First, it was Huawei that captured the headlines with a tri-lens rear camera on the Huawei P20 Pro, but this glory hasn’t even lasted a year. The new king when it comes to the number of camera lenses on the back of any smartphone is the Samsung Galaxy A9 2018.

Samsung and Huawei are archrivals and it makes sense that they’d want to outdo each other no matter what. But while Huawei’s offering is a target for the high-end market, Samsung’s latest addition, as you may have guessed, has the premium midrange fans in mind – a group that has on many occasions been associated with affection for photography.

But does the quad-lens camera truly deliver the best photography? That’s up for debate. Until we go hands-on with the Galaxy A9 2018, we cannot give a full verdict on this matter, but there’s more you should know about the A9 2018 handset. Read on!

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Galaxy A9 2018 specs

  • 6.3-inch 18.5:9 FHD+ (2220 x 1080) Super AMOLED display
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor
  • 6GB or 8GB RAM
  • 128GB expandable storage, up to 512GB
  • Rear Camera – 24MP (standard lens) + 10MP (wide-angle lens) + (8MP ultrawide lens) + 5MP (depth lens)
  • 24MP front camera
  • 3,800mAh battery
  • Android 8.0 Oreo with Samsung Experience 9.0
  • Extras: Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C, 3.5mm audio jack, Rear-mounted FPS, Facial Recognition, Samsung Pay, Dual-SIM, NFC, Fast battery charging, etc.

The previous version of the Galaxy A9 came way back in 2016 and last year, there was no A9 handset. As if to make a statement, the Korean tech company has slammed four camera lenses with a total of 47MP on the back of the Galaxy A9 2018.

Without a doubt, the camera is the major highlight of this handset and while real-world use is the only way to determine how good the quad-lens setup is, Samsung has provided us with some useful specs of the lenses on board.

From top to bottom, you have an 8MP ultra-wide lens that’s meant to capture views of up to 120 degrees, but with its f/2.4 aperture, don’t expect quality photos in poorly lit conditions. The second lens from the top is a 10MP telephoto camera with the same f/2.4 aperture and offers up to 2x optical zoom. Next in line is the main shooter, which carries a massive 24MP lens with the widest aperture on the list, f/1.7, ensuring that you capture clear and bright shots even when in dark environments. Last on the list is a 5MP lens with an aperture of f/2.2 and whose sole purpose is capturing portrait shots with blurry backgrounds, otherwise known by Samsung as Live Focus.

The front has a 24MP lens with an aperture of f/2.0 to ensure that those selfies turn out clear and bright enough even when the lighting conditions aren’t the best.

With photography matters said and done, the Galaxy A9 2018 is just another Galaxy A device. The design is sleek featuring a premium 3D glass back that comes in Caviar Black, Bubblegum Pink, and Lemonade Blue, but given it’s just another midrange phone, there’s still no wireless charging technology.

Samsung’s Infinity Display is still at play and as expected, it’s a Super AMOLED panel made by the best in the world, thus promising sharper contrast and more dynamic colors that deliver a more immersive viewing experience. Like the premium Galaxy S9 and Note 9, you also get Always on Display on the Galaxy A9 2018.

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Although not the newest premium midrange processor from Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 660 processor that powers the A9 2018 is as powerful as yesteryear’s flagship processors, the Snapdragon 820 and 821. Even better is that Samsung has paired it with up to 8GB of RAM to ensure that you enjoy an uninterrupted optimum performance, although there’s a base model with 6GB RAM.

Given the plenty of photos that Samsung expects you to take using the Galaxy A9 2018, you’ll be getting plenty of storage to keep them safe too. In addition to 128GB of internal memory, the device has a dedicated microSD card slot that can house up to 512GB of storage space.

Keeping the Galaxy A9 2018 alive is a 3800mAh battery unit, nearly the same unit as the Galaxy Note 9, meaning you’ll be sure to get at least a day and a half of use on a single charge, but of course, this will depend on your usage patterns. On the brighter side, you can get hours of battery life with just a few minutes of charging thanks to Samsung’s proprietary fast charging technology that’s done via a USB-C port.

Speaking of ports, you also get a 3.5mm audio jack on the A9 2018, something that is becoming rare these days, even for cheaper handsets like the Xiaomi Mi A2 – a device that shares the same processing specs as the A9 2018.

Related: Samsung Galaxy A9 2018 Pie update news

Galaxy A9 2018 price and availability

  • Released in India for INR 39,000
  • Available in Europe for €599 (£549 for the UK)

Samsung Galaxy A series is usually sold globally and so will the Galaxy A9 2018. The device’s product page is already up on the Samsung Global website, but there’s no mention of the exact date sales will begin. The device will go on sale in November in Europe, Asia, and Africa and while it’s unlikely to make an official entry into the U.S. market, the device should still be available via the likes of Amazon.

In Europe, the Galaxy A9 2018 will set you back €599 while those in the UK will have to shell out £549 to grab this handset. Prices for India and other markets will be announced alongside availability details.

Samsung has already released the handset in India but it’s available at offline stores only (here). It’s rumored that it will be available online too very soon.