Samsung’s Galaxy A series of phones have reached twice the digits in style with a huge range of handsets – there is the A10, A20, A30, A40, A50, A60, A70, and A80 (with a possible A90 as well).
The ultimate smartphone in the series is the Galaxy A50 – it has solid mid-range specs, a reasonably low price, and is evidence of what Samsung is trying to do with the latest Galaxy A phones.
But there’s also a dark horse of the range, in the shape of the A80, with its unique design feature in the form of a pop-up rear panel that houses the front and rear cameras. It is certainly a more “premium” device, with a price that reflects this.
So if you are in the market for a new affordable Samsung device, or just want to know what is the difference between the A50 and A80, keep reading as we compare its specifications.
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Price of Samsung Galaxy A50 vs. Galaxy A80
The most affordable handset of the two is the Samsung Galaxy A50, which costs $ 350 / £ 309 / AU $ 500. It’s a price that crosses the line between budget and mid-range but looks mid-range given the specs.
It’s a fair price increase for the Galaxy A80, at £ 579 (about $ 725, AU $ 1,040). We haven’t seen it for sale in the US or Australia yet, so we’ve roughly converted the UK price, but its final cost may be higher or lower than our estimates. Either way, it is almost twice as expensive to buy an A80 than an A50.
Samsung Galaxy A50 vs Galaxy A80 – Design and exhibition
The Samsung Galaxy A80 is a slightly larger phone with a 6.7-inch screen instead of the 6.4 inches of the Galaxy A50. The screen resolution of the A80 is only slightly better, at 1080 x 2400 instead of 1080 x 2340 on the A50, which leads to a smaller pixel count.
Both handsets have Super AMOLED displays, with strong color promises and a high contrast ratio. So overall you will have a great viewing experience whether you are using the A50 or the A80.
Another difference between the monitors is that the A50 has a small “teardrop” notch that houses the front camera, while the A80 has an uninterrupted screen – we’ll see that later.
Because the Galaxy A50 has a smaller screen, it has a smaller body too, at 158.5 x 74.7 x 7.7 mm, compared to the 165.2 x, 76.5 x 9.3 mm of the Galaxy A80 and This difference is reflected in the A50’s 166g weight. Being overshadowed by the A80’s 220g – the latter is one of the heaviest gadgets we ever own.
While you’re getting a USB-C port on both smartphones, the Galaxy A50 has a missing 3.5mm headphone jack on the A80, a difference that will be a breaker if you still love your wired headphones.
Both handsets have Gorilla Glass screens, but while the Galaxy A80 also has this protective material on the back, the Galaxy A50 has a plastic body – this is a sign of its more economical design and is less protected as a result.
The back of the phone shows the biggest differences between the devices. While the A50 has its three-camera array vertically down to the left, the A80 cameras are horizontal, high in the body.
The reason for this is because the top of the back of the phone appears. When you need to take a selfie, the panel around the rear cameras pops up, and then the cameras rotate – it’s a fun novelty, and it solves the problem of front camera positioning in a unique way.
However, we found this mechanical aspect rather dubious as it seemed fragile, and after little use, it started rattling when not in use, so if you want something that will last a long time, maybe the Galaxy A50 is a safer option.
Samsung Galaxy A50 vs Galaxy A80 Camera
While the Samsung Galaxy A50 And Galaxy A80 have three cameras, they are very different in what they are.
The Galaxy A50 has a 25MP main camera, joined by an 8MP camera with an ultra-wide lens and a third 5MP depth sensor.
The Galaxy A80, on the other hand, has a 48MP main sensor joined by the same ultra-wide configuration, and then a Time-of-Flight (ToF) 3D camera, which does the same as the depth sensor but doesn’t take your pictures.
In terms of raw photography, then, the Galaxy A80 with its 48MP snapper takes better pictures, but the A50 stays in ultra-wide and close-up situations. Neither phone has a special zoom lens.
In front of the Galaxy, the A50 is a 25MP front camera – it is rare for a smartphone to have the same front and rear snapper and Samsung has probably argued that this phone is for people who like to take lots of selfies.
Of course, the Galaxy A80 has the same front-facing cameras as it is the same array – in practice we find that when you put the camera in front mode, it doesn’t have all the back-facing abilities like Night Mode or zoom, so it’s just a normal selfie camera.
In terms of video, you can only record 1080p 30fps on the Galaxy A50, but the A80 has a range of options like 2160p and 60fps, so it’s the best device if you want to shoot a lot of videos.
Samsung Galaxy A50 vs Galaxy A80 – Battery life and specifications
On the Samsung Galaxy A50, you are getting a 4,000mAh battery, but it is a slight downgrade on the A80 as you are only receiving 3,700mAh. Due to the movable rear panel and larger screen, this latest phone also discharges power faster, so the battery life is much longer on the A50.
The Galaxy A80 supports 25W of fast charge, compared to 15W on the A50, so at least it will be faster.
In terms of chipsets, the Galaxy A50 has Samsung’s Exynos 9610 processor, while the A80 has a Snapdragon 730. Both are quite comparable chipsets, so there is no clear champion, but the A80 has 8GM of RAM for the A50’s 6GB, so you can feel a slight difference there.
In general usage, the phones will look quite similar – they have on-screen fingerprint sensors, run Android 9 Pie with Samsung’s OneUI, and have 128 GB of internal memory.
Samsung Galaxy A50 vs Galaxy A80 – Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy A80 costs much more than the A50, but some may say the difference is not worth it.
While you are getting more RAM and an uninterrupted screen on the A80, this is a small upgrade to a phone that is about twice the price.
The real selling point of the A80 is its pop-up rear camera panel, and if this is a catchy novelty for you, you can find the handset fun enough to buy.
The Galaxy A50 does not have many innovative features, but it is a reliable phone, and at its price, you can do much worse in terms of quiet power.