Samsung has just announced the Galaxy A9, a mid-range smartphone notable for featuring a grand total of four cameras on its back. The handset is part of a new strategy from the company in which it’s attempting to introduce features on its mid-range devices first in order to appeal to developing markets and a younger audience in the West who are priced out of flagship devices. Each of the four cameras on the rear of the device serve a different purpose. The first is the device’s main 24MP f/1.7 camera, the second is an 8MP f/2.4 camera with an ultra-wide 120-degree lens, the third is a telephoto f/2.4 lens with 2x optical zoom backed by a 10 megapixel sensor, and the fourth is a 5 megapixel f/2.2 camera that enables depth-of-field effects. Aside from this four-camera array, the phone is equipped with a fairly typical set of mid-range internals, namely a Snapdragon 660 processor flanked by 6GB of RAM and powered by a 3,800mAh battery. There’s 128GB of internal memory, a microSD card slot that supports up to 512GB of external memory, and it also has a 3.5mm headphone jack and side-mounted fingerprint scanner. The screen is a 6.3-inch Full HD+ panel, with a resolution of 2220 x 1080. The noteworthy aspect of this device is its camera array, and Samsung’s presentation reflected this. The Galaxy A9 is the first visible evidence of Samsung’s new mid-range mobile strategy. Speaking recently to CNBC, Samsung Mobile CEO DJ Koh said, “In the past, I brought the new technology and differentiation to the flagship model and then moved to the mid-end. But I have changed my strategy this year to bring technology and differentiation points starting from the mid-end.” “I have changed my strategy this year to bring technology and differentiation points starting from the mid-end.” There’s a reason why new features have historically tended to debut on flagship devices which, with their high profit margins, are able to support the kinds of R&D costs that these new technologies take to develop. However, in recent years this area of the market has slowed as updates have become more incremental and give people fewer reasons to upgrade. In May, Gartner analysts noted a Samsung slowdown in the face of aggressively-priced handsets from Chinese brands that are taking more market share in the midtier. Eye-catching features and new technologies (like in-display fingerprint sensors) from these companies are appearing on even their mid-range handsets, making them attractive to the kinds of segments Samsung wants to focus on. The Galaxy A9’s launch event was held in Malaysia, further differentiating it from the high-profile Western launches of flagship devices like the Galaxy Note 9. Grid View The Galaxy A7 (left) alongside the Galaxy A9 (right). Image: Samsung Image: Samsung Image: Samsung Image: Samsung Image: Samsung The Galaxy A9, with its eye-catching array of cameras, is an interesting sign of the company’s direction. It’s unclear whether the feature will eventually make its way to a flagship phone, but it’s already managed to get the handset a level of attention normally reserved for Samsung’s more expensive devices. The A9 joins the cheaper Galaxy A7, which launched a couple of weeks ago with less powerful hardware, a slightly smaller screen, and ‘only’ three cameras on its back. The Samsung Galaxy A9 will retail for €599 in mainland Europe and £549 in the UK (roughly $724) and will be releasing in November.<doc-sep>Samsung on Thursday unveiled its Galaxy A9 smartphone, which has a camera with four lenses on the back. Samsung revealed its latest smartphone, the Galaxy A9, featuring the world's first rear camera with four lenses. The company Thursday said its latest phone will come with 128 gigabytes of storage and up to 512 gigabytes of expandable memory. The phone also features its Bixby virtual assistant, payment service Samsung Pay and fitness tracker Samsung Health. It will come in three different colors — Caviar Black, Lemonade Blue and Bubblegum Pink. "As a global leader in smartphone innovation, we understand the demand for meaningful innovation in a fast-paced world driven by visual communication," said DJ Koh, president and chief executive of the IT and mobile communications division at Samsung Electronics. "Building on our legacy in smartphone camera development we're introducing next-generation technology across our entire Galaxy portfolio to give more consumers the opportunity to experience cutting-edge innovation." Earlier this year, Koh told CNBC the company was planning on including cutting-edge tech in its mid-range Galaxy A line of smartphones, even before it does in its high-end ones. Koh also said the firm was set to reveal its rumored foldable smartphone this year. Many watchers of the company were also anticipating the unveiling of its quad camera. Leaks emerged showing a picture of the phone's rear on Wednesday.<doc-sep>Samsung is upping its smartphone game with the much-anticipated Galaxy A9. As gadget-lovers patiently await the official release, the tech company is keeping the hype alive. The most interesting feature is undoubtedly the Samsung Galaxy A9’s quadruple camera. Each comes fully equipped with a different use: an 8-megapixel ultra-wide lens with Scene Optimizer, a 10-megapixel telephoto lens, a 24-megapixel main lens and a 5-megapixel depth lens. There’s a shot for every situation. In addition, the Samsung Galaxy A9 is set to compete directly with Apple’s iPhone series with Face ID and a fingerprint scanner on the back of the device. Mobile payments and expandable storage up to 512 GB are just a couple more ways Samsung is giving Apple a run for its money. “As a global leader in smartphone innovation, we understand the demand for meaningful innovation in a fast-paced world driven by visual communication,” an announcement from the company states. “We’re excited to deliver on this promise and debut world-leading smartphone camera technology with the Galaxy A9.” You know what they say… four cameras are better than one. Maybe they don’t say that, but that feature in particular is seriously next level. Look out for more information on the Samsung Galaxy A9 launch this November. Galaxy A9 – The World’s First Quad Camera https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWc57bVUoFk Sources: LAD Bible, 9to5Google<doc-sep>
Samsung announced its Galaxy A9 phone with four rear-facing cameras. More cameras can be better, as they offer more versatility, like the LG V40's triple-lens camera system. But the fourth camera in the Galaxy A9 doesn't add any extra versatility that the LG V40 doesn't already have. Don't get duped into the smartphone camera race. There's a new race in smartphone features: how many cameras can we fit onto a phone? It's a race that could easily and understandably tap into the very human mindset that "more is better." Indeed, "more" sometimes is better, as shown by the LG V40 and its triple-lens camera, which offers the most camera versatility on any smartphone. The primary lens is a regular wide-angle lens that most smartphones have. Another lens is a 2x optical zoom lens that most premium smartphones have. The third lens is an ultra-wide angle lens that captures a much wider field of view, which not many other smartphones have. The Galaxy A9 has all those lenses, which is a great thing. But the fourth lens is a dedicated "depth" camera designed to give you the adjustable background blur. The only problem is, the LG V40 can already do that with its triple rear cameras. In fact, Google and Apple manage adjustable background blur with just a single-lens camera on the Pixel 3 and iPhone XR, respectively. I'm not really faulting Samsung for adding a fourth lens to the Galaxy A9, and I'd be wrong to compare the mid-range Galaxy A9 against high-end smartphones. The Galaxy A9 and its four cameras are absolutely shining brighter than other mid-range smartphones. Just watch out for the camera race, as the winner doesn't always mean it's better.