(Update: and Galaxy C7) Dressed to impress: Samsung launches the mid-range Galaxy C5

Update, May 27: Keeping with the tradition of launching entire series of smartphones at a time, Samsung launched a second Galaxy C device yesterday. The Galaxy C7 is basically a larger version of the Galaxy C5, featuring a 5.7-inch AMOLED Full HD screen, a Snapdragon 625 processor, 32/64GB of storage, and a 3,300 mAh battery. Other specs appear to remain the same, and the Galaxy C7 will start from around $400.

Original post, May 26: Samsung’s latest smartphone leaked repeatedly, but today we finally have some official news, and we like what we see so far.

It’s hard to believe that just a couple of years ago, Samsung was still using plastic for its top of the line devices. Today, slim metal unibodies are par for the course even for mid-rangers like the Galaxy C5. Available in fashionable gold and pink and the classic gray and black, the device is just 6.7 millimeters thick and weighs 143 grams. Not bad at all for a device with a 5.2-inch display.

While the design is hardly original, the C5 looks quite good and its clean lines are complemented by a solid specification sheet. Highlights include the Full HD AMOLED panel, a Snapdragon 617 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 32GB/64GB of storage space (expandable). The rear camera is 16MP, with 8MP up front. This dual-SIM LTE device is powered by a 2600 mAh battery, which is not exactly great but still decent given the under 7-mm thickness Samsung was working with. Expect the device to work with Samsung Pay, thanks to the fingerprint reader that is incorporated in the home button.

Samsung has only released Galaxy C5 availability details in China so far, and, given the phone’s iPhone-like styling that is so popular in the country, it could stay exclusive to China. For now, we know that the 32GB Galaxy C5 will cost 2199 yuan (around $335) and 64GB version will go for 2399 yuan (around $365). That’s not a bad price for what this device offers, though the Chinese market is teaming with affordable rivals. Now on pre-order, the Galaxy C5 will ship from June 17.

Another reason to doubt the release of the Galaxy C5 outside China is the apparent overlap between it and phones in the Galaxy A series, which come with similar specs and a slightly different appearance. Will Samsung let the C5 cannibalize the A series?

What do you think about the Galaxy C5?