Get more from your phone with Samsung Grand's dual-SIM and Multi Window (hands-on)
The Galaxy Grand smartphone helps you get more out of your phone with its 5-inch screen, dual-SIM capabilities, and a Multi Window feature.
BARCELONA, Spain--Announced in December 2012, the Samsung Galaxy Grand made an appearance at this year's Mobile World Congress amid a plethora of the company's new devices, like the Galaxy Young and Galaxy Fame. According to the company, the device will be available in both single- and dual-SIM versions. Unfortunately, no availability or pricing information has been released regarding the Grand.
Design
Like most Galaxy handsets, the Grand cuts a slim (0.38-inch to be exact) profile, is of a long rectangular shape with severely rounded corners, and has a wide home button at the bottom of the display.
Measuring 5.65 inches tall and nearly 3 inches wide, it has a spacious 5-inch LCD display that's responsive and bright. However, I did notice that colors like blue and green appeared more saturated than other hues.
The Grand features a thin chrome strip that borders all around its edges, and the phone's glossy plastic build keeps it lightweight.
As far as Galaxy devices go, the Grand doesn't break any molds in terms of design. Honestly, if it were to be mixed up in a bag with the Young and the Fame, I wouldn't know how to tell one from the next aside from screen size (though the Fame's bulbous home button could be a first clue).
Features
One interesting feature of the Grand is Multi Window, which lets you multitask with your apps through a little access arrow on the side of the screen.
Simply turn it on in the notifications bar and tap the arrow on the side of your screen. A row of common apps will crop up, such as the browser, your photo gallery, and Gmail. You can then access your current app and launch another one and view both at the same time.
Other features include the Android Jelly Bean 4.1.2 operating system, 8GB of internal memory, a microSD card slot that can hold up to 64GB of expandable memory, and Bluetooth 4.0. Currently, the handset's fastest data connectivity capability is HSPA+.
Hardware specs consist of a 1.2GHz dual-core processor and a 2,100mAh battery. On the back, you'll get an 8-megapixel camera capable of shooting 1080p video, and on the front is a 2-megapixel camera.
Outlook
If the Samsung Galaxy Grand smartphone were ever to come to the U.S., it'd be great to see 4G LTE capability. This would make it even more appealing on major carriers like AT&T and Verizon, which Galaxy handsets are no strangers to.
I do especially like the Multi Window feature. Many devices that sport huge screens these days lack any particular asset that takes full advantage of the real estate. At least with this software addition, users can get the most out of both their apps and the Grand's display.