Samsung Galaxy A9 (2017) Release Date, Specs and Rumors: 6-inch Full HD Display, 4GB RAM

Sep 28, 2016 10:47 AM EDT

The Samsung Galaxy A9 (2017) continues in Samsung’s rich tradition of rolling out a new generation of smartphones each year. With the Samsung Galaxy A9 (2017), it will continue from where the Samsung Galaxy A9 (2016) left off, with the only noticeable change in the name being the model year -- although the SM-A9200 code name that was leaked in a Weibo post also does show a slight difference.

Will everything be different under the hood compared to its predecessor, or will the Samsung Galaxy A9 (2017) be more of a slight incremental move forward? It would seem that the next iteration of the Samsung Galaxy A9 will come with rumored hardware specifications of 4GB of RAM and a 6-inch Full HD AMOLED display, among others.

We are already nearing the last quarter of 2016, and just like vehicle manufacturers who are starting to make available models from 2017 this year, so too, it seems that the South Korean conglomerate Samsung is working on ensuring the Galaxy A9 (2017) will arrive soon. It remains to be seen whether there will be a successor to the A9 Pro (2016) however, with an equivalent in the form of the Galaxy A9 Pro (2017) -- only time will tell.

Unfortunately, nothing else about the device has been revealed apart from its code name SM-A9200. Do expect more news and leaks on the hardware specifications and perhaps even an AnTuTu benchmark result will be revealed as we draw nearer to the release date.

Rumors point that the Samsung Galaxy A9 (2017) is set to arrive with either 3GB or 4GB of RAM. This should be the bare minimum these days if you are going to be productive while you’re on the move. Of course, it makes perfect sense for a Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 processor to be underneath the hood, and since this is not a flagship device, there will be no performance champions like the Snapdragon 820 chipset. The Galaxy A9 (2016) also comes with a similar chipset, so the processing front might not see any changes at all.

It would also not be surprising if there will be variants of the Samsung Galaxy A9 (2017) released which come with different processor types for different regions as it has done with its Galaxy S6, where some ride on the Exynos chipset while other markets rock to the Snapdragon chipset.

The rumored 32GB of internal memory can be further expanded upon with the inclusion of a microSD memory card slot. Similar to the Galaxy A9 (2016), the Galaxy A9 (2017) is set to be accompanied by a 13-megapixel camera at the back with an 8-megapixel camera in front for decent selfies. There might be other features such as a LED flash and autofocus thrown into the mix.

Apart from that, it will most probably be LTE-ready in order to keep up with the times, alongside HSPA, Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi and USB Type-C connectivity. There might be a 4,000mAh battery alongside Qualcomm Quick Charging capabilities, and to make sure the Galaxy A9 (2017) has a certain degree of security measures thrown into the mix, there could also a fingerprint scanner. Pricing should remain the same though when it arrives.