The Galaxy J2 DTV is Samsung's first smartphone with a digital TV tuner
_
There's no question that Samsung is one of the modern mobile industry's forward thinkers. From kicking off the phablet trend, to impressive VR hardware, curved-edge displays and 4G smartwatches, Sammy's on fire certainly among the market's movers and shakers. Yet, at the same time, the company has long harbored curious affinity to old, dated tech that goes beyond your typical nostalgia. With the company said to be prepping a new flip-phone running on Android 6.0 Marshmallow, a special version of the Samsung Galaxy J2 (2016) includes a digital TV tuner. The Galaxy J2 DTV, as it's known, is only for the Philippines, and is said to be the first Samsung handset with a digital TV tuner. Under the hood is a 1.3 GHz quad-core Exynos 3457, 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of expandable storage, while the rear camera is a mere 5-megapixel offering.
The device's DTV capabilities are presented via the 4.7-inch 540 x 960 Super AMOLED display, which doesn't seem especially adept to showcasing video of any kind. Moreover, the handset packs a lowly 2000 mAh battery, so we'd imagine that users will be doing quite a bit of wall-hugging. In which case, it begs the question: why not just use an ordinary TV?
It might appear to be a somewhat pointless endeavor on Samsung's part, but there may be some method behind apparent madness. According to Forbes, the Internet service in the Philippines is the worst in the whole of Asia, so Netflix and Hulu streaming on-the-go is a rarity to most. Broadcast TV out in the Philippines certainly won't offer the wealth of on-demand content that many of us take for granted. But the Galaxy J2 DTV does, at least, provide some solace.
The Galaxy J2 DTV is now on sale in the Philippines at a cost of 6,990 Philippine Pesos ($150). If you're thinking of importing one as a spare portable TV, it should be noted that since the Philippines uses a different broadcasting standard to the U.S. and Europe, there's a good chance that you won't be able to tune into anything locally.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed: