Samsung's (and the world's) first smartphone with four rear cameras looks set to hit retail stores soon, as official firmware for the device are now available online in our firmware database. Some of the launch markets for this device include Taiwan, Singapore, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Israel.
Like the Galaxy A7, Samsung's first phone with three rear cameras, the Galaxy A9 (2018) is likely to hit Asian markets first, at least if we go by the countries for which the device's firmware have been released. Samsung said at the launch event in Kuala Lumpur last month that the Galaxy A9 will be available for purchase in November.
Galaxy A9 (2018) inches closer to retail release
There is still no word on a proper release date for the Galaxy A9 (2018), but it could go on sale in some European markets by mid-November. Samsung Germany currently lists a November 15th shipping date for all orders, and we can expect a similar time frame for other regions.
Sadly, like the Galaxy A7 (2018), the new Galaxy A9 runs Android 8.0 instead of Android 8.1. It should get the newer camera UI and features from the Galaxy Note 9 (like the A7 does), but it's still disappointing to see Samsung being inconsistent with the software on its new devices. The device will obviously get Android 9 Pie but it's going to be a long wait.
Read about our early impressions of the Galaxy A9 (2018) to see what you can expect from the device. For information on the phone's specs, visit our devices section.
