Samsung Galaxy A90: A 5G handset for the masses?
Samsung's line-up of phones can be a little confusing. There's the Galaxy S flagship phones, but more and more, we're seeing aggressive manoeuvring from the Galaxy A family.
The Galaxy A brought a quad camera in 2018, in 2019 offers a rotating camera in the A80, and in the forthcoming Galaxy A90 a leak more-or-less confirms it'll be a much more affordable 5G handset for the masses.
The rumours for the Galaxy A90 are mixed with those for the A80, reaching back through the year, so we're starting from scratch on what could be an important device for Samsung.
An affordable 5G handset?
Samsung's first 5G device was the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, an enhanced version of the S10 that launched early in 2019.
The A90 could be a step-change for Samsung, as the rumour was it will be a 5G handset only. That suggestion came from regular leaker @UniverseIce on Twitter - but Geekbench reports suggest that there are two versions, the other being 4G. Whether than means some regional launch differences, or that one won't come to market, we just don't know yet.
A second leak from DCInside shows clear photos of the handset's retail box, including specs, and a very prominent '5G' on the front. No hint of 4G model here either. So let's take a deeper dive in what to expect.
Samsung Galaxy A90 design
There's not a lot to go on when it comes to the design of the A90. Many thought that the A80 was going to appear as the A90, but it's now being widely suggested that the A80's pop-up and rotate camera won't be on the newer 5G handset.
One of the key pieces of information we have on design comes from a leak from Samsung itself. That revealed a page showing a notched phone, but saying that there would be a notchless display on the A90. This was before the A80 launched - which does have a notchless display - and we suspect the name on this page was wrong, hence the confusion. We suspect the design will be a lot more like the Galaxy A70.
That the A90 will have an Infinity-U display - i.e. one with a U-shaped notch - is corroborated by both @OnLeaks and @UniverseIce, with the DCInside leak clearly stating the same on the box specification.
The display is said to be 6.7 inches and Full HD+, which is the same as the Galaxy A80 and A70, so we still feel as though these phones are all connected. It'll be a Super AMOLED panel, too.
Samsung Galaxy A90 to get Qualcomm hardware
What's also interesting about the Galaxy A90 is that it could see the launch of a Samsung phone on Qualcomm hardware, rather than Exynos. While that happens in Galaxy S, it's not something that Samsung has done for its mid-range devices.
The DCInside box leak only reveals "octa core processor", which means regional variation is still a possibility. Otherwise it's the Snapdragon 855 that's suggested: the hardware is mentioned by sources of leaks as well as in a Geekbench benchmark for a phone thought to be the Galaxy A90. Putting the Galaxy A90 on Snapdragon 855 means that this isn't really a mid-range phone - and if it is more affordable, that's because of sacrifices elsewhere, like a drop in display resolution.
It's likely to be a move to bolster Samsung's business against companies like Xiaomi, providing better value for money. We suspect Samsung will be using the Qualcomm X50 modem, as an integrated modem solution is not expected until 2020.
The box shot also reveals 6GB RAM and 128GB storage on board, again showing this isn't really a mid-level phone, rather a sub-flagship 5G offering.
It's also reported that there will be a 4500mAh battery, which is pretty capacious, and that it will support 45W charging (the box says Super Fast Charging). Again, this sounds like Samsung moving to head-off rivals who have been more aggressive in offering fast charging on devices. Plus 5G kills battery, so it's a necessary integration.
A90 cameras
There are two sets of specs for the A90 cameras, according to OnLeaks. The 4G version is said to have 48, 12 and 5-megapixel cameras - including something called Tilt OIS - while the 5G version of the phone is confirmed by the box specification leak to have a 48, 8 and 5-megapixel camera trio and 32-megapixel front-facing camera.
That's a slightly confusing arrangement, as it sounds like the non-5G model could be the more progressive. The 48-megapixel main sensor shouldn't come as a surprise: it's in the Galaxy A80, along with an 8-megapixel camera, but the design could be a lot more like the Galaxy A70.
Samsung Galaxy A90 release date
The rumours suggest that the Galaxy A90 will appear in September 2019, sensibly following on from the S10 5G and Note 10 5G launches to show that Samsung means business when it comes to next-gen connectivity.
That could see the Samsung Galaxy A90 announced at IFA 2019 - in early September - which makes sense, as it's also been discovered that there's a European version of the handset, as designated by the product numbering, meaning that it should be available as an alternative to the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G in Europe.
This feature was first published 2 July 2019 and has been updated with additional sources and information
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