Samsung's new Galaxy A phones are a perfect New Year's pick-me-up

Samsung has loads to prove after an explosive 2016. Fortunately the company's new Galaxy A series of phones could be the perfect pick-me-up before its next big reveal at Mobile World Congress in a few months.

The new A3, A5 and A7 sport ridiculously good looks inherited from the flagship Samsung Galaxy S7. They als0 come loaded with IP68 dust and water resistance.

While the A5 and A7 sport similar features with their front and rear 16-megapixel cameras, the A3 takes a slight hit with a 13-megapixel rear and front 8-megapixel shooter. A more detailed breakdown is available in the table below.

Samsung's new Galaxy A series is really, really ridiculously good looking

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If selfies are just too much work for you, Samsung has also tweaked its camera UI to introduce a free-floating shutter button you can drag around the screen. That'll make it easier than ever to take pictures of your face.

I spent some time with the A5 and A7 and came away impressed with the quality of the phones. They feel as good as high-end flagships, thanks to their metal frames and glass rears.

Quick specs

• 4.7-inch HD display (A3), 5.2-inch full-HD display (A5), 5.7-inch full-HD display (A7)
• Android 6.0 (all)
• USB Type-C (all)
• microSD support up to 256GB (all)
• Available in black, gold or peach

Inside, the phones sport a lower-end Exynos processor. That's equivalent to Qualcomm's Snapdragon 600 series, though we'll need to do some proper benchmarking tests to see which chip is better.

One last thing to note: The phone comes with Android Marshmallow (6.01), not the latest Nougat update. This may not be a big deal but Samsung couldn't confirm when the phones will be updated.

The new phones are set to hit Europe and Asia first, with no word just yet on when they'll be available stateside. In Singapore, the A5 and A7 will sell S$548 (approximately $380, £310 or AU$520) and S$648 -- or around $450, £365 and AU$615.