Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime review: Mirror shot

Hardware overview

The Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime measures 144.8 x 72.1 x 8.6mm - relatively slender but also tall and wide for a 5" device. That said, it's about the same size as a Galaxy S5 and smaller than the popular HTC Desire 620 dual sim and the Asus Zenfone 5 (both of which are direct competitors).

At 156g, the Galaxy Grand Prime is not very light for its screen size, though this seems to be the norm for phones of this footprint and price bracket.

We have several Galaxy models currently at ours, including the Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime. Let's just say that if they weren't a different size, we'd have a hell of a hard time trying to tell which phone was which. It's no news that Samsung's design team has been pushing for consistency throughout the ranks, but honestly, things have gotten out of control.

Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime looks like almost any other Galaxy

To Samsung's credit, the phone feels very sturdy in the hand. The familiar silvery rim around the phone could pass for metal at a distance, though the front and back material could have been better. And there's plenty of it, the bezels around the screen are thicker than they could have been.

There's an inner black bezel around the display, which makes it look bigger while it's off, but it's plainly visible when the screen is on. The glass covering the screen comes with no official claims of extra durability, so you need to be more careful with it.

Above the screen is one of the key selling points of the Galaxy Grand Prime, the 5MP selfie camera. It matches the main camera with 1080p recording and has a wide-angle lens (85°) so you can fit more people in the frame (technically a groupie).

Also above the screen is a proximity sensor to turn off the display automatically during calls, but there's no ambient light sensor, which means no auto brightness mode.

Below is the usual setup, a hardware Home key with an App switcher and Back buttons (both capacitive) on either side.

5MP selfie camera above the screen • Samsung's usual key arrangement

Around back, it's more of the usual too. The camera protrudes slightly (exposing it to scratches) and it's flanked by the single-LED flash and the loudspeaker grille. The camera itself is an 8MP unit capable of 1080p video capture (at 30fps).

Classic Galaxy back with 8MP camera, LED flash and loudspeaker

The back is removable, which gives you access to the 2,600mAh battery and the card slots. The Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime that we're using for this review is a single-SIM model, which fits both the microSIM and the microSD cards in a stacked slot. For dual-SIM versions, there's an additional slot for the second microSIM to the left.

Taking out the 2,600mAh battery • a stacked card slot

The sides follow the traditional pattern as well. The singular mic is on the bottom, near the microUSB 2.0 port, and there's a 3.5mm audio jack on top. On the left is the Power key, on the right the volume rocker.

No changes in the ports and buttons arrangement

In developing markets phablets have gained a lot of popularity since they effectively replace small (and cheap) tablets. The Galaxy Grand Prime sits between those and smaller devices (~4.5" or so, like the Galaxy Core Prime).

The Grand Prime sits well in the hand - we would have wished for smaller bezels, but those usually come with a steeper price tag. The weight didn't bother us, it strikes a good balance between a solid feel without being too heavy.

Galaxy Grand Prime should be okay for one-handed use for most people

The material on the back is not matte and not glossy either. It hides fingerprints well enough, even if it doesn't feel premium (we've seen some good plastic in the midrange).