Samsung is on track to release new and improved smartphones by next year, but according to reports, the South Korean company may have one last surprise for fans before the year is over. It was claimed that the 2017 edition of the Samsung Galaxy A7 might be out in time for the holiday season, with the smartphone tipped to launch this December.

A new report indicates that the Galaxy A7 might be on its way as the handset was granted Bluetooth certification last week. In a copy of the certificate obtained by Phone Arena, it can be seen that the phone bears the model number SM-A720F. Last year's Galaxy A7 had the model number SM-A710F.

No official specs were detailed in the certificate, but Samsung's upcoming handset is expected to have a 5.7-inch display with a full HD 1080p resolution, which is an upgrade over the 2016 model which has a 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display. The phone is also tipped to have a 1.8 GHz Exynos 7880 processor.

The Galaxy A7 2017 is said to have 3 GB of random access memory (RAM) as well as 32 GB or 64 GB of native storage expandable via microSD card. As for the phone's cameras, the new Galaxy A7 is tipped to have a 16-megapixel sensor at the back, and a 16-megapixel front-shooter for selfies and videos.

The current device is available in Black, White, Gold, and Pink, and it is expected that the 2017 phone will come in the same color models. It appears that there will be no change in the phone's battery as the Galaxy A7 2017 is tipped to have the same 3,300 mAh battery as the current phone.

The Samsung Galaxy A7 2017 is tipped to have other features such as a fingerprint scanner, and the phone is rumored to measure 6.20 x 3.02 x 0.30 inches. But it's likely that the greatest difference between the upcoming device and its predecessors is that the new A7 is said to have an IP68 certification, which means that the new phone will be water-resistant. This will be a first for Samsung's A-series phones.

Stay tuned for more news about the Samsung Galaxy A7 2017.