Amidst reports that Samsung's flagship Galaxy S5 failed to outsell the iPhone 5S, the Korean smartphone maker has announced that it is expanding its line of Galaxy smartphones to include budget-friendly smartphones.
In a statement released on Monday, Samsung introduced four new smartphones, namely the Galaxy Core II, Galaxy Ace 4, Galaxy Young 2 and Galaxy Star 2. All of these phones, Samsung says, provide "powerful performance, intelligent features, and refined designs for an exceptional smartphone experience at an affordable price."
Although all phones are targeted towards entry-level markets and buyers who are looking for a bargain, it is surprising that Samsung has not yet released the phones' prices, one of the top considerations of smartphone buyers in this segment. Still, many believe that Samsung will have to peg the price tags at below $150 to compete with other budget-friendly smartphones. The newly released Nokia Lumia 630 running on Windows 8.1 Phone, for instance, costs $159 for the entry-level variant, while the Moto E sells at $129.
The 4.5-inch Galaxy Core II with a 5-megapixel rear camera is the most premium among the selection and is the only phone powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core processor. Its 2000 mAh battery will provide more juice for power-hungry apps. Like its predecessor, the Core II provides dual-sim capabilities, an in-demand feature in several Asian countries. What sets it apart from the Galaxy Core, however, is that the Core II, like the rest of the newest smartphones in the Galaxy line, ship with the latest Android 4.4 KitKat out of the box and will come with Samsung's TouchWiz interface.
The Galaxy Ace 4 focuses on portability, with a smaller 4-inch WVGA display. It comes in two versions, LTE and 3G, with the LTE version running on a faster 1GB RAM while the 3G version will have 512MB. Both variants will also have KitKat and TouchWiz, and will offer 4GB of internal memory expandable via microSD.
The compact Galaxy Young comes with a 3.5-inch HVGA display, a 1.0GHz single-core processor a 3-megapixel camera and a 1300 mAh battery. Like its bigger brothers, it will come with KitKat and a generous sprinkling of TouchWiz.
The fourth phone, the Galaxy Star 2, is essentially an updated feature phone with a touch screen running on its single-core 1.0GHz chip. It does not provide LTE or 3G connections but allows users to connect via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. It also has a 2-megapixel rear camera and 4GB of internal memory with the ability to expand to 32GB via an SD card.
