Samsung: This is our first Android Go phone, meet the Galaxy J2 Core

Samsung has announced its first smartphone to ship with Google's lightweight Android Go for budget phones.

Samsung's Android Go Galaxy J2 Core will be based on the Android 8.1 Oreo version of Android Go, so it isn't among the second generation of Android Go phones that will be available later this year with the Android 9.0 Pie-based Go.

Android Go is a stripped-back version of Android that's optimized for smartphones with as little as 512MB and is available on phones from $30 to about $70, such as the 4.5-inch display Nokia 1.

Google has also developed lightweight versions of its core apps for Android Go, including Google Go, Assistant Go, YouTube Go, Gboard, Chrome, Maps Go, Files Go, Gmail Go, and Google Play.

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The Galaxy J2 Core has a five-inch display with a 540 x 960-pixel resolution, an eight-megapixel (MP) rear camera and a 5MP front-facing camera.

Like the Nokia 1, it will come with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage. Samsung doesn't list microSD expandable storage as a feature, nor whether it will have dual-SIM slots.

The J2 Core will have a slightly larger 2,600mAh battery than the Nokia 1's 2,150mAh unit. The processor is an Exynos 7570.

Thanks to Android Go, Samsung says the Galaxy J2 Core will be faster than its previous low-end models and includes a data control feature to help users avoid exceeding data caps.

The Galaxy J2 Core launched first in Malaysia and India on August 24 and will expand to other markets in the "near future".

Samsung hasn't revealed pricing yet though, given the slightly larger screen than the Nokia 1, it could be expected to be priced higher than $70.

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