ABOUT:
Samsung pioneered the trend of a new breed of devices, now more commonly known as 'phablets', smartphones that are (almost) nearing tablets in size. After the company's successful Galaxy Note device, many followed suit including homegrown manufacturers like Micromax andKarbonn who are offering devices in the under-15k, and even under 10K price point.
To compete with these, Samsung has launched the Galaxy Grand Duos, though it has been priced at Rs. 21,500. Is it the 'Samsung' brand value or does the device really live up to user expectations? We take a look.
Design:
On first impressions, the Galaxy Grand Duos bears striking resemblance to the Note II mainly due to its huge display. But Samsung has managed to keep the Galaxy S III essence alive in the device. We reviewed the Elegant White unit, and the device is also available in Metallic Blue
At 9.6mm, the Galaxy Grand Duos is pretty thick and feels quite bulky as well weighing 162 grams. Those blessed with little hands will find it tiring to carry the device around. But the overall build quality of the device is quite sturdy, though the back does feel cheap, just like the Galaxy S III. The back has a miniscule-chequered pattern that manages to cover your fingerprints very well. It is prone to attract scratches very fast and we'd suggest you to be careful while using it. A chromium strip runs along the device's perimeter that is sure to wear off overtime.
The 5-inch display takes up most of the space in the front with a thin bezel on either side and like the other Galaxy handsets, we have the sensors lined up on top alongside the earpiece and the front-facing 2-megapixel camera. The bottom has the physical home button in the centre with the capacitive menu and back buttons on either side. The rear of the device features an 8-megapixel camera with LED flash and the loudspeaker sitting adjacent to it.
Samsung has allocated a port/button on each side of the device. The right side houses the power/wake button, the left has the volume rocker, the bottom has the Micro-USB/charging port and the headphone jack is situated at the top.
Some users may find it difficult to open the rear cover at first, since the trick is to open from the top left side, as opposed to most devices that need to be opened either from the top or the bottom, including the Galaxy S III.
Once you're through, you'll find the 2,100mAh battery, two GSM SIM card slots (one on the top left and other on the bottom right) and a microSD card slot adjacent to the bottom SIM slot.
A scratch guard for the Galaxy Grand Duos isn't available in the market yet, but our retail box came with a white navigator flip cover. Not just that, the company has also thrown in a spare rear cover for the device.
Display:
The display of a smartphone is one of the key elements that users consider when making a purchase decision, and companies are setting higher benchmarks each year based on new innovations.
The Galaxy Grand Duos has been criticised quite a bit for its poor resolution and we thought that this would be the biggest disadvantage for the device. We weren't wrong. The 480 x 800 pixel resolution translating into 187 ppi, is way lower than the company's Note devices and it is quite poor.
The Galaxy Grand Duos has a 5-inch TFT LCD display with decent viewing angles and colour reproduction, that isn't the best in the industry, but gets the job done. Reading text, playing games or watching videos offer a pleasant experience. The icons do appear slightly larger than normal, but we aren't complaining.
However, it is difficult to view content on the screen under bright outdoor conditions even at full brightness levels. You'll find yourself constantly using your palms to cover the screen and attempt to see what's on it.
Video Review:
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