You might have gotten used to the idea of Samsung announcing mid- to high-end smartphones, but the South Korean tech giant is capable of making simpler hardware. Thus, the Galaxy J1 Mini Prime is available for purchase, even though the company has not formally announced the phone.
In terms of looks, the Galaxy J1 Mini Prime certainly has Samsung’s DNA in its genes, with the home button flanked by multitasking and back buttons on either side. Since the phone is a low-end option, however, do not expect the home button to double as a fingerprint sensor. Above those buttons and below the VGA camera is a 4-inch, 800 x 480 resolution display, which is functional but not much more. Meanwhile, a 5-megapixel sensor sits around back.
Under the hood is when things get a bit interesting, with the Galaxy J1 Mini Prime powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core Spreadtrum SC9830 chipset, a chipset we do not normally see in the West — and 1GB RAM. Adding to the low-end nature of the phone is its 1,500mAh battery, which seems laughably small during a time when power packs twice as large have become the norm. However, given the meager processing package and low-resolution display, the battery should last through the evening.
The Galaxy J1 Mini Prime only includes 8GB of native storage out of the box, but the MicroSD card slot does allow for up to an additional 256GB. That slot can also be used as a second SIM card slot in the event that you live a two-SIM card life. Finally, the phone runs Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, though we presume there is no update to Android Nougat in the pipeline.
It will not set the world on fire, but the Galaxy J1 Mini Prime seems like a solid-enough first smartphone for your kiddies or elders. The phone is currently available through Amazon for $90. Keep in mind that, even though AT&T’s 3G network is supported, T-Mobile customers need to deal with 2G speeds.
