Samsung Galaxy A82 — everything we know so far

The Galaxy A82 could soon join the parade of new Galaxy A series phones Samsung's been cranking out lately. This would be the ultimate Galaxy A phone, with a more powerful processor, fast-refreshing display and potentially better cameras than Samsung's other midrange offerings.

In fact, we may have already seen the Galaxy A82 in the flesh, though under a different name, with Samsung releasing a device called the Galaxy Quantum 2 that sounds awfully similar to the A82 in its home market of South Korea. That gives us a pretty good idea of what this Android phone could bring to the table. The launch of other phones in the Galaxy A lineup — chiefly, the Galaxy A72 and the Galaxy A52 5G help fill in the details even more.

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Here's what we know so far about the Galaxy A82 and when it might make its official debut.

Samsung Galaxy A82 release date

In a sense, the Samsung Galaxy A82 may have already launched. Earlier this month, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Quantum 2 in South Korea, and that phone's specs match what's been rumored for the Galaxy A82. (We've got more on the Quantum 2 below.)

As for when the Galaxy A82 may get a wider release — assuming that the phone is, in fact, a rebranded Quantum 2 — that's unclear. All we've heard from the rumor mill is sometime in 2021.

To be fair, Samsung has already had a busy year on the smartphone front. In January, the phone maker unveiled the Galaxy S21 flagship lineup, and it's been churning out a series of Galaxy A phones in recent weeks. The Galaxy A52 5G, Galaxy A42 5G, Galaxy A32 5G and Galaxy A12 all debuted in April, so Samsung may want to give those phones some breathing room before it rolls out another Galaxy A model.

Then again, Samsung already figures to have a crowded release schedule for the rest of the year, with new versions of the Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy Z Flip apparently in the works and a Galaxy S21 FE rumored as well. In fact, the current Galaxy S20 FE has proved so popular, Samsung decided against releasing the Galaxy A72 in the U.S,, raising the possibility that the Galaxy A82 may not arrive in this country either.

Samsung Galaxy A82 price

There's no indication of how much the Samsung Galaxy A82 will cost when it arrives. But Samsung's recent spate of smartphone releases gives us a clue about the rumored phone's price range.

The Galaxy A72 costs €449 — roughly the equivalent of $540 — but that phone lacks 5G connectivity. A better comparison might be the Galaxy A52 5G, which debuted at $499 in April. With the Galaxy S20 FE starting at $699 (but available for less with trade-in), you'd expect a phone like the Galaxy A82 to fit right in the middle of those two prices.

Samsung Galaxy A82: Is this a renamed Samsung Quantum 2?

Samsung has a history of launching its Galaxy A phones under different names in South Korea. Take the first Galaxy Quantum, which was essentially a repackaged Galaxy A71 with a different chipset. (The Quantum used one of Samsung's Exynos chips instead of the Snapdragon silicon that powered the A71.) The Galaxy Quantum also offered better encryption thanks to a dedicated quantum random number generator included with the phone.

History seems to be repeating itself with the Quantum 2, now available in South Korea. That phone also offers a quantum cryptography chip designed to support more secure transactions for mobile payments common in Korea. That feature would be unlikely to reach other countries, but the Galaxy Quantum 2 specs match the rumored Galaxy A82 features.

Specifically, the Galaxy Quantum 2 features a 5G-capable Snapdragon 865 Plus system-on-chip and a 6.7-inch screen capable of a 120Hz refresh rate. There's three cameras on the back — a 64MP main sensor with 12MP ultrawide and 5MP macro lenses — and a 4,500 mAh battery. If you're wondering what to expect from a Galaxy A82, the Galaxy Quantum 2 gives you a pretty clear picture.

Samsung Galaxy A82 design and features

Given the fact that the Galaxy Quantum 2 is out in the wild, painting a clear picture of what kind of specs would be a part of any additional Samsung midrange phone, it would seem that most of the questions about the Galaxy A82 have been answered. However, there is the matter of the phone's look and an anticipated feature that could be missing in action.

Images of what could be the Galaxy A82 leaked out prior to the Galaxy Quantum 2 launch, and have since been confirmed by that phone's arrival. If you're familiar with Samsung's other Galaxy A phones of recent vintage, you've got a pretty good notion as to what the A82 will probably look like. 

Expect a phone with minimal bezels and a punch-hole cutout in the center of the display to house the front camera. The rear lens are stacked vertically in a rectangular camera array in the upper left corner of the phone.

That front camera cut-out raises a question about a potentially missing feature, though. A predecessor to the Galaxy A82, the Galaxy A80, was highlighted by a pop-up revolving camera that swiveled around to let you use the rear camera array for selfies. 

That was a neat idea in theory, but critics didn't care for how fast the Galaxy A80's camera popped up and swiveled around. If the Galaxy A82 truly follows the Quantum 2's lead, that could mean the pop-up camera has been scrapped — an understandable decision if Samsung wasn't able to work out the kinks.

Samsung Galaxy A82 outlook

If the Galaxy A82 matches the Galaxy Quantum 2's specs, we'd certainly have a phone that's worthy of the higher end of Samsung's midrange lineup. But that's not the biggest question looming over this particular phone. Rather, we're wondering if there's room for such a device in Samsung's already crowded smartphone lineup.

In addition to Samsung Galaxy A82 rumors, we've also heard that the phone maker is working on a Galaxy S21 FE. This phone would follow in the footsteps of the Galaxy S20 FE, taking the best features of the Galaxy S lineup and putting them into a slightly less expensive device.

That worked out pretty well with the Galaxy S20 FE, but that phone debuted at a time when Samsung was charging astronomical prices for its flagships. The Galaxy S21 dropped prices by $200 — the standard model now starts at $799, so you would think that Samsung would charge at least $100 less for an S21 FE. That doesn't leave a lot of wiggle room for a Galaxy A82, especially considering that Samsung decided against shipping a Galaxy A72 in the U.S. in order not to cannibalize Galaxy S FE sales. (Of course, that move also leaves space for a Galaxy A82, should Samsung decide to release that phone in more regions.)

It's a tricky path for Samsung to navigate, but one thing's clear about all the recent attention the company has paid to its Galaxy A lineup. Samsung sees its midrange models as meeting a growing demand among smartphone shoppers, and the Galaxy A82 should fit right in with that crowd.