Samsung is a name we have come to associate with high end devices, the Galaxy Note and the Galaxy S series to be specific. The company does make some affordable devices but in a market like Kenya, companies such as Infinix, Tecno and even OPPO have dominated this segment pushing Samsung to the wall. The main reason for this is that these three companies (and other small brands) have figured out this segment and have appealing devices within these prices unlike Samsung that has refused to innovate and keeps flooding the market with devices that I would honestly not recommend.
Today, Samsung unveiled four new devices that it hopes will change this. These are the Galaxy J4, Galaxy J6, Galaxy J7 Duo and the Galaxy A6+ available for Ksh 20,000, Ksh 27,000, Ksh 31,000 and Ksh 40,000 respectively. As you can see, the company is trying to fill up this market segment that it has neglected for years. Earlier this year, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Grand Prime Pro in Kenya that is available for Ksh 13,000.
Read Now: Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime Pro 2018 Review
This is a surprising move by Samsung to launch four new smartphones at the same time but this should tell you something about the company’s plan for the year. It definitely wants a share of this segment as its sales have been tanking the last few years. Let us just hope it will still be able to attract people to buy these devices as I am not that impressed by what the company is doing locally with its mobile devices.
The Samsung Galaxy J4
As I have pointed out above, the Galaxy J4 is the cheapest of them all available for Ksh 20,000. Even though this is cheap for Samsung, it is still not that cheap for most Kenyans looking for a new smartphone. Either way, it is a competitive price that the company hopes will help it regain its lost glory.
Below are some of the key specifications of the Samsung Galaxy J4 that you may want to know about.
Display Size: 5.5 inches with a resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels
Processor: 1.4GHz Quad-core Exynos 7570
RAM: 2 GB
Storage Space: 16 GB, can be expanded to 256GB using a microSD card
GPU: Mali-T720 MP2
Android Version: Android 8.0 Oreo
Main Camera: 13MP with LED flash
Selfie Camera: 5MP
Battery: 3000 mAh battery
Out of the four Samsung smartphones I spent time with, this is the one I did not like. It is bulky and feels like some of the first Galaxy Note devices. We are in 2018, c’mon Samsung, you can do better than this.
The Samsung Galaxy J6
Surprising enough, the Samsung Galaxy J6 is the one that caught my eyes. I was expecting the A6+ to take this but there is something about the Galaxy J6 that is just amazing. Maybe it is the design or the build or even the display, the phone just feels like something I would want to buy in 2018. Samsung nailed it with this phone and below are its specifications.
Display Size: 5.6 inches with a resolution of 720 x 1480 pixels
Processor: 1.6GHz Octa-core Exynos 7870
RAM: 3/4 GB
Storage Space: 32/64 GB, can be expanded to 256GB using a microSD card
GPU: Mali-T830 MP1
Android Version: Android 8.0 Oreo
Main Camera: 13MP with LED flash
Selfie Camera: 8MP
Battery: 3000 mAh battery
The Galaxy J7 Duo
The Galaxy J7 Duo is not the most impressive device available for Ksh 31,000 but Samsung hopes its dual camera setup and a few other features will help attract customers. This phone also reminds me of the early Galaxy Note devices. Below are some of its key specifications.
Display Size: 5.5 inches with a resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels
Processor: Octa-core Exynos 7885
RAM: 4 GB
Storage Space: 32 GB, can be expanded to 256GB using a microSD card
GPU: Mali-G71
Android Version: Android 8.0 Oreo
Main Camera: 13MP + 5MP With LED flash
Selfie Camera: 8MP
Battery: 3000 mAh battery
I spent a few minutes with this phone and I was not impressed, I’d rather buy two Infinix Hot 6 Pros as it is a much better phone unless you really want a Samsung branded phone.
The Samsung Galaxy A6+
The Samsung Galaxy A6+ is the other device that impressed me today. It feels like it is worth its Ksh 40,000 price tag. It feels like a phone you would want to buy in 2018. Below are its key specifications.
Display Size: 6.0 inches with a resolution of 1080 x 2220 pixels
Processor: 1.8Ghz Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 450
RAM: 3/4 GB
Storage Space: 32/64 GB, can be expanded to 256GB using a microSD card
GPU: Adreno 506
Android Version: Android 8.0 Oreo
Main Camera: 16MP + 5MP With LED flash
Selfie Camera: 24MP
Battery: 3500 mAh battery
Also Read: The Infinix Hot 6 Pro Vs Huawei Y7 Prime 2018