Samsung Galaxy Trend II: It’s the GS3 Mini, but with an inferior camera module

BY Stefan Constantinescu

Published 5 Apr 2013

Another day, another Samsung Galaxy. This time it’s the Galaxy Trend II. I never even knew there was a Trend I, no I feel a little ignorant right now.

Anyway, what’s this phone all about?

It looks like the GS3 Mini, the 4 inch version of the GS3, except that the 5 megapixel camera module in the Mini has been swapped out for a 3 megapixel sensor. Other than that, it’s the same 4 inch 800 x 480 pixel resolution display, a slightly faster dual core processor (1.2 GHz versus 1.0 GHz), and for now it looks like the Trend II will never leave China.

Why does this thing exist? I can’t remember where I read this, but it was something to the tune of “Consumers in China are incredibly cost conscious”. Unlike Europe or America, where an extra 50 EUR/USD isn’t seen as a lot of money, in China it’s a big deal. So if the Trend II is just a hair cheaper than the GS3 Mini, then it’ll sell better.

Granted, I would rather Samsung have just one small “flagship” phone on offer, but that’s not how the company works. They’re in a position to create a million billion variants, just like Nokia was back in their prime. Will Samsung suffer the same fate as Nokia though?

It’s a crazy thought, but then again crazier things have happened.

Update: I’m willing to bet that the Trend II has an LCD instead of an AMOLED display, but that’s just speculation on my part.