Samsung has once more gone big with its latest smartphone announcement. Introducing several improvements over its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 comes with the elegance of the Note 3 phablet in a less expensive package.
Whereas the original Galaxy Grand bore resemblance with last year’s Samsung flagship, the Galaxy S3, this second-gen smartphone seems like a hybrid between the Galaxy S4 and Note 3. The display now comes with 720p resolution, up from the lowly 800×480 WVGA. Sadly, only TFT-LCD is employed here, instead of the enhanced Super AMOLED. Among the innards is a quad-core mobile CPU clocked at 1.2GHz, the exact model/brand of which has not been specified.
As for the design, the Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 uses the same faux leather back with false stitching a la the Note 3. Its bulky size weighs 163 grams, while its profile measures 8.9mm. Android 4.3 Jelly Bean comes preinstalled, so maybe the device may have future compatibility/support for the Galaxy Gear smartwatch. Onboard storage is just 8GB, though a generous 64GB expansion is available via the microSD slot.
Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 Specs
- Android 4.3 Jelly Bean
- 5.25-inch LCD display (720×1280), ~280ppi
- 1.2GHz quad-core processor
- 1.5GB RAM
- 8GB internal storage
- microSD support up to 64GB
- 8-megapixel main camera, with autofocus and LED flash
- 1.9-megapixel front camera
- Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n
- EDGE, UMTS, 3G, HSPA+
- Bluetooth 4.0
- GPS, A-GPS, Glonass
- Dimensions: 146.8 x 75.3 x 8.9mm
- Weight: 163g
- 2600mAh battery
Unlike Samsung’s high-end devices, the Galaxy Grand 2 touts a model with dual-SIM capability, giving users two choices of cellular carriers. Those wanting to enjoy LTE speeds offered by Smart or Globe Telecom will be saddened by the fact that the handset only supports up to HSPA+. Other connectivity features include Wi-Fi, GPS and Glonass combo for navigation, and Bluetooth.
Taking advantage of the 8MP rear camera of the Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 are features like Best Face, Best Photo, and Continuous Shot. Several apps first made by the Korean smartphone giant for the Galaxy S4 are also included: S Translator, S Travel, Hub, Link, and more.
Despite the announcement, Samsung has remained mum about the exacting pricing and availability. What we do know is that the Galaxy Grand 2 will come in white, black, and pink varieties in select markets. With a more basic set of hardware spec, we can also safely assume that this is a low to mid-end device.
Please be an Exynos chip :3 Qualcomm chips suck, except S600 and S800 -.-