Samsung Galaxy Grand Duos review

Samsung pioneered the trend of a new breed of devices, now more commonly known as 'phablets', smartphones that are (almost) nearing tablets in size. After the company's successful Galaxy Note device, many followed suit including homegrown manufacturers like Micromax and Karbonn who are offering devices in the under-15k, and even under 10K price point.

To compete with these, Samsung has launched the Galaxy Grand Duos, though it has been priced at Rs. 21,500. Is it the 'Samsung' brand value or does the device really live up to user expectations? We take a look.

Design/ Hardware
On first impressions, the Galaxy Grand Duos bears striking resemblance to the Note II mainly due to its huge display. But Samsung has managed to keep the Galaxy S III essence alive in the device. We reviewed the Elegant White unit, and the device is also available in Metallic Blue.

At 9.6mm, the Galaxy Grand Duos is pretty thick and feels quite bulky as well weighing 162 grams. Those blessed with little hands will find it tiring to carry the device around. But the overall build quality of the device is quite sturdy, though the back does feel cheap, just like the Galaxy S III. The back has a miniscule-chequered pattern that manages to cover your fingerprints very well. It is prone to attract scratches very fast and we'd suggest you to be careful while using it. A chromium strip runs along the device's perimeter that is sure to wear off overtime.

The 5-inch display takes up most of the space in the front with a thin bezel on either side and like the other Galaxy handsets, we have the sensors lined up on top alongside the earpiece and the front-facing 2-megapixel camera. The bottom has the physical home button in the centre with the capacitive menu and back buttons on either side. The rear of the device features an 8-megapixel camera with LED flash and the loudspeaker sitting adjacent to it.