The much awaited sequel to the popular Galaxy Grand series from Samsung is finally here and quite pleasantly, it lives up to the hype. The Grand series phones from Samsung that can be accommodated in all different price brackets and yet offer the grandeur and power of some big, high end models like the S-series and the Note. 
The Galaxy Grand 2 sets the ball rolling with advanced and enhanced hardware as well as improved software. It also sports a much identical faux leather look as seen in Galaxy Note 3. The Galaxy Grand 2 packs in a 5.25-inch HD display with a screen resolution of 1280×720 pixels. It is powered by a 1.2 GHz quad-core CPU and packs in RAM cache of 1.5 GB. It runs on Google’s Android 4.3 OS an also comes with S Travel, Story Album, S Translator, Group Play, Sound & Shot, Samsung Link and Samsung Hub. The device’s further details are highlighted below.
Better display
If there is one thing that truly stands about the Galaxy Grand 2, then it has to be its better and bigger display. With a 5.25-inch screen, the Galaxy Grand 2 gets a bigger screen than the previous version. Its screen is also bigger than the Galaxy Grand Quattro that was launched in May. The Galaxy Grand 2’s display features a 720p display with a 1280×720 pixels screen resolution. Samsung had released news about the launch of this phone and it did not mention the inclusion of a screen protector. 
Processor
The Galaxy Grand 2 from Samsung comes powered by a dual-core 1.2 GHz processor. It also packs in massive RAM cache of 1.5 GB which is an advancement over the Galaxy Grand’s 1 GB RAM. However, the Korean handset manufacturer has kept the same internal memory capacity of 8 GB with the Galaxy Grand 2. The internal memory remains the same for all Galaxy Grand devices. With the Galaxy Grand 2, the user can expand the memory capacity up to 64 GB with a micro SD card.
Design
Out of all the phones in the Galaxy Grand series, the Galaxy Grand 2 is the thinnest of all. It is only about 8.9 mm thick and is lesser than the Galaxy Grand, which is thin at 9.6 mm while the Galaxy Grand Quattro measures 9.7mm in thickness. The Galaxy Grand 2 gets a stitched leather look on the rear panel that was first seen on the Galaxy Note 3 phablet. The leather texture also renders it a smooth touch feel which is lacked by the other Galaxy Grand phones.
What comes as even more interesting is that the enhanced display size and the much powerful processor of the Galaxy Grand 2 do not lead to a rise in its weight. The Galaxy Grand 2 weighs only 1 grams more than the earlier Grand. The Galaxy Grand 2 will be sold in trendy pink color options, as was seen with the Galaxy Note 3, apart from white and black.
Camera and battery
Samsung’s Galaxy Grand 2 gets the same camera as seen in the Galaxy Grand. It features a 8 megapixel primary shooter apart from a 1.9 megapixel front camera for video calling. The front-facing camera of the device can be utilized for clicking self-portraits as well as recording 720p HD videos.
The primary snapper also has features like Continuous Shot, Best Photo and Best Face. Samsung also provides an improved battery with the Galaxy Grand 2. It gets a 2600 mAh battery pack for supporting the enhanced processing power and the big screen of the device. 
Connectivity
The Galaxy Grand 2 get slotted as a mid-range phablet and features a host of connectivity options, both wireless and wired. It has dual SIM card slots, WiFi Direct, Wi-Fi b/g/n, GLONASS A-GPS, Bluetooth v4.0, 3.5 mm audio jack and MicroUSB V 2.0. The 2600 mAH Li-ion battery back up provides enough charge to use the device for a complete day for low to normal usage.
Operating System
The Galaxy Grand 2 really impresses with its OS. It is running on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean OS and sports similar features as seen in Galaxy Note 3. The 4.3 Jelly Bean is the latest version of Android and comes with an interface that well complements the premium and advanced features of the device. Samsung Link, Group Play, Samsung Hub, Sound & Shot, S Travel, S Translator, Story Album are some of the premium features that make way in the Grand 2.
Samsung is also offering three months free access to Club Samsung that features music, movies, entertainment lives shows content and gigs.
Price
It was expected that Samsung would be launching the Galaxy Grand 2 at a price of about Rs. 21,500. This was the same price at which Galaxy Grand was launched. However, Samsung maintains a Rs. 22,990- Rs. 24,990 price bracket for the Galaxy Grand 2. Samsung is also providing some freebies with the phone. The Galaxy Grand 2 went on sale in India last week of December, 2013. Also, the Canvas 5 and the Intex i17 were also launched in the market. The Intex i17 Octa-Core comes at a price of Rs. 20,000 and the Canvas 5 also carries a similar price, thus giving stiff competition to the Galaxy Grand 2. It remains to be seen whether Galaxy Grand 2 makes its presence felt in the market and beats its competitors.
The Galaxy Grand 2 also features dual SIM (GSM + GSM) functionality. It comes in three exciting colors- Pink, Black and White and gets Samsung’s exclusive S Translator, Story Album, Sound & Shot, S Travel and other software. Samsung also launched a one-stop destination –Club Samsung for its India-based infotainment content.
The Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 faces cut-throat competition from home-grown handset makers like Karbonn, Xolo and even Micromax. All these manufacturers have launched their flagship devices like the Karbonn Titanium SD, Xolo Q3000 and the Micromax Canvas Turbo. What remains interesting is that all these devices pack in better specs than the Galaxy Grand 2 but come at a price below Rs. 20,000.
