Could there possibly be any more room beneath the Samsung Galaxy J1 on the Android totem pole? You’d think not, given the 4.3-incher’s sub-par 800 x 480 screen resolution, dual-core Spreadtrum processor, 512MB RAM, 4GB internal storage space, and 1,850 mAh battery.
But apparently, there is room for a smaller and not necessarily lower-end Galaxy J1 Mini under the ultra-affordable smartphone sun, as well as in that 4-inch market segment Apple might be trying to revive before long.
Of course, even if this SM-J105F isn’t altogether humbler than the standard J1, aka SM-J100F, or the J1 Ace, aka SM-J110, that doesn’t mean it’ll directly oppose the elusive iPhone 6c. The GFX Bench database reveals it packs a quad-core 1.5 GHz Spreadtrum SC8830 CPU with an accompanying dual-core ARM Mali-400MP2 GPU, and 1GB RAM for… adequate multitasking.
The same benchmarking authority points to a 4.3-inch WVGA display, but that makes zero sense considering Spreadtrum’s own website mentions a “J1 mini” moniker when tackling SM-J105F hardware testing.
The model number also pops up at Zauba, with the Indian import/export tracker citing a screen size of 4 inches (that’s more like it), and per-unit value of roughly Rs. 3,300, which converts to $50. So, yeah, we know a 4-inch Android with 800 x 480 pixels resolution sounds archaic, but at 50 bucks, it’s an honest to God miracle it runs 5.1 Lollipop in pre-release prototype form, also carrying 5 and 0.3MP cameras, as well as being able to accommodate 8GB data locally.
Hopefully, the Samsung Galaxy J1 mini will in fact cost just $50 at retail in the emerging countries it’s probably headed for.