Samsung’s New Phone Features a Quad-Lens Camera to Take on iPhone XR

Samsung Galaxy A9 Cameras 1 Credit: Android Pit
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Samsung recently took the wraps off its latest Galaxy A-series devices, the A7 and A9 (2018) mid-range smartphones, which the company will be releasing in time for the holiday shopping season in select European markets.

While they’re not scheduled for an official U.S. debut, where the South Korean tech-giant’s Galaxy S family of high-end smartphones are most synonymous with the brand, Samsung’s Galaxy A7, and particularly the A9, bring quite a few noteworthy features to the table.

Galaxy A7 and A9 Features

The A7, with its 6-inch Super AMOLED display, boasts a rear-mounted triple-lens camera system similar to the setup on Huawei’s P20 Pro, which includes a 24 MP PDAF sensor, an 8 MP ultra-wide sensor and a 5 MP depth sensor.

The A9 tosses an additional lens into the fray to make-up a seriously crazy, first-of-its-kind quad-lens camera system. It includes the same 24-, 8- and 5- MP sensors as the A7, while tacking on a 10 MP telephoto sensor allowing for 2x optical zoom with OIS.

Samsung Galaxy A9 Cameras
Samsung

Interestingly, the A7 and A9’s other specs read like a what’s what of high-end features — large Super AMOLED displays, Octa-core processors, 3,300 mAh battery packs and revolutionary camera systems.

But, by all appearances, the new Galaxy A handsets are strategically built to appeal and cater to mid-range buyers — those who crave the most features for the absolute best value possible, and who don’t necessarily need or care so much about the high-end materials and upgraded components if the alternative means saving a couple hundred bucks over the cost of a high-end device.

Samsung Galaxy A9 2018 Sm A920fn Lemonade Blue 180
Samsung

Apple set that trend by pursuing the strategy with its upcoming iPhone XR, which boasts a range of high-end features and components like the custom A12 Bionic CPU, a 6.1 LRD display, 12 MP single-lens camera with advanced features, Face ID and more — but brings it all together and bundles it up for a reasonable $749.

Samsung is clearly hoping to have a winner on its hands with the Galaxy A9 and could actually even have one if it’s able to sway enough buyers with its high-end and exclusive camera features.

Pricing and Availability

There’s currently no word on pricing for the A7 or A9, but they’ll reportedly be launching in the U.K. sometime this November, with other key European markets to follow. 

Eventually, those in the U.S. will be able to purchase them online and unlocked for use on domestic carriers, but likely at a premium.

As you can see in the chart below, the latest data available from Statista shows that Apple and Samsung are nearly neck-and-neck in the U.K. in terms of market share.

Statista Iphone Samsung Uk
Statista

And so if Samsung’s new Galaxy A7 and A9 are priced to undercut Apple’s iPhone XR, the company might be able to sway some would-be customers into its court simply based on offering better specs for the dollar.

Only time will tell if that actually comes to pass, though, as it’s abundantly clear Apple has a winner on its hands, too. In the meantime, we have Samsung’s official Galaxy A9 TV ad-spot (below) to show you all the cool and creative things that quad-lens setup can do.

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