Samsung Galaxy A7 first impressions: So, triple-rear camera setup is the new trend?

What is better than dual-rear cameras? Triple-rear cameras, well at least some phone companies believe so. In the last few years we have grown accustomed to a two-camera setup on all kinds of phones.

In hindsight, dual-rear cameras have indeed improved the mobile photography experience. Whether it's a combination of RGB and monochrome sensor or wide angle and telephoto lens, dual-cameras on phones make more sense than single-lens with algorithm driven setup. But can the same be said for a triple-rear camera setup?

We briefly spent some time with the new Galaxy A7 (2018), one of the first Samsung phones to come with three camera sensors on the back. The triple-camera setup comprises a 24-megapixel primary camera, an 8-megapixel wide-angle camera and a 5-megapixel depth sensor.

All three cameras cater to different photography features individually and combined. The 24-megapixel camera is optimised for low-light photography with f/1.7 aperture, autofocus and 'Super Pixel'. The 8-megapixel sensor with f/2.4 aperture has 120-degree field of view for photos and videos. Users can switch from normal to wide-angle mode.

The 5-megapixel (f/2.2 aperture) depth sensor along with the primary camera achieves depth of field on photos. The smartphone also comes with 'Live Focus' feature which allows users to adjust the background blur.

For selfies, there's a 24-megapixel selfie camera with f/2.0 aperture, and LED flash.

Galaxy A7 is also loaded with features like AR emoji, slo-mo video recording, and hyperlapse. The smartphone also supports scene recognition for 19 different scenarios. There are also the Apple-inspired lighting effects on the Galaxy A7.

In theory, the triple-camera setup should definitely work and deliver better results. For a verdict, wait for our detailed review when we put the phone through barrage of tests.

Another highlight of the Galaxy A7 is its fingerprint sensor. Samsung has changed the placement of the fingerprint sensor to the side panel as opposed to the traditional rear or front placement. The fingerprint also doubles as the power button.

This change could confuse users at first in finding the fingerprint sensor. It could also cause problems for users who wish to just view the lockscreen and not unlock the phone. Galaxy A7 does have an option to disable the 'fingerprint always on' feature for accidental fingerprint scans. It isn't clear how effective this feature is though.

From design perspective, the three sensors are stacked up vertically on the top left corner. What we liked about the setup is that it's not protruding like we have seen on Nokia 6.1 Plus or Xiaomi Mi A2. Overall, the smartphone is overall very slim and light for even with a glass body. The triple cameras fit smoothly onto the smartphone's form factor.

Other than these two highlights, Galaxy A7 comes with decent specifications. It has a full HD+ 6-inch Super AMOLED display. It runs on Exynos 7885 processor, and is backed by a 3,330mAh battery. On the software front, it runs Android Oreo with Samsung Experience layered on top.