Rumored Samsung A90 phone may make 5G more affordable for everyone

Samsung already has a 5G smartphone in its lineup, ready to tempt you into adopting the latest network technology; but the price is a little on the high side to be considered an impulse upgrade. The solution is in a cheaper 5G phone, which may arrive in the shape of the Galaxy A90 — a rumored new Samsung phone that could bring 5G to the midrange.

If you’re expecting this to mean under $400, then you’re almost certainly going to be disappointed. Samsung’s Galaxy A series covers midrange and upper midrange phones. The Galaxy A9, which was released in October 2018, cost 550 British pounds or approximately $725. If the A90 is a sequel to the A9, and is priced similarly it will be cheaper than a Galaxy S10 5G, but still not what you’d call affordable. There are some good reasons for this though.

The Galaxy A90’s existence has been rumored for a while. The latest talk tells us the A90 will have a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor and come only has a 5G device, meaning it contains the absolute latest mobile chip and associated 5G modem. None of this comes cheap, and adding 5G to any device at the moment will quickly bump up the price.

The indication that the A90 will be a 5G-only phone came from Twitter phone leaker Ice Universe, who also adds the phone will launch around September or October. This fits in with it being a replacement to the excellent Samsung A9 2018. When Digital Trends saw the Galaxy A9 in London, we spoke to Samsung about its plans for the A series to become a “lite” flagship, and a range where the company can innovate. We’ve seen this in the recent Galaxy A80, and it seems like the A90 will continue the strategy too.

What else do we know about the Galaxy A90? It’s possible the phone will have a triple-lens rear camera — equipped with 40-megapixel, 8-megapixel, and 5-megapixel sensors — centrally mounted on the back of the phone. The screen could be big at 6.7-inches and contain an in-display fingerprint sensor too. The battery, as expected for a 5G phone, will also be sizable with a 4,500mAh capacity rumored. Additionally, an older rumor mentions a second version of the A90 which may not come with 5G, but instead have a higher specification camera and new optical image stabilization technology. This goes against the rumor the A90 will be a 5G-only phone.

Samsung may decide to launch the Galaxy A90 during the IFA technology show that takes place in Berlin during September, or as it did with the A9, hold a smaller launch afterward. We’ll keep you updated here.