Samsung announces Galaxy Express 4G smartphone

Samsung has announced a new 4G-capable addition to its Galaxy Android line-up with the Galaxy Express.

The handset sports a 4.5-inch Super AMOLED display with an 800x480 pixel WVGA resolution, which should result in 207 pixels-per-inch (ppi), while power comes from a 1.2GHz dual-core processor with 1GB of RAM and a 2,000mAh battery pack.

It’ll run Android 4.1 Jelly Bean with Samsung’s TouchWiz UI overlay, featuring the company’s own app suite.

On the rear panel you’ll find a 5-megapixel primary camera with LED flash and there’s also a front-facing 1.3-megapixel secondary.

As well as 4G and HSPA+, connectivity includes Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Hotspot, Wi-Fi Direct, MHL output and NFC.

The phone features 8GB of onboard storage and support for microSD cards up to 32GB.

Samsung hasn’t revealed exactly when the phone will become available, only stating that it will release in the first half of the year and, being a 4G phone we’d expect to see it made available through EE, though other networks are soon to follow with their own LTE infrastructure.

In terms of appearance it looks rather a lot like the Galaxy S3 Mini, adhering to the Galaxy S3 curved aesthetic with silver trim and a solid home button. The Galaxy Express measures 9.3mm thick and weighs 139g.

The spec line-up suggests a mid-range device, similar to the HTC One SV 4G smartphone. Samsung hasn’t said anything about prices yet but it does claim the handset is aimed at ‘the young social explorer,’ implying it could be a lower-cost device.

However, current 4G tariffs under EE are on the expensive side, bumping up what would otherwise be mid-range phones to higher-end prices.

It’s possible we’ll see more of the Galaxy Express at Mobile World Congress at the end of February.