The smartphone market offers a vast range of options, from ultra-budget devices to premium flagships. Today, we're pitting the Blackview A80s, a contender in the affordable segment, against the Samsung Galaxy S9, a once-flagship powerhouse. Let's see how these phones stack up against each other.
🏆 Quick Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy S9 unequivocally wins this comparison. While the Blackview A80s offers a budget-friendly price, the S9's superior chipset, display, camera, and overall build quality make it the clear victor for users prioritizing performance and features.
| Network |
|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2 (dual-SIM model only) |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 - Global, USA |
| 4G bands | 1, 3, 7, 8, 20, 40 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - Global |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (6CA) Cat18 1200/200 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE |
| | - | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 66, 71 - USA |
| Launch |
|---|
| Announced | 2021, January 12 | 2018, February 25. Released 2018, March 09 |
| Status | Available. Released 2021, January | Discontinued |
| Body |
|---|
| Build | - | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 157.6 x 76.3 x 8.8 mm (6.20 x 3.00 x 0.35 in) | 147.7 x 68.7 x 8.5 mm (5.81 x 2.70 x 0.33 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 180 g (6.35 oz) | 163 g (5.75 oz) |
| | - | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min)
|
| Display |
|---|
| Protection | - | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Resolution | 720 x 1520 pixels, 19:9 ratio (~270 ppi density) | 1440 x 2960 pixels, 18.5:9 ratio (~570 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.22 inches, 96.6 cm2 (~80.3% screen-to-body ratio) | 5.8 inches, 84.8 cm2 (~83.6% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | IPS LCD | Super AMOLED, HDR10 |
| | - | 3D Touch (home button only)
Always-on display |
| Platform |
|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A53 & 4x1.5 GHz Cortex-A53) | Octa-core (4x2.7 GHz Mongoose M3 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A55) - EMEAOcta-core (4x2.8 GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4x1.7 GHz Kryo 385 Silver) - USA/LATAM, China |
| Chipset | Mediatek MT6762V/WD Helio A25 (12 nm) | Exynos 9810 (10 nm) - EMEAQualcomm SDM845 Snapdragon 845 (10 nm) - USA/LATAM, China |
| GPU | PowerVR GE8320 | Mali-G72 MP18 - EMEAAdreno 630 - USA/LATAM, China |
| OS | Android 10 | Android 8.0 (Oreo), upgradable to Android 10, One UI 2.5 |
| Memory |
|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) - dual SIM model only |
| Internal | 64GB 4GB RAM | 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM, 256GB 4GB RAM |
| | eMMC 5.1 | UFS 2.1 |
| Main Camera |
|---|
| Features | LED flash, HDR | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Quad | 13 MP, f/2.2, (wide), AF
other unspecified cameras | - |
| Single | 5 MP, (wide) | 12 MP, f/1.5-2.4, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS & OIS (30fps) |
| Selfie camera |
|---|
| Dual | - | 8 MP, f/1.7, 25mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.22µm, AF
2 MP (dedicated iris scanner camera) |
| Features | - | HDR |
| Single | 5 MP, (wide) | - |
| Video | Yes | 1440p@30fps |
| Sound |
|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | Yes |
| 35mm jack | Yes | Yes |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| | - | 32-bit/384kHz audio
Tuned by AKG |
| Comms |
|---|
| Bluetooth | 4.2, A2DP, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | FM radio | FM radio (USA & Canada only) |
| USB | microUSB 2.0, OTG | USB Type-C 3.1 |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features |
|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, proximity | Iris scanner, fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, heart rate, SpO2 |
| | - | ANT+
Bixby natural language commands and dictation
Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) |
| Battery |
|---|
| Charging | - | 15W wired, QC2
Wireless (Qi) (market dependent) |
| Type | 4200 mAh | Li-Ion 3000 mAh, non-removable (11.55 Wh) |
| Misc |
|---|
| Colors | Black, Blue, Red | Midnight Black, Coral Blue, Titanium Gray, Lilac Purple, Burgundy Red, Sunrise Gold, Ice Blue |
| Models | - | SM-G960F, SM-G960, SM-G960F, SM-G960U, SM-G960W, SM-G9600, SM-G960U1, SM-G960N, SCV38, SM-G960X, SC-02K |
| Price | About 130 EUR | About 110 EUR |
| SAR | - | 0.63 W/kg (head) 0.96 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.36 W/kg (head) 1.18 W/kg (body) |
| Tests |
|---|
| Audio quality | - |
Noise -93.4dB / Crosstalk -93.9dB |
| Battery life | - |
Endurance rating 78h
|
| Camera | - |
Photo / Video |
| Display | - |
Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal), 4.630 (sunlight) |
| Loudspeaker | - |
Voice 68dB / Noise 74dB / Ring 81dB
|
| Performance | - |
AnTuTu: 250156 (v7)
GeekBench: 8830 (v4.4)
GFXBench: 14fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Blackview A80s
- Affordable price
- Decent battery life
- Large display
- Weak performance
- Mediocre camera
- Plastic build quality
- Outdated software
Samsung Galaxy S9
- Powerful processor
- Excellent camera
- Vibrant display
- Premium build quality
- Wireless charging (market dependent)
- Older model
- Battery life may degrade over time
- Potentially higher price (depending on availability)
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S9 boasts a significantly better display. Its Super AMOLED panel offers vibrant colors, deep blacks, and excellent viewing angles. The A80s' display is adequate but lacks the same level of quality and brightness. The S9's contrast ratio is notably superior.
Camera Comparison
The S9's camera system is a major advantage. It captures detailed photos with accurate colors and offers excellent low-light performance. The A80s' camera is decent for its price range but falls short in image quality and features.
Performance
The Galaxy S9's Exynos 9810 or Snapdragon 845 chipset (depending on region) is vastly more powerful than the A80s' Helio A25. Expect smoother multitasking, faster app loading times, and better gaming performance on the S9. The A80s will struggle with demanding tasks.
Battery Life
Both phones are reported to have endurance ratings of 78h, however, the S9's more efficient chipset and optimized software likely contribute to better real-world battery life despite potentially having a slightly smaller battery capacity.
Buying Guide
Who should buy the Blackview A80s? Users on a very tight budget who need basic smartphone functionality like calling, texting, and light social media use. Who should buy the Samsung Galaxy S9? Anyone seeking a reliable, powerful phone with a great camera and display, especially if they can find it at a discounted price now that it's an older model.
Frequently Asked Questions
❓ Is the Blackview A80s a good phone for gaming?
No, the A80s' processor is not powerful enough for demanding games. You'll likely experience lag and low frame rates.
❓ Will the Samsung Galaxy S9 receive software updates?
Samsung has ended official software updates for the Galaxy S9. However, you may find custom ROMs available from the community.
❓ Which phone has better build quality?
The Samsung Galaxy S9 has a premium glass and metal build, while the Blackview A80s uses a plastic construction.
