New Samsung phone boasts world's first four-lens camera
66 views · Published 16 October 2018 · 4:44 · Indexed 7 October 2026
Channel: AP Archive · 2018 · News & Politics
(11 Oct 2018) LEADIN: Samsung's new device has what's claimed to be the world's first four-lens camera in a smartphone. The South Korean tech giant, the world's no.1 smartphone maker, is battling new camera-focused devices from the likes of Google, Apple and Huawei. STORYLINE: At first glance, there's nothing out of the ordinary with Samsung's new Galaxy A9 smartphone. But look on the rear, and you'll see what's claimed to be a world first - a four-lens "Quad Camera." The tech giant says its new 6.3-inch device is targeted at snap-happy Instagrammers with a 24 mega-pixel "selfie" camera and 128 giga bytes of memory. "We know that there's a group of consumers out there who are real experience-orientated," says Kate Beaumont, director of commercial strategy, product and planning at Samsung. "You know, they want to create, share, consume, and we wanted to bring them the best possible camera experience. "So, we recently launched the A7 that had triple cameras on it, so we introduced the ultra-wide-angle lens. So, to take the tech speak out of it, that basically means that what you see with a human eye is what you're going to get in your photo, so it's a much wider lens. "And with the A9, we're introducing the optical zoom, so it's a two times optical zoom in it." The A9 has a 24 mega-pixel main lens, a depth lens, an ultra-wide-angle lens, plus a new, two-times optical zoom lens that lets users get detailed, close-up shots. A feature called "AI Scene Recognition" automatically identifies the subject and adjusts settings accordingly. "Well, if you look at how people communicate now, it's actually become quite photo centric," says Beaumont. "So, you know, the phone originally started obviously as a voice communication tool. We're all now heavily messaging through various apps to everybody. "And I think especially in the Instagram era, photos are the new way to communicate, to share your experiences. "And we really wanted to capture that and make sure that the consumers that are completely focused on that have the best possible experience." Samsung's new A9 is claimed to be the first-ever smartphone to have a four-lens camera on its rear. The company's flagship Galaxy S9 device - launched in February - and Apple's iPhone XS both have two, Huawei's P20 Pro has three. The recently-launched Pixel 3 by Google has one. Samsung's Galaxy A range is typically a set of mid-range, affordable devices rather than those boasting world-first additions. The Galaxy A6 device, debuted in May, is priced at $359 - much cheaper than the $1,000 Note 9. The company is yet to reveal pricing for the new A9, but it's unlikely to come close to the Note 9's price tag. "The recent push towards flagships, more recently the Note 9, it's interesting to see Samsung doing something truly different and interesting with its mid-range devices," says Jamie Rigg, reviews editor at tech website 'Engadget.' "Whether the four lenses are more marketing than anything or whether it will truly enhance the user experience is yet to be seen, I guess." Beaumont says it's about showing consumers what Samsung devices have to offer. "The flagships obviously important because that's where we can showcase innovation and technology, but we're all about range," she says. "So, it's important that because there's a lot of customers out there, we know that customers who are buying mid-segment devices are also about 40 percent of them are likely to upgrade to a to a premium device if they've had a good experience. The new Galaxy A9 will be available in selected markets from November. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/9dcbeaeb155a21e5f1c32eaef19dd361
