Samsung has launched the Galaxy A08, the newest phone in its cheapest Galaxy A line. It has a 6,000mAh battery, IP64 dust and water resistance and Android 17 out of the box. Samsung Malaysia put it on sale on 25th September 2026 at RM899, or about KES 28,500, for the only version sold there, with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.

The Galaxy A08 is the phone after the Galaxy A07 4G, which went on sale in Kenya in September 2025. The A07 4G was the fourth best-selling phone in the world and the best-selling Android phone in the first three months of 2026, according to Counterpoint Research. Samsung kept most of the same phone specs and features for the new Galaxy A08.

The battery goes from 5,000mAh to 6,000mAh. Samsung hasn’t given a battery life figure in hours.

Dust and water protection goes from IP54 to IP64. A 5 for dust means some dust can get in, but not enough to damage the phone. A 6 means no dust gets in at all. The water digit stays at 4 on both phones, so it handles splashes from any direction. Samsung tested the Galaxy A08 with 10 litres of water a minute sprayed from every angle for five minutes. It still says the phone shouldn’t go to the beach or the pool.

Samsung's Galaxy A08 has a 6,000mAh battery, IP64 rating and Android 17. It costs RM899, about KES 28,500, in Malaysia.

Software starts at Android 17 with One UI 9, Samsung’s version of Android. The Galaxy A07 shipped with Android 15 and One UI 7, and Samsung has been testing One UI 9 for the A07 since June. The Galaxy A08 gets six Android upgrades and security updates until 2032. That’s 13 months past the Galaxy A07’s August 2031 cut-off.

So if you buy a Galaxy A08, you get the extra battery and dust sealing now, and your phone stays on Samsung’s security updates until late 2032.

A bigger battery needs more room, and Samsung didn’t make the phone any taller or wider. The Galaxy A08 is 167.4mm by 77.4mm, exactly the size of the Galaxy A07. The extra 1,000mAh went into thickness and weight instead. The Galaxy A08 is 8.0mm thick against 7.6mm, and it weighs 197g against 184g.

That’s 13g more in your pocket. Funny thing is that Samsung still calls 8.0mm a “thin design”.

Samsung calls the processor a MediaTek Helio G99+. MediaTek, the Taiwanese company that makes it, lists only the Helio G99 on its website. It’s still the same 6nm chip inside the Galaxy A07. Samsung’s A08 spec sheet gives the same 2.2GHz and 2GHz clock speeds as the Galaxy A07’s. So expect Galaxy A07 performance. The G99 handles WhatsApp, YouTube, TikTok and light games fine. It isn’t built for heavy 3D games at high settings.

The memory is newer. LPDDR is the type of RAM phones use, and a higher number moves data faster on less power. Samsung’s release says the Galaxy A08 has LPDDR5, while its own product page says LPDDR5X. RAM Plus is still there. It borrows some of your storage to use as extra RAM.

The cameras haven’t changed. There’s a 50MP main camera with autofocus, a 2MP depth camera for portrait blur, and an 8MP selfie camera in a notch at the top of the screen. Video tops out at 1080p and 30 frames a second.

The screen is the same 6.7-inch HD+ LCD (720 x 1600 pixels). Samsung’s Galaxy A07 pages promised a 90Hz refresh rate. Now, the Galaxy A08 information don’t give a refresh rate at all. Samsung hasn’t given a charging speed either. The Galaxy A07 charged at 25W. We assume similar refresh rates and charging speeds.

On the software side, the Galaxy A08 has Circle to Search with Google. You circle anything on your screen to search for it, and a new Find the Look option searches a whole outfit. You can also ask Gemini or Perplexity to open supported apps with your voice or a long press. Knox Vault, Samsung’s separate security chip for passwords and other private data, is included too.

Samsung's Galaxy A08 has a 6,000mAh battery, IP64 rating and Android 17. It costs RM899, about KES 28,500, in Malaysia.
Galaxy A08Galaxy A07 4G
Screen6.7-inch HD+ PLS LCD6.7-inch HD+ PLS LCD
Refresh rateAssumed 90Hz90Hz
ProcessorMediaTek Helio G99+ (2.2GHz + 2GHz)MediaTek Helio G99 (2.2GHz + 2GHz)
RAM6GB 4GB in Kenya, up to 8GB elsewhere
Storage64GB, 128GB or 256GB, microSD up to 2TB64GB or 128GB in Kenya, microSD up to 2TB
Rear cameras50MP main, 2MP depth50MP main, 2MP depth
Selfie camera8MP8MP
Battery6,000mAh (5,830mAh rated)5,000mAh
ChargingAssumed 25W25W
Dust and waterIP64IP54
Size167.4 x 77.4 x 8.0mm167.4 x 77.4 x 7.6mm
Weight197g184g
Software at launchAndroid 17, One UI 9Android 15, One UI 7
Security updates until30th September 203231st August 2031
ColoursDark Blue, Silver, GreenBlack, Light Violet, Green
PriceRM899 (KES 28,500), 6GB/128GB, MalaysiaKES 14,995 (4GB/64GB) at its Kenyan launch

Both phones have a 3.5mm headphone jack, a fingerprint sensor, Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.3.

Brandcart, Samsung’s official online store partner in Kenya, doesn’t list the Galaxy A08 yet. When the Galaxy A07 got here a year ago, Brandcart sold it for KES 14,995 for 4GB and 64GB and KES 15,995 for 4GB and 128GB.

Don’t read too much into the KES 28,500 figure. It’s a straight conversion of the Malaysian price for a 6GB version, and the Galaxy A07 came to Kenya with 4GB. Samsung has raised budget Galaxy prices since then, though. In July, the A07 4G went up by about KES 1,400, in India, along with six other cheap Galaxy phones.

If you already have the Galaxy A07, there’s little reason to switch. It has the same chip, cameras and screen, and it gets One UI 9 too. If you’re buying your first Galaxy in the under KES 20,000 bracket, the Galaxy A08 comes down to its Kenyan price. You’ll be paying extra cash to only get an extra 1,000mAh, dust sealing, and 13 more months of updates.