Samsung is reportedly preparing a new affordable Android smartphone for the mass market, but even before it makes the announcement, the phone already made its rounds all over the Web.
According to a report by Phone Arena, a Russian online retailer has just listed the Samsung J1 in a sales page even before the actual release date of the smartphone. In the report, the budget Android phone should be made available in select markets by January 23.
Aside from Phone Arena, Russian tech website Hi-Tech Mail.ru also spotted the listing which showed some pictures of the device.
In the report, the Samsung device costs RUR 10,990 which should be about $170. Given the device's rumored specs, the price tag is completely understandable.
According to the report, the Samsung J1 boasts a relatively small 4.3-inch display with 480 x 800 resolution, a quad-core CPU with four Cortex-A7 cores running at 1.2GHz each, and 1GB of RAM for decent multi-tasking capabilities.
In addition, the budget Android handset also packs a rather small 4GB internal memory, though the owner can expand it through the microSD card slot.
In the Russian website listing, the device will allegedly come in six different versions based on connectivity specs and other features. However, it still remains a mystery whether the omission of the 'Galaxy' branding is intentional or simply a mistake.
2014 was not a good year for the Korean brand as it saw a huge loss in terms of market share, especially in its target markets in Asia where consumers are beginning to prefer smartphones with similar specs but come at very affordable prices.
While it is not yet clear whether the Samsung J1 will make it to other markets as well, it appears that the Korean manufacturer's clear aim for this year is to make a turn around in sales and regain its lost market share.
