After several weeks of speculation, Samsung has officially announced its latest lineup of mid-range Galaxy smartphones for next year. The South Korean tech firm has revealed a few tidbits about the 2018 version of Samsung Galaxy A8 and A8+ handsets. Specifically, it was confirmed that the mid-tier phones will sport a front-facing dual-lens camera setup, consistent with the previous rumors.

As reported by The Verge, the Samsung Galaxy A8 and A8+ 2018 were formally introduced to the public, prior to their anticipated launch this January. For starters, the Galaxy A8 smartphone is expected to sport a 5.6-inch AMOLED display, while the larger A8+ variant has six inches. Just like what the tech enthusiasts are expecting, the Galaxy A8 and A8+ will feature the same Infinity display of the high-end Galaxy S8 and Note 8 handsets this year, amounting to 18:5:9 aspect ratio.

Regarding the core specs of the Samsung Galaxy A8 and A8+, the mid-range devices will include 32GB and 64GB internal storage options, although the capacity can be further expanded up to 256GB using a microSD card. Meanwhile, the RAM options are different for each A8 variant, with the regular A8 having 4GB RAM and A8+ with 6GB RAM. Both devices are guaranteed to have dust and water resistance feature.

The Samsung Galaxy A8 and A8+ 2018 are the first in the mid-range Galaxy A series to include the Samsung Pay support, not to mention the compatibility with Gear VR accessory.

Perhaps the headline of the 2018 Samsung Galaxy A8 and A8+ is the front-facing dual-lens camera setup, composed of a 16MP lens and 8MP lens with f/1.9 aperture. Interestingly, the rear-positioned camera has a 16MP lens with f/1.7 aperture, similar to the Galaxy Note 8. The camera also has the Live Focus feature that allows users to configure the snapper's bokeh effect before or after capturing an image. 

According to Business Insider, Samsung will use the upcoming 2018 Galaxy A8 and A8+ smartphones to test a similar dual selfie camera for the next flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S9. It is not known how much improvement will the S9 camera boast over the mid-range Galaxy A handsets.