MANILA - Samsung branded the flat panels on its A6 and A6+ as "infinity displays," in an apparent attempt to imbue the midrange duo with some of the prestige of the S9 and S9+, which cost more than twice as much.

While the AMOLED screens on the 2018 A series don't have the signature curved sides of the S and Note lines, they are bright and crisp. They can also stand side-by-side with much pricier models from Samsung's rivals.

The A6+, in particular, seems like an S series phone with the resolution dialed down to full HD instead of 2K, except for the slightly more warmer tone out of the box.

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Both phones are also slim, making one-handed use easier. The smaller A6 can be gripped with one hand, a rarity in big screen phones. The metal bodies, however, are very slippery and the handsets will need a case.

The camera produced clear shots with vivid colors, though focus was not as fast on the S series.

The A6+ has a dual camera set-up at the back, allowing users to blur the background of subjects even after the shot is taken. This "live focus" feature was first introduced on the Note 8 from late 2017.

Like the S9 and S9 plus (even Huawei's P20 and P20 Pro), the A6 and A6+ are Dolby Atmos-equipped, but users will need to plug in earphones to use this.

The speaker, no bigger than the power and volume keys, is located on the top right side. The bottom houses the headphone jack and micro USB charing port.

Both the A6 and A6+ have Samsung's Bixby digital assistant.

The Galaxy A6 and A6+ will be available from Saturday and will retail for P16,490 and P22,990, respectively.