Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018) vs Galaxy A7 (2018): Price in India, Specifications Compared

Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018), touted to be the world's first smartphone with a quad-camera setup, was launched in India earlier this week. The mid-range smartphone features competitive specifications and design elements and is looking to take on its rivals in one of its key markets, India. Besides the four cameras at the back, Samsung has also packed an 18.5:9 Infinity Display panel and a 3D Glass curved back in the Galaxy A9 (2018). It is powered by the Snapdragon 660 processor, paired with up to 8GB of RAM. Beside smartphones from rival manufacturers, Samsung's new A-Series handset will also have to compete with its other camera-centric smartphone - Galaxy A7 (2018). While there are several differences between the smartphones in terms of specifications, the camera and design details do not seem too dissimilar. Also, the Galaxy A7 (2018) is priced much lower than the newly-launched Galaxy A9 (2018).

Here we take a look at how the price and specifications of the Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018) compare against the Galaxy A7 (2018), to give you a better idea of how the new handset stacks up against the other mid-ranger.

Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018) vs Galaxy A7 (2018) price in India

The Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018) has bee priced in India starting at Rs. 36,990 for the 6GB RAM model. Meanwhile, the top-end 8GB RAM variant costs Rs. 39,990. The handset will go on sale in India via online and offline channels on November 28, but interested buyers can pre-book it right now. Notably, the smartphone comes with three colour options - Bubblegum Pink, Caviar Black, and Lemonade Blue. It is worth noting that buyers of the Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018) can avail certain launch offers including a cashback worth Rs. 3,000 using an HDFC debit or credit card. Notably, the smartphone will be available for purchase via Airtel Store, Amazon, Flipkart, Paytm Mall, and Samsung Shop.

Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018) First Impressions

The Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018), on the other hand, costs Rs. 23,990 for the 4GB RAM/ 64GB storage variant and Rs. 28,990 for the 6GB RAM/ 128GB storage variant. A Rs. 2,000 cashback is also applicable to purchase of the Galaxy A7 (2018) using HDFC Bank credit and debit cards. In terms of colour variants, the smartphone comes with Gold Millennial, Premium Black and Striking Blue options.

Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) Review

Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018) vs Galaxy A7 (2018) specifications

Both the Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018) and the Galaxy A7 (2018) are dual-SIM (Nano) smartphones that run Android 8.0 Oreo-based Samsung Experience UX. The newly-launched Galaxy A9 (2018) sports a 6.3-inch full-HD+ (1080x2220 pixels) Super AMOLED Infinity Display with an 18.5:9 aspect ratio. The Galaxy A 7 (2018) is slightly smaller as it comes with a 6-inch full-HD+ (1080x2220 pixels) Super AMOLED Infinity Display with the same aspect ratio.

The Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018) is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor, paired with 6GB and 8GB RAM options. Meanwhile, the Galaxy A7 (2018) comes with an octa-core Samsung Exynos 7885 SoC, coupled with 4GB and 6GB RAM options.

In terms of optics, the Galaxy A9 (2018) has four cameras at the back alongside an LED flash. There is a 24-megapixel primary sensor with an f/1.7 aperture, a 10-megapixel telephoto sensor with an f/2.4 aperture and 2x optical zoom, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide sensor with a 120-degree lens supporting an f/2.4 aperture, and finally a 5-megapixel depth sensor with an f/2.2 aperture. Samsung says that the primary sensor uses a pixel binning to combine four pixels into one. The phone's camera is claimed to recognise 19 different scenes and optimise colour settings to produce images matching the content. It can detect and notify image flaws such as closed eyes, facial blur, and more. Coming to the three rear cameras on the Galaxy A7 (2018), there is a 24-megapixel autofocus sensor with f/1.7 aperture, an 8-megapixel ultra wide sensor with f/2.4 aperture, and a 5-megapixel depth sensor with fixed focus and f/2.2 aperture.

As for selfies, the Galaxy A9 (2018) features a 24-megapixel sensor with an f/2.0 aperture at the front. It comes with features such as selfie focus, pro-lighting, and AR Emoji. The Galaxy A7 (2018) also bears a 24-megapixel fixed-focus camera sensor at the front along with an f/2.0 aperture and an LED flash.

The Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018) is equipped with 128GB of inbuilt storage, expandable via microSD card (up to 512GB). The Galaxy A7 (2018), on the other hand, comes with 64GB and 128GB inbuilt storage options, both of which are expandable via microSD card (up to 512GB).

Connectivity options in Galaxy A9 (2018) include 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac (dual-band, 2.4GHz and 5GHz), Bluetooth v5.0, USB Type-C, NFC, and a 3.5mm headphone jack; while in the Galaxy A7 (2018) are 4G VoLTE, dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth v5.0, ANT+, NFC with Samsung Pay support, GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Sensors on the Galaxy A9 (2018) include an accelerometer, ambient light sensor, gyroscope, magnetometer, proximity sensor, and an RGB light sensor. The sensors onboard the Galaxy A7 (2018) are accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, RGB light sensor. While the Galaxy A9 (2018) comes with a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, the Galaxy A7 (2018) comes with a side-mounted fingerprint sensor.

Additionally, the Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018) is fuelled by a 3,800mAh battery that supports fast charging, and the Galaxy A7 (2018) packs a 3,300mAh battery. In terms of dimensions, the Galaxy A9 (2018) measures 162.50x77x7.80mm and weighs 183 grams, while the Galaxy A7 (2018) measures 159.8x76.8x7.5mm and weighs 168 grams.