Samsung Galaxy A8 (2016) release date, specs latest news: Features 16-MP camera, Android Marshmallow

The Samsung Galaxy A8 (2016) has finally landed. After months of anticipation for the second-generation device, it is now available for purchase in the company's homeland, South Korea.

According to reports, the new smartphone was officially launched at the end of September. By Oct. 1, the company opened its stores for pre-orders. Currently, the device is an SK Telecom-exclusive and it is priced at KRW 649,000 or $583. The carrier is also offering it through other data plans.

For those who don't know yet, the Galaxy A8 (2016) is a mid-range smartphone with decent specs. It's a perfect option for those who are looking for a handset that is packed with good specs without going up too high on the price tag.

As detailed in reports, the latest model of the Galaxy A8 sports a 5.7-inch full HD super AMOLED display and comes with Samsung's Always-On display technology. Under the hood, one can find an octa-core Exynos 7420 chipset paired with 3 GB of RAM. Apparently, this setup is actually similar to the ones found in the Galaxy S6 family.

Its native storage space is 32 GB and it can be expanded further to 256 GB through the microSD card. Available only in blue right now, the device will be having other color variants soon which include pastel pink and silver. The device is made out of metal and is noted to be tad bit thicker compared to its predecessor.

As for its camera features, reports said the device comes with a 16-megapixel rear camera with f/1.9 aperture, autofocus sensor, and LED flash. In front is an 8-megapixel selfie snapper. The smartphone also sports a physical home button which serves as a fingerprint scanner as well. Moreover, giving the handset its light and power is a non-removable 3,000mAh battery.

It is pre-installed with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow operating system topped with Samsung's custom UI. It's still unknown if Samsung will release the device in other countries.