The Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro has launched with a few improvements over it predecessor.
Samsung has released an improved version of the Galaxy A9 (2016) called the Galaxy A9 Pro. The smartphone comes with a few enhanced features which include a 5000mAh battery, 4GB RAM, up to 256GB expandable memory, a 16-megapixel primary camera, and a Compass/ Magnetometer sensor. If you already own a Galaxy A9, the add-ons don’t warrant an upgrade. However, if you're looking to buy a premium smartphone you may want to take a closer look at this smartphone.
Unboxing
Following suit to most Samsung smartphones, the packaging seems to be made of low-cost material. On the bright side, the contents of the box look and feel like it's made from high-caliber components. In the box, you’ll find the Galaxy A9 Pro, ejector pin for the SIM tray, quick start guide, warranty card, a blue-chip pair of in-earphone, data cable and a travel charger.
Design
The gadget comes in a glossy metal/glass finish that has a perk and a few disadvantages. The perk is that it looks pretty incredible and gives the smartphone premium quality aesthetics. On the other hand, the finish makes the smartphone hard to hold and it shows smudges. The device also felt quite wide in my hand. Needless to say, I dropped it down a few times while using the device with one hand.
The power button and SIM tray are located on the right edge while the volume control buttons are located on the left edge. On the top is where you’ll find the dedicated memory card slot while the bottom is reserved for the 3.5mm audio jack, USB charging port, and the built-in speaker.
Performance
If you're a fan of Samsung smartphones, you will be familiar with the layout and user interface. For those of you who don’t know, Samsung includes a few options on its devices to make it user-friendly. From navigation tools on the default web browser to addition options while making phone calls like Extra Volume and the ability to save unknown number after you're done with the call.
Antutu Benchmarks claim that the Samsung Galaxy A9 pro lasts for 45 hours. After I used the device for that amount of time, it still had about 30 percent power in it--the battery lasted for about three days when I used it. Besides using the regular phone functions, over that time I listen to plenty of music and watched several videos on YouTube but kept the hardcore gaming to a minimum. It's impressive to say the least.
For all you biker fans, Samsung’s signature S Bike Mode returns on the the Galaxy A9 Pro and it's packed with same features yet it seems better than ever. You can access it quickly by either holding down the power button and tapping the S Bike Mode option or it can be found in the quick options menu by swiping down the screen with your finger. It comes with the same feature like 'Smart Reply' which automatically sends a pre-written message to anyone trying to call you; shows urgent notifications; and tracks your rides in kilometres.
Another feature I found useful is ‘Ultra Data Saving Mode’. While this mode is active, background data from all apps will automatically be blocked. This, in turn, made my data plan last much longer than expected.
There is also an 'Ultra Power Saving Saving' mode, which comes in handy if you're days away from a charging port. It basically changes the colour of the Galaxy A9 Pro to grayscale while giving you access to basic features and a few selective apps. What makes this feature useful is that it will give you days of extra usage.
The device does come with a few drawbacks. There is no LED indicator while the device is charging, making it near impossible to know if the smartphone is sucking up juice just by looking at it from afar. There were also inexplicable discrepancies in performance--at times the device worked incredibly efficiently but there were moments of stutter lag which occurs too often for my liking.
Another major issue I had while using the phone was that it is too wide and gave me a tablet-like feeling. I often touched random areas of the screen with the base of my thumb while holding the device with one hand.
It also doesn't come with virtual reality compatibility for the Samsung Gear VR. Considering that it is a premium smartphone priced at Rs.32,490, I think this should have been an included capability.
Camera
The 16-megapixel front camera comes with an f/1.9 aperture , autofocus, Optical image stabilisation (OIS) and LED flash. The camera takes clear still shots but tends to struggle with focus if the object within the frame is moving. It features six different camera mode -- Auto, Pro, Panorama, Continuous Shot, HDR (Rich tone), Night -- while also giving users the option to download additional modes directly from the camera app.
It also comes with an 8-megapixel front which performs much like the primary camera with stills and moving objects. One feature that I used a lot was 'Wide selfie'--it basically shoots a panoramic selfie, which is really useful if you have a big group of friends standing in front of it.
Video and Gaming
Like I mentioned earlier, the video quality is incredible. One benefit of the widescreen is that the device is great for watching videos--especially great if you want to Netflix and chill. The Super AMOLED 6-inch display with an FHD (1080x1920) resolution is also great for gaming--I fired up apps like Survive, Brain it On!, Spotlight: Room Escape and more, with no issues at all.
Audio
Audio is excellent on the pair of in-ear headphones that come with the device. It drowns out ambient sound and gave me an immersive effect while listening to music. The earphones aren't bass heavy which in my opinion is a good thing as prolonged use did not make my ears and head hurt like most standard in-ear headphone.
For the most part, I felt the in-built speaker was loud and clear though I did notice some differences in clarity when playing different genres. The treble needs some adjustment in Hip-Hop and Rap music while Rock sounded a little flat.
Conclusion
The smartphones--Galaxy A9 and Galaxy A9 Pro--were launched within a year from each other so there’s no telling whether there will be a new device coming out in a couple of months. Samsung also has not included Samsung VR compatibility like other premium Samsung smartphones. However, if you choose to purchase the device you will get a premium device with great Audio/Video quality and unique features like S Bike Mode, Ultra Data Saving Mode and Ultra Power Saving Saving mode. All in all, at Rs.32,490, the device is a good buy.
What we liked: Excellent audio and video quality, massive 5,000mAh battery, snappy performance
What we didn’t like: No LED charging indicator, no Samsung Gear VR compatibility, inconsistent performance
Quick specs
Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro
- Screen: 6.0-inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen,
FHD resolution (1080x1920pixels), 367 ppi, Corning Gorilla Glass 4 protection
- Key hardware: Qualcomm MSM8976 Snapdragon 652 chipset,
Adreno 510 GPU, 4GB RAM, 32GB storage (expandable up to 256 GB via microSD slot), Fingerprint scanner, Fast battery charging, NFC
- SIM: Dual nano-SIM
- OS: Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
- Rear Camera: 16-megapixel, f/1.9, autofocus, OIS, LED flash, captures video at 1080p@30fps
- Front Camera: 8-megapixel, f/1.9, 1080p
- Weight: 210 gms
- Battery: 5000mAh Li-Ion
Price: Rs 32,490
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