Samsung's not waiting until the Galaxy S8 launch to hit us with some new products. Nope. Although we're expecting the big flagship launch either in February at MWC, or potentially as late as April in New York, depending on which rumours you believe, Samsung has now revealed a 2017 refresh of the venerable Galaxy A series.

As before, there are three members in the line-up all being given a re-jig for the new year; the Galaxy A3, Galaxy A5, and Galaxy A7, all featuring a unified design language of aluminium bodyshell clad by glass on both front and back.

All three also pack IP68 water and dust resistance certification, meaning they can survive going for a quick swim if you fumble them near a body of water.

These are the first Samsung devices out of the blocks since the Galaxy Note 7 debacle. All eyes will be on these handsets, looking for any issues whatsoever with the battery, in the run up to the launch and release of the Samsung Galaxy S8, arguably Samsung’s biggest release of 2017.

The Samsung Galaxy A series has grown over the years, maturing into something more than just a mid-range version of the company’s Galaxy S models. These handsets are all about value, power and utility. Now, more than ever, they’re closer to their flagship brethren with great design, impressive specs and features like waterproofing as standard.

Other features include fingerprint biometric scanners, microSD support, and Samsung Pay built-in.

The Samsung Galaxy A7 is the lead model, with a 1080p 5.7in AMOLED touch display, octa-core 1.9GHz processor, 3GB RAM, and a 16MP primary camera on the back.

Samsung GALAXY A7 Specs:

• Network: LTE Cat.6 * May differ by markets and mobile operators
• Display: 5.7” FHD Super AMOLED
• AP: 1.9GHz Octa Core
• OS: Android 6.0.16 (Marshmallow)
• Camera: Rear : 16MP (F1.9), Front : 16MP (F1.9)
• Video: MPEG4, H.265(HEVC), H.264(AVC), H.263, VC-1, MP43, WMV7, WMV8, VP8, VP9
• Audio: MP3, AAC LC/AAC+/eAAC+,AMR-NB, AMR-WB, WMA, FLAC, Vorbis, Opus
• Additional features: MST technology(Samsung Pay), Samsung KNOX, S-Voice, Dual SIM option
• * Samsung Pay launches may vary by market-readiness
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth® v 4.2, ANT+, USB Type-C,NFC (UICC, eSE)
• Sensor: Accelerometer, Proximity, Geomagnetic, RGB Light, Hall Fingerprint scanner, Barometer
• IP Code: IP68
• Memory: 3GB RAM + 32GB Storage, Micro SD slot (up to 256GB)
• Dimensions: 156.8 x 77.6 x 7.9mm
• Battery: 3,600mAh, Fast Charging

From there, the Galaxy A5 is the middle child, but packs similar specs with a 1.9GHz octa-core CPU, 3GB RAM, 16MP snapper, and a 1080p resolution, though the display is a smaller 5.2in size.

Samsung GALAXY A5 Specs:

• Network: LTE Cat.6 * May differ by markets and mobile operators
• Display: 5.2” FHD Super AMOLED
• AP: 1.9GHz Octa Core
• OS: Android 6.0.16 (Marshmallow)
• Camera: Rear : 16MP (F1.9), Front : 16MP (F1.9)
• Video: MPEG4, H.265(HEVC), H.264(AVC), H.263, VC-1, MP43, WMV7, WMV8, VP8, VP9
• Audio: MP3, AAC LC/AAC+/eAAC+,AMR-NB, AMR-WB, WMA, FLAC, Vorbis, Opus
• Additional features: MST technology(Samsung Pay), Samsung KNOX, S-Voice, Dual SIM option
• * Samsung Pay launches may vary by market-readiness
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth® v 4.2, ANT+, USB Type-C, NFC (UICC, eSE)
• Sensor: Accelerometer, Proximity, Geomagnetic, RGB Light, Hall Fingerprint scanner, Barometer
• IP Code: IP68
• Memory: 3GB RAM + 32GB Storage, Micro SD slot (up to 256GB)
• Dimensions: 146.1 x 71.4 x 7.9mm
• Battery: 3,000mAh, Fast Charging

The little brother is the A3, with a 4.7in 720p display, 1.6GHz processor, 2GB of RAM, and a 13MP camera

Samsung Galaxy A3 Specs:

• Network: LTE Cat.6 * May differ by markets and mobile operators
• Display: 4.7” HD Super AMOLED
• AP: 1.6GHz Octa Core
• OS: Android 6.0.16 (Marshmallow)
• Camera: Rear : 13MP (F1.9), Front : 8MP (F1.9)
• Video: MPEG4, H.265(HEVC), H.264(AVC), H.263, VC-1, MP43, WMV7, WMV8, VP8, VP9
• Audio: MP3, AAC LC/AAC+/eAAC+,AMR-NB, AMR-WB, WMA, FLAC, Vorbis, Opus
• Additional features: MST technology(Samsung Pay), Samsung KNOX, S-Voice, Dual SIM option
• * Samsung Pay launches may vary by market-readiness
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth® v 4.2, ANT+, USB Type-C, NFC (UICC)
• Sensor: Accelerometer, Proximity, Geomagnetic, RGB Light, Hall, Fingerprint Scanner, Barometer
• IP Code: IP68
• Memory: 2GB RAM + 16GB Storage, Micro SD slot (up to 256GB)
• Dimensions: 135.4 x 66.2 x 7.9mm
• Battery: 2,350mAh

Some members of the Samsung Galaxy A  2017series are now up for pre-order in the UK, complete with pricing details. MobileFun has the handsets listed on its site: the Galaxy A3 has a SIM-free price of £299, the Galaxy A5 is £399. The Galaxy A7 isn't listed yet, but it doesn't take a genius to figure out that numerical progression implies it will have a price of £499 when/if it arrives on our shores.