Samsung has been reassessing its strategy for the budget segment in emerging smartphone markets like India and in line with this vision, it recently launched the all-new Galaxy M-series in India to compete directly against the likes of Xiaomi. Now, information shared by SlashLeaks hints that Samsung could be working on a much more affordable smartphone. Expected to be named "Samsung Galaxy A2 Core," this device will be running Android 8.1 Oreo (Go Edition) to counter phones like the Nokia 1 Plus and Redmi Go.
The Galaxy A2 Core will be Samsung's second Android Go device following the Galaxy J2 Core, which was launched last year. Based on the leaked info, it will be powered by Exynos 7870, an octa-core processor almost on par with the Snapdragon 625. The smartphone will feature 1GB of RAM and while we don't know about the storage capacity, it will support expansion via a microSD card. Leaked illustrations also suggest that the Galaxy A2 Core will support a 3-slot tray to house two SIM cards and one microSD card simultaneously.
The screen on the Galaxy A2 core will be an LCD measuring at 5-inches and having a resolution of 540x960. On the back, there's likely to be a 5MP camera with an f/1.9 aperture and pixel size of 1.12µm. Samsung will probably be omitting the selfie camera as well as the fingerprint scanner and equipping the smartphone with a 2600mAh battery. For connectivity, the Galaxy A2 Core is likely to support LTE, 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, micro USB, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
On top of the Android 8.1 Oreo (Go Edition), the Galaxy A2 Core is likely to sport a custom UI similar to the Samsung Experience UI. Lastly, the smartphone will be 9.1mm thick and weigh 142 grams.
While there is no word on the pricing or the availability of the purported entry-level smartphone, it could be priced below $100 and launched in markets like Latin America, India, and part of Europe.