yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] Sunil_Kaura:
Well I'm referring to your comment that you could get a better phone for £150, so I guess I'm wondering what phone you are saying is better for that price...

The battery life of the A3 is epic, the PPI is still perfectly decent (720p on 4.7 inches is still perfectly usable and arguably 1080p is unnecessary) and the SoC is both fat and frugal.

So really I'm wondering whether you can get something the same or better for less money
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] mario24601:
I'd be happy with an alternative with same form factor. Any recommendations? The A3 still not available in US.
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] iMaterial:
4.5 to 4.7" screen, 720p res. 2015 - today, only 4-5 options comes up.

http://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3?nYearMin=2015&nHeightMax=135&nDisplayResMin=921600&fDisplayInchesMin=4.5&fDisplayInchesMax=4.7

Only A3, Sony X and Z5 compact, Xiaomi Redmi 2 Pro has enough RAM, battery and goodies. LG Spirit and Alcatel Idol 3 only has 1 GB and 1.5 GB RAM, not really a viable option.

The Redmi 4 Pro can be had for €150 and its battery life is Epic also, the Redmi 3 Pro is way better than A3 and Redmi 4 Pro, with 720p but alas 5". Redmi note 3 is also really good, for even less than €150. Samsung is priced at least £100 than it should, but the same can be said about Sony and Apple also.
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] Sunil_Kaura:
I agree the Xiaomi phones are compelling - my main issue is the fact that they are all grey imports - many purchasers have reported that they do not get any warranty support whatsoever, they generally require a more experienced android user to side load the Google play store, and they have sketchy android skins which have also been reported to spy on their users.

Don't get me wrong, Touchwiz (or Grace UI as it's now known) is not exactly great, but I'd rather know I can walk into a Samsung store and get a problem fixed than rely on a Hong Kong based website for support.

I think it's only fair to compare this phone to what can be had in Europe, and in that regard, it blows the Sony X Compact, Alcatel and others out of the water.

And given its build quality and design, it's good value compared to phones that retail for double this cost.

Also, most Xiaomi phones don't come with NFC (no android pay), some don't have scratch resistant glass, no quick charging, etc

The A3 also uses a processor built on the 14nm process which is up to date technology, whereas the Xiaomi phones at that price point use outdated processors like the 650 and 616.

The 14nm process is what gives the A3 it's great battery life without needing a 4000mAh battery and heavier construction.

A final point - check out the videos of the Redmi note 3 bend test - not encouraging! (I will add the Redmi 3 pro did significantly better though which is good progress).
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] iMaterial:
The Redmi 4 Pro that I bought for a friend in Jan has the 14 nm Snapdragon 625. I can agree that it might lack a few finishing touches, but I could buy it for €150 inc shipping from aliexpress and get it in 7-9 days. But it's half the price, and I know the Adreno is a better GPU than the Mali.

Both on the Xiaomi and the Slamsug, first thing I would do it TWRP and LAOS ROM, they can keep their crap TW and MIUI, can't stand it.

Never the less, it shouldn't be 2x the price for something that is almost inferior in some points and better on others. Esp not in 2017, maybe some years ago, but every day there are better and better phones for under €200, like the Moto G5 and such, only problem is they are so damn big, and big phones are 99/100 new that are coming out, these days, sadly.
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] Sunil_Kaura:
Can't disagree there - it's frustrating how few phones there are under 5 inches available.

I will say though that besides the Xiaomi phones which look to have a nice build, the Moto G4 is very cheap feeling, as are most of the other phones available here in that price bracket, so I would happily pay a little more for a nice looking and premium feeling device.

If the Samsung we're £220 I think it'd sell by the bucket load as £20-40 above phones like the G4 would likely tempt many up, but at £280 I agree that it's a harder sell for the lay person.

I'm looking at from the other side - it's a mild compromise from an S7 or a iPhone 6s/7 , but it's half the price, rather than double that of a cheaper device.

And it absolutely looks and feels as good as a £5-600 phone.
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] iMaterial:
There are so many on this forum and in other places that airs the same frustration, so few options for a mobile ca 130mm lenght and 4.5 - 4.7" screen (720p at least), that I'm starting to wonder if we should do something about it, maybe talk to so manufacturer to make at least 1-2 phones under 5"

The Redmi 4 Pro I used for a few weeks felt no worse in build than the Iphone 6 or 6S I have tried a few times, both in metal around 140 - 145mm size. But for €310 I can get a Xiaomi Mi 5 with 820 and have €100 in change over. I have never held a Moto G, last Motorola I have tried was the 4.3" Razr Maxx and it felt solid as a rock.

The J5 goes for around €180-190 here and I see no reason why this smaller, entry level A3 shouldn't be priced in a similar fashion. These days due to deaths in the family and such I'm so poor that €100 is more than I can spare and my Android mobile that I have now is from 2012 or so, single core with 512 MB RAM and I hate every minute when I'm using it. I'm lucky to have been given a 2009 Sony Ericsson C901 as my main caller. :)

Just my 1¢ (It used to be 2¢, but due to the recession I've had to make cutbacks)

---------- Post added at 07:26 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:16 PM ----------

What annoys me a lot is also that this A3 is bigger than the A3 (2016) and the battery is only 50 mAh bigger. They could easily have put a 2500 - 2800 mAh battery in this one, just like the Sony Z3, Z5 or X compact, which is 5 mm smaller.
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] mario24601:
My last perfect phone was the original moto x. I still use it. I am not a power user but the X just needs lil more power but on cm13 it's not bad.

I don't even mind going with old phone as long as has some custom roms to improve performance.
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] dennis148:
Just got a galaxy a3 2017. Also coming from a Moto X 2013 phone. Just bought the A3 because the Moto X had a water damage. Now it's actually working again... but I already bought the A3.

The moto x is 4 years older and still has so mandy advantages over the a3. The pure android experience, the motion-activated display, the general haptic. The resolution and screen size is the same and the processing power of the moto x is still enough for everyday tasks... Ok the A3 has longer battery life. But this is the only advantage i noticed after some days of usage. Motorola/Google should release a new 4.7" smartphone with good battery life and pure android!
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] mario24601:
Good feedback. I always end up using my moto x. Was the perfect size. How's the camera and screen quality? How about the one hand use? Same as the X?

Also I thought the a3 was rootable. No chance to load LOS?

BTW what is your favorite rom for the X?

Thanks.
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] WHUDS1:
The A3, A5 and A7 are not available in the US you are right unless you buy Grey market. But the advantage, I think, is that the software fixes are going to come from Samsung anyway. Plus the for me at least WR is a must. it came in handy today with a pop up storm, phone got soaked no problem. :)
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] dennis148:
one hand usage is possible but it's more glitchy in the hand than the x. also i miss the small hole ("M") at the back where you could put one finger on. feels a bit heavier than the x. but the battery life is amazing and the a3 has a premium look. i guess i will getting used to it.

also the headphone jack on the bottom and the inverted "back" and "apps" soft buttons on the device is something you have to get used to hehe...

didn't test the camera, yet...
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] simtam:
I'm thinking of purchase this device so just wondering...

- Did anyone successfully root device and install Xposed by now ? If so, is there any guide available ?

- I've heard A series have very weak wifi reception, how bad is it ?
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] pepelisbon:
a3 2017 Gps performance great

Even indoors gps performance is great, is my first android mobile that can make a fast GPS FIX indoors, 3 meters from the window.

GPS trail tracks also very good. Being small, water proof, with barometric altimeter and ANT+ is great to log outdoors and indoors running and hiking.

Had a samsung s6 active that had a bad GPS performance and burned Fast Charging. The iphone 7 has also bad GPS performance comparing.

So its cheap for this great performance.
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] baris841:
this phone is a really good buy for the price.
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] paf22:
Great! Root ok.

No problem for root following this post

GPS is great.

Wi-Fi is great too.

No custom/official N ROM available so far. No LineageOS.

"weakness" point for me: Camera. I will rate it 7/10 for a 2017 phone.

But for that price (230€ in France)... it's perfect!
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] vinuneuro:
How is the power compared to the Moto X? I have noticed that apps (eg. Google Maps) these days have started to become more intensive and my Moto X not being able to keep up (and I don't even game). Still love my 2013 Moto X, it's perfect except for cpu power and the camera.
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] antonis997:
i have the phone 3 days and it's perfect! And yes it's waterproof i tested for 1 hour!

So i have a little problem. I can't copy-paste text or number... it's not working the usual method do you know something about it?
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] paf22:
No problem to copy/paste any text here? Can you describe your problem more precisely?
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] antonis997:
I am try to copy let's say a number from contacts.

if i want to paste it to viber or messanger there is not paste button after touch on screen with press
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] paf22:
To display "paste" button:

Long press the screen.

OR

Tap one time on the text to display the cursor, then tap on the cursor.
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] antonis997:
try copy a link and paste it on viber

---------- Post added at 02:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:00 PM ----------

Update: I just make a factory reset and it working perfect. Wtf samsung?
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] umbrokhan:
i was gonna get Lenovo P2 or Honor 6X but instead i got Galaxy A3 2017 Gold colour. got it from Gumtree for £180

reason i got Galaxy A3 2017 is because its waterproof, always on display, i like the Samsung theme engine, easy to fit in pockets, looks cute, the new touchwiz UI looks very nice. reminds me of S7.

Plus is has most of the common sensors like Gyro, Compass, WiFi dual band AC. etc

the finger print scanner is bad, does not work all the time. any else having problem with finger print scanner?

i wish i got the Galaxy A5 2017 instead because 5.2 inch screen seems better.
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] paf22:
Not really satisfied with the fingerprint scanner too...
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] Abdullah5490:
did you observed the proximity sensor problem ocasionally, which needed a restart to get it working again
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] kevinlevrone:
I also have a problem with the fingerprint scanner. It is basically useless, I have to try multiple times to get an unlock (like 7-8 times...). Especially if your finger skin is not flawless, you can forget about unlocking with the fingerprint scanner. Hopefully an update fixes the issue.

But besides this, I really like the phone, for my usage is perfect and battery lasts more than the Exynos S7 Edge (I also have one), especially with AOD on. I just wish the screen would have been perfectly flat and not 2.5D, it is again very hard to find a good screen protector (I am now using the official one but it is not a perfect fit, the margins overflow a bit - so even Samsung has problems making screen protectors for its own phones).
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] aryayush:
Man, I do really hope the fingerprint sensor is not as poor as you guys describe. I just bought this phone and having a front facing fingerprint scanner was one of several positives in its favour. I cannot imagine going back to using other methods of authentication.

I have never owned a Samsung phone before, having always considered their designs too derivative of Apple’s and lacking originality, and also due to all the horror stories I kept hearing about TouchWiz.

My requirements from my phone are that it have enough battery to last me the whole day—every day—while being of a diminutive size. It also needs to be durable and look classy, be fast, reliable and smooth, and have a great fingerprint scanner. What I don’t need are the latest whiz bang specifications, the best cameras or large displays.

I currently use a Xiaomi Redmi 3S Prime, which neatly ticks most of my boxes, but it is quite a bit larger than my preferred size, looks somewhat ordinary and has random performance issues from time to time. Still, it is a great phone! It is definitely more durable than the A3 and has a fantastic fingerprint scanner.

Since you said that the Samsung Galaxy A3’s price is highway robbery, can you suggest one other phone that would work for me within that price, or even beyond it? The Sony Xperia X and Z5 Compact are the only competitors, and they’re both from Sony, which has terrible customer service and significant durability issues with its design. I say this having owned a bunch of the previous generation of Sony Xperia Compacts.

Also, bear in mind that Samsung does have a right to charge you more than the Chinese companies because they have made significant investments in branding, customer service and software, all of which I consider significant—though intangible—benefits of owning a device from a reputable brand. Furthermore, if you’re making a device for a niche audience, you have to keep higher margins to make the price sustainable.

I dislike a lot of things about this device. I wish it had the A5’s specs, even if Samsung had to charge a higher price to accommodate them, and the ability to take on two SIM cards and a microSD card simultaneously. I wish the thing was not slippery and that there weren’t drop tests on YouTube showing it shattering from the first drop from a height of three feet. I dearly wish it had a fantastic fingerprint scanner.

But even with the shortcomings, I was forced to buy it all the way from Dubai, at a higher cost and without warranty, because it is not available in India and I cannot see any alternatives to it whatsoever.
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] mario24601:
Let us know your experiences after using it.
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] aryayush:
Sure thing.
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] iMaterial:
I don't know how much better the Redmi 4-series is compared to the 3S Prime, but I have used the Redmi 4 Pro a lot and really had no problems with performance or anything, but it's 5".

You can buy a Redmi 4X Pro Global for $133 or a non-pro non-global for $108 from aliexpress.

But sadly, there are only a few sub 5"-mobiles out there that aren't sub $100 or the bottom category and that's Sony's compact and Samsug's A3 and similar. But the A3 has a glass back and no Notification LED, so that's out of the question. I hope someday someone will make a good mid-range or high-end 4.5 - 4.7" device. Until then, it's 5" only am I afraid.
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] cowboy_bebop:
I loved my Moto X 2013, but honestly, its camera was crap. A3 doesn't have stellar camera or cpu, but they are decent. It's quite good looking, compact, with above average battery life. Since other manufacturers still haven't step up the game in this market segment, I was sure I was buying the right stuff. Maybe in a year or two we'll have more options. Hopefully, somebody discovers how underrated Moto X 2013 was, and makes a new one with decent hardware (camera).
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] Pandotaz:
Hi, what about the RAM management? I use mainly the stock apps: dialer, sms, stock browser, music player, S Health and mapy.cz. Do you think the phone will keep the all in memory? Thanks
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] mario24601:
Appreciate the input!

I still use my 13 X from time to time. I'm on s5 Resurrection which is just about perfect but every now and then I miss size of the X. Been thinking about get a3 2017. So overall you recommend it?
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] cowboy_bebop:
If you are after nice looking compact phone with great battery life, A3 2017 is great choice. I like how loud the speaker is, how solid it feels in the hand, and how easily it fits in my pocket. Curved glass is a nice touch.

What I don't like is having no haptic feedback, annoying Samsung bloatware and not being able to find proper glass protector. All in all, it's a great phone. I think it's really balanced hardware-wise. What it still misses is a proper active display (like Moto X), nougat support and more love from XDA rom builders. ;)
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] mario24601:
Thanks. Hoping xda devs take interest in this model! I'm going to order. Had also been considering older s4 mini and s5 mini. It's just hard to find sub 5 inch phone these days.
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] mario24601:
Price went down on Amzn so finally placed order :) can't wait to try it!

I also ordered. S4 mini just for kicks. It seems to have a good dev following.

I'll report back my experience with the A3.
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] AgusL:
I come to say that fingerprint scanner works like a charm here. I hold the finger for a second only an it unlocks immediately. It works perfect even when I press the button and then hold it. I think it is very sensitive to the position and your fingerprint. You have to use always the same orientation or position. When you rotate it or use another position, it doesn't work. My phone is SM-A320FL bought in Spain.
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] alessandrie:
Please help me. I bought Samsung galaxy a3 (2017) lately and wanted to have tempered glass on that. after getting one on the screen the sensitivity went from perfect to extremely low... Is there some options for touch calibration on that phone? The glass was pretty expensive so I wouldnt like to take it off and throw out.

Please help..
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] mario24601:
Well I got the A3, gave it a spin but in the end I sent it back but here are some quick thoughts:

Size and weight were good, but very slippery! Case would take care of this but I dont ever like using cases. If they made a plastic version of this I would have kept it. I know, glass and metal looks and feel premium but I prefer functionality and durability.

Speed of device was good, touchwiz was decent. Overall speed was good! Camera was good, battery was good too.

Screen is only negative, the sharpness was ok but a bit too low at times. My old 1st gen moto x which I think has lower resolution actually looks sharper...not sure why this is the case.

So for now, I'm keeping my S5 and playing around with S4 mini.....one final note....I hope manufacturers bring back removable batteries! Let me know if anyone has Qs.
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] StaticDroid:
All I want to say is that after a bit of tinkering, my battery life is ridiculous.
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] Micka84:
Would you please tell us what kind of tinkering you did?
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] StaticDroid:
Nothing major. I never rooted and underclocked it or anything drastic. Mostly just turned off AoD, disabled a few apks, installed greenify, and deactivate location services when I don't need them. I'm not much of a mobile gamer, so that surely has a large effect overall.
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] varun.gid:
what no one sees is the benefit of A3 is FULL SAMSUNG PAY support which is official in many countries. And for bloat removal doesnt package disabler work great?
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] uyo_kun:
I got my A3 2017, but the only problem is the GPS (I don't know if this is failure from manufacturer or not), the GPS doesn't even work. Even I move miles away with Google Map it doesn't even move.
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] Echo04:
Just bought the A3 (2017) 3 days ago, so far I'm loving it, It has a great battery life plus it charge very fast. The screen is ok for me and the speaker is loud enough. The overall transition is very smooth, switching apps, browsing etc. well I hope it will stay that way.

The downside I experience is the fingerprint scanner, most of the time it cannot read my thumb, idk why?
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] jnflos:
Let me tell you about the fingerprint scanner. First time I used the A3 2017 it was the same for me but than I later discovered that I inherited a habit from a previous HTC One that I had.

The trick is for the A3 2017 fingerprint scanner to put your finger much closer to the bottom frame of the phone every time you want to unlock it. Like that it works every time.

This is important when you configure the fingerprint scanner for the firs time too.

And then expect a delay of 0.5 seconds on this device 'till unlock. It is not so long but neither instant like on other devices.

The A3 2017 has one of the smallest frontal fingerprint scanners (small area) as there is not much space for it.

The height of the fingerprint scanner is very small (only 4 millimeters useful sensor height).

That's why round fingerprint scanners on other devices are more efficient.

Put your finger closer to the bottom of the phone so the middle of your thumb is actually on the middle of the useful height of the sensor area.

It's only a matter of getting used to do it right and it will work every single time, first time.

Other key benefits of this device are:

-water and dust resistance

-very good speaker, placed on the side which is just awesome

-design, build quality and overall size (big devices are a pain in the ass, literally :mad:)
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] mario24601:
It was hit and miss for me. You can ready my mini review. Just got the x compact to try out. It's really impossible finding a small phone.
[Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D] Echo04:
Thanks for the tip :good: , I will try it and will update if it works for me, thanks again.
[Magisk] mickrussom:
Just upgraded from 10.2 to 11.0 on a nexus 5x using magisk manager. CTS profile match triggered now I'm screwed. How to go back or how to fix? :confused:
[Magisk] Link_of_Hyrule:
Just uninstall magisk, wipe your system, and reinstall your ROM. You shouldn't have to wipe user data.
[Magisk] jsaxon2:
Did you enable magisk hide again?
[Magisk] Link_of_Hyrule:
It broke cts on my tablet too so going to try a few things before I do what I said in the above post.

Edit: I could not get CTS back with the new Magisk so something is broken with Magisk hide.