Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 vs Galaxy Grand vs Idol X size and specs comparison
When Samsung lifted the veil from the Galaxy Grand late last year, 5"+ phones weren't the norm as they are a year later. At the time the Grand was meant to be a very affordable big-screen phone for those who can't shell out $600 for a flagship outside of a carrier contract. With a dual SIM version, the phone was your only bet for a cheap large screen handset that can support two SIM cards at once - a very sought after option in emerging markets.
The specs were pretty ho-hum, though, even for 2012 standards, especially the 480x800 pixels screen resolution, which ringed in the abysmal 187ppi pixel density, and the basic 1.2 GHz dual-core processor.
This year, however, we have an abundance of big-screen smartphone choices, and some of them sport dual SIM versions, too, so Samsung had to up its game in this market niche with the Grand 2. We don't get a much larger display, as that would encroach on the Mega 5.8 territory, just a small bump from 5" on the original Grand, to 5.25" on the Grand 2.
The resolution, however, is greatly enhanced at 720x1280 pixels, making Grand 2 a very decent choice if you are after a brand name big-screen handset with dual SIM abilities. In addition we get a quad-core 1.2 GHz chipset of unknown make to replace the dual-core one, though the bump in performance will still be a far cry from the flagships out there.
The other more than welcome specs bump is in battery size - the 2600 mAh unit is as big as the one in the Galaxy S4, so battery life should be improved in comparison with the first Grand. We also get a slightly higher 1.5 GB of RAM amount, against just a gig in the original.
Designwise the Grand 2 is also in line with the late 2013 crop of Samsung, as it sports a faux leather back with stitching, similar to the Galaxy Note 3, indicating that Samsung is trying to break away from the plastic look of its phones, even in the midrange category. With the increase in screen diagonal we get a slightly taller Grand 2, which, however, is thinner and narrower, potentially easing one-handed operation.
5.78 x 2.96 x 0.35 inches
146.8 x 75.3 x 8.9 mm
5.75 oz (163 g)
5.65 x 3.03 x 0.38 inches
143.5 x 76.9 x 9.6 mm
5.71 oz (162 g)
5.53 x 2.66 x 0.27 inches
140.4 x 67.5 x 6.9 mm
4.23 oz (120 g)
5.78 x 2.96 x 0.35 inches
146.8 x 75.3 x 8.9 mm
5.75 oz (163 g)
5.65 x 3.03 x 0.38 inches
143.5 x 76.9 x 9.6 mm
5.71 oz (162 g)
5.53 x 2.66 x 0.27 inches
140.4 x 67.5 x 6.9 mm
4.23 oz (120 g)
See the full Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 vs Samsung Galaxy Grand vs Alcatel OneTouch Idol X size comparison or compare them to other phones using our Size Comparison tool.
The Grand 2 will come in more color choices such as black, white and pink, but we still don't know the make-it-or-break-it information on the price tag. Last year the dual SIM Galaxy Grand wasn't exactly covering the term "affordable" entirely in relation to its specs, but this year the competition scenario is rather different for Samsung.
We are thus curious whether we will see one of the best dual SIM phones out there with the Grand 2, or another overpriced option. As you can see from the specs comparison table above, the dual SIM Alcatel One Touch Idol X beats Grand 2 in terms of specs and compact design, and is just around $350 without a contract, flaunting a 1080p display. Anything much above that price point, and Samsung will be relying on brand name, marketing and distribution to move Grand 2 more than its merits. Granted, we do get a removable back cover, extendable memory and larger swappable battery with the Galaxy Grand 2, which counts a lot these days.
|
|
|
| Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 | Samsung Galaxy Grand | Alcatel OneTouch Idol X |
Design
| Dimensions | ||
|---|---|---|
| 5.78 x 2.96 x 0.35 inches 146.8 x 75.3 x 8.9 mm |
5.65 x 3.03 x 0.38 inches 143.5 x 76.9 x 9.6 mm |
5.53 x 2.66 x 0.27 inches 140.4 x 67.5 x 6.9 mm |
| Weight | ||
| 5.75 oz (163.0 g) | 5.71 oz (162.0 g) | 4.23 oz (120.0 g) |
| Keys | ||
| Left: Volume control; Right: Lock/Unlock key | Left: Volume control; Right: Lock/Unlock key | Right: Volume control |
| Colors | ||
| Black, Pink, White, Gold | Yellow, Red | |
Display
| Size | ||
|---|---|---|
| 5.2-inch, 68.84% screen-to-body | 5.0-inch, 64.43% screen-to-body | 5.0-inch, 72.62% screen-to-body |
| Type | ||
| TFT | TFT | IPS LCD |
| Resolution | ||
| 1280x720px, 280 PPI | 800x480px, 187 PPI | 1920x1080px, 441 PPI |
| Colors | ||
| 16 777 216 | 16 777 216 | 16 777 216 |
| Protection | ||
| Dragontrail | ||
| Features | ||
| Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor | Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor | Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor, Scratch-resistant glass, Oleophobic coating |
Hardware
| System chip | ||
|---|---|---|
| Snapdragon 400 8226 | MediaTek MT6589 | |
| Processor | ||
| Quad-core 1200 MHz ARM Cortex-A7 | Dual-core 1200 MHz | Quad-core 1500 MHz ARM Cortex-A7 |
| GPU | ||
| Adreno 305 | Yes | PowerVR SGX544 |
| Memory | ||
| 1.5GB/8GB | 1GB/8GB | 2GB/8GB 2GB/16GB |
| Storage expansion | ||
| microSDXC up to 64 GB | microSDXC up to 64 GB | microSDHC up to 32 GB |
| OS | ||
| Android (4.4.2, 4.3) | Android (4.2.2, 4.1.2) | Android (4.4.2, 4.2) |
Battery
| Type | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2600 mAh, Li - Ion | 2100 mAh, Li - Ion | 2000 mAh, Li - Ion |
Camera
| Rear | ||
|---|---|---|
| Single camera | Single camera | Single camera |
| Main camera | ||
| 8 MP (Autofocus) Aperture size: F2.4 |
8 MP (Autofocus, BSI sensor) | 13.1 MP (Autofocus) |
| Flash | ||
| LED | LED | LED |
| Video recording | ||
| 1080p (30 fps) Video calling |
1080p | 1080p |
| Front | ||
| 1.9 MP | 2 MP | 2 MP Video capture: 1080p |
Connectivity & Features
| Bluetooth | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| WLAN | ||
| a,b,g,n,dual-band Hotspot, Wi-Fi Direct 802.11 a, b, g, n | b,g,n Hotspot, Wi-Fi Direct 802.11 b, g, n | b,g,n Wi-Fi Direct 802.11 b, g, n |
| USB | ||
| microUSB, USB 2.0 | microUSB, USB 2.0 | microUSB, USB 2.0 |
| Sensors | ||
| Accelerometer, Compass, Hall (for flip covers), Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor | Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor | Accelerometer, Compass, Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor |
| Location | ||
| GPS, A-GPS, Glonass | A-GPS, Glonass | GPS, A-GPS |
| Other | ||
| ANT+, Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync | Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync | Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync |
Multimedia
| Headphones | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | 3.5mm jack | 3.5mm jack |
| Speakers | ||
| Earpiece, Loudspeaker | Earpiece, Loudspeaker | Earpiece, Loudspeaker |
| Features | ||
| Album art cover, Background playback | Album art cover, Background playback | Album art cover, Background playback |
| Screen mirroring | ||
| DLNA | DLNA | |
| Video playback | ||
| Features: Zoom, Stretch to fullscreen | ||
| Radio | ||
| FM | FM, Stereo, RDS | FM, Stereo, RDS |
Cellular
| 3G | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bands 5, 8, 2, 1 | Bands 8, 2, 1 | Bands 8, 1 |
| Data Speed | ||
| HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s, UMTS | HSDPA+ (4G) 21.1 Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s, UMTS | HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s, HSUPA 11 Mbit/s |
| Dual SIM | ||
| Yes | ||
| SIM type | ||
| Micro SIM | ||
Phone Features
| Notifications | ||
|---|---|---|
| Haptic feedback, Music ringtones (MP3), Polyphonic ringtones, Vibration, Flight mode, Silent mode, Speakerphone | Haptic feedback, Music ringtones (MP3), Polyphonic ringtones, Vibration, Flight mode, Silent mode | Haptic feedback, Music ringtones (MP3), Polyphonic ringtones, Vibration, Flight mode, Silent mode, Speakerphone |
| Other features | ||
| Voice dialing, Voice commands, Voice recording | Voice dialing, Voice commands, Voice recording | Voice dialing, Voice commands, Voice recording |
Regulatory Approval
| FCC approval | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date approved: Nov 07, 2013 FCC ID value: A3LSMG7102 | ||
| Measured SAR | ||
| Head: 0.40 W/kg Body: 0.82 W/kg Simultaneous Transmission: 1.03 W/kg Wireless Router: 0.88 W/kg |
||
| EU SAR | ||
| Head: 0.58 W/kg | ||
Availability
| Officially announced | ||
|---|---|---|
| Nov 25, 2013 | Dec 18, 2012 | Feb 24, 2013 |
See the full
Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 vs Samsung Galaxy Grand vs Alcatel OneTouch Idol X specs comparison
or compare them to other phones using our
Phone Comparison tool
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