It was first reported a few months ago that Samsung could be making an Android Go smartphone as well. The leaks started coming in slowly which suggested that it may not be long before this handset is launched. Samsung today put all speculation to rest by officially announcing the Galaxy J2 Core, its first Android Go smartphone.
Samsung's first Android Go smartphone
Contrary to popular belief, Android Go doesn't guarantee a stock Android experience. It doesn't say anywhere on the official Android Go website that users will get a stock experience. This iteration of Android has only been optimized to offer better performance on entry-level devices with 1GB of RAM or less.
This meant that while the Galaxy J2 Core would be an Android Go device, it would unmistakeably remain a Samsung smartphone. We exclusively leaked pictures of the Galaxy J2 Core two months ago which confirmed this. The device runs Android Go with the Samsung Experience UX on top.
The Galaxy J2 Core features a 5.0-inch TFT 540×960 pixel resolution display, Exynos 7570 processor with 1GB of RAM and 8 GB of storage. It also has an 8-megapixel rear and 5-megapixel front camera. All of this is powered by a 2,600mAh battery.
The device is pre-loaded with fewer apps that require less memory and storage. Google has made Go-edition apps of its popular services that are lightweight and require less memory. Additional memory and performance optimizations in Android Go promise faster performance.
Samsung has confirmed that the Galaxy J2 Core will be available in Malaysia and India starting today. It will release the handset in other markets across the globe in the near future. The company's regional divisions have yet to confirm the Galaxy J2 Core price.
