Samsung has always neglected to add a feature or two on its budget-level J series of smartphones. While some of the previous devices in the lineup missed out on functions like capacitive buttons for navigation or a couple of sensors, you wouldn’t expect something like a mere internet connection to be stripped out of a phone of this era. Yes, you read that right. Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy J2 Pro which is a dumb-phone more than a smartphone or maybe a glorified feature phone to be precise.
If you thought Pro variants of budget smartphones couldn’t disappoint more, you’d be in for a surprise. While being decently configured for a modern-day cheap Android phone, Samsung is promoting the J2 Pro with the lack of access to the internet as its special feature. Forget connecting to 4G or 3G, the J2 Pro won’t even connect to your home WiFi network and can only be used for texts and phone calls.
On paper, Samsung has powered the device with a 1.4GHz Processor with 1.5GB of RAM and 16GB of onboard storage which might have well passed for a smartphone in the budget segment. The 5-inch ‘smart’phone does feature an 8-megapixel rear camera along with a 5-megapixel front snapper in case users get tired of staring at the screen for long.
The South Korean giant has made the Galaxy J2 Pro available in its home country for $190 (approx. Rs 12,400) and has made no official announcements about the launching the same in other markets including India. The company intends to sell the device for students and the elderly who can make do without the Internet and its functions. The device can also be considered as detox phone for users who want to minimize the time they spend on their smartphone on a daily basis.
But there’s one thing you might be forgetting. If a buyer is determined to pay as much money as they’d be paying for a regular smartphone in this price bracket, why would they not just try living without the internet with the same amount of determination? Of course, it’d be a good option for a parent who doesn’t want their kids to be wasting their time on the web when an exam is around the corner but the price of the same doesn’t really justify for itself since all Samsung has done with it is remove components from an otherwise regular smartphone.
However, Samsung has also clarified that students who buy the Galaxy J2 pro now and clear the CSATs in 2019/20 will be able to get huge discounts when they buy an S, Note or A series Galaxy phone while joining college.