Samsung Galaxy A6+ Review

The Samsung Galaxy A-series are going through a bit of an identity crisis with J-style metal replacing the glass in the lower end of the lineup. Now it's the plus's turn - the Galaxy A6+ (2018) brings more than just a bigger display.

Samsung Galaxy A6+ Key Specs

• Body: Aluminum back; 160.2 x 75.7 x 7.9mm, 186g; Black, Gold, Blue and Lavender color schemes (market dependent).
• OS: Android 8.0 (Oreo)
• SIM Type: Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)
• Screen Size: 6.0 inches, 
• Screen Resolution: 2220 x 1080 pixels, 18:5:9 ratio (~411 ppi density)
• Processor Type: Snapdragon 450: octa-core 1.8GHz Cortex-A53 CPU, Adreno 506 GPU
• RAM: 3/4GB
• Internal Storage: 64GB
• External Storage: microSD, up to 256GB
• Back / Rear Camera: 16MP, f/1.7 aperture; phase detection autofocus. Secondary 5MP, f/1.9 aperture, fixed focus, depth detection only. LED flash. 1080p/30fps video recording.
• Front Camera: 24MP, f/1.9 aperture; fixed focus; LED flash. 1080p/30fps video recording.
• Fingerprint Scanner: Yes (rear-mounted)
• Other Sensors: Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, and compass
• Battery: 3,500 mAh (non-removable)

Overview

The Samsung Galaxy A6+ features a higher resolution of 2,220 x 1,080 pixels with an aspect ratio of 18:5:9. Super AMOLED, naturally, and notchless too.

At the back is a secondary camera of 5MP depth-sensing module to assist the main 16MP camera in taking blurred background portraits and clear HD pictures.

Meanwhile, a 50% bump in pixel count sees the A6+ sporting a 24MP front-facing camera - all of a sudden the 16MP selfies of the A6 don't look that impressive.

With a larger display comes the need for a higher battery capacity and the plus delivers - 3,500mAh sounds plenty. Couple that with an efficient, if not too brawny, 14nm Snapdragon 450 chipset and we could be looking at some pretty great endurance.

The Galaxy A6+ (2018) ticks some other important checkboxes too - there's a dedicated microSD slot on top of the twin nano SIM bay, a fingerprint reader on the back ensures some security, and a 3.5mm jack means you can connect your choice of headphones. And use them as the antenna for the FM radio, because there's a receiver for that, too.

A few niceties we were used to seeing in the A-series remain exclusive to the A8 (2018) and A8+ (2018) - the IP68 rating, for example. The higher-end models also come with two front-facing cameras, but then the A6+ (2018) beats each of them 2 to 1 in rear camera count. The A8s do feature more powerful Exynos 7885 chips, USB-C ports, Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 5 - but you'll be paying for those.