Samsung has announced its first new smartphones since being forced to discontinue the Galaxy Note7 over safety concerns.

The Korean technology giant is to launch 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.

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

The new 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, the tech giant said.

DJ Koh, the president of Samsung's mobile business, said: "At Samsung, we are always trying to ensure our customers have the most advanced products on the market.

"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.

The announcement comes at the beginning of a week Samsung - alongside the likes of Sony and LG - is due to launch a series of new products at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, including new ultra high definition TVs and other appliances.