Samsung announces Galaxy R, a midlevel Android phone

PanARMENIAN.Net - Samsung announced an addition to its Android smartphone lineup, the Galaxy R.

According to Gadget Lab, the phone is a step down in tech specs compared to the forthcoming Galaxy S 2, though it’s still a step above Samsung’s most popular Android handset to date. It’s a mid-level device, aimed at the in-between demographic of those who don’t want a feature phone, but aren’t willing to spend lots of money for the latest high-end phone hitting the shelves.

The Galaxy R’s screen, for instance, is a bit smaller (4.19 inches) and lower in resolution (WVGA) compared to the S2 (4.3 inches, Super AMOLED). The R also comes with 8 GB of on-board storage instead of the S2’s 16- or 32-GB options.

Compared to the first generation Galaxy, however, the R is an impressive update. The new phone sports Nvidia’s dual-core Tegra 2 processor, a popular, powerful chip choice found inside handsets from multiple manufacturers. The R also comes with double the RAM of the previous generation at 1 GB, which will hopefully be enough to keep memory-intensive apps running smoothly. And for smartphone shutterbugs, the 5-megapixel back-facing camera is capable of shooting 720p HD video.

For now, the phone is available only in Sweden, with North American and Asian releases to come soon. The company hasn’t provided price details, but given the midlevel specs and the looming release of the S2, it’s probably a safe bet that the Galaxy R won’t cost more than $200.