In the weeks leading up to today’s Samsung Unpacked event in Malaysia, the Korean manufacturer teased a new device that delivers “4x fun.” And today, we finally get our first look at the Samsung Galaxy A9 2018, or as many will describe it: the world’s first-ever smartphone with quad rear cameras. Crazy indeed.
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It’s got double the number of cameras the Apple iPhone XS has; three more than the Google Pixel 3; and one more than the Huawei P20 Pro. The pioneering setup includes a 24-megapixel camera with f/1.7 lens for regular shots, a 10-megapixel telephoto camera for lossless zoom, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera, and a 5-megapixel depth camera for photos with variable background blur in Live Focus mode.
The Samsung Galaxy A9 2018’s pioneering rear-camera setup includes a 24-megapixel camera with f/1.7 lens, a 10-megapixel telephoto camera, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide shooter, and a 5-megapixel depth cam.
It’s impressive on paper — the kind of impressive that grabs people’s attention and makes headlines — but we’d like to reserve our verdict until we spend some time with a retail unit. The quad cameras aside, the rest of the hardware fits the bill of an upper-midrange offering that’s just a step below Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S and Galaxy Note lines.
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A Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 sits inside the Samsung Galaxy A9 2018’s assembly, alongside 6GB RAM, 128GB of expandable storage, and a 3,800mAh battery. The OLED screen measures 6.3 inches diagonally, with a 1,080 x 2,220 resolution and an 18.5:9 aspect ratio. It’s covered by rounded glass and has a 24-megapixel selfie camera on the top bezel.
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The Galaxy A9 2018 runs Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box, which is a bummer considering its near-flagship status and the fact that Android 9.0 Pie has been out for a while now.
Samsung Galaxy A9 2018 price and availability
The phone’s stacked feature set is matched with a price that may raise some eyebrows, especially considering there are plenty of faster devices out there that cost much less.
In the Philippines, the Samsung Galaxy A9 2018 will be available from December 1 for P32,990 (around $609) in blue and black colors.
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Let’s hope that its far-off release date gives Samsung enough time to rethink its pricing. Otherwise, we may be looking at yet another non-flagship device from Samsung facing an uphill battle even before it hits local stores.
Samsung Galaxy A9 2018 specs
- 6.3-inch OLED display, 1,080 x 2,220 resolution (18.5:9)
- Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor
- 6GB RAM
- 128GB expandable storage
- Quad rear cameras with LED flash (24MP main camera, 10MP telephoto camera, 8MP wide camera, 5MP depth camera)
- 24-megapixel front camera with f/2.0 lens
- Fingerprint sensor (rear-mounted)
- 3,800mAh battery
- Android 8.0 Oreo
Samsung Galaxy A9 official TVC
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