Samsung launches Galaxy Core Plus with curious step backwards in specs

[wraggster]

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/11/samsung-galaxy-core-plus-taiwan.jpg (http://www.engadget.com/2013/11/13/samsung-launches-galaxy-core-plus/)When is a smartphone upgrade not an upgrade? When it's the Samsung Galaxy Core Plus (http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=zh-CN&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.samsung.com%2Ftw%2Fconsumer%2Fm obile-phones%2Fmobile-phones%2Fsmart-phone%2FSM-G3500ZWABRI%3Fsubsubtype%3Dandroid), which has quietly launched in Taiwan. Although it does use Android 4.2 where the original Galaxy Core (http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/06/samsung-galaxy-core/) ran 4.1, it's carrying just 768MB of RAM and 4GB of expandable storage -- both steps down from the 1GB of RAM and 8GB of space inside its months-old predecessor. Android Beat speculates (http://www.androidbeat.com/2013/11/samsung-silently-launches-galaxy-core-plus/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter) that Samsung is maximizing its production efficiency with the downgrade; it may be using the same 768MB RAM chips that it also makes for high-end devices like the Galaxy Note 3 (http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/30/samsung-galaxy-note-3-review/). Whether or not that's true, it's clear that not much else has changed. The Plus still includes a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, a 4.3-inch 800 x 480 screen, a 5-megapixel rear camera and a front VGA shooter. While the new handset is relatively cheap at NT$ 7,990 ($270 US) off-contract, we'd rather hunt around for a used example of its older, more advanced sibling.

http://www.engadget.com/2013/11/13/samsung-launches-galaxy-core-plus/