After getting a glimpse in an FCC filing (and some certification via China) the Galaxy Grand has now appeared in earnest, with a 5-inch 800 x 480 WVGA display that betrays that glamorous naming. It'll arrive running Android 4.1.2, while the dual-core (unspecified) 1.2GHz apparently enough to handle running two apps on screen with Samsung's Multi Window mode, seen on the flagship Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II. There's an 8-megapixel camera on the back, while a 2-megapixel sensor on the front will offer 720p video for calls. Inside there's a 2,100mAh battery, alongside 8GB of built-in memory and a microSD slot for expansion up to 64GB. Likely due to the bigger screen, the familiar looking Galaxy Grand carries 30g more weight than the Galaxy S III, while connectivity is provided by HSPA+ (up to 21Mbps down, 5.76 up) on 850 / 1900 / 2100 bands, alongside Bluetooth, DLNA and WiFi. Despite those familiar bands, Samsung hasn't revealed where we can expect to see the phone appear for sale, although the appearance of a dual-SIM version suggests appearances in Asia. We plan to catch the Galaxy Grand somewhere within the madness of CES -- and you can expect that we'll test it out then.

SOURCE: Samsung

It appears as though Samsung has begun the testing phase for its successor to the Galaxy S III, albeit with lower-end specs. The benchmark outs the device as wielding a WVGA display and dual-core 1.2GHz processor. Of course the rumored Galaxy S IV powerhouse won’t be sporting those measly specifications, but before you rule this leak out as a fake, keep in mind that Samsung consistently tests pre-production firmware on devices with lower specs than the model that will actually see a release.

For example, last year we encountered several early benchmarks of the Galaxy S III with these very same hardware components (which began showing up in December). This allows Samsung to thoroughly test preliminary software and make inherent changes on a test unit, despite not having the actual components that will be present in the GS4.

Source: SamMobile