Okay let’s face it. When it comes to smartphones there is no such thing as too many lenses anymore. What began as single lens VGA cameras as an added afterthought of a feature on early phones steadily became better and better to a point where they became the primary snapping device for most, in some cases surpassing dedicated cameras. Well we say surpassing, but dedicated cameras still had the edge in providing multiple focal lengths via interchangeable lenses.
That was, of course, until Samsung had a go at it with the A9, the world’s first quad-camera smartphone, featuring a whopping 24+5+10+8 MP Camera. And that’s just the rear setup. Add a single 24MP front cam and if we are not very much mistaken, the A9 probably has the maximum number of cameras ever fitted to a mainstream smartphone. Marketing gimmick or pure genius? Let’s find out if Samsung’s Quads are good in a time when consumers accept nothing less than royal flushes!
In a time long forgotten, there was a chance where the build quality from Samsung would be a point of contention for us. But the dark days are over and Samsung has consistently been churning out smartphones with great build. And it’s the same with the A9.
The A9 has the usual blend of fit and finish combined with sturdiness that you might find on any other mid range Samsung phone, but this time with some zesty flair on two of the three colour variants. The two variants in question come with a gradient design with the colour options being Bubblegum Pink and Lemonade Blue. There is also a Caviar Black for those a bit less flashy.
The metal chassis is sandwiched between a glass back and 6.3 inch 18.5:9 front. The curved corners help the device sit firmly in one hand and that's a blessing considering it's quite big and slightly slippery due to the all glass finish. The finish though is a bit of a fingerprint magnet but is not too evident on the Lemonade Blue variant we tested. The Aux port, USB-C port and speaker can all be found on the bottom while the SIM tray is located on the top with the power and volume rocker buttons on the right and a lonesome dedicated Bixby button on the left.
Unless you have been living under a rock for the past few years, you probably already know that Samsung makes one of the best displays on the smartphone market today. Especially when it comes to their flagships. And that certainly has trickled down to their mid-range devices, with the A9 boasting a supremely sharp and vibrant display.
The 2220 x 1080 FHD+ Super AMOLED display is certainly one of the best at least in this price range. The text is sharp, pictures and videos look vibrant and viewing angles are pretty respectable too. Viewing videos in 1080p are a pleasure with the colours being vibrant and contrast being just right. Samsung displays do tend to make content a bit more vibrant than others and some might say it verges on being unnatural, but we here at Stuff, being the optimists that we are, tend to think its better than reality. The A9 display gets plenty bright. It’s perfectly visible in harsh sunlight while toning it down at night so you are not blinded.
