Two SIM Cards Feature In Samsung Galaxy Y Duos Phones

Samsung is closing 2011 with the introduction of the Galaxy Y Duos and Galaxy Y Pro Duos, two low-end. dual-SIM models that allow two separate phone numbers to be used with simultaneous use of data on the same handset.

The idea of the dual-SIM devices, which both run Google’s Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system, is that users can have a personal phone number and a professional number without buying, and carting around, two phones.

A case of physical differences

The Duos and Duos Pro have many similarities under the hood.

Both offer consumers 832MHz processors and three-megapixel (MP) cameras, which may seem out of place at a time when most Samsung Gingerbread phones are powered by 1GHz-plus dual-core processors and 8MP autofocus cameras. Both also include VGA cameras on the front of the phones.

Externally the phones are very different. The regular Duos is a candy bar phone with a 3.14-inch full touch display, while the Duos Pro pairs its 2.6-inch screen with a full QWERTY keyboard.

The presence of the physical keyboard is intended to give the handset a Blackberry feel for professionals who prefer typing emails and text messages on a physical keyboard.

Back to the features and functionality each Duos model has in common. Both phones are equipped with ChatON, Samsung’s communication service and the Social Hub, which funnels email, social network profiles and instant messaging to one inbox.

The Duos phones also employ Samsung’s TouchWiz user interface and provide access to Google Mobile apps, including Gmail, YouTube, Google Maps and Google Calendar.

Each Duos model also has Polaris, which allows accessing and editing of Office documents, and Find My Mobile, which lets users trace the device, remotely lock the phone, remotely wipe its contents in case of loss or theft. More specifications appear in Samsung’s press statement.

Younger audience

Samsung is targeting the phones at “young and practical consumers who want to manage their professional career and busy social life with affordable price”, the company said in a statement.

Such diversification is wise at a time when Motorola Mobility has launched several rugged, enterprise Android phones and HTC is selling Facebook phones and other handsets for younger audiences.

The Duos will be available in Russia in January, and several countries thereafter. Galaxy Y Duos will roll out to Europe, Latin America, Southeast and Southwest Asia, Middle East, Africa, and China. Y Pro Duos will be available in Europe, Latin America, Southwest Asia, the Middle East, and Africa next year .

The Duos models stand at the other end of the spectrum from Samsung’s new Galaxy Nexus, an excellent handset featuring the fresh Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS, running on a 4.65-inch Super AMOLED (active-matrix organic light-emitting diode) display and powered by a 1.2GHz processor.