The middle class mobile devices are in great demand. Released in 2012, the Ace 2 device attracted the attention of many buyers. And even after a few years, the smartphone looks pretty good.
Design
The buyer, most likely, will not pay attention to the discreet Galaxy Ace 2 phone. The appearance of the device is quite classic for Samsung and is probably borrowed from the W model from the same series. Now this design is more reminiscent of the "state employee", but in 2012 a similar type of device was very solid.
Korean craftsmen have made the Galaxy Ace 2 as convenient as possible. Adults and children will be equally comfortable working with the device. The phone does not try to slip out of hand. The dimensions are small, which is expected from a device with a diagonal of 3.8 inches. Although for such sizes, the weight of 122 grams is intimidating.
In the case, in addition to plastic, metal was also used. Of course, it is not very much, but it definitely affected the weight of the device. As with all Samsung products, it’s not worth talking about build quality. All details are perfectly fitted, no creaks and gaps are observed.
The design of the device will appeal to the buyer with its simplicity, but there were some shortcomings. The smartphone is available in only one color option, namely black with a small silver border. Of course, the decision of the designers is quite typical for 2012, but I would like more.
Functional elements
The front part is divided between a small screen, a speaker, sensors and, of course, a front camera. Under the display, the company placed two touch buttons and one mechanical. On the back of the Galaxy Ace 2 is the main camera, flash, speaker and Samsung logo.
On the right, on the side, placed the power button. The opposite side was taken under the volume control and a connector for a flash card. The socket is closed by a plate. The 3.5 headset jack is located on the top end. From above you can see a small gap designed to remove the back cover. A USB port and a talk microphone are sheltered at the bottom end.
The arrangement of the elements is quite familiar. The power button and volume control are in places convenient for the user. There is no overload of the sides, which is often found in middle-class devices.
Screen
In the Galaxy Ace 2 GT-i8160, the manufacturer installed a small, 3.8-inch display. The diagonal is not the largest, but enough to work. The characteristics fit perfectly and the resolution of 800 by 480 pixels. It will be difficult to notice flaws in the image with the naked eye, since the phone has 245 ppi.
Most surprising is the multi-touch. The screen supports as many as 10 touches, which even in the top devices of that year was a rarity. Although Ace 2 would be quite enough and 5 points.
The matrix used in the Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 GT-i8160 does not cause enthusiasm. The manufacturer equipped the device with outdated TFT technology. Accordingly, in the sun or in bright light the display fades greatly. Maximum brightness improves the situation a bit, although it drains the battery quickly. Distress the owner and viewing angles. Looking at the side of the screen, you can notice a strong distortion of the picture.
There is no automatic brightness adjustment in the smartphone. The user will have to manually adjust the power of the backlight. This drawback looks rather strange for the apparatus belonging to the middle class.
In general, the display looks pretty good. For the device released back in 2012, the characteristics are on top. Naturally, the screen will not be able to compete even with modern state employees, but this is not required of it.
Hardware
For the role of the processor in the Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 GT-i8160, the NovaThor U8500 was chosen. Two cores of 800 GHz increase the productivity of the device. The accelerator Mali-400 is responsible for the video and graphics. It is enough for most everyday tasks.
The Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 has only 768 megabytes of RAM. Only 500 MB is available to the user. The RAM copes with the necessary applications, but you will have to forget about most of the entertainment.
Memory
The Galaxy Ace 2 smartphone received only 4 gigabytes of internal memory, some of which are reserved for the Android system. The user has a little more than a gigabyte, or rather 1.1 GB. The memory problem is quite critical and needs to be addressed.
You can increase the capacity with a memory card up to 32 GB. The user should immediately add the price of the flash drive to the total cost of the device. The smartphone supports instant card replacement. The flash drive slot is located on the left side, behind a dense plate.
Autonomy
Under the back cover of the Galaxy Ace 2 is a 1500 maH battery. It may seem that the capacity is not enough, but we should not forget about the characteristics of the device. Not very “gluttonous” filling and frankly weak screen require a minimum of energy.
Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 will work for 24 hours without any problems with average activity. When viewing HD-quality videos, time will be reduced to five and a half hours. The battery runs out much faster when using Wi-Fi and setting the screen brightness to maximum.
The battery in the device is removable, and this hints that the user does not have to constantly save power. Replacing the native battery with an analog of a larger capacity, the user will get rid of the problem of constant recharging.
Camera
The matrix of the Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 GT is only 5 megapixels. The device’s camera will not surprise a modern buyer. Resolution is quite standard for such a matrix and is 2592 by 1944 pixels. Pictures are quite acceptable. It is not worth waiting for high detail, but there are no special drawbacks either.
Recording was also acceptable. The smartphone shoots video in HD quality. Unfortunately, the sound is written exclusively mono.
Frontal Galaxy Ace 2 will not particularly surprise the buyer. The middle class device received only 0.3 megapixels from the manufacturer. The user will be forced to forget about self-portraits. The camera will handle video calls, but nothing more.
System
Galaxy Ace 2 GT runs on the outdated Android 2.3.6 platform. The owner can easily replace the system with a more advanced one. Available for Galaxy Ace 2 "Android 4.1", which is very good. There are also good custom firmware.
On top of the native system, the manufacturer installed its TouchWiz 4.0 shell. The interface has not changed much. The user is still available seven desktops, weather information and other little things.
It is of interest to turn off the sound when calling with the usual device flip. The company has even added a voice assistant. Otherwise, there are no cardinal differences. The user will receive a standard set of programs and several applications from Yandex.
Communication
Supports Galaxy Ace 2 GT work with popular networks GSM, WCDMA. There is also a standard navigation, for which ordinary Google maps are used. Finding a location is not the fastest process. The first launch will take about 2-5 minutes. Then the smartphone will be able to determine the coordinates in 30-40 seconds.
Navigation in the device is very “gluttonous”. This applies not only to battery power, but also to consumed traffic. However, the function justifies itself in full. The phone is able to display not only the route, but also the traffic situation. Driving directions are calculated in several ways.
Not without standard features. The company equipped the device with GPRS, EDGE, Bluetooth version 3.0 and the fully anticipated Wi-Fi 802.11.
Price
Just entering the store shelves, the novelty cost about 9 thousand rubles. Now the price has fallen significantly, given that the device is outdated. Today, you can become the owner of Ace 2 for 3-4 thousand rubles. If the cost and corresponds to the modern "state employees", then the characteristics are noticeably inferior to new products.
Equipment
In addition to Ace 2, the kit includes a branded headset, a network adapter, a USB cable, documentation, and a battery. Given the plastic case, it is not out of place to complement the kit with a case. There is also an urgent need for more memory. The user will be forced to purchase a flash card.
Positive reviews
Despite the fact that a similar design has already been found in the company's devices, appearance is a definite plus of Ace 2. High-quality plastic body is able to withstand a moderate blow. The assembly of the device does not cause complaints either. The only gap that can be seen is on top and is designed to remove the cover. Unfortunately, many buyers are saddened by the meager selection of colors.
A well-implemented screen is one of the advantages of the Galaxy Ace 2. The characteristics of the small display have been enjoyed by almost all users. Although the device uses a TFT matrix, this played only a positive role. The image attracts with warm and saturated tones. Naturally, due to the matrix, the behavior in the sun on the screen is not the best, and the viewing angles are not high. Although the maximum brightness is enough to smooth out almost all sharp corners.
Users also appreciated the possibility of switching to a more recent system. Almost all owners hurried to replace their “Android” 2.3 with 4.1. The system really turned out to be much better than the factory one.
Owners of Ace 2 respond very positively to the sound of the phone. Of course, there are minor crackles, but only at maximum volume. I was pleased with the smartphone and the presence of a built-in equalizer with many settings and presets. With headphones, things are much better. Using a headset, the user gets clear sound with rich low frequencies.
An undoubted plus is the battery. It is especially pleasing that the battery is removable and can be changed to a large capacity. The battery power is fully consistent with the characteristics of the device. The phone will work for a day without additional charge.
The device’s camera is ideal for everyday use. The 5 megapixel sensor does not inspire confidence only at first. The owners of the device appreciated the sharpness and bright colors of the pictures.
Negative reviews
In the device of users the processor most of all confuses. Previously released phones based on the NovaThor similar version had two cores, each of which was one gigabyte. The decrease in performance is puzzling, although it does not affect the operation of the device.
In addition to the processor, there is a more noticeable drawback. It's about the amount of internal memory. Only 1.1 GB is available to the user. The memory is definitely not enough even for the most necessary applications and functions. The device saves the ability to install cards with additional volume.
The smartphone received good navigation abilities. However, judging by the reviews, working with applications is tedious. Programs take a very long time to process data; sometimes it can take several minutes to wait.
Total
At one time, Ace 2 caused a real sensation. The device was able to compete even with the flagships of some companies. Despite many small flaws, the device interested fans.