Dual SIM phones are par for the course in many parts of the world, and today we’re comparing two smartphones at the more affordable end of the market. If you want a dual SIM device you may want to take a look at our Samsung Galaxy Core 2 vs. HTC Desire 516 specs breakdown.

Both of these smartphones released in the summer and are dual-SIM Android devices. They are in a similar price bracket although generally the Samsung Galaxy Core 2 (Core II) is the cheaper of the two. We’ll detail the key specs and features of each so that you can see what they both have to offer and how they stand up against each other.

Processors
The Samsung Galaxy Core 2 has a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, although the chip and graphics haven’t been specified. The Desire 516 has a 1.2GHz Snapdragon 200 quad-core processor and Adreno 302 GPU.

Display
The Galaxy Core 2 has a 4.5-inch display with resolution of 800 x 480 and 207 pppi. The Desire 516 has a 5-inch display with resolution of 960 x 540 and 220 ppi.

RAM and Storage
There’s 768B of RAM and 4GB of internal storage that’s expandable via microSD to 64GB for the Galaxy Core 2. The Desire 516 has 1GB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage, this time expandable to 32GB.

Camera set-up
The Galaxy Core 2 has a 5-megapixel rear camera with autofocus, LED flash and 480p video capture, as well as a VGA front-facing camera. The Desire 516 has a 5-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and 720p video capture, with a 2-megapixel front-facing snapper.

Battery
The Samsung phone has a 2000 mAh removable battery while the HTC phone has a 1950 mAh removable battery.

Connectivity
Both phones support 3G, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPRS, EDGE, and microUSB 2.0. The Galaxy Core 2 also has WiFi Direct.

Operating System
The Galaxy Core 2 runs Android 4.4.2 KitKat while the Desire 516 runs Android 4.4.2 Jelly Bean with HTC Sense 5.1 UI.

Dimensions and Weight
The Galaxy Core 2 measures 130.3mm x 68mm x 9.8mm and weighs 138g. The Desire 516 measures 140mm x 72mm x 9.7mm and weighs 160g.

Price
We cannot be too specific about pricing of these two smartphones as this varies according to different regions. However, as an example we’ll give you some details of the prices for the Indian market where dual SIM phones are the norm. The Samsung Galaxy Core 2 was first available at around Rs. 11,900 whereas the HTC Desire 516 Dual SIM first went on sale at around Rs. 13,300. The Galaxy Core 2 has now dropped in price to around Rs. 8,000 while the Desire 516 can be found from around Rs. 10,900 depending on retailer.

Your preference of design may come into play when picking either of these phones, as well as the software experience and features. However, after looking at the specs we can see that there are quite a few similarities in specs with some being the same or very closely matched.

However, the Samsung Galaxy Core 2 has a higher level of expandable storage, runs a later version of Android, and is the lighter of the two phones as well as being cheaper in price. On the other hand the Desire 516 has a larger display with higher resolution, more RAM, and supports HD video recording, so you’ll need to consider the factors that are most important to you.

If you’re interested in purchasing one of these smartphones and have now made up your mind, we’d like to know which one gets your vote. Is it the Samsung Galaxy Core 2 or the HTC Desire 516? Do let us know by sending us your comments.