A Grand offering from Samsung

The phablet’s superior performance is overshadowed by its low-res display.

KARACHI: Sony rightfully claims that it added the word ‘walkman’ to the English language, and Samsung might just have pulled that feat off with its ‘phablet’. Regardless, the latter can definitely take credit for having created a new breed of devices that are a hybrid between phones and tablets.

With the Galaxy Grand, Samsung is now trying to create another middle ground for people who do not want to have to break the bank for a large screen phone.

Of course, to do that, the Grand has had to cut a few corners, most obviously with its fairly low resolution display. It is also clear that the phone is aimed at emerging markets, given that Samsung has included a dual sim option.

Design and looks

The Galaxy Grand DUOS looks like a larger S III, or a smaller Note II. The unit is fairly comfortable to hold with one hand, considering the screen size, but hard to operate with just your thumb. The phone is somewhat hefty for today’s standards, with a weight of 162 grams; yet, keeping in mind the large screen size, it does not really feel thick and bulky.

The screen is a key factor when considering the phone. At 480x800 and 187ppi pixel density, the Grand’s screen does not really look that good if you are used to the HD and Full HD screens of late. The resolution is not unusable, however: the Grand is a big-screen phone and you tend to hold it further from your eyes than usual, thus diminishing the low resolution effect somewhat.

Interface and functionality

Samsung seems to have cut no corners in this area at least. In terms of software and interface, you will definitely get the most advanced dual SIM device on the market.

The phone also makes great use of the large screen real estate. It lets you run two apps on the screen at any given time, and you can resize the space they occupy at will. Needless to say, the bigger the screen, the more useful this multi-window functionality mode. In that respect, the Galaxy Grand DUOS delivers.

Processor and memory

The phone is powered by a Broadcom processor, not an Exynos chip, and has one gigabyte of RAM. It is a dual-core 1.2 GHz ARM Cortex-A9, with a VideoCore IV GPU. The phone registers some decent benchmark scores.

All in all, as far as hardware specs go, the phone is no slouch.

Internet and connectivity

The phone can keep you connected with two carrier networks at once, and you can use up to 21 Mbps HSPA+ download speeds on one, for instance, while receiving an incoming call from the other SIM card. The phone also houses the usual suite of other wireless connectivity options – Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, A-GPS with Glonass support. About the only thing missing is NFC.

Camera

This is by far the feature that impressed me the most. An 8 megapixel camera unit with LED flash and zero shutter lag. The pictures turned out very good, even in low lighting with great colours and detail.

Videos are recorded in 1080 definition at 30 frames per second, and the camera is fast in both modes.

The Share Shot feature allows you to share photos with other users via Wi-Fi Direct. The Buddy photo share option lets you click and share photos with friends via face detection. However, it would have been easier to click pictures with a dedicated camera key owing to the sheer size of the device. Still, that is not really a deal breaker.

Call quality and battery life

The Grand Duos delivers good voice quality in the earpiece, with enough volume, and without any audible distortions. It doesn’t have a second mic for noise-cancellation, but the one it has worked well enough.

The device runs on a 2,100 mAh battery just like the Galaxy S III. The dual-standby capabilities of the phone, however, might take more than the usual toll on the battery life.

Conclusion

I did feel the low res display would be a huge disappointment, but in reality the phone is pretty usable for everyday tasks. The rest of the specs are adequate, as it has a decent dual-core processor, a well-performing 8 MP camera, and the ability to add storage via the microSD card slot.

If you have been longing for a large screen phone that manages two SIM cards at once, and are brand conscious, you will not find many alternatives to the Grand DUOS. Combine this fact with the chassis recognition and respect Samsung’s Galaxy line has earned lately, and the only variable in the success equation for the Grand DUOS market niche is its retail price.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 15^th, 2013.

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