Samsung launched the Galaxy A8+, along with the smaller Galaxy A8, earlier this year as a premium mid-range offering. It was the first Galaxy A series phone to sport an Infinity display and dual-cameras on the front. Until the launch of the Galaxy A8 Star, it was Samsung’s top-of-the-line midrange smartphone, sitting just below the flagship models both in terms of price and features. The title now goes to the recently launched Galaxy A9 (2018), and unlike the Galaxy A8+, it even boasts features that are not seen on the company’s flagship models.
Samsung Galaxy A9 vs Galaxy A8 Plus (2018): Specs comparison
Though launched just 10 months apart, the Galaxy A9 and the A8+ vary significantly. We have compared the specifications for these models below and it is clear the A9 easily bests the Galaxy A8+ in everything except the front camera(s). The A8+ boasts a dual-camera setup on the front for selfies, while the Galaxy A9, despite sporting a quad-camera system on the back, comes with only a single selfie camera. Excluding that one shortfall, the Galaxy A9 has more in common with Samsung’s flagship smartphones than with the Galaxy A8+.
| Galaxy A9 | Galaxy A7 (2018) | |
| Display | 6.3-inch Full HD+ (2220×1080) Super AMOLED Infinity | 6-inch FHD+ (2220×1080) Super AMOLED Infinity |
| Processor | Snapdragon 660 Octa Core, 2.2GHz quad-core + 1.8GHz quad-core, Adreno 512 GPU | Exynos 7885 Octa, 2.2GHz dual-core + 1.6GHz hexa-core, Mali-G71 GPU |
| RAM | 6/8GB | 4/6GB |
| Rear Camera | Quad Camera, 24MP AF (F1.7), Telephoto 2X optical zoom, 10MP AF (F2.4), Ultra-Wide 120° 8MP (f2.4) and Depth sensor 5MP (F2.2) | 16-megapixel, f/1.7 aperture, phase detection autofocus |
| Front camera | 24-megapixel, F2.0 aperture | 16-megapixel + 8-megapixel dual camera, f/1.9 aperture, Live Focus portrait mode |
| Storage | 128GB internal, microSD slot (up to 512GB) | 32GB/64GB internal, microSD slot (up to 256GB) |
| Software | Android 8.0 Oreo, upgradeable to Android 9.0 Pie | Android 7.1.1 Nougat, upgradable to Android 8.0 Oreo |
| Battery | 3,800 mAh, fast wired charging | 3,500 mAh, fast wired charging |
| Connectivity | LTE, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, NFC, USB Type-C | Dual-SIM, LTE, FM Radio, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, NFC, USB Type-C |
| Security | Rear fingerprint sensor, facial recognition | Rear fingerprint sensor, facial recognition |
| Other features | Samsung Pay (NFC), Dolby Atmos (wired audio), Always On Display, Bixby Voice, AR Emoji | Samsung Pay (NFC+MST), IP68 dust and water resistance, Always On Display, Gear VR support, Dolby Audio (wired, requires Oreo) |
| Dimensions | 162.5 x 77 x 7.8 mm, 183g | 159.9 x 75.7 x 8.3 mm, 191g |
