Samsung hopes these cameras will save its mid-range phone lineup

Samsung has just announced the Galaxy A9, a mid-range smartphone notable for featuring a large total of four cameras on its back. The handset is part of a new strategy in the field of business and marketing.

Each of the four cameras has a different purpose. The first is the camera's hand 24MP f / 1.7 camera, the second is an 8MP f / 2.4 camera with an ultra-wide 120-degree lens, the third is a telephoto f / 2.4 lens with 2x optical zoom backed by a 10 megapixel sensor , and the fourth is a 5 megapixel f / 2.2 camera that allows depth-of-field effects.

Image: Samsung

Aside from this four-camera array, the phone is equipped with a fairly typical set of mid-range internals, namely a Snapdragon 660 processor powered by 6GB of RAM and powered by a 3,800mAh battery. There's 128GB of internal memory, a microSD card slot that supports up to 512GB of external memory, and it also has a 3.5mm headphone jack and side-mounted fingerprint scanner. The screen is a 6.3-inch Full HD + panel, with a resolution of 2220 x 1080. The noteworthy aspect of this device is its camera array, and Samsung's presentation is reflected this.

The Galaxy A9 is the first visible evidence of Samsung's new mid-range mobile strategy. Speaking recently to CNBCSamsung Mobile CEO DJ Koh said, "In the past, I brought the new technology and differentiation to the flagship model and moved to the mid-end. But I have changed my strategy this year to bring technology and differentiation points starting from the mid-end. "

There's a reason why new features have historically been put on top of the flagship devices which, with their high profit margins, are able to support the kinds of R & D costs that these new technologies take to develop. However, in recent years this area of ​​the market has become more and more important.

The rise of aggressively-priced handsets from Chinese competitors has provided a catalyst for Samsung's rethink. Eye-catching features and new technologies (like in-display fingerprint sensors) from these topics are appearing on their mid-range handsets, making them attractive to the kind of segments Samsung wants to focus on. The Galaxy A9's launch event is in Malaysia, further differentiating it from the high-profile Western launches of flagship devices like the Galaxy Note 9.

The Galaxy A9, with its eye-catching array of cameras, is an interesting sign of the company's direction. It's unclear whether or not it's going to be a flagship phone, but it's going to be more expensive.

The A9 joins the cheaper Galaxy A7, which launched a couple of weeks ago with less powerful hardware, has a slightly smaller screen, and 'only' three cameras on its back.

The Samsung Galaxy A9 will retail for € 599 in mainland Europe and £ 549 in the UK (roughly $ 724) and will be releasing in November.