Samsung Galaxy Ace 2: 10 things to know
Samsung likes a good refresh and the trend continues as the Galaxy Ace gets a dust down and some energy drinks to transform it into the Galaxy Ace 2.
The Galaxy Ace 2 arrives along side the Galaxy Mini 2 (yep, another update on a previous handset) just in time to strut its stuff on the catwalk at MWC 2012 in Barcelona.
We will be in Barcelona to bring you all the latest, so keep an eye out for our hands on: Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 review. In the mean time take a gander below at our top ten things you need to know about the Galaxy Ace 2.
1. What is the Samsung Galaxy Ace 2?
The Galaxy Ace 2 slides into Samsung's mid-range Android handset offering and looks to build on the previously successful Galaxy Ace mobile.
Expect a reasonable price tag and a monthly tariff of somewhere around the £15-£20 per month mark. Although affordable you can get the beefy Motorola Razr for around the same money, after its price was dropped to encourage sales.
2. Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 screen
You'll get a (bigger than the iPhone 4S) 3.8-inch WVGA TFT touchscreen with a 480 x 800 resolution on the Galaxy Ace 2 which Samsung says with provide "high-quality graphics for even the most demanding applications and games".
This is an improvement on the 3.5-inch screen found on its predecessor and very slightly larger than the 3.7-inch screen found on the HTC Desire S.
3. Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 power
The Galaxy Ace 2 packs a dual-core 800MHz processor backed up with 768MB of RAM.
This should provide enough power to run Android and the associated apps without too much of a fuss, but don't expect the lightning quick experience you get with the likes of the Galaxy S2.
Power-wise the Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 finds itself able to compete with the mid-range competition of the Desire S, which does boast 1GB of RAM, but only a single-core 1GHz processor.
4.Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 OS
We were not overly surprised to learn that the Galaxy Ace 2 will ship with Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) instead of Google's latest Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) offering.
Although the Galaxy Ace 2 does come with a dual-core processor we reckon it slips just below the acceptable threshold of ICS at the current time and the RAM does not help the cause.
Don't rule out an upgrade to ICS in the future however, as Samsung's mobile boffins may be able to work some magic and provide a suitable version for the Galaxy Ace 2.
Samsung Galaxy Ace 2: 10 things to know.
5.Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 camera
The Galaxy Ace 2 sticks with the 5MP camera found on the original Ace, but a nice addition is the boost in video recording capabilities with the handset able to capture video in 720p HD format.
Once again we can draw comparison to the HTC Desire S which boasts the same camera and video recording specifications. While the higher-end Nokia Lumia 800 and HTC Desire HD both have 8MP, they too deal in 720p video.
6.Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 body
Measuring 62.2 x 118.3 x 10.5mm the Galaxy Ace 2 is marginally wider and longer than the Galaxy Ace to accommodate the bigger screen, but Samsung has managed to compress the depth by 1mm.
Due to the larger size there is a slight weight increase, up by 9g to 122g – which is heavier than its big brother the Galaxy S2 which weighs just 116g.
7. And the rest…
So what else has Samsung chucked into the Galaxy Ace 2?
Well there's the standard 1,500mAh battery which will require a nightly charge if you're a heavy user and Samsung will stick its bloat-ware in too with the likes of the Social Hub, Music Hub, Game Hub and Samsung Apps.
Connectivity wise the Galaxy Ace 2 keeps its bases covered offering Wi-Fi b/g/n, GPS, Bluetooth 3.0, USB port and 3.5mm headphone jack.
You get an adequate 4GB of internal storage and there's also a microSD slot if you feel the need to expand.
8.Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 release date
There is no firm release date as of yet for the Samsung Galaxy Ace 2, but TechRadar sources have hinted that we could see it hit UK shelves as early as April, but that could get pushed back to May.
We expect to see a lot of the handsets unveiled at MWC 2012 to go on sale in April and May, so the Galaxy Ace 2 which be launching straight into the thick of it with other mid-range handsets such as the HTC One S and One V.
9.Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 networks
TechRadar has spoken to all the big UK networks and has received confirmation from O2, Orange, T-Mobile and Three who all say that they will be offering the Samsung Galaxy Ace 2.
Three has even written a blog and produced a video on the Galaxy Ace 2 (and Galaxy Mini 2) – if you fancy taking a sneak peak.
Vodafone is the only carrier we spoke to who confirmed that it will not be taking the Galaxy Ace 2 on board.
10. Worth a look?
Early indications suggest the Galaxy Ace 2 will be a capable handset which will offer you an affordable, if somewhat average, smartphone experience. It will be interesting to see how it matches up against the likes of HTC's One V and One S.
We will bring you a hands on: Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 review next week once we've had some time with the handset, providing you with a better idea on how it shapes up.