Since it's a little known phone, and there are very few people who own it on TD, and even lesser posts about it, I thought it might be good to make one.
I've recently bought it from a local shop, and I'm loving every bit of it. Original MRP is around 22k I think. Online stores like Flipkart and official Samsung stores are selling it for around 19k. If you have a known vendor or dealer, you should be able to get it at around 18k. I got it for 18,540.
First of all, the device has NOT been discontinued, just like Motorola hasn't been discontinued. Shopkeepers don't keep stock of models that don't sell well, which is fair enough. But, no matter where you're from, they will ALWAYS say that the little known phone is "OUT OF STOCK". But it's NOT.
Coming back to the phone, I did hear of rumours online that it had network issues and battery problems. But I went ahead and bought the phone anyway. They turned out to be true
. The most common issue, which I faced including many others, is that it's very difficult to call or sms when using it in dual network mode (GSM/HSDPA). The network bars will stay full, and yet the phone will act like there is no network. Simple solution - use in GSM only mode. Since I had no plans for using 3G anyway, costly as it is, I was fine with it.
But being the tinkerer that I am, I researched about it a LOT. Turns out, the latest Indian firmware (DDLI1) is old and buggy. The latest one called XXLE2 is only released in foreign countries as of now. I flashed it on my phone, and it's working well in dual mode too Best part- flashing different firmware doesn't void the warranty, so even if you do brick it (even though it's very unlikely since the process is easy peasy) you needn't worry about services or replacements. Plus, JB is also coming soon. Fingers crossed 
So, the phone is as good as it's on paper. It's like a cheaper GS2 with the same GPU. The visuals are awesome, and the laptop I'm writing this review on doesn't compare to it either. And that's saying something
Zippy as expected, running emulators for n64, gba, Playstation not a problem either. Good battery so far, but it's very new, so can't predict much. Using it on lowest possible brightness, which is still more than enough, another plus. 11 GB inbuilt memory FTW! Decent camera (5mp back, 1.3mp front). Only possible negative-camera can't zoom 
Not that big a problem, since third party apps are better anyway. Would probably get resolved when JB rolls out.
All in all, an excellent buy for me. Competition pales in front of it, the closest one being HTC Desire X. But it has it's own issues, is still new, has smaller screen, and doesn't even have a front camera. Plus, it's costlier. 'Nuff said
Questions and queries are welcome.
I've recently bought it from a local shop, and I'm loving every bit of it. Original MRP is around 22k I think. Online stores like Flipkart and official Samsung stores are selling it for around 19k. If you have a known vendor or dealer, you should be able to get it at around 18k. I got it for 18,540.
First of all, the device has NOT been discontinued, just like Motorola hasn't been discontinued. Shopkeepers don't keep stock of models that don't sell well, which is fair enough. But, no matter where you're from, they will ALWAYS say that the little known phone is "OUT OF STOCK". But it's NOT.
Coming back to the phone, I did hear of rumours online that it had network issues and battery problems. But I went ahead and bought the phone anyway. They turned out to be true
. The most common issue, which I faced including many others, is that it's very difficult to call or sms when using it in dual network mode (GSM/HSDPA). The network bars will stay full, and yet the phone will act like there is no network. Simple solution - use in GSM only mode. Since I had no plans for using 3G anyway, costly as it is, I was fine with it.But being the tinkerer that I am, I researched about it a LOT. Turns out, the latest Indian firmware (DDLI1) is old and buggy. The latest one called XXLE2 is only released in foreign countries as of now. I flashed it on my phone, and it's working well in dual mode too
Best part- flashing different firmware doesn't void the warranty, so even if you do brick it (even though it's very unlikely since the process is easy peasy) you needn't worry about services or replacements. Plus, JB is also coming soon. Fingers crossed So, the phone is as good as it's on paper. It's like a cheaper GS2 with the same GPU. The visuals are awesome, and the laptop I'm writing this review on doesn't compare to it either. And that's saying something
Zippy as expected, running emulators for n64, gba, Playstation not a problem either. Good battery so far, but it's very new, so can't predict much. Using it on lowest possible brightness, which is still more than enough, another plus. 11 GB inbuilt memory FTW! Decent camera (5mp back, 1.3mp front). Only possible negative-camera can't zoom Not that big a problem, since third party apps are better anyway. Would probably get resolved when JB rolls out.All in all, an excellent buy for me. Competition pales in front of it, the closest one being HTC Desire X. But it has it's own issues, is still new, has smaller screen, and doesn't even have a front camera. Plus, it's costlier. 'Nuff said
Questions and queries are welcome.
