500mAh battery keeps everything running.
It’s all wrapped up in a pretty mirrored body with a diamond-shape effect, and comes in a selection of different colors including silver, blue, and pink.
Samsung Galaxy A51
The Galaxy A51 is a small step down from the Galaxy A71. It has a smaller 6.5-inch Super AMOLED screen, but still has the central selfie camera hole and high resolution. The processor is one of Samsung’s own Exynos 9611 chips, and comes with 4GB of RAM, 6GB, or 8GB of RAM along with 128GB of storage space and a MicroSD card slot. Like the Galaxy A71, the body has a 3.5mm headphone jack too.
For the camera, the main lens has 48 megapixels here, and is set alongside a 12-megapixel ultrawide lens, a 5-megapixel depth sensor, and a 5-megapixel macro lens. It’s the same 32-megapixel selfie camera in the screen as the A71, plus it also has an in-display fingerprint sensor, and 4,000mAh battery. The available colors are the same as the A71, as is the diamond shape effect on the rear panel.
Price and availability
Samsung has only confirmed the launch details for the Galaxy A51 so far. It has an initial release in Vietnam on December 27 where it will cost the local equivalent of $350. The Galaxy A71’s release is currently unknown.
In the past, Galaxy A-Series phones have been released internationally, and these two phones may eventually find their way to the U.S. or the U.K.