While Samsung's Note 7 continues to be plagued with controversy, the Galaxy S7 was favored by consumers and critics alike. That being said, it's important not to forget about the popular smartphone makers' mid range phones.

Samsung released the Galaxy A8 last year, and it was the company's slimmest phone at the time. The phone was up for grabs for a price lower than the Galaxy S6. Rumors are running rampant that Samsung is now working on a successor to last year's A8 dubbed as, the Galaxy A8 (2016).

Acclaimed Twitter leaker @OnLeaks has provided the first look at the impending Galaxy A8 (2016) with this selection of renders.

Samsung Galaxy A8 (2016) Specs & Features

If this early look is anything to go by, the Samsung Galaxy A8 (2016) bears a strong resemblance with Samsung's flagship, the Galaxy S7 owing to a glass looking back cover and a metal trim. However, the purported phone will be comparatively larger than the S7, in fact it won't be surprising if the device turns out to be even bigger than the Note 7, AndroidAuthority reported.

As far as the rumored phone's dimensions measure is concerned, the report claims that it will be 156.5 x 77.5 x 7.3mm, further adding that the phone will not sport curved edges on its display. Also, the handset is said to feature a 5.7-inch 1080p panel.

In terms of hardware specifications, the handset will be powered by an octa-core Exynos 7420 processor from the Galaxy S6 series, and will pack 3GB of RAM paired with a mammoth 32 GB of internal storage.

The purported smartphone is said to sport a 16MP main camera and a 5MP front snapper for selfie addicts. It will come with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow pre-installed, if the rumor mill is to be believed.

As far as the unusual opening visible on the right side just above the lock key is concerned, there's a possibility that it might be just a speaker in an unconventional position, since the sound blaster cannot be seen positioned anywhere else, PhoneArena reported.

If rumors proved to be true, the Galaxy A8 (2016) model could turn out to be a bit more powerful as compared to the first generation A8.

That being said, the South Korean tech firm is more likely to adorn such a smartphone either with one of its newer Exynos chips or a mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon, rather than going for an older flagship Exynos processor.

What do you think about the appearance and purported hardware specs of the Galaxy A8 (2016)? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!