Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 I8160 preview: First look

Introduction

The original Samsung Galaxy Ace is now an entry level device at best, pushed down the ranks by the weight of two sequels. The Galaxy Ace 2 is next in line and we're talking a proper mid-range device this time. This dual-core smartphone will win no performance awards, but may as well top the popularity charts.

Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 I8160 official photos

The Galaxy Ace 2 has grown up a bit on the outside, with the most notable change being the screen - it's now a 3.8" PLS LCD unit of WVGA resolution (480 x 800) with a density of 246ppi. Samsung decided to keep the camera resolution on the new Galaxy Ace at 5MP, but they enabled 720p recording and added a front-facing camera.

The internals held a pleasant surprise too - the dual-core processor runs at 800MHz and is well endowed with 768MB of RAM (quite a few dual-cores come with just 512MB). The GPU is Mali-400MP, so as far as 3D performance is concerned, the Ace 2 should match the Galaxy S II.

Now, here's what else we can expect of the Ace 2.

Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 I8160 at a glance

• General: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 900/2100 MHz, HSDPA 14.4 Mbps
• Form factor: Touchscreen bar
• Dimensions: 118.3 x 62.2 x 10.5 mm, 122 g
• Display: 3.8" 16M-color WVGA (480 x 800 pixels) PLS TFT capacitive touchscreen
• Chipset: 800MHz dual-core processor, Mali-400MP GPU, 768MB RAM
• OS: Android 2.3.6 (Gingerbread)
• Memory: 4 GB of inbuilt storage, microSD card slot (up to 32 GB)
• Camera: 5 megapixel auto-focus, face and smile detection; 720p (1280 x 720) video recording at 30fps
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotspot, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, stereo Bluetooth 3.0, standard microUSB port, GPS receiver with A-GPS and GLONASS, 3.5mm audio jack, stereo FM radio with RDS
• Misc: TouchWiz 4.0 UI, built-in accelerometer, multi-touch input, proximity sensor, Swype text input, 1500mAh battery

The Galaxy Ace 2 is higher up on the totem pole than the Ace Plus, very close actually to the Galaxy S Advance. This is potentially one of the best phones in terms of bang for buck.

To get there, solid experience is needed right out of the box and the Ace 2 seems to fit the bill. The processing power is backed by decent storage internal storage and a rich software package (an Office document editor, video player that handles 720p MKVs, social networking, etc).

Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 I8160 at our office

With a potential best-seller on our hands, it's best if we spend more time examining the phone itself than its brochure. So, enough small talk, let's get down to the real deal.