The Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime was officially announced recently with it's most notable feature being a 5MP wide-angle front camera. Designed for the selfie taking user, especially those who like group selfies other tech specs include a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 1GB RAM, 8GB storage, 5-inch display with 540 x 960 pixel resolution and 2600 mAh battery. Measuring in at 144.8 x 72.1 x 8.6mm and weighing 156g, the smartphone also packs in Android 4.4 KitKat. While there is still no Malaysia release date or pricing, it is priced about $250 (RM820) in India and should come here soon considering how many people love taking selfies and group selfies in Malaysia.

The Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 is finally available officially in Malaysia. Announced back in 2013, it is an update to the earlier Samsung Galaxy Grand and features a larger 5.25-inch display, better processor and tech specs along with an artificial leather backside. Notable tech specs and features include a 1.2gHZ quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor, 1.5GB of RAM, 8GB storage, *MP rear camera, 1.9MP front camera and dual-SIM support. While there is a version that offers 4G LTE support, the Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 released here does not have 4G LTE. At 163g and 8.95mm thin, the Galaxy Grand 2 is somewhat in the phablet range, complete with 2600 mAh battery. Samsung Malaysia are setting it's retail price at RM1199 but there are already sellers offering it from RM1085. Prices may vary depending on the retailer but it should be available at most Malaysia retailers.

While there isn't any official announcement just yet, Samsung has officially listed the Samsung Galaxy Grand Neo or GT-I9060 on the main website. Based on the Samsung Galaxy Grand 2, the Galaxy Grand Neo is placed in between the Galaxy Grand 2 and the Samsung Galaxy Grand. The variant offers tech specs which include a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, a 5-inch display with 480 x 800 pixel resolution, a 5MP rear camera with LED flash and autofocus, a VGA front camera and 2100 mAh battery. The smartphone will support HSPA+, WiFi, DLNA, Bluetooth 4 LE and weigh in at 163g. Other features include colours which include black, lime green, orange and white but there isn't any Malaysia pricing or release dates at this time. Initial estimates have it coming by the end of Q1 2014 though.

We've already covered the rumours about a more affordable version of the Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 which could be called the Samsung Galaxy Grand Neo or Samsung Galaxy Grand Lite, but some leaked documents have revealed what could be the real name of the new smartphone model. The leaked documents look to be internal Samsung documentation and reveal that this smartphone could be called the Samsung Galaxy Grand Neo. The document also revealed tech specs which include a 1.2GHz quad-core A7 chipset, 1GB RAM, 5-inch TFT PLS (confirming earlier PLS display rumours) display with 800 x 480 pixel resolution, 5MP rear camera with LED flash, VGA front camera, 8GB worth of storage and a 2100 mAh battery. The smartphone will feature microSD support along with Bluetooth 4.0, 3G, WiFi, microUSB and GPS with GLONASS. Pricing for the Samsung Galaxy Grand Neo is expected to be 299 Euro (RM1337) which should slot it in nicely between the Samsung Galaxy Grand and Samsung Galaxy Grand 2. No exact Malaysia release dates were available but it should be soon with this level of internal documentation.

Apart from the other rumoured Samsung Galaxy Grand Lite it appears that there could be another version coming as well called the Samsung Galaxy Grand Neo. Tech specs for this version could include a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, a 5-inch display and Android 4.3. The design is likely to follow the Samsung Galaxy Grand 2. While this could be just another name for the Galaxy Grand Lite it could be a slightly upper scale version (better screen, camera, etc) or it could be priced higher or targeted for a specific country or market. Unfortunately, there isn't any news on how much it might cost or any Malaysia release dates just yet. Stay tuned and we'll keep you posted.

The Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 continued the large but budget smartphone trend when it was released but fearing that the price for it may have been a bit too high, Samsung quickly came out with the Samsung Galaxy Grand Lite. Now, the Galaxy Grand Lite has yet to be officially announced, and is expected to be revealed at MWC 2014, but it has already passed the FCC in the US. This basically confirms it's existance along with it's model number which will be the GT-I9060. Unfortunately, the FCC isn't as revealing as Tenaa in China with the only other tech specs to be revealed being a 2100 mAh battery and the ability to connect via WiFi and Bluetooth.

When the Samsung Galaxy Grand first came out, it offered users a mid-range smartphone with average processor and a big but rather low resolution screen. Nearing the end of 2013, Samsung have officially announced the Galaxy Grand 2 which not only packs in a better processor but also a marginally bigger screen. This time around the Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 packs in a 5.25-inch screen with a bit more respectable resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. In terms of looks it now has a plastic artificial leather-like backing just like the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. Other tech specs and features have also received an upgrade with a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 1.5GB RAM, 8GB storage with up to 64GB microSD support, an 8MP AF rear camera with LED flash, a 1.9MP front camera and a much larger 2600 mAh battery. No 4G LTE support but it does have a GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, dual-SIM and a couple of S applications like S Health and S Translator. The Grand 2 measures in at 146.9 x 75.3 x 8.9mm and 163g. It should come running Android 4.3 in black, pink or white. No news about Malaysia release dates or pricing but we expect the Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 to come soon.

Released around the time when Samsung was building up the hype for their Samsung Galaxy S4 flagship smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy Grand is an entry-level to mid-range smartphone with a relatively large 5-inch screen. Designed for those on a budget, the smartphone has less features than some of the other Samsung models but offers some good basic performance with a large screen. For some people this is more than enough. Read on to see if one of these people is you.

Design

Since it was released around the time when the Samsung Galaxy SIII was still relevant, the Samsung Galaxy Grand looks just like a larger version of the former flagship smartphone. While it does pack a larger 5-inch screen the resolution is just 480 x 800 pixels for a rather low 187 ppi pixel density. You can still watch HD videos on it with reasonable viewing angles, but details are definitely less sharp compared to similarly sized screens with higher resolution. Build quality is good, if a bit plastic and a little slippery, as the backplate doesn't have the same patterned look and feel as the Samsung Galaxy SIII. Due to the larger screen size, it does weigh in a bit heavier at 162g but it should fit well for those with larger hands. The buttons are also larger while the icons on the interface are about tablet sized.

BlackBerry devices have always been at a premium price, which could explain why they don't sell very well, especially for the midrange user. The newly released BlackBerry Q5 changes all that by not only offering a midrange device but also offering it at a retail price of RM1299. At this pricing, it is just a little bit more than the Samsung Galaxy Grand but do the tech specs match up as well? Check out the tech specs for the BlackBerry Q5 below:

• 3.1-inch LCD display (720x720, IPS, 328ppi)
• 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor
• 2GB RAM
• 5MP rear camera (1080p) + 2MP front camera (720p)
• 8GB storage expandable up to 32GB
• Supports NFC + LTE
• 2180 mAh battery
• red, white, black

It hasn't been more than 2 months and already the Samsung Galaxy S4 i9500 is getting a significant price cut from RM2199 to RM1850 for a total deduction of RM349 for the 16GB version. Samsung have also slashed the Galaxy Note II price down from RM1999 to RM1680. A quick glance at other retailers have the Samsung Galaxy S III retailing at RM1380 from RM1699 and the Samsung Galaxy Grand at RM1040 from RM1299. Even the more recnet Samsung Galaxy S4 4G LTE version with 32GB storage is set to get a price cut from RM2499 to RM2299. All of these models and prices are listed below:

• Samsung Galaxy S4 (I9500): RM1850 (Previously RM2199)
• Samsung Galaxy S4 (I9505): RM2299 (Previously RM2499)
• Samsung Galaxy Note II: RM1680 (Previously RM1999)
• Samsung Galaxy S III: RM1380 (Previously RM1699)
• Samsung Galaxy Grand: RM1040 (Previously RM1299)