Samsung just can't stop releasing phones. Its latest — the Galaxy Quantum 2 — just debuted in South Korea, but that's not stopping speculation that the phone could eventually appear in other countries as part of the Galaxy A lineup.
Samsung's Galaxy A phones are midrange models that deliver some scaled-back specs when compared to the Galaxy S flagships, while also costing a couple hundred dollars less.
Most recently, Samsung introduced that a trio of 5G phones — the Galaxy A52 5G, Galaxy A42 5G and Galaxy A32 5G — that have all debuted in the U.S. A fourth phone, the Galaxy A72, is also part of this year's Galaxy A lineup, though that isn't coming to North America.
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Could the Galaxy Quantum 2 join that mix, as the Galaxy A82? It's certainly possible — the phone announced by Samsung today (April 13) has specs that seem to be in line with the rest of the Galaxy A phones released as of late.
Those specs leaked out in advance of the new phone's launch, along with images of the Galaxy Quantum 2/Galaxy A82. This phone features a Snapdragon 855 Plus system-on-chip — a two-year-old chipset that's similar to the one that powered the Galaxy S10 lineup. Still, it's a step up from the Snapdragon 7 series silicon found in the latest Galaxy A phones.
A highlight of the Quantum 2, at least in South Korea, is its beefed-up security. The phone, which goes on sale in its home market on April 23, includes a quantum cryptography chip for more secure transactions. That feature isn't likely to appear in the phone should it appear elsewhere as the Galaxy A82.
The Quantum 2 continues Samsung's latest trend of bringing displays with 120Hz refresh rates to its midrange phones, as it did with the 6.5-inch Galaxy A52 5G. In the case of the Quantum 2 (or the Galaxy A82 as it might eventually be called), we're talking about a 6.7-inch screen. A three-camera array on the back of the phone is led by a 64MP main sensor with 12MP ultrawide and 5MP macro cameras rounding out the lenses.
It's possible that Samsung could eventually bring its latest midrange model to other markets under the Galaxy A label. Whether that includes the U.S., though, is anyone's guess. As noted above, the Galaxy A72 didn't make it to this country, in part because its specs are too close to the Galaxy S20 FE, which remains a popular low-cost option here.
With a Galaxy S21 FE reportedly in the works, Samsung may decide it's already got a phone to appeal to shoppers who don't want to pay full flagship prices for a handset but are happy to opt for a sub-$600 model that offers some high-end specs. That's the one piece missing from Samsung's 2021 phone releases, so it will be interesting to see which phone Samsung uses to fill that gap.
