Samsung’s Android Go Smartphone Not Running Stock Android In Leaked Photos

Samsung is expected to release an Android Go smartphone sometime later this year and it looks like the upcoming device has already been leaked. The new hands-on images of the phone reveal its design. Interestingly, the device appears to be not running stock Android

The leaked hands-on images of the Samsung Android Go smartphone were first released by SamMobile. The actual device itself features a dated design. The handset doesn’t have Samsung’s edge-to-edge Infinity Display and it has very thick bezels. Despite having thick bezels, Samsung decided to remove the physical/capacitive navigation keys in favor of on-screen buttons. On the back, the handset comes with a single camera and an LED flash. It’s currently being rumored that this device might be called the Samsung Galaxy J2 Core.

The most intriguing thing about this phone is its software. It was previously rumored that Samsung’s Android Go phone would run stock Android. However, the leaked images show otherwise. The phone appears to be running Samsung’s own skin on top of Android complete with the signature on-screen navigational buttons that include the “back” key on the right side instead of the left, as pointed out by 9To5Google.

This might be a little disappointing to some users who were expecting Samsung’s Android Go smartphone to run stock software. Android Go’s website doesn’t really promise that all phones under the program would run stock Android, but it did say that the program would allow entry-level smartphones to run smoothly along with Google’s suite of “Go” apps.

The leaked photos also confirm that the Samsung Galaxy J2 Core will indeed have Go apps, including YouTube Go, Google Go and Maps Go. The handset is expected to run Android 8.1 Oreo, which is the current minimum requirement for phones under the Android Go program. The security patch of the device seen in the leaked photos is dated Dec. 5, 2017. But it’s possible that Samsung might launch the device with the latest security patch.

As for the specs of the Galaxy J2 Core, it was revealed in a leak last month that it would have a 5-inch AMOLED display with an Exynos 7570 processor, 1GB RAM and 16GB onboard storage. Android Go is designed to run on low-end devices that have 1GB of RAM or less. The front camera will have a 5MP sensor, while the rear-facing camera will have an 8MP sensor. The device is also believed to be packing a 2,600mAh battery. There's currently no information on when this Android Go phone will be released, nor is there any information on pricing or region availability.