Samsung unveils first phones after Note7 fiasco

This week the tech giant unveiled new versions of their Galaxy A series - the A3 and A5. Photo / David Ramos

Samsung has announced its first new smartphones since the embarrassing episode which forced the South Korean manufacturer to discontinue the Galaxy Note7 over safety concerns.

This week the tech giant unveiled new versions of their Galaxy A series - the A3 and A5 - two mid-range phones designed to be more affordable than the company's flagship Note and Galaxy S ranges, as well as the larger Galaxy A7.

All three are virtually identical to their predecessors but have minor upgrades as Samsung looks to get back on track.

All three devices are water and dust resistant and are designed with a 3D glass back that was used in the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge.

They each come with a shiny new USB Type-C port, while the two larger versions have also been gifted with Samsung's Fast Charge technology.

Samsung was forced to recall and then discontinue the Note7 in October after multiple reports of the phone spontaneously exploding.

The new A3 and A5 phones, which come with 4.7-inch and 5.2-inch displays respectively, will be available to pre-order in the UK from January 20 before a global release, the tech giant said.

"At Samsung, we are always trying to ensure our customers have the most advanced products on the market," said DJ Koh, President of Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics.

"The latest Galaxy A series is a testament to this.

"We integrated our unique approach to design as well as the features Galaxy customers have come to love to provide added performance without compromising on style."

The company is yet to confirm pricing for the two devices.

Both the Galaxy A devices are water and dust resistant for the first time and will come with 16 megapixel front and rear-facing cameras.

A special selfie mode has also been added that enables users to tap anywhere on the screen to take a photo using the front-facing camera