Flagship models are good and attractive in many ways, but not everyone can afford them. The Samsung company has always been distinguished by its loyal attitude towards customers from any segment, presenting not only premium-class gadgets to the market, but also mid-range and budget models.
The Samsung GT I8552 Galaxy Win Duos smartphone is just such a modest solution - a kind of shadow of the flagship Galaxy S4. Externally, both models are very similar, but as for the internals, the I8552 is noticeably weaker, but cheaper.
So, the subject of today's article is Samsung Galaxy Win Duos. The characteristics of the smartphone, its pros and cons, as well as reviews from gadget owners will be discussed in this review.
The device comes in a white box made of thick cardboard. The front part is occupied by a photograph of the smartphone itself and the name of the series. On the reverse side you can see the most “delicious” characteristics of the gadget and a list of awards at some exhibitions.
Contents of delivery:
The equipment can be called ordinary. They didn’t put anything extra in the box, but maybe that’s for the best, because all kinds of cases, films and other accessories significantly increase the cost of the gadget, and we don’t seem to need this. In any case, on the brand’s shelves you can always buy all the missing surroundings, and at more than reasonable prices.
The Samsung I8552 Galaxy Win Duos model received the design of a typical and easily recognizable creation of Samsung. Here we have a typical glossy body in a light white design, silver edging, familiar navigation and rounded corners.
The smartphone turned out to be very bulky - 133 x 71 x 10 mm and weighing 140 grams. The wide body makes it difficult to work with the gadget with one hand, but this is the cost of a large screen, so it’s difficult to call this a definite disadvantage.
The glossy style without any matte inserts or corrugations makes it possible to hold the device firmly in your hands so that it does not slip out. So there is no way to do without two-handed control. Owners in their reviews have repeatedly complained about this unpleasant nuance, but for some reason the company doesn’t even want to think about any kind of texture or matte design elements for fixing in the palm.
At the top front of the Samsung Galaxy Win Duos there is a decorative speaker grille and a pair of sensors with a camera eye. Unfortunately, there are no sensors for automatically adjusting the backlight in the gadget.
The center of the bottom of the smartphone is occupied by the usual mechanical “Home” button, and backlit touch keys are located on the sides. At the end on the left side there is a volume rocker, and on the right there is a button to turn the device off/on, combined with the screen lock functionality.
At the top end we will see a classic “minijack” for a headset (3.5 mm), and at the bottom there is a hole for a microphone and a micro-USB port. The rear part of the smartphone is occupied by the main camera eye, and on the sides there is a speaker and a flash of the same shape.
The back panel is fixed very tightly - without any backlash or gaps. Users leave mixed reviews on this matter. On the one hand, it’s good that the back cover doesn’t shake like most competitors in this segment, but on the other hand, to open it, you have to use some kind of tool or have strong claws. Under the cover of the Samsung Galaxy Duos Win there is a compartment for the battery, a pair of slots for micro-SIM cards and an SD interface for external cards.
The gadget has a 4.7-inch diagonal with a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels. All this works on a TFT matrix and, oddly enough, the output picture is quite decent and has good viewing angles. But, nevertheless, for its money, the Samsung Galaxy Duos Win can be called a compromise option, where they saved a lot on the screen, which is not uncommon for this segment.
It is very inconvenient to use a smartphone outside on a sunny day. The gloss reflects the sun's rays, and the matrix cannot handle the display. Many owners, judging by the reviews, are perplexed why a gadget that has an intelligent mode (the device does not go into hibernation while the user is looking at the screen) does not have automatic brightness adjustment and the backlight intensity has to be changed manually.
Samsung Galaxy Duos Win is equipped with a very fast Qualcomm MSM8625Q processor from Snapdragon, running on four cores with a frequency of 1.2 GHz. The graphics component falls on the shoulders of the Adreno 203 series accelerator. The tandem is complemented by a good amount of RAM - 1 GB and 8 GB of internal memory. If the latter turns out to be not enough, then it can always be expanded using third-party SD cards, up to 64 GB.
The set of chipsets runs on the Android platform version 4.1.x from Jelly Bean. Today's realities dictate more stringent requirements for the OS (5.1.x "Lollipop"), but, judging by the reviews of the owners, a good half of users do not even pay attention to the platform version.
The interface works stably without any jerks, freezes or brakes. But it’s not surprising, because this set of chipsets is designed for a much higher resolution than that of the Samsung Galaxy Duos Win.
The smartphone’s performance is enough to run almost all games, but for particularly “heavy” applications you will have to reset the graphics settings to a minimum. This is due to the lack of RAM and the middle-aged Adreno video accelerator.
The device is equipped with a 5 MP main camera and a 0.3 MP front camera. The latter is suitable for communicating via some simple messenger and for making avatars. The rear camera shoots quite well and produces good shots, but only in good lighting. Among the mass of competitors, our respondent's photographic capabilities look sad.
Nevertheless, it is quite possible to take a high-quality photo series on a sunny day. In addition, the camera copes well with shooting any documents and texts - everything is visible clearly and without blurring.
The gadget received a modest-sized 2000 mAh battery, which is clearly not enough for the Android platform. A moderate load on the gadget (40 minutes of calls per day, occasional Internet, music) allows you to extend the battery life to one and a half to two days.
If you properly load the device with some high-definition movie or a “heavy” game, the battery charge will drain in three to four hours. In general, owners speak well of the autonomous capabilities of the smartphone, because most users are accustomed to the Android brethren constantly asking to be plugged in.
Competition in this price segment (less than 10,000 rubles) is very high. Finding a gadget with similar parameters for yourself is not so difficult. Among the closest competitors are the One X model from NTS, Xperia SP from Sony and Optimus L9 from LG. The first two options are a little more interesting in terms of screen and performance, but more expensive, and the last one is completely identical in terms of available characteristics.
Brands of category “B” are also not asleep. Here we have Xenium W8510 from Philips, IdeaPhone S820 from Lenovo and Fly IQ4412. As we can see, our respondent has plenty of competitors. It is very difficult to single out just one, as well as to identify the obvious pros or cons of a particular model. It's all a matter of preference here. If you like “Koreans” - welcome to the Samsung shelf; if you like “Taiwanese” or “Japanese” - NTS and Sony will always have analogues.
In general, the Galaxy Duos Win smartphone was a success. For its price category it is quite competitive, and you can close your eyes to the existing shortcomings by looking at the price tag. And for overly demanding users, there are flagships and the premium segment.
Great model
The advantages of the Android 4.1.2 phone are, accordingly, all the advantages of Android and Google services. 2 SIM cards. The price/quality ratio is excellent. Disadvantages of the phone: Not as fast as say S3 (this is more of a nitpick). Has 1 radio module* (not critical). Doesn't hold much charge (I always have mobile data turned on = internet, I communicate via instant messengers, periodically listen to music and talk on the phone - in the end I need to recharge 1-2 times a day!!) I think that without the internet and moderate use you can stretch it out for longer time, but I doubt that it will last even 2 days.
Comment about the phone:
I was looking for a Samsung to suit my needs (2 SIM cards, Android, modern, not expensive) and settled on this (and there isn’t much choice in this category under 10 thousand rubles). In the end I am very pleased. But it’s worth explaining about the radio module. SIM card No. 1 is used for the Internet. SIM card No. 2 for calls and SMS. The phone calmly receives everything on both SIM cards, but, say, during a conversation on SIM card No. 2, the radio module will be continuously busy and the transmission of Internet data on SIM card No. 1 will be stopped at this time. Which, in fact, during operation is not at all critical, and in fact is even effective for battery consumption.
Good model
Use experience: more than a year
Advantages of the phone 1) 2 sim (In my opinion, the best 2-sim solution at the moment).
2) Sufficient screen size (not as small as on the 4-inch brothers, but not a “shovel” like the 5-inch Galaxy Grand).
3) Fast 4-core processor (however, sometimes it freezes when entering standby mode and when loading a phone or address book, which is a little annoying).
4) Ergonomics, see point 2.
5) The quality of materials and workmanship is very good! True, “smears” from fingers very quickly remain on the screen, but this is the fate of touchscreen phones... By the way, one of the corners of the lid does play by a fraction of a millimeter, but this is not annoying, because it does not crunch or creak during a conversation.
6) The quality of the conversational speaker is quite good. The volume is even enough for a conversation on the subway (however, the network is not enough for this). Disadvantages of the phone: 1) Battery!!! In standby mode the next day there is still something left, but once you start using it... The battery “melts” before your eyes... By the end of the day you are already frantically looking for an outlet. Yes, the TFT screen with such dimensions has a fair amount of power consumption, but I didn’t think it would be that much. At the same time, the battery has adequate capacity - 2000 mAh.
2) Impossibility of transferring applications to an SD card using standard means. It is quite strange to receive messages about insufficient memory (when trying to install an application from the market for several MB) when there are almost 0.5 GB free.
3) It’s almost impossible to work in the bright sun (the screen fades completely)... Eh, who would compete with the screen of the Blackberry Bold, which doesn’t care about the sun... It lies there, handsome, pleasing to the eye).
4) TELE 2 and Beeline installed. At first there were glitches with the fact that people could not get through by phone when the reception was full and SMS notifications arrived, but then everything got better. Maybe it was an operator glitch, maybe the forwarding was set up crookedly...
5) Yes, I almost forgot, micro-Sim. Unfortunately, so far only a few models support this format, so if you suddenly need to quickly move the SIM card to another device, then alas.
This is another smartphone from the company that will take its rightful place in its niche. The device was shown in April 2013 and is available in two versions - one (GT-I8550) and two (GT-I8552) SIM cards.
The smartphone looks quite typical and it seems that it is a Galaxy Ace Duos S6802, only with a larger screen. The dimensions of the Galaxy Win are 133.3 x 70.7 x 9.7 mm, and the screen size is 4.7 inches. The plastic on the body is glossy and looks quite typical, nothing more.
It’s worth noting right away that the smartphone is powerful. Galaxy Win is powered by a Qualcomm MSM8625Q Snapdragon 200 processor, which means it has four cores with a frequency of 1.2 GHz (Cortex A5 architecture) and an Adreno 203 GPU. The amount of RAM is 1 GB and the built-in memory is 8 GB.
As for the screen, it is quite simple and has a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels. The matrix has a size of 4.7 inches and is made using TFT technology. With this ratio of size and resolution, the pixel density is of course quite low - approximately 199 ppi. But this is not a top-end device, but rather a niche option competing with Chinese clones. Finally, it is also worth mentioning a fairly powerful battery with a capacity of 200 mAh.
Video: unpacking a smartphone
The camera is also typical for devices of this level. It has five megapixels and is capable of taking pictures with a resolution of up to 2592x1944 pixels, as well as recording 720p video. The operating system out of the box is Android 4.1.2.
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Your mark:
And still, while you are looking for “that very” model that will suit you perfectly, this review may be useful to you. I will tell you about an affordable smartphone that can do almost everything - Samsung Galaxy Win GT-I8552.
Specifications of Samsung Galaxy Win GT-I8552:
Screen: 4.7″, touch, TFT, 480x800, 199 pixels per inch
CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8625Q 1.2 GHz (4 cores)
Graphic arts: Adreno 203
RAM: 1 GB
Permanent memory: 8 GB + support for microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC memory cards up to 64 GB
Cameras: main 5 MP, LED flash, autofocus, video resolution up to 720x480 30 fps + front, 0.3 MP
Connection: GSM 900/1800/1900, 3G, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 3.0+HS, A-GPS, GPS, GLONASS
Operating system: Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
Format support: MPEG4, H.263, H.264, WMV, MP3, AAC, WAV, WMA
SIM card: micro SIM, dual SIM support
Connectors: microUSB, headphone and 3.5 mm headset port
Battery: lithium-ion, 2000 mAh, talk time - up to 11 hours, video - up to 8 hours, audio - up to 26 hours, Internet via 3G - up to 7 hours, via Wi-Fi - up to 9 hours, standby time - up to 210 hours
Additionally: synchronization with a computer, can be used as a USB flash drive, accelerometer, geomagnetic sensor, presence sensor
Dimensions: 7.07 x 13.3 x 0.96 cm
Weight: 143 g
Price: 9,000 rub. (at the time of publication)
Personally, I see only one drawback here - the screen resolution is not very high. Otherwise, it’s an excellent smartphone for the money.
Appearance, quality of materials
In a nice box you can find the smartphone itself, various leaflets from Samsung - brief instructions, warranty card, etc., a USB-microUSB cable and a wired headset, which for some reason was not in my box.
The 4.7-inch size is perhaps the last frontier for a smartphone to remain a smartphone and not look more like a small tablet. In this regard, the Samsung Galaxy Win GT-I8552 is ideal - it fits comfortably in the hand:
This is how it looks next to my old Nokia 3.2 inches - a real giant:
And so - with the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 tablet (you can also read it):
Externally, the smartphone does not look like its price at all - on the contrary, it looks like a high-quality and expensive device:
The case is white, glossy, the coating does not allow it to easily slip out of your hand.
The ends of the Samsung Galaxy Win GT-I8552 have a glossy edging that may peel off in the future.
However, if you handle your smartphone carefully, this will not happen. After several months of use, the edging remained the same as when I purchased it.
The body is well made and feels sturdy and durable despite being made of plastic. Fingerprints do not remain on the white background, but the screen gets dirty instantly. So carry a microfiber cloth in your pocket just in case.
The smartphone has already been dropped a couple of times - there are no scratches left on the body, which confirms its durability. But it’s better, of course, not to follow my example and not drop this device, otherwise you never know what will happen.
At the bottom you can see the microUSB connector and built-in microphone:
At the top there is a slot for connecting headphones and a headset:
On the right is the volume button:
On the left is the on/off key:
Display
At the beginning of the review, I identified the display of the Samsung Galaxy Win GT-I8552 as the weakest point of the smartphone. However, if you pick it up in person and directly evaluate its quality, you will probably be pleasantly surprised. Despite the not very high resolution (480x800) for such dimensions (4.7″), the screen shows clear pictures, vibrant (non-acidic) colors and is generally very pleasing to the eye. The viewing angles are great.
Of course, the screen is too small for the Internet, so the pages have to be scaled. But if you use special mobile applications or website versions, then everything looks more than decent. This is what Wikipedia looks like, for example.
And so - VKontakte.
So it will be very convenient to use many services.
And, of course, you can watch videos and even full-length films on this smartphone. It’s more convenient to do this on a big screen, but if you’re on the road, this will do.
But for reading, this smartphone is almost ideal - its screen is enough to accommodate a page with a comfortable font size for reading.
On the street, you can normally use the device only in the shade; in the sun it is very difficult to see.
Virtual keyboard
The native virtual keyboard of the Samsung Galaxy Win GT-I8552 disappointed me - typing on it is not very convenient, especially for those with large fingers. With a vertical screen orientation, I find these tiny letters with great difficulty.
In a horizontal position, the situation becomes a little better, but then the useful screen area suffers, of which there is very little left.
Of course, you can install another, more convenient keyboard here, but I won’t recommend specific applications now, since there are a lot of reviews about them on the Internet, and what one person likes, another may not like. So the choice is entirely yours.
Calls
As you remember, the Samsung Galaxy Win GT-I8552 has support for two SIM cards, and calls from the second can be received even when you are talking on the first. Unfortunately, I was not able to fully test the possibilities of using two cards, since I only have one number. But user reviews say that everything works just fine.
Now regarding the calls themselves. The dialing screen offers large numbers, which is of course a big plus - you will never miss. You can place speed dial numbers on any of the desktops, and then the call will be made by simply clicking on the icon. The speaker of the smartphone is large, I can hear the interlocutor perfectly well, and they can hear me. Even in a noisy environment, audibility is normal.
Internet
Here you can access the Internet via GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA/HSUPA and a Wi-Fi module. The latter is detected at a fairly long distance, unlike my tablet, on which the signal disappears when leaving the house.
The quality of communication through other modules depends solely on your provider.
Sound
The Samsung Galaxy Win GT-I8552 speaker is located on the back cover, so it can be easily covered. Its quality is quite average, especially at high volumes. But in the headphones the sound is simply excellent.
The ringer volume is decent, but in a noisy environment there is more hope for a vibration alert, because the sound alert is almost inaudible.
Performance
Inside the smartphone is a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8625Q processor clocked at 1.2 GHz. Despite its four cores, the processor, frankly speaking, is not the fastest. There is 1 GB of RAM (gold standard), and the graphics accelerator is Adreno 203.
However, during normal operation you will not notice any slowdowns - the Samsung Galaxy Win GT-I8552 simply flies. But when you launch a large number of applications, everything is no longer so rosy. So don’t forget to remove unnecessary ones from the list of working ones.
AnTuTu test:
During tests, the smartphone warmed up slightly at the top. It stays cool during normal operation.
Videos play smoothly even if they are in high definition. Most popular games also do not slow down. Of course, a smartphone will not be able to handle powerful games, since it is not suitable for this, and therefore for those who like to play something resource-intensive on the way to work, I advise you to choose a smartphone that is more expensive and more productive. Fortunately, such games are still in the minority.
Software
As always on Samsung devices, the Galaxy Win GT-I8552 comes with the TouchWiz shell - an excellent addition to the Android operating system. As many as six desktops, a reasonable number of pre-installed programs, flexible settings - everything you need to make working on your smartphone convenient.
Lock screen:
Of the built-in applications, I only use the browser.
You can always enlarge the image with your fingers:
My mail is from mail.ru - it seems to me more convenient to use on such a screen.
By the way, this smartphone also has a couple of proprietary functions. So, if you shake your smartphone, you will start updating the screen, if you turn it over during a call, it will go into silent mode, and a new missed event will announce itself when you pick up the smartphone - a short vibration signal will sound.
Cameras
The resolution of the front camera is only 0.3 megapixels, so the photos taken by it are a complete disappointment. But for video calls this will do, especially for those who do not have the fastest Internet.
The main camera has a resolution of 5 MP and shoots surprisingly well. There is autofocus and flash.
You can shoot like at home:
So it is on the street:
The pictures turn out to be quite high quality if you set the resolution higher. Those higher are 1600x900. This is 2560x1920.
Kote approves of the camera.
And this is how the video turns out. Usually the videos in the reviews show a panorama of the streets, but I offer you a cyber cat that selflessly licks the power cable of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 tablet.
Battery
Since the Samsung Galaxy Win GT-I8552 is not the most productive smartphone, it lasts quite a long time on a single battery charge. I don't use it all day, but I occasionally pick it up to write a note, add an appointment to my calendar, check my email, post a photo on Instagram. Calls no more than 10 minutes a day. In this mode, my smartphone works for several days. Of course, if you don't let it out of your hands, it will last much less, but I think it will certainly survive your working day.
So what's the result?
Samsung Galaxy Win GT-I8552 can be an excellent tool both at work and during leisure. It's fast, has a long battery life, and looks more expensive than it actually costs. Excellent value for money gives me the opportunity to recommend it for purchase to those who are not chasing extra pixels on the screen, but who need a good device for calls, work and entertainment.
Fine:
— cost less than 10 thousand rubles.
- bright colorful screen
- fast work
- good battery life
- excellent appearance
- high build quality
Badly:
- relatively low screen resolution
— the display instantly becomes stained with fingerprints
Win Duos has pretty good characteristics. The main advantage of the model is considered to be a high-quality touch screen. The picture on it looks very colorful. If we talk about the general parameters of the device, it should be noted that the device has 1 GB of RAM.
In this case there is a slot for a memory card. The resolution of this model is 480 by 800 pixels. The eight-core processor can boast a frequency of 1.2 GHz. The dimensions of the device are as follows: length - 133.3 mm, width - 70.7 mm, thickness - 9.65 mm. How much does Samsung Galaxy Win Duos cost? The price of the device is about 9,300 rubles.
The processor in the specified smartphone is located near the chip. The performance of this phone is quite high due to the use of a high-quality modulator. Additionally, the smartphone has a selector for signal transmission. It is located near the diode bridge. The converter in the smartphone is of the single-pole type, so the Samsung Galaxy Win Duos has good characteristics.
The phone gets good reviews for its thyristor unit. If you believe the opinion of experts, then it is of a multifunctional type and allows you to solve many problems at the same time. The model's traverses are installed on three outputs, and there is no capacitor in them, so in the case of the Samsung Galaxy Win Duos the price is 9,300 rubles. quite justified.
This smartphone allows you to communicate comfortably and also send SMS. Internet it supports all formats. In this case, the signal is caught quite quickly. If necessary, the owner can move the tabs. For Bluetooth, the Samsung Galaxy Win Duos phone receives mostly good reviews. You can exchange large files with friends very easily using it.
Messages can also be sent with objects. Additionally, there is an option to insert a symbol. The model has an intelligent input system. If you believe the opinions of customers, the menu in this phone is simple and clear.
The camera in the presented device is highly bright. The function of switching to video in this case is provided. The microphone can be turned off if necessary. The user can adjust the contrast through the effects tab. Additionally, the owner has the opportunity to choose where to save the images. Photosensitivity parameters are set through the general camera settings. The device provides fourfold magnification. There is a function for stabilizing shooting boundaries.
Samsung Galaxy Win Duos smartphones receive a wide variety of reviews for their cameras. If we consider the positive comments, it is important to note the convenient menu. The owners also appreciated the camera's high contrast setting. It's great for portraits, and the recognition function works great. When you zoom in on the image, blur appears on the display quite rarely. The camera can't handle a lot of shaking. Another disadvantage is the weak microphone in the smartphone. According to the owners, the sound is written very quietly. If the wind blows while shooting, the voice is practically inaudible.
Galaxy Duos Win comes with not only a charger and instructions, but also high-quality headphones. If you believe consumer reviews, their sound is excellent. The headphones can last a long time. Unfortunately, there is no USB cable included. To protect the Samsung Galaxy Win Duos, you will have to select a case yourself.
Setting a ringtone for a call is quite easy. This is done through the main menu of the device. Contact information can be supplemented if necessary. The sounds of clicks on the display can be adjusted. Information on the SIM card is indicated in the device tab. The device has a memory clearing function. The model’s recipient search option deserves special attention.
If you believe customer reviews, it’s very easy to create local groups on your phone. The modes of the model are viewed through the device tab. In order to change the vibration strength, you will have to go to the main menu of the device.
The calculator in Duos Win is quite good. If you believe consumer reviews, it almost never freezes. The model's stopwatch is used with different modes. The device also has a timer. Additionally, in the organizer tab, the owner can use the alarm clock. Ringtones for it can be downloaded from a memory card.
The calendar in the smartphone is very convenient. You can create notes using it through the settings. The calendar also allows you to celebrate birthdays. With its help, planning your affairs in advance is easy and quick.
Among the interesting Duos Win applications, we should note a high-quality program for testing the device. It can perform scanning in a matter of minutes. At the same time, the program shows the processor load. Additionally, to increase productivity, the owner can use the Astro application. This file manager is designed to display running system commands.
Among the games there are many arcade games. The model's text editor is Google Docs. The system supports all major formats. To listen to music, “Player Pro” is installed on the device. This smartphone is also notable for its Apdeco application. This program allows you to select a beautiful screensaver for your screen. In this case, all the pictures are divided into categories, so the search is quite simple.
If the performance parameter decreases, many advise flashing the Samsung Galaxy Duos Win smartphone. You can do this in a workshop or yourself. To flash the device firmware, you will first need a PC. Additionally, you need to take a USB cable from the kit. The firmware program is used by Odin. However, some advise using "Rum Manager".
If we consider the first option, then the firmware is completed quite quickly. In this case, you can start the process through the starting tab. After this, you will have to wait for the system files to be updated. If we talk about the Rom Manager program, then before it starts, the device is defragmented. The firmware will take no more than 20 minutes.
Considering all of the above, we can say that this smartphone is worth the money. For the average buyer, this model is suitable in almost all respects. It doesn't have a lot of RAM, but it has enough advantages.
The camera on the device is quite decent. If necessary, you can always listen to music using a media player. In order to have fun, the device has many games. In any case, there is a lot to love about this smartphone.
