Review Samsung Galaxy S Duos 2 GT-S7582 Smartphone

For the original German review, see here.
Users will never miss a call again - no matter whether business or private - with the Galaxy S Duos 2 GT-S7582. At least that's the way Samsung sees it and treats its smartphone to two SIM slots. They both create the most striking feature of the 4-inch smartphone because the other equipment has been taken from the low-budget corner to keep the low, official price of 159 Euros (~$221). The Galaxy S Duos 2 GT-S7582 sports a dual-core SoC based on the ARM Cortex A9 that is supported by a Broadcom VideoCore IV graphics chip and a tight 768 MB of RAM. The Android 4.2.2 powered smartphone's internal storage also only covers the essentials with a rather low 4 GB. However, our report shows that the Galaxy S Duos 2 GT-S7582 has a lot more to offer than its budget price and dual-SIM support.
Case
Samsung's Galaxy S Duos 2 GT-S7582 looks like a typical member of the Samsung Galaxy S4 models and stands out with its stylish appearance that would not necessarily be expected from a 159 Euros (~$221) smartphone. Rounded corners and edges, a glass panel for the 4-inch screen fitted seamlessly into the plastic chassis, and illuminated Android buttons. The fingers find a secure grip on the lightly structured back of the light, 118-gram device. The slim, 10.6-millimeters chassis is available in black and white. It is very rigid and defies all careful attempts to dent or warp it in the test. Only the casing's removable lid on the back, that conceals the removable battery and both slots for full-sized SIM cards, can be dented marginally.
Connectivity
Samsung's Galaxy S Duos 2 GT-S7582 sports a 1.2 GHz dual-core SoC based on ARM Cortex-A9. Broadcom's VideoCore-IV graphics chip is integrated and features roughly the same performance as a Qualcomm Adreno 220. Only 4 GB of storage is installed, and the user only has a bit less than 2 GB available after deducting Android 4.2.2 alongside the pre-loaded apps. The smartphone's capacity is soon depleted even when only few apps and games are installed. The storage capacity can be increased by up to 64 GB via a micro-SD card.
Software
Samsung relies on Android 4.2.2 in conjunction with its own TouchWiz user interface in the Galaxy S Duos 2 GT S7582. It once again gives the smartphone a clearly arranged but, unlike the standard appearance, more colorful and animated desktop. If this is unwanted, it is possible to switch to "Easy" mode under "My Device" in the Android settings. It uses especially large icons and fonts. A few apps are pre-loaded on the dual-SIM phone ex-factory, such as the Chrome browser, numerous Google apps, and Samsung's S Planner (organizer).
Communication & GPS
In addition to all GSM frequencies (850, 900, 1800 and 1900 MHz), the Galaxy S Duos 2 GT-S7582 supports UMTS dual-band (900, 2100 MHz). The smartphone provides Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n in the 2.4 GHz band and Bluetooth 4.0 for local data sharing. Both wireless modules convinced in the test with a stable transmission and reception performance.
The GPS sensor enables swift and accurate localization both indoors and out. However, the accuracy ebbs quickly when on the move. This is our verdict after we rode our standard bike route of over 10 kilometers with the Galaxy S Duos S GT-S7582. Our review sample was more frequently clearly off course compared with the Garmin Edge 500 navigation system, for example, in closely spaced or wooded sections.
Telephony and Speech Quality
The dual-SIM feature is undoubtedly the highlight of the Galaxy S Duos 2 GT-S7582. Two slots for full-sized SIM cards are concealed under the casing's cover. Switching between both cards is possible either via the Android settings or a Samsung widget that can be placed on the home screen or any other neighboring screen. Users who insert two SIM cards can thus easily separate business and private contacts. The smartphone can also receive calls from both SIM cards simultaneously. The phone app's use is intuitive and allows comfortably managing the contacts on both cards. The Galaxy S Duos 2 GT-S7582 scores with good speech quality in both mobile and fixed networks. There were no background noises or connection interruptions during the test.
Cameras and Multimedia
The Galaxy S Duos 2 GT-S7582 sports two cameras. The webcam above the screen only offers VGA quality with 640x480 pixels and is thus no longer up-to-date for modern video telephony. The primary camera in Samsung's smartphone has a resolution of 5 megapixels, which achieves a maximum picture size of 2560x1920 pixels.
The primary camera, equipped with an LED flash and timer, shoots pictures with an appealing quality in daylight. However, they lack the last bit of contrast. The pictures consequently always look a bit faded and pale. Videos can only be recorded with up to 1280x720 pixels, but with 30 frames per second.
Accessories and Warranty
Samsung delivers its Galaxy S Duos 2 GT-S7582 with a micro-USB cord, power supply, and printed quick-start guide. The manufacturer did not offer any product-specific accessories for the phone in its online shop at the time of writing. Samsung's Galaxy S Duos 2 GT-S7582 includes a 24-month warranty.
Input Devices and Controls
The Galaxy S Duos 2 GT-S7582's seamlessly integrated screen that is protected by a glass pane allows a pleasantly sleek usage. However, it can only process two finger inputs at the same time according to apps, such as the Multitouch Visualizer 2. That is absolutely sufficient for common finger gestures in Android, for example, zooming in and out on websites. Since the smartphone does not sport the fastest SoC, short delays might occur immediately after booting. But this is not noticed when the phone is running. The Galaxy S Duos S GT-S8752 then quickly responds to inputs and swiftly scrolls through screens and menus. The review sample sometimes needed quite a long time to rotate content from portrait to landscape mode and vice versa.
The virtual QWERTY keyboard is fairly easy to use in portrait mode due to its relatively big key gaps. Prolific writers will naturally be more comfortable with the landscape mode, but they will have to accept the fact that the keyboard reserves over half of the display surface, and not much of websites or input forms are visible.
Display
The resolution of 800x480 pixels that the 4-inch Galaxy S Duos 2 GT-S7582's screen manages is not as impressive as its high brightness: The review sample achieves a relatively high brightness of 381.3 cd/m², and thus surpasses Sony's Xperia E dual (315.2 cd/m²), Acer's Liquid Z3 Duo (326.3 cd/m²), and LG's G Pro Lite Dual D686 (360.1 cd/m²). Only the screen in Wiko's Stairway is brighter with 405.0 cd/m². The other screen rates are just as convincing with an illumination of 91%, black level of 0.47 cd/m² and contrast ratio of 864:1.
|
Brightness Distribution: 91 %
Center on Battery: 406 cd/m²
Contrast: 864:1 (Black: 0.47 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 11.78 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.9
ΔE Greyscale 7.38 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
Gamma: 2.64
Subjectively, the Galaxy S Duos 2 GT-S7582 displays all content with high contrast and brilliant colors. Our assessments using the colorimeter and CalMAN software uncover everything that is not visible for the naked eye. There is quite a lot to criticize: Samsung's screen is off target multiple times in the sRGB color space because blue parts are definitely overemphasized while the red part reproduction is too weak. Overall, the color shift is at a relatively high DeltaE of 6.23. The grayscale is also remote from the ideal, particularly since the light gray colors are too overemphasized (DeltaE of 7.38).
The Galaxy S Duos 2 GT-S7582's high average brightness allows comfortable outdoor use even when the light conditions are not perfect. Like in almost every other smartphone, Samsung's reflective screen can turn from "just still readable" to "unreadable." Then the user can either look for a shady place or turn the screen to reduce reflections.
Performance
As expected, the Galaxy S Duos 2 GT-S7582 cannot compete with premium smartphones with its dual-core SoC based on the ARM Cortex A9. The same is true for the Broadcom VideoCore IV graphics chip with a performance equal to Qualcomm's Adreno 220, and which is located in the entry-level range. As the tests prove, nothing presently stands in the way of smooth usage in Android or in games.
The Galaxy S Duos 2 GT-S7582 is in total on par with the competition in the synthetic benchmarks. It is even enough for a small yet measurable performance advantage in 3DMark, PassMark, and Linpack.
Epic Citadel - High Quality (sort by value) | |
Samsung Galaxy S Duos 2 GT-S7582 | |
LG Optimus G Pro Lite Dual D686 | |
Sony Xperia E dual |
3DMark | |
1280x720 Ice Storm Standard Score (sort by value) | |
Samsung Galaxy S Duos 2 GT-S7582 | |
LG Optimus G Pro Lite Dual D686 | |
Wiko Stairway | |
Acer Liquid Z3 Duo | |
System (sort by value) | |
Sony Xperia E dual |
(sort by value) | |
Samsung Galaxy S Duos 2 GT-S7582 | |
LG Optimus G Pro Lite Dual D686 | |
Acer Liquid Z3 Duo |
Linpack Android / IOS - Multi Thread (sort by value) | |
Samsung Galaxy S Duos 2 GT-S7582 | |
LG Optimus G Pro Lite Dual D686 | |
Sony Xperia E dual | |
Acer Liquid Z3 Duo |
The behavior we observed in the synthetic benchmarks continues in the browser benchmarks. Overall, there is no big performance difference to the dual-SIM contenders, but the review sample can stand out a bit more clearly. Samsung's smartphone gets along particularly well with Google Octane, Browsermark and Peacekeeper, and it achieves first place in each case.
Octane V1 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
Samsung Galaxy S Duos 2 GT-S7582 | |
LG Optimus G Pro Lite Dual D686 | |
Wiko Stairway | |
Acer Liquid Z3 Duo |
Sunspider - 0.9.1 Total Score (sort by value) | |
Samsung Galaxy S Duos 2 GT-S7582 | |
LG Optimus G Pro Lite Dual D686 | |
Wiko Stairway | |
Sony Xperia E dual | |
Acer Liquid Z3 Duo |
Browsermark - --- (sort by value) | |
Samsung Galaxy S Duos 2 GT-S7582 | |
LG Optimus G Pro Lite Dual D686 | |
Wiko Stairway | |
Sony Xperia E dual | |
Acer Liquid Z3 Duo |
Peacekeeper - --- (sort by value) | |
Samsung Galaxy S Duos 2 GT-S7582 | |
LG Optimus G Pro Lite Dual D686 | |
Wiko Stairway | |
Sony Xperia E dual |
* ... smaller is better
While the Galaxy S Duos 2 GT-S7582 performs sequential read and write processes with some reluctance, it displays a lot more enthusiasm in random read/write. The Wiko Stairway and Acer Liquid Z3 Duo are nevertheless a bit faster in 4 KB random read. However, Samsung's phone clearly outperforms the contenders in 4 KB random write.
AndroBench 3-5 | |
Random Read 4KB (sort by value) | |
Samsung Galaxy S Duos 2 GT-S7582 | |
LG Optimus G Pro Lite Dual D686 | |
Wiko Stairway | |
Sony Xperia E dual | |
Acer Liquid Z3 Duo | |
Random Write 4KB (sort by value) | |
Samsung Galaxy S Duos 2 GT-S7582 | |
LG Optimus G Pro Lite Dual D686 | |
Wiko Stairway | |
Sony Xperia E dual | |
Acer Liquid Z3 Duo | |
Sequential Read 256KB (sort by value) | |
Samsung Galaxy S Duos 2 GT-S7582 | |
LG Optimus G Pro Lite Dual D686 | |
Wiko Stairway | |
Sony Xperia E dual | |
Acer Liquid Z3 Duo | |
Sequential Write 256KB (sort by value) | |
Samsung Galaxy S Duos 2 GT-S7582 | |
LG Optimus G Pro Lite Dual D686 | |
Wiko Stairway | |
Sony Xperia E dual | |
Acer Liquid Z3 Duo |
Games
Although the Galaxy S Duos 2 GT-S7582 does not sport an especially powerful processor, current games run smoothly. This is just as true for 2D games with basic graphics as for more demanding games, such as Sonic 4 Episode II and Shadowgun: Deadzone. The accelerometer always responded quickly to changes in position and will not be an obstacle in tricky skill games.
Emissions
Temperature
Even when applications and games completely utilized the Galaxy S Duos 2 GT-S7582's dual-core SoC, the phone remained agreeably cool with a maximum of 34.7 °C during load. The idle temperature is even considerably lower - we only measured 28 °C as the maximum.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 34.7 °C / 94 F, compared to the average of 35.1 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 63.7 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 34.6 °C / 94 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26.6 °C / 80 F, compared to the device average of 32.8 °C / 91 F.
Speakers
The tiny speaker on the Galaxy S Duos 2 GT-S7582's back produces a rather thin sound, as expected. The trebles clearly dominate while the mids and low ranges are only difficult to hear when playing music. However, speech output over the speaker is impeccable when making calls, and there is no reason for complaint. Headphones can be connected via the 3.5 mm jack on the smartphone's upper edge, which considerably improves the Galaxy S Duos 2 GT-S7582's sound. A headset is not included though.
Energy Management
Power Consumption
The Galaxy S Duos 2 GT-S7582 has a maximum idle consumption of 1.4 watts and up to 3.0 watts during load. Comparably configured dual-SIM phones are just as energy-efficient, for example, Sony's Xperia E dual (maximum 2.1 watts) and Acer's Liquid Z3 Duo.
Off / Standby | ![]() ![]() |
Idle | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Load |
![]() ![]() |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
Key:
min: ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Battery Runtime
The Galaxy S Duos 2 GT-S7582 provides good prerequisites for long battery runtimes with its 5.7 Wh battery and low power consumption.
Samsung's smartphone achieved a very good time of 20 hours and 20 minutes in the maximum battery runtime test using minimum screen brightness, enabled energy-saving mechanisms, and all wireless modules except Wi-Fi off. Only Acer's Liquid Z3 Duo is more enduring with 23 hours and 9 minutes among the comparison devices.
However, Samsung's Galaxy S Duos 2 GT-S7582 only did a middling job in the Wi-Fi test with a screen brightness of 150 cd/m², enabled energy-saving mechanisms, and websites opening every 40 seconds via a script. 7 hours and 2 minutes is relatively weak. The entire competition lasts longer here, starting with the Wiko Stairway's 8 hours and 10 minutes up to LG's G Pro Lite Dual D686 with 11 hours and 35 minutes.
The runtime decreased to a good 2 hours and 55 minutes in maximum load using maximum screen brightness and all wireless modules on. However, two contenders surpass that: Acer's Liquid Z3 Duo and LG's G Pro Lite Dual D686 achieve runtimes of just over four hours.
Verdict
Samsung has a recommendable entry-level smartphone available with the Galaxy S Duos 2 GT-S7582. It does not have any major weaknesses despite its official price of 159 Euros (~$221). Of course, a few restrictions have to be accepted, for example, the dual-core SoC that certainly will not achieve any feats in terms of performance, or the relatively low screen resolution of 800x480 pixels. The phone also lacks the high-speed LTE wireless standard and an NFC module. However, buyers looking for a particularly affordable dual-SIM smartphone will certainly not be doing anything wrong with the Galaxy S Duos 2 GT-S7582.
Does the phone have anything else to offer apart from its two SIM card slots? A fairly good 5-megapixel camera lens, a small yet bright screen, relatively long battery runtimes, and the Android 4.2.2 interface in conjunction with TouchWiz. The latter makes switching between the SIM cards very easy owing to its phone widget.