Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

Is the Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 worth buying?

February 03, 2014 12:30 IST
Galaxy Grand 2.

The company hopes to make a splash in the mid-range smartphone market with its Galaxy Grand 2 model.

Samsung has introduced its second large-screen smartphone in the Galaxy Grand series, aimed at the mid-range smartphone market.

Here’s a look at the Galaxy Grand 2.

Click NEXT to read more…

Is the Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 worth buying?

February 03, 2014 12:30 IST

Design and display

Grand 2 has made advances in terms of size, design and appearance. With a much bigger display than its predecessor, Galaxy Grand, it has a near-perfect finish in build.

The rear side has glossy faux leather with an artificial threading look, similar to Galaxy Note 3’s.

Click NEXT to read more...

Is the Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 worth buying?

February 03, 2014 12:30 IST

This does not get scratched easily and provides a good grip. The dual-SIM device is slimmer and lighter. The home and power-lock buttons, micro-USB port, volume boosters, 3.5-mm audio jack and camera with LED flash are positioned like in any Samsung model.

The 720-pixel high-definition (HD) 5.25-inch TFT display is a notch higher than the Galaxy Grand’s. However, the viewing angles aren’t great and the screen doesn’t make it any easier to view in sunlight. 

Click NEXT to read more...

Is the Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 worth buying?

February 03, 2014 12:30 IST

Performance

Grand 2 is powered by a quad-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 SoC, with Adreno 305. The 1.5GB RAM makes multitasking easy. The handset has 8GB storage and up to 64GB with a microSD card.

The smartphone delivers well for regular use. The user interface enables multiple windows and a pop-up video player. Both run smoothly. One can run two apps side by side and also save these as a single icon. One can also browse two sites at the same time, unique to this device. 

Click NEXT to read more...

Is the Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 worth buying?

February 03, 2014 12:30 IST

Connectivity

It has adequate options, including Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n), Bluetooth and GPS. 

Click NEXT to read more...

Is the Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 worth buying?

February 03, 2014 12:30 IST

Battery

The battery is powerful and delivers even while working on both the SIMs and multiple applications. 

Click NEXT to read more...

Is the Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 worth buying?

February 03, 2014 12:30 IST

Gaming

It’s good enough for gaming and the graphics can be stunning. However, it lags slightly in HD games such as Asphalt 8: Airborne or Fifa14. 

Click NEXT to read more...

Is the Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 worth buying?

February 03, 2014 12:30 IST

Camera

The 8MP rear camera and the 1.9MP front one of the Grand 2 are not much different from its predecessor. But the user interface is the latest, similar to Galaxy S4’s and Galaxy

Note 3’s. It has various shooting modes - auto, beauty face, best photo, continuous shot, best face, sound and shot, HDR, panorama, sports and night. For an 8MP camera, the images are sharp. 

Click NEXT to read more...

Is the Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 worth buying?

February 03, 2014 12:30 IST

Verdict

Overall, the Grand 2 is quite an improvement over its previous avatar. There are interesting features in appearance and software.

These may give it an edge over others in the mid-range smartphone market. For those who need an alternative to the Note or the S4, this could be a good pick at Rs 24,890.

SPECIFICATIONS

Display: 5.2 inches

Processor: 1.2GHz

Front camera: 1.9 megapixels

Rear camera: 8 megapixels

Resolution: 720x1,280 pixels

RAM: 1.5GB

OS: Android 4.3

Storage: 8GB

Battery: 2,600mAh

Source: source image