14
May
nexusae0_BLU_thumb

BLU Announces The Studio 5.0, Studio 5.0 S, and Studio 5.3 S: Jelly Bean, Big Screens, And Small Prices

Posted by in BLU Products, News

BLU isn't yet a household name in the realm of smartphones, but the company has been quietly releasing hardware for the last few years, letting the remarkably low pricing do the talking. Today they've pulled the cover off of three new models, all aimed at the new "phablet" craze, or at least the lower end of it. The new Studio GSM smartphones start at 5 inches and just $149, and all three feature Android 4.1, the Google Play Store, and dual SIM slots. Specs are low, but these phones look like ideal budget devices or travel companions.

BLU PRODUCTS STUDIO 5.0

The Studio 5.0 is the cheapest of the lot, at $149 unsubsidized.

04
Feb
young

Samsung Announces Galaxy Young And Galaxy Fame - Probably Intended For The Young, Not The Famous

Posted by in News, Samsung

In Samsung's continuing quest to conquer every single niche in the smartphone world, they've got two new entries on the low end. The Galaxy Young and Galaxy Fame are positively tiny compared to most of the other Galaxy phones, and based on their specifications, will probably be quite cheap when they hit the market. The Young is slightly lower on the totem pole than the Fame, but fortunately, both use Jelly Bean 4.1.

young

The Galaxy Young seems to be the very definition of a budget smartphone, thanks to its tiny 3.27-inch HVGA (480x320) screen, 1Ghz single-core processor, 768MB of RAM, and a 1300mAh battery.

17
Dec
2012-12-18_02h24_33

Samsung Announces The Galaxy Grand, A 5" 800x480 Phone That Looks A Whole Lot Like The Note II

Posted by in News, Samsung

Did you think that just because it was winter and all the major phone announcements had died down that Samsung was done releasing things? NOPE. Today, the Korean manufacturer released info on the brand new Galaxy Grand. Where "brand new" means "looks so much like the Note II that Samsung is probably suing itself for trade dress infringement." The phone will carry a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, a 5" 800x480 display, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of on board storage (expandable with a microSD card slot), a 2,100 mAh battery, and it ships with Jelly Bean (4.1.2)

갤럭시미니

Full specs in list form, for those who prefer it that way:

  • 1.2GHz dual-core processor
  • 5" 800x480 TFT LCD display
  • 1GB RAM
  • 8GB storage (expandable to 64GB via microSD
  • 2,100 mAh battery
  • HSPA+
  • Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean
  • Single- or dual-SIM models

On the spec sheet, it looks like a mid-range phone at best.

05
Dec
2012-12-05_12h33_38

Sony Announces Xperia E And E Dual, Low-End Jelly Bean Handsets, Optional Dual-SIM

Posted by in News, Sony

Sometimes, it can be a bit arguable what counts as a "low end" phone these days. Even cheap phones are so powerful that calling them anything lower than mid-range can seem insulting. This one, however, makes us pretty comfortable with the moniker. With a 1GHz Snapdragon S1 processor, a 320x480 TFT display, and a 3.2MP rear camera, the Xperia E fills out Sony's budget line just fine.

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Optionally, the Xperia E Dual has the option for dual SIM card slots, which is great for business users, and those who need to work with multiple networks. And, in what must be a treat for anyone looking to buy on this end of the handset market, the regular E ships with Jelly Bean, while the E Dual will receive the upgrade soon.

20
Aug
GALAXY S Duos_Product Image(4)

Samsung Announces The 'Dual-Sim Always On' Galaxy S Duos For Europe, Available Beginning In September

Posted by in News, Samsung

While companies like Motorola and HTC promised to release fewer phones in 2012, Samsung is sticking with its "the more, the better" mantra. Its newest announcement is for the Galaxy S Duos, a dual-SIM handset for those who are tired of carrying around two phones.

GALAXY S Duos_Product Image(5)

At first blush, the Duos looks very similar to the Galaxy S III - it's innards, however, are not even remotely comparable:

  • 4" 480x800 display
  • 1GHz processor (assume it's single-core)
  • 4GB internal storage, microSD card slot
  • dual-SIM always on
  • 1,500 mAh battery
  • Android 4.0 with Touchwiz

The unique feature of the Duos is, of course, its dual-SIM card slots.

17
Feb
V350

ViewSonic Debuts The Dual-SIM V350 Android Smartphone

Posted by in Froyo 2.2, News, V350, Viewsonic

Another day, another well-meaning manufacturer launches an Android phone. Today it's ViewSonic's turn, and they've debuted the V350 Android 2.2 (Froyo) smartphone.

V350

This lower-end smartphone features a 3.5-inch screen, 600Mhz processor, 512MB of memory, 5 megapixel camera and access to all the other standard Android apps and services.

Setting this device apart from the other countless Android smartphones is the two built-in SIM card slots; allowing the user to have two different phone numbers from (potentially) two different carriers on one single device. There are very few smartphones that offer dual-SIM technology and this in itself makes the V350 an appealing device.