The Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 Duos released at the beginning of this year and is still a very popular device. The Micromax Canvas Nitro A310 only released in India in September and has some very good specs and affordable pricing. Today we’re looking at the Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 vs. Micromax Canvas Nitro in brand vs. price.

We’re comparing the dual SIM version of the Galaxy Grand 2 and the Canvas Nitro is also a dual SIM handset. They are both Android smartphones but the Micromax device is notably cheaper than the Galaxy Grand 2. In that case you might expect the Samsung phone to offer better specs but that’s not the case, as you’ll see if you read on. We’ll be using Indian pricing, as both phones are readily available.

Processors
The Galaxy Grand 2 is powered by a 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 quad-core processor and has Adreno 305 graphics. The A310 Canvas Nitro has a 1.7GHz MediaTek MT6592 octa-core processor and Mali-450MP4 GPU.

Display
The Grand 2 has a 5.25-inch TFT display with resolution of 1280 x 720 and 280 ppi. The Canvas Nitro has a 5-inch IPS LCD display with resolution of 1280 x 720 resulting in 294 ppi.

RAM and Storage
There’s 1.5GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage that’s expandable via microSD to 64GB for the Galaxy Grand 2. The Canvas Nitro has 2GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage, this time expandable to 32GB.

Camera set-up
The Galaxy Grand 2 has an 8-megapixel rear camera with autofocus, LED flash, and 1080p video capture, and also a 1.9-megapixel front-facing unit. The Canvas Nitro has a 13-megapixel rear camera with autofocus, LED flash, and 1080p video, as well as a 5-megapixel front-facing camera.

Battery
The Grand 2 has a 2600 mAh battery while the Canvas Nitro has a 2500 mAh battery. Both batteries are removable.

Connectivity
Both phones support 3G, WiFi with WiFi hotspot, Bluetooth 4.0, GPRS, EDGE, and microUSB 2.0. The Galaxy Grand 2 also has dual-band, WiFi Direct, and DLNA.

Operating System
The Galaxy Grand 2 launched on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, now upgradable to 4.4.2 KitKat. The Canvas Nitro launched running Android 4.4.2.

Dimensions and Weight
The Samsung phone measures 146.8mm x 75.3mm x 8.9mm and weighs 163g. The Canvas Nitro measures 141mm x 71.63mm x 8.91mm, but its weight has not been specified.

Price
The Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 launched at Rs. 22,999 and has reduced a lot in price. It can now be found from around Rs. 16,499. The Micromax Canvas Nitro A310 launched at Rs. 12,990 but is now on sale from around Rs. 11,500.

Considering the specs it’s clear that although it’s notably cheaper the Micromax Canvas Nitro has many benefits over the Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 Duos. These include an octa-core processor, more RAM and better cameras, although the Galaxy Grand 2 does have a slightly larger display and supports DLNA. On the face of it the Canvas Nitro does appear to be the winner, especially when considering its significantly cheaper price.

However, we haven’t taken features and designs into account, and it has to be said that there are many buyers who prefer the Samsung branding and build quality so the decision isn’t as straightforward as you might think. With this in mind we’d be interested in hearing the opinions of readers.

Would you prefer the older Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 despite its higher price tag? Maybe you feel the Micromax Canvas Nitro is the far better bet considering specs and also price? Do let us know by sending us your comments.