Samsung Galaxy J2 Core, The Company’s First Android Go Phone, Launched

Samsung, the South Korean consumer electronics giant, has announced the launch of its Galaxy J2 Core in India. The smartphone is the first Android Oreo (Go edition) device to be launched by the company. The operating system is designed to work well on entry-level low-priced handsets that offer minimum storage and memory. The Galaxy J8 Core offers preloaded and optimised Google apps out-of-the-box.

Samsung Galaxy J2 gives, the users in India, a plethora of Android Go phone options. HMD had recently launched two Android Go phones named the Nokia 1 and Nokia 2.1. Other smartphone manufacturers such as Micromax and Lava have also launched the Android Go phone to cater to the huge and ever-increasing entry level market for budget phones in India.

Android Go has been designed by Google to tap into the first-time users of the internet and enable them with a cost-effective way to explore the world.

The Samsung Galaxy J2 features a 5-inch qHD (960×540) TFT display. It processor is powered by a quad-core Exynos 7570 processor. This is complemented with 1GB of RAM. As for its storage, the smartphone comes with 8 GB of internal storage which can be further expanded via a microSD card. The smartphone sports an 8-megapixel rear camera with f/2.2 aperture. Its selfie camera comes with a 5-megapixel selfie sensor with f/2.2 aperture.

The Galaxy J2 Core runs the Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box on the Android Go handset. This is a great advantage for users as it comes preloaded with custom Google apps such as Google Go, Gmail Go, YouTube Go and Maps Go. These apps are great as they do not hamper the user experience on such phones despite the lack of storage and memory on offer. The Galaxy J8, however, does not come with stock Android. The phone comes with Samsung UI on top.

The Galaxy J2 Core will enable feature phone users to smoothly transition to a smartphone and enjoy the experience. Samsung’s Junho Park said that the J2 Core “offers a complete smartphone experience, incorporating some of the key features available on high-end devices with improved battery, storage, and performance that is particularly appealing to first time owners.”

The Samsung Galaxy J2 will also offer Optimised Data Control feature in addition to faster speed and performance. This feature will ensure that users do not have to worry about exceeding their data limit while browsing the internet. The smartphone packs a 2,700mAH battery and can last for an entire day when fully charged. With an optimised Android Go software, the battery life will be significant.

Samsung has announced that the Samsung Galaxy J2 will go on sale in India on August 24. Malaysia and India are the first markets where the smartphone will be launched. It will expand to other markets subsequently. While the company has not disclosed the price of the smartphone, the Android Go phones are typically offered at entry-level pricing as its specification are bare minimum. If the prices of Nokia 1 are a good indicator, then the Galaxy J2 Core should be priced at close to Rs 4,999. As the Android Go phones have typically been offered as a bundled plan, we can expect Samsung to announce a tie-up with a telecom company in the next few days.