The Samsung Galaxy C5 dual-SIM is a full metal phone that features mid-range specs for about $390 or P18k price in the Philippines. It is not yet officially launched globally but we’re lucky to get a review with a custom ROM and working Google apps like Play Store. Find out if the Samsung Galaxy C5 is worth an upgrade in our unboxing and hands-on experience. Our full review will be coming out soon.
See also
- Samsung Galaxy C7 Full Review
- Samsung Galaxy C5 Full Review
- Samsung Galaxy A5 2016 vs Galaxy J7 2016 comparison
- Samsung Galaxy A5 2016 vs Galaxy C5 review and comparison
Unboxing: Accessories and guides
The Samsung Galaxy C5 (dual nano SIM model) is neatly packed in a box with a pink or rose gold accent. The box includes a 2A Fast Adaptive charger which is just the equivalent of Quick Charging in most phones.
- Device in pink or rose gold, dual nano SIM variant (hybrid)
- 2A Fast Adaptive Charger or quick charging power adapter
- USB data cable
- Stereo earbuds with mic
- SIM ejector tool key
- Guides or manuals
First impressions on the Pink Samsung Galaxy C5
Design and build quality
Whether you call it pink or rose gold, the device is a refreshing sight since Samsung started making Android phones. The full metal build is a step up from the plastic and aluminum bodies of the Galaxy J 2016 series. However, the noticeable form and antenna lines resemble the iPhone 6s and the previous HTC One series, which is both good and bad depending on your preference.
What’s surprised us is the addition of the multicolor notification LED which was previously reserved to high-end Galaxy S series. There’s also a fast and accurate fingerprint sensor embedded in the home button. On top of the phone is an 8MP selfie camera and earpiece accented with pink shade.
Like the Galaxy A and Samsung S series, the 5.2-inch Full HD 1080p Super AMOLED is subtly curved and not apparent as on the Galaxy S7 but enough to provide you a seamless touch experience.
With a 6.7mm thickness and 143g, anyone coming from a 7mm+ phone will easily notice the sleeker form of Galaxy C5 once you pick it up. The phone is available in four color variants including our Rose Gold or Pink, Gold, Gray, and Silver.
Despite the familiar overall exterior design, we still felt the device a relief in entire Samsung Android lineup, thanks to the solid build and chic color.
Camera: selfie, HD video, HDR
Sporting a 16MP f1.9 camera, numerically this is the same as to the Galaxy A9 Pro, however, the quality says otherwise. We find the photos to have nice colors at daylight though a little oversaturated while night shooting or low light is a struggle to the camera. Both night and HDR modes did not automatically kick in using the auto mode, which is the same disadvantage with other Samsung mid-rangers.
Selfie is quite good with a lot of beautifications such as skin smoothening, toning, and face slimming. The bright f1.9 aperture helps in taking selfies at dark scenes.
We’ll continue to test the camera including the video recording and will reserve our final judgment on our full review and comparisons.
Hardware and performance
Running on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with latest Touch Wiz UI while powered by a 2016 octa-core processor, the Galaxy C5 did not leave us hanging. Multitasking is fast while the gaming is average–it plays NBA 2k16 without hiccups at low graphic settings while mid and high settings are unplayable and laggy.
The Antutu benchmark supports our claim with the phone reaching 45,077 mark, just behind the Samsung Galaxy A8.
- Antutu benchmark rate/score: 45,077
Battery life and charging time
Sporting a 2600mAh, you’re likely going to find it lacking compared to the competition averaging with at least 3000mAh. Our first days seem to be on below average battery life with up to 3 hours screen on time (rarely) while most days hitting 2.5 hours.
With a Fast Adaptive charger, the juice can easily be filled from 0% to 100% in just less than 1 hour and 30 minutes or roughly 20% in just 15 minutes.
Review and comparisons of the Samsung Galaxy C5
Definitely, we’re excited to give you the in-depth review of the Samsung Galaxy C5. We also welcome suggestions if which devices will fit best to compare against it. Do drop those at the comment section.
Samsung Galaxy C5 full specs, official price, availability, release date in the Philippines
- Display: 5.2-inch 1080p Full HD Super AMOLED, 424 ppi
- Design: all metal
- Size: 6.7mm thick, 143g weight
- Chip: Snapdragon 617 octa-core chip
- RAM: 4GB RAM
- Memory: 32GB or 64GB internal storage, microSD card up to 128GB
- Main camera: 16MP f1.9 main shooter, LED flash, 1080p video, OIS?
- Front camera: 8MP f1.9 selfie shooter, 1080p video
- Connectivity: WiFi 802.11a, 4G LTE, Dual-SIM (dedicated), Bluetooth 4.2, NFC, GPS
- OS: Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, TouchWiz UI
- Battery: 2600 mAh non-removable
- Port: microUSB 2.0
- Audio: ANT+
- Color:s Gold, Rose Gold
- Release date: July 2016 available in the Philipines | No updates in India, USA, Middle East
- Price: $390 / P17,990 pesos price for 32GB Galaxy C5 model, $370 from online stores
Samsung Galaxy C5 Unboxing, Hands-on video
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Hi! I just want to ask what the earphones of the Samsung Galaxy C5 look like. From the pictures that I saw, it kind of looked like the earphones of the Samsung Galaxy S6 (I just wanted to clarify).
Thank you 🙂