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SAMSUNG GALAXY A9 REVIEW
A premium mid-range smartphone that is a worthy flagship competitor
REVIEW
by: KRYSTAL LORA
FEBRUARY 11, 2016
287
159128
REVIEWS
CONTENTS
RATING
FULL ARTICLE
DESIGN
DISPLAY
PERFORMANCE
HARDWARE
CAMERA
SOFTWARE
SPECIFICATIONS
GALLERY
CONCLUSION
COMMENTS
h
PROS
-Premium metal and glass construction
-Very large vibrant display
-Micro SD expansion
-Fantastic battery life
-Fingerprint scanner
-Fast performance
CONS
-Lower pixel density may turn some users away
-Occasional homescreen lag issues
-Weak speaker
RATING
OUR RATING
BATTERY
9.6
DISPLAY
8.8
CAMERA
8.4
PERFORMANCE
8.7
SOFTWARE
9.0
DESIGN
9.3
BOTTOM LINE
For the most part, the Galaxy A9 offers everything the Galaxy S6 does, but in a much larger package. Due to this large size, battery life is no longer an issue, and expandable storage returns to the fold as well. Although the display resolution and camera have been downgraded, the Galaxy A9 performs just as well as Samsung’s other high-end flagships, making this a smartphone that is very easy to love.
9.0
Samsung refreshed their Galaxy A series at the end of last year, with the new smartphones in the series borrowing heavily from the design language and construction of Samsung’s 2015 flagships. Apart from the 2016 editions of the Galaxy A3, A5, and A7, Samsung also added a new device to the lineup, which is also the largest of the bunch, and at least on paper, falls squarely in the “premium mid-range” category that we’re all increasingly familiar with.
What does this latest large Samsung offering bring to the table? We find out, in this comprehensive Samsung Galaxy A9 review!
Design
Samsung has always had a penchant for bringing their flagship design language to the rest of their smartphone portfolio, so it’s not really surprising that the Galaxy A9 looks like an over-sized Galaxy S6, or a Galaxy Note 5, albeit without the curves on the back. What returns is the fantastic build quality, with two Corning Gorilla Glass 4 panels held together by a metal frame. A few elements do differentiate the Galaxy A9 from its flagship counterparts however; its corners are less rounded, resulting in a more angular look; meanwhile, flagship features like the S-Pen and the heart rate monitor aren’t to be found here.
Featuring a large 6-inch display, the handling experience is admittedly quite unwieldy, and while Samsung has done a great job in keeping the top part and the bottom chin relatively thin, one-handed use is quite literally a stretch. Some users will find hand gymnastics to be required to get across and to the top of the display, but with a somewhat slippery glass backing, using this phone with two hands will be your safest bet. Worth noting here is that despite being slightly thinner than the Galaxy Note 5, the camera unit on the back doesn’t protrude as much, which is one less thing to worry about when handling the device.
What you will notice right away when you first pick up the Galaxy A9 is its weight, and at 200 grams, it is certainly one of the heaviest smartphones we’ve come across. This heft does result in a substantial feel, but combined with the phone’s large dimensions, it can feel a little unbalanced when maneuvering it around. Given that the additional weight is likely a result of the huge battery packed into the device, it’s something that is at least understandable.
Display
The Galaxy A9 comes with a 6-inch Super AMOLED displa
