Analyzed: Samsung Galaxy Y Duos

Are you in the market for a starter smartphone and don't care about having a QWERTY keyboard? Do you need a phone that has the capability to hold dual SIM cards? Don't want to spend too much on it either? There's a phone just for you. It is called the Samsung Galaxy Y Duos.

Dual SIM phones aren't used that often outside India, but it does have a fair amount of users within the country especially since there are so many tiered plans and rates when it comes to roaming. There are several options out in the market from other manufacturers such as Nokia, Motorola and Videocon  but the Galaxy Y Duos seems to have the most comprehensive basic features of the bunch. The phone comes equipped with:

1. 3.2" display at a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels
2. 832Mhz single core processor
3. 3MP camera with no flash
4. 160MB built in storage with microSD slot that supports up to 32GB
5. Wi-Fi enabled (not all phones in this range come equipped with Wi-Fi)
6. Android Version 2.3.6 (Gingerbread)
7. Weight: 109g
8. Battery capacity: 1300mAh

As you can see the Duos comes quite well equipped especially if you are just switching to a smartphone from a conventional one. You also get all the support and apps that are available from Google Play. You can't expect the phone to be as quick as the higher end versions but it does hold its own as long as you are doing basic activities like browsing the web, watching videos or listening to music. Trying to multi-task is almost out of the equation since the phone won't be able to handle it given its specs. Still, it does pack a lot of features in a very compact package. The display could have been a little better but considering the size of the screen (or the lack thereof), and the price, you really can't expect much more than this. And because there aren't too many powerful components, the battery will also last for a day on a single charge if used for basic tasks. Like we mentioned earlier, if you are on a budget, and want to make the switch to a smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy Y Duos is a good buy.

The Samsung Galaxy Y Duos is currently on sale in India for under Rs. 9000 (~$180)... bear in mind you are not locked into a contract like in the U.S.A which helps subsidize the cost of the phone. The cost of cellphones in general is a lot higher in India compared to the rest of the world.

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