Samsung has gone a little bit mad. It has announced the Galaxy A80, which has the most over-engineered selfie camera setup we’ve seen yet. It not only has a slider system, like the Honor Magic 2, but the camera array rotates around as it lifts up, meaning the main camera is used for both regular photos and selfies. If the Galaxy S10 felt a restrained and sensible, the Galaxy A80 shows what Samsung can do when it has had a few drinks.
#GalaxyA80 is for Rotating Camera.
Epic on both sides.
Learn more: https://t.co/bbVzsoWlIW pic.twitter.com/faYlI5I6uM— Samsung Mobile (@SamsungMobile) April 10, 2019
Updates
Release date
Samsung has provided more details on the Galaxy A80’s launch. The phone will be available in selected markets from July, both in Samsung stores and online. While the company has not provided many other details, the price is said to be 650 euros by Sammobile.com.
Cameras
There are three cameras on the Galaxy A80 — a 48-megapixel, f/2.0 main sensor, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera lens with a 123-degree field of view, and a 3D depth-sensing camera. The Scene Optimizer artificial intelligence software previously seen on the Galaxy Note 9 and S10 has been included for scene recognition, along with predictive image stabilization for video.
Screen and specs
Why has Samsung gone crazy with the camera? It’s so the Galaxy A80 has a notch-less, hole-less screen. The Super AMOLED panel is big at 6.7 inches and the borders around the edge are thin. The Galaxy A80 is the first Samsung phone to use its Infinity display technology, one of several new screen types it has detailed recently, including the Infinity-O screen featured on the Galaxy S10.
The screen contains the fingerprint sensor inside it, too, rather than it being on the back or side of the phone. Samsung has not named the processor powering the Galaxy A80, but states it’s an octa-core chip, accompanied by 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage space. A 3,700mAh battery supplies the energy, ready to be topped up using a 25w fast charger.
This is a midrange phone from Samsung, despite the innovative camera, yet the body is still made from glass wrapped around a metal frame. It will come in three colors: Black, gold, or white. The white and the gold are gradient-style finishes, showing different colors depending on the light and reflection.
Availability
Samsung originally said it would release the Galaxy A80 at the end of May; but the release date has shifted to July. Exact locations are unknown, but a U.K., European, and international release is expected.
Updated on July 1, 2019: Added in official release news.