The recent launch of the Samsung Galaxy A9 in India has spurred a lot of interest amongst techies, not only because it is the world’s first four-rear-camera setup, but also carries a price tag dangerously close to one of the top-selling phones in the market — the OnePlus 6T.
It’s fair that a top company like Samsung isn’t perturbed by the presence of the Chinese player in that segment, but definitely needs to be on the lookout as OnePlus has a knack of killing giants as it has done in the past. Brands like HTC and Sony can testify.
So, can the Galaxy A9 stand up to what many are calling the “best OnePlus phone till now”? Let’s find out.
Display & Design
Samsung phones are touted to sport some of the best displays out there and the A9 isn’t devoid of the same. A super AMOLED panel sits atop a 6.3-inch full HD+ screen on the Galaxy A9 that pushes out colours at 392 ppi.
The OnePlus 6T display too comes with an AMOLED panel and a slightly bigger 6.4-inch full HD+ display. Because of the smaller notch the 6T pushes more pixels per inch.
Both displays are good, except you get more viewing area on the 6T.
In terms of the design, the A9 and the OnePlus 6T are fairly large, so both aren’t ergonomically ‘one-hand use’ friendly.
Performance & Hardware
The OnePlus 6T is a stellar performer and capable of beating the pants off the Galaxy A9. Packing a Snapdragon 845 processor with 6GB and 8GB options, the 6T is capable of handling any form of multi-tasking and a long arduous gaming sessions as well.
The Galaxy A9 comes with a Snapdragon 660. That’s it, I don’t have anything more to say. Yes, it does come with 6GB and 8GB RAM, but what good is more RAM when you’re running a mid-tier processor. However, an added advantage the A9 has is expandable memory, which the 6T doesn’t offer.
One of the disadvantages with the A9 is the OS. It’s still running Android Oreo 8.0! That’s ancient! OnePlus on the other hand is playing it smart offering the latest Android 9.0 Pie with its phone. I mean, who doesn’t like having the latest OS on their devices. Samsung has said the update will be rolled out “soon”.
Camera & Battery
The camera department is a game changer for the Galaxy A9 much thanks to the four rear cameras at the back of the phone. Many have argued about the logic of a multi-camera setup, but Samsung seems to know something about this technology that others have not grasped. Why else would it put FOUR cameras on the back?
It packs a lot of AI features that help with photography something that the OnePlus 6T doesn’t support. I am not saying that the 6T camera is not good. It’s just that there is no oomph factor attached to it. But I’ll reserve my judgement for a full-fledged test first.
The A9 comes with a 3,800mAh battery which is slightly bigger than the OnePlus 6T’s 3,750mAh power pack. The 6T offers the Dash Charger which is super fast when it comes to charging the phone. No such addition with the A9 barring the fast charging tech it comes bundled with.
Which One to Buy?
With the A9 you are getting a lot what you don’t usually get in the sub-Rs 40,000 category. The promise of a premium quality phone bundled with a camera system many might perceive as outlandish.
The fact that the A9 is still running a Snapdragon 660 could be deal breaker for many considering you’re paying Rs 36,990 for it. If you are willing to walk past that little blemish, the A9 is a good phone to buy.
I don’t think I need to tell you how good the OnePlus 6T is. It’s a flagship smartphone at Rs 37,999. It packs all that you’d want in a smartphone and is a good value-for-money product.
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