Samsung CEO JK Shin

In light of Samsung’s poor Q3 2014 earnings, released yesterday, the company promised to overhaul its smartphones.  It seems to be doing just that with the launch of the Galaxy A5 and the Galaxy A3. Both are all metal devices with the batteries completely sealed in. Samsung calls them its “slimmest smartphones to date.”

Samsung is pitching these phones directly at “…young and trend conscious consumers.” “The Galaxy A5 (main image) and A3 offer a beautifully crafted full metal unibody, slim design, superior hardware and the best possible social media experience,” said JK Shin, CEO and Head of IT & Mobile Communication at Samsung Electronics.

The Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A3 are 6.7mm and 6.9mm thin respectively and both feature a five-megapixel front-facing camera. The Galaxy A5 is the top spec device with a larger five-inch screen, 2GB RAM, 1.2 GHz quad-core processor and a 15-megapixel rear camera. The Galaxy A3 has a slightly smaller screen at 4.5-inches, 1GB RAM, the same 1.2 GHz quad-core processor and an eight-megapixel rear camera. Both devices run Android 4.4 (KitKat) and include support for 4G networks and a slot for Micro-SD memory cards.

The press release specifically states that both devices “will be available in select markets including China starting in November 2014.” This may hint at an attempt to take on Xiaomi, the Chinese manufacturer, which took 3^rd place in smartphone rankings released by the IDC on Wednesday.

The same IDC report shows an 8.5 percent decline in units shipped for Samsung compared to the same period last year. To make matters worse Lenovo has completed its purchase of Motorola and, along with its plans on launching a China-only Xiaomi clone, is firmly on its way to take on market dominators Samsung and Apple.

No pricing has been published for the Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A3, but if Samsung does in fact intend to take on Xiaomi in China, they will have to be competitively priced –Xiaomi phones sell 60% lower than other manufactures.

Images courtesy of Samsung Mobile Press