Samsung Galaxy A9 - it's all about the camera

A real arms race has unfolded between smartphones today for the right to be considered the most advanced mobile device for creating high-quality photos. For this, manufacturers are trying to equip phones with an increasing number of photomodules. And here, the middle-class device Galaxy A9 from Samsung is very successful. And this review will help to make the right opinion about this interesting gadget, which claims to be the best camera phone.

Equipment

The smartphone comes in a fairly simple, but very stylish box. Inside is the phone itself, as well as documentation, a clip for removing a SIM card, charging. If a pre-order was made through the official online store of the South Korean brand, then you can also count on a memory card with a capacity of 128 GB.

Design

This unit can not be called spectacular. The edges and corners, although rounded, but only a little. This will appeal to those who prefer a strict business style. Thanks to high-quality materials, the smartphone looks expensive. At the same time, the back cover is made of glossy tempered glass. In the upper left corner there is a long vertical block with four sensors, which rises slightly above the surface of the case. An LED flash is located directly below this unit. But in the center is a fingerprint scanner. A “frameless” screen with relatively thin frames and indents is installed on the front. Moreover, there is no "bang", which is not liked by so many users. The display itself has very rounded corners, which enhances the streamline effect. All navigation buttons are transferred to the display. Connects glass panels to a chromed metal frame.

The lower edge got a headphone jack, a multimedia speaker grill, USB Type-C and a microphone.

It is worth noting that the glass surface of the case is a very brand name, traces appear after every touch. The device is very slippery, so you should be careful with the phone. Colors: blue, pink, black. Dimensions: weight - 183 g, height - 163 mm, thickness - 7.8 mm, width - 77 mm.

Display

Galaxy A9 got a 6.3-inch Super AMOLED screen. The resolution of such a display is 2220 by 1080 pixels. The aspect ratio of 18.5: 9 makes the screen a little elongated. On top of it is covered with a fairly durable 2.5D glass. Auto brightness works correctly. An effective anti-reflective layer allows you to use your smartphone even on the street in sunny weather. The minimum and maximum brightness makes it possible to comfortably read the text and view the image in any conditions. High-quality black color is complemented by a pleasant balance of colors. There is also a mode that reduces eye strain. If to consider as a whole, then this is a very good screen with practically no weaknesses.

Performance

The device uses a fairly new and powerful Snapdragon 660 processor, consisting of eight cores. This chip is capable of operating at a frequency of 2200 MHz. The built-in 3D accelerator Adreno 512 is engaged in graphics processing. The gadget is equipped with 8 or 6 GB of RAM, as well as 128 GB, allocated for file storage. Internal memory can be expanded using microSD cards. Here is a rechargeable battery with a capacity of 3800 mAh. In video mode, the device is able to work up to 16 hours. If you play mobile 3D toys without stopping, then the charge will last for 5-6 hours. And in balanced mode, you can easily use the device for several days.

The device is equipped with the Android 8.0 operating system with the pre-installed Experience 9.0 UX shell. AnTuTu v7 test shows the result in the region of 140,000 points. Yes, maybe this is not the most outstanding result for a rather expensive smartphone, but in real life tasks it’s enough for almost everything. The characteristics of the phone allow you to run games on medium and high graphic settings. Ordinary programs work without any complaints at all.

Camera

The closest attention in the Galaxy A9 is focused on the main camera, which received four full-fledged modules at once. And this is the first smartphone in the world with a similar bunch of four different sensors. The dominant is a 24-megapixel sensor with aperture of 1.7. Then comes a 10-megapixel telephoto lens, as well as an 8-megapixel wide-angle module. They got a 2.4 aperture. The last 5 megapixel sensor is responsible for blurring the background. There is support for AI scenes and a bright flash. Video is recorded in 4K. It is worth noting high-quality color reproduction. But let us down automatic focus, which functions slowly and with errors. Not enough optical stabilization, as well as additional settings. There is also a front 24-megapixel camera with f / 2.0 aperture. She can take blurry pictures using a special program mode. There is also a face recognition system.

Sound

If we consider the sound quality, then in the headphones it is not bad. The sound is clear, but lacks some brightness. Thanks to the equalizer, you can improve the situation a bit, but you should not expect miracles from it. There is support for Dolby Atmos technology, as well as built-in FM-radio. The external speaker is loud, and the sound is not distorted at high values.

Price

The smartphone received good technical equipment and high quality materials. For this, the user will have to pay, and a fairly serious amount - 40-45 thousand rubles. On the one hand, for the kind of money you can buy some last year’s flagship, or the very top smartphone from eminent Chinese brands. If we consider that we have an advanced device from Samsung with an innovative camera, then the price tag does not look so terrifying.

Video reviews

Conclusion

Galaxy A9 is a solid smartphone with great (but not flagship) capabilities. The main highlight was the main camera, which can pleasantly surprise users. Although here there is something to work for Samsung employees. In general, a high-quality gadget at a high price was obtained.