If you can strain your memory to recall the leaked image of Samsung’s Galaxy Ace Plus from yesterday, you’ll be glad to know that it’s now officially official. The shrunken version of the original Galaxy S should make for a solid choice for those who want a mid-sized, affordable phone without dipping into the low-end side of the hardware range. Unfortunately, they didn’t mention a price or availability, though we’ll probably find out more about that soon enough.
For a quick refresher: the Galaxy Ace Plus is a budget phone with a 3.65-inch screen. At that size the standard for Android has been 800×480, but this one’s restricted to a 480×360 LCD screen. Inside you get a 1Ghz processor with 512 MB of RAM, which should be enough to handle Gingerbread and TouchWiz. A 5 megapixel camera is a nice compromise between the high and low end, and the standard WiFi and Bluetooth connections are present and accounted for. 3GB of space isn’t much, but you can fill the empty MicroSD card with your own storage. A 1300mAh battery rounds out the package.
As far as software goes, the Galaxy Ace Plus gets the standard suite of Samsung apps including SMS replacement service ChatOn. If Samsung’s other GSM phones are any indication, this one should be available in Asia and Europe in the next couple of months. Pricing is a mystery at the moment, but I’d place this one in the $350-400 equivalent range. Expect some hands-on time at Mobile World Congress next month.
[via SlashGear]
I got a SG Ace last year and it’s been a fun, solid device for the price. The storage update to 3GB is more than welcomed, given the horrible (less than 200MB) storage of the original. The RAM and the slightly speedier processor might help the performance too. But the abysmal screen resolution at that screen size will surely put many people off. Not to mention the small battery, which is already a huge issue in the original (lasts half a day of continuous use) and will most likely infuriate users given the new processor and screen.
Overall, for last year’s tech at a low price, we’re better off buying an unlocked “high end” device from last year on clearance after CES.