Samsung Galaxy Y Duos S6102 review : Double smart

Introduction

It got around the block quickly enough that entry-level Androids are big money earners. Not that Samsung needed the heads-up. They've had a foot in that door for as long as we can remember. As of late, their Galaxy Y series have taken over from the likes of the Galaxy Gio, Mini and the Fit to offer affordable smartphones for youths and emerging markets.

Samsung Galaxy Y Duos

At one point an almost exclusive Nokia territory, the low-end market is now fair game for cheap smartphones and the Galaxy Y Duos doesn't have to try hard to make itself comfortable.

The Galaxy Y Duos builds on the single-SIM Galaxy Y with a slightly larger screen, a higher-resolution camera, larger capacity battery and, most importantly, an extra SIM slot. The latter will, of course, be its key selling point in emerging markets, but here's what else is on offer.

Key Features

• Dual-SIM (dual stand-by)
• Quad-Band GSM and dual-band 3G support
• 7.2 Mbps HSDPA
• SIM switch in notification area
• 3.14" 256K-color QVGA TFT touchscreen
• 832MHz ARMv6 processor, 290MB of RAM
• Android OS v2.3.5 (Gingerbread) with TouchWiz UI
• 160MB of internal storage, hot-swappable MicroSD slot, 2GB card included
• 3.15 MP fixed-focus camera with geotagging
• GPS receiver with A-GPS
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Hotspot functionality
• Stereo FM radio with RDS
• 3.5mm audio jack
• Document viewer
• Accelerometer and proximity sensor
• Swype text input
• MicroUSB port (charging) and stereo Bluetooth 3.0
• Social network integration

Main disadvantages

• Low screen resolution limits choice of apps
• Fixed focus camera
• No secondary camera
• No camera flash, no dedicated camera key
• QVGA video recording @24fps is pretty low
• No Adobe Flash support

The Galaxy Y Duos is aimed at entry level smartphone enthusiasts who want to make the best out of a limited budget. This dual-SIM droid is based on the original Galaxy Y - which in turn was a cut above the usual dumbphone.

We guess the two won't directly compete with each other: the dual-SIM smartphone will probably reach a different demographic. A package like the Galaxy Y (single SIM) is a more short-term affair - a phone to learn the basics with before moving on to something more advanced.

A dual-SIM phone on the other hand is the sensible choice for the budget-conscious - a typically older audience that's not as keen to upgrade ever so often. On the other hand, teens too will probably enjoy the flexibility of mobile plans that two SIM cards provide.

Anyway, Samsung have a solid dual-SIM track record but what we're interested in is how two phone lines are managed and operated in an Android environment. The first thing you'd notice is the lack of dedicated SIM management key and hot-swappable SIM cards. On the other hand, a handy SIM switch is integrated in the Android notification area and a SIM manager tops the settings menu. Quad-band support on both SIM cards and dual-band 3G are of course more than welcome.

The Galaxy Y Duos at HQ

But enough spoilers - let's see how the Galaxy Y Duos handles its two jobs, a smartphone and a dual-SIM phone. The trip starts right after the break - first stop is hardware.