Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) review

Rate this smartphone

3.36 / 5

(11)

Intro

The company Samsung takes care of fans of budget models diligently. An entire series is dedicated to them - the J series. One of the smartphones of the family is the Samsung Galaxy J5 - a device that impresses with a balance of features and affordable price. 

Before reading the full review, you can familiarize yourself with the detailed Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) specs or watch the video below the article.

Specifications

• Release date: 2017, June
• Colors: Blue, Pink, Gold, Black
• Dimensions: 146.2 x 71.3 x 8 mm.
• Weight: 160 g.
• Screen: 5.2" inc, 720 x 1280, Super AMOLED
• Camera : Single, 13MP
• Chipset: Exynos 7870 Octa (14 nm)
• CPU: Octa-core 1.6 GHz Cortex-A53
• Memory: 16 GB, 2 GB RAM - Global
  32 GB, 2 GB RAM - LATAM, SEA
  32 GB, 3 GB RAM - Pro edition
• Battery: 3000,  Non-removable Li-Ion
• Network: GSM / HSPA / LTE
• Operating system: Android 7.0 (Nougat), upgradable to Android 8.1 (Oreo)
• Sensors: Fingerprint (front-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass

Design 

The design is executed keeping in mind the new trends in smartphones of the South Korean manufacturer. It has taken the best from the top Galaxy S series and the new Galaxy A. On the back panel, there are stylized elements that are responsible for the wireless connection. During operation, fingerprints on the panel almost do not remain.

The body is made of metal and the front is protected by glass. The choice of metal is not accidental - it does not impair wireless Internet. A good hit is that the main camera does not protrude above the housing - in many smartphones the opposite is observed, and this is a prerequisite for its unintentional injury. 

The material from which the Samsung J5 is made is pleasant to the touch. 

Display 

The screen of the J5 2017 has a diagonal of 5.2 inches. It is made using SuperAMOLED technology and has a resolution of 720p or HD. The matrix is characterized by excellent color rendering and large viewing angles. The display is protected by 2.5D glass with oleophobic coating. The screen brightness is enough for the user to comfortably use the smartphone even on a sunny day.

Samsung Galaxy J5 has a screen that senses up to 5 simultaneous touches. 

Performance 

Galaxy J5 2017 is based on Exynos Octa 7870 SoC platform consisting of 8 cores running at 1.8 GHz. The graphics is assigned to a Mali-T730 video accelerator. RAM is 2 GB, storage - 16 GB. Of the latter, only 10 GB are available to the user. The memory can be increased using microSD up to 128 GB. 

Cameras

Both cameras on the Galaxy J5 are 13 MP. They have a photo flash, but the autofocus is only basic. The front camera does not have autofocus. It is only meant for video calling and taking selfies. 

This Samsung smartphone shoots satisfactorily fast, though the autofocus on the main camera doesn't work in a flash. Several modes and filters are provided. 

When using the front-facing camera, there is a "large-format self-portrait" mode - it takes multiple photos horizontally and stitches them into one. In the settings you can choose what the quality of the photos and videos should be. 

Autonomous operation 

The Galaxy J5 has a 3000mAh battery. When using the device primarily for phone connectivity, you can count on 2-3 days of operation. Add social networking, camera, music - then count on a day and a half. But if you play games, the smartphone will need recharging after 6-10 hours. 

A full smartphone recharge happens in just over 2 hours. Fast charging technology is not supported. 

Conclusion

The Galaxy J5 2017 is perfect for people who want a new design and updated hardware at an affordable price. 

Pros:

• Nice design and good build quality;
• sAMOLED screen;
• 2.5D glass with oleophobic coating;
• NFC support for wireless payment; 
• Works with 2 SIM cards. 
• Fingerprint scanner. 

Cons:

• There is a lot to be desired in terms of performance. 

Disclaimer: The information presented in this article is based on our team's personal experience with the Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) and third-party sources. While every effort has been made to provide accurate and reliable information, readers should keep in mind that this is a subjective assessment. The writing of this article was not paid for or sponsored by Samsung.