Samsung’s not to be associated with cheap and cheerful devices, at least not in recent years. The budget segment is a slice of the pie it’s happy not to dwell too much in. We’re talking about a market leader who’s successfully moved into the premium end of the market, alongside Apple. Why bother with the bargain bin, right?
Well, as it goes, the entry-level and mid-range are keenly-contested segments, and substantial enough not to be ignored. Besides, as seen with affordable phones nowadays, they don’t have to look cheap nor come with crap hardware.
That said, Samsung has unleashed four new accessible models – Galaxy J4 (2018), Galaxy J6 (2018), Galaxy A6 (2018) and Galaxy A6+(2018) – hardly bottom barrel material.
Galaxy J4 (2018)
The most wallet-friendly of the new crop is the Galaxy J4 (2018). It rocks a 5.5-inch HD Super AMOLED display and is powered by a quad-core 1.4GHz chip mated to 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. It gets a basic 13MP f/1.9 main shooter and a front-facing 5MP f/2.2 unit that comes with a front LED flash.
Nowadays uncommon, the Galaxy J4 comes with a removable 3,000mAh battery that charges up via micro-USB.
It runs Android 8.0 Oreo out-of-the-box and is available in Black, Purple and Gold.
The Galaxy J4 retails for a super affordable price of MYR599.
Galaxy J6 (2018)
Next up is the Galaxy J6 (2018) which is the cheapest Samsung model with an Infinity Display. While you’ll be settling for HD+ (720×1480) resolution, it’s still an edge-to-edge Super AMOLED screen that spans 5.6 inches.
It’s powered by a more powerful octa-core 1.6GHz Exynos 7870 chip, coupled with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. There’s microSD expansion, in case you hit storage limits.
In the optics department, the device packs a 13MP and 8MP front and rear shooters respectively, both with f/1.9 aperture lenses.
It has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and a 3,000mAh battery that charges via micro-USB.
The Galaxy J6 retails for MYR799 and comes in Black, Purple and Gold colour option.
Galaxy A6 (2018)
Moving up the ranks is the Galaxy A6 (2018), which also features a 5.6-inch HD+ Super AMOLED Infinity Display.
It’s served by the Exynos 7870 octa-core processor, mated to 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. It features a familiar 3,000mAh battery that charges via micro-USB.
Styling-wise, it’s more Galaxy S9 than J, featuring a better built all-metal body with distinct antenna lines. It comes in Black, Blue and Gold colour options.
In terms of cameras, the Galaxy A6 rocks a 16MP f/1.7 single main shooter and a front-facing 16MP f/1.9 camera.
The Galaxy A6 can be yours for MYR1,099.
Galaxy A6+ (2018)
At the top of the food chain is the Galaxy A6+ (2018), for those who need a bigger and higher resolution display. The device features a 6-inch FHD+ (1080×2220) Super AMOLED display, lifted from the Galaxy A8+.
Oddly, the Galaxy A6+ ditches Samsung’s own Exynos for a Snapdragon 450 running at 1.8GHz. It gets 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage which is expandable further via microSD.
The Galaxy A6+ is the only one of the lot that boasts a dual-camera system. The rear houses a 16MP f/1.7 and 5MP f/1.9 combo that enables bokehlicious shots with Live Focus.
The front rocks a 24MP f/1.9 selfie shooter, the biggest selfie camera on any Samsung device.
The device comes with a 3,500mAh battery that charges up via micro-USB.
Unfortunately, it lacks IP68 dust- and water-resistance and NFC unlike its more premium Galaxy A8 and A8+ siblings.
It does however have Always on Display, which is a handy feature to have.
The Galaxy A6+ comes in at MYR1,399.
Exclusive deals for the new Galaxy A & J series
As mentioned in a previous post, every purchase of the new Galaxy A and J series from now until 31 May, you’re entitled to get a 6% discount off retail price. That’s not all, you’ll also get a PETRONAS Gift Card worth MYR20.
For more information, visit www.samsung.com/my/smartphones/
