Galaxy G phone 3. Review of Samsung Galaxy J3 (2017): budget Samsung that could

Continues to expand the J line, which includes the most affordable smartphones from the Korean manufacturer. Most recently, this family was replenished with a device called Galaxy J3 Pro, this is an improved version of the regular model. The newly launched smartphone has acquired a number of improvements, including a changed appearance in accordance with the new design concept of the brand’s budget devices, a different processor and increased memory. Let's take a closer look at this device.

Design, materials and display of Samsung Galaxy J3 Pro

The smartphone, as already mentioned, has changed in appearance, so it cannot be confused with the Galaxy J3 model. The new device looks much more solid than its predecessor. When looking at the new product, you can’t help but feel that this is a device made of metal, but this is not the case. This budget phone is entirely clad in a plastic case, or rather, a polycarbonate case with an imitation of premium material. Like the previous model, this smartphone is very comfortable to hold, since the display diagonal is small and the edges are rounded. Buyers are provided with two types of colors - golden and silver. The size and weight have remained virtually unchanged. Thus, the dimensions of the Galaxy J3 Pro do not exceed 142.2 × 71.3 × 8 mm, while the weight is 139 grams.

The location of various elements on the body remains the same. The front panel is covered with glass, under which there is a display that occupies 68 percent of the surface. Above the screen there is a front camera peephole, a speaker, sensors and the manufacturer's logo. Below it there is a central mechanical key, traditional for Samsung products, and on either side of it are the “Back” and “Menu” touch buttons. On the right edge there is only a power button, and on the left there is only a solid volume rocker. The microUSB v2.0 connector and microphone are located at the bottom end. A 3.5 mm headset jack has found its place on the top edge. The back of the smartphone has a pleasant texture; the main camera lens, LED backlight and multimedia speaker are installed here. The photo module, which is important, now does not protrude above the surface.

Despite the positioning of the smartphone, it is equipped with a very high-quality screen. It is based on a SuperAMOLED matrix with good viewing angles, contrast and brightness levels. Pixelation is almost invisible, since the resolution is 1280 × 720 pixels. This, of course, is not Full HD, but this is more than enough for reading and watching videos comfortably. By the way, the pixel density here is 294 ppi. The display diagonal is 5 inches.

Specifications Samsung Galaxy J3 Pro

And now we come to the most interesting part, since when choosing an inexpensive smartphone, most people pay attention, first of all, to its technical component. The Galaxy J3 Pro model received controversial hardware. Yes, the 64-bit Snapdragon 410 chipset installed here is better than in the regular version of this model, but by modern standards it is already weak. This processor contains four 1.2 GHz cores and is paired with an Adreno 306 module.

The hardware of the device is not impressive, but the power reserve is enough for simple tasks. The manufacturer increased the RAM to 2 GB, and increased the storage to 16 GB, which is very good for a budget employee. The device has a separate slot for a microSD card, so the storage can be expanded up to 256 GB. Also pleasing is the presence of a wide range of wireless interfaces, which is more typical for higher-end smartphones. The equipment includes not only Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.1 standards, but also NFC for paying for purchases. GPS and GLONASS modules will prevent you from getting lost. A version with two slots for microSIM cards will be available. 4G frequencies are supported. A removable battery with a resource of 2600 mAh is responsible for the autonomy of this gadget. Considering the not very powerful hardware platform and low screen resolution, you can hope for a good operating time on a single charge. The functions of the operating system are assigned to the Android 5.1 Lollipop platform, there is a shell.

The photographic capabilities of the new product deserve special attention, since their level is not bad at all for a smartphone belonging to the budget segment. The rear camera is equipped with an 8 megapixel sensor with f/2.2 aperture, a bright LED flash and good autofocus. Video recording in 1080p is supported. The front camera has a resolution of 5 megapixels and an aperture of f/2.2.

Conclusion

The smartphone is certainly capable of competing for a place in the sun, despite its mediocre characteristics. The big advantage of the Samsung Galaxy J3 Pro is the price tag, which is around $150. For such a price, the device can become a very attractive option for budget-conscious buyers, because the design here is not bad at all, as is the camera. But if you place higher demands on your device in terms of performance, you should pay attention to more expensive solutions.

is a mid-level model from the largest smartphone manufacturer. She has every opportunity to become extremely popular. Excellently balanced technical characteristics, a well-known brand, beautiful appearance and all this at a fairly affordable price.

A 4-core processor with a frequency of 1.5 GHz is responsible for performance. Applications and not the most demanding games will not be difficult for him. But to run “heavy” 3D video games, you may need to reduce the graphics level. 1.5 GB of RAM is responsible for the smooth operation and responsiveness of the interface. This is quite enough, given the presence of the modern Android 5.1 Lollipop operating system. Running multiple applications at the same time is also easy. The shell is TouchWiz, which is used in all Samsung smartphones. It is constantly being refined and improved. Plus, it has its own application store, which contains special discounts and offers specifically for owners of Korean brand phones. About 4.3 GB is available to the user for data storage (the total size is 8 GB, but a certain space is reserved by the system). If this space is not enough, you can install a MicroSD memory card up to 128 GB and turn the device into a storage for photos, music and videos.

From competitors Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) J320 Black, is distinguished by the presence of a high-quality 5-inch display. It is made using SuperAMOLED technology, which is known for rich colors, excellent brightness, true blacks and at the same time consumes less energy than IPS matrices. The screen has an HD resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels with a density of 294 pixels per inch. The image is smooth and even, and individual dots can only be seen if you look closely. And the wide viewing angles will allow you to enjoy photos taken with the 8 MP main camera in the company of friends. It is equipped with autofocus and LED flash. For selfies and video calls, there is a front camera with a resolution of 5 MP.

Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) J320 Black supports operation in Russian 4G/LTE frequencies, with a maximum data transfer rate of 150 Mbit/s. Many people will like the ability to install two SIM cards at once. In addition to choosing tariffs for the Internet and calls, this will allow you to combine work and personal phone numbers in one device. You can connect to access points using Wi-Fi, which works with b/g/n standards. The smartphone can serve as a navigator, and it works with both GPS and GLONASS satellites. And so that the call does not distract you from driving, you can connect a wireless headset via Bluetooth (version 4.0). With its help, you can transfer files or use Wi-Fi Direct for this. The device has a removable battery with a capacity of 2600 mAh, which provides up to 13 hours of talk time on 3G networks, up to 9 hours of Internet browsing via LTE and up to 53 hours of music playback.

The design of the Samsung Galaxy J3 (2017) is made in a style that has become common to the entire line since 2017. The smartphone received soft, pastel colors and bright silver accents on the front and back panels.

The Galaxy J3 (2017) also has metal body elements, but there are fewer of them than other models in the line. The smartphone, in addition, turned out to be a little thicker than it should have been - as a result, it lacks the nobility that the Galaxy J5 (2017) acquired.

The front panel of the Galaxy J3 (2017) is covered with protective glass. Here, the accents are the Samsung logo, as well as the edging of the touch and virtual buttons at the bottom of the device.

There is a large metal tab on the back panel. You might think that this is a cover that can be removed. In fact, SIM and microSD are installed in the side compartments. Like the older models, the bright silver logo of the smartphone and the same edging of the photo module stand out against a soft background.

The device is assembled with high quality, the materials are also at the same level, but it still leaves the impression of a budget device, even if it looks better than many competitors in its price range. Perhaps a “silver” or black smartphone will look better than the “gold” one that came to us.

Connectors and controls

5-inch devices are quite ergonomic: they can be easily operated with one hand. All connectors and controls are well placed, but there are still exceptions.

On the front panel below the screen there is a hardware Home button. The other two Android buttons are touch sensitive. Although the Home button is the same size as the Galaxy J5 (2017) and J7 (2017), it is not combined with a fingerprint scanner. So the device’s protection is weaker.

Above the display there is a speaker, a front camera lens and a backlight LED, which is similar to a flash. You can also see a window with sensors.

On the back of the smartphone we see a camera and flash.

On the right side there is a button to turn on the screen, as well as a slot with a speaker grille.

On the left side of the smartphone there are two volume buttons. There are also two compartments for SIM cards and a memory card.

The SIM and microSD slots are separated, so you can use all three cards at the same time. The compartments are opened using a fairly long key. Our short video will tell you how to insert cards into the Galaxy J3 (2017):

At the bottom we find a microphone, audio jack and microUSB. This arrangement may not be convenient for everyone and not always, especially when you want to listen to music through headphones and charge your phone at the same time. However, this has already become a commonplace for modern smartphones, which are becoming thinner and thinner.

There is nothing on the top end.

We also note that the device can be easily operated by both right-handed and left-handed people. The buttons are conveniently located.

Case for Samsung Galaxy J3 (2017)

It is not yet possible to buy a case or cover for the Samsung Galaxy J3 (2017), at least at the time of writing this review. However, the company offers three cases for the older models of the line. They cost from 890 to 1390 rubles.

We can expect that over time Samsung will offer accessories for the cheapest Galaxy J. Let's hope that they will cost less than for the “five” and “seven”. The picture shows the Slim Cover bumper for the Galaxy J3 (2016). His company offers it for 290 rubles.

Samsung Galaxy J3 (2017) firmware update

It is clear that the Samsung Galaxy J3 (2017) will receive an update to Android 8.0. I would even bet that Android 9.0 for the Galaxy J3 (2017) will be released. So a guide to flashing a smartphone will not be superfluous.

So, to flash the Galaxy J3 (2017), you need to do the following:

• and make sure that the smartphone has enough charge;
• enter the smartphone into Download Mode (while simultaneously pressing the “off” + “volume down” + “home button”) keys, then press “Volume up”;
• connect a USB cable to the device;
• in the Odin application on your computer, select files from the archive with the firmware:
• for the column PIT - a file with the extension *.pit;
• for PDA - a file whose name contains the word CODE, if there is none, then you should know that this is the heaviest file in the archive;
• for CSC - a file whose name contains the word CSC;
• for Phone - a file containing MODEM in the name;
• Note. If the files for the CSC, Phone and PIT columns are not in the archive with the firmware, then we sew exclusively using the one-file method, i.e. indicate the location of the firmware in the PDA column, and leave the remaining lines empty.

Make sure that the “Auto Reboot” and “F.” checkboxes are checked in Odin. Reset Time". If the location of the *.pit file was specified, then the “Re-Partition” checkbox will be checked automatically;

Press the “Start” button and watch how the firmware process occurs. The phone may reboot several times during installation and in no case should you disconnect the cable from it until the message “All threads completed” appears in the Odin log or the green information window with the inscription “PASS!” lights up.

The firmware update process traditionally lasts several minutes (from 5 to 15) and if successful, you will be asked to configure the smartphone according to your preferences. After this you can start working.

If suddenly something didn’t work out, you can ask about it in the comments under the article.

Galaxy J3 (2017) screen

Samsun Galaxy J3 (2017) received a 5-inch PLS display with a resolution of 720x1280 pixels. The pixel density is 294 ppi. Considering that other smartphones in the line have the same resolution but larger screen sizes, the display of the cheapest device is ahead in terms of clarity! Naturally, if you close your eyes to the fact that the older Js have a SuperAMOLED screen. However, the difference is small, so this cannot be called a miscalculation by the marketing service. Yes, and we are supplied with the J3 (2017) version with a Super AMOLED matrix, and not like the test sample.

However, even the PLS screen has good, rich colors, natural blacks and good contrast.

Samsung has limited the display settings in the Galaxy J3 (2017). The older models of the line have various screen profiles, including those adapted for watching movies and photos. They have a color temperature close to natural - 6500K. Also, older Galaxy Js have a blue filter, which supposedly reduces fatigue. The Troika does not have all this.

But the Galaxy J3 (2017) received an “Outdoor” mode. It turns the display brightness to maximum for 15 minutes. After this, the brightness decreases. This is the only screen setting. Overall convenient, since Samsung does not have an automatic brightness adjustment mode.

The display leaves a good impression, however, there are not enough settings. However, this is understandable. The screen of the cheapest device in the line cannot be better than that of the more expensive ones.

Let's turn to objective tests. The smartphone's white brightness is 548.41 cd/m2, black brightness is close to zero, or 0.32 cd/m2. The contrast is 1713:1. You can count on comfortable work outdoors, you just need to turn on the backlight to maximum.

The color temperature of the Galaxy J3 (2017) is too high, like all smartphones. Only rare exceptions approach 6500K. The J5 (2017) has a special display profile for this. The Galaxy J3 (2017) does not have this setting, so the screen shows “normal” 8500-9000K.

The color gamut of the Galaxy J3 (2017) is slightly more modest than that of older models in the line, but, as befits normal PLS, it is noticeably larger than the sRGB range.

But the gamma curves flew away. The shades will be lighter. Here the screen is noticeably worse than that of other smartphones in the line.

The smartphone recognizes five touches.

From a larger view, the Samsung Galaxy J3 (2017) display looks good. Especially considering that a version with a Super AMOLED screen will be sold in our area.

Camera Galax J3 (2017)

Samsung Galaxy J3 (2017) received two cameras. The main one has a resolution of 13 megapixels, the front - 5 megapixels. Both of them are capable of recording Full HD video.

Galaxy J3 (2017) retained the signature feature of the line and received a front flash, or rather LED backlight, which works with both video and photos.

It should be noted that the front camera of the smartphone differs from the Galaxy J3 (2017) not only in its lower resolution than in older models. It also received a darker lens with an aperture ratio of 2.2, although other representatives of the J line have this figure of 1.8 and 1.9. The main camera is the same as that of the Galaxy J5 (2017).

The camera interface of the Samsung Galaxy J3 (2017) is standard. In one part of the display there are quick buttons, including changing the camera, flash and calling up settings. You can also add any of the shooting modes there.

On the other side there are shutter buttons for taking videos and photos. They are on the same screen, you don't need to switch between them. On the one hand, it’s convenient, on the other hand, you can accidentally click on a video instead of a photo. There is also a photo preview window nearby, leading to the Gallery.

The area next to the main shutter buttons is dedicated to adjusting the skin tone of the face, or other quick settings depending on the mode.

Swiping right or left opens screens with shooting modes, as well as preset filters. There are fewer modes and filters than in the Galaxy A series devices. You cannot add new modes, but they can be arranged in order, and also placed on the main screen of the camera.

The settings apply directly to individual cameras. They are limited mainly by the resolution of the content being shot, as well as general functions: shutter release, geotagging, etc. Adjustment of shooting parameters is available on the main screen depending on the selected shooting mode.

The front camera interface is the same as the main one. There is also a button for the flash, fortunately it is also on the front side of the smartphone. But here, in default mode, more settings are available to improve selfies: skin tone, etc.

The front camera has only two modes, besides the main one: a wide-format selfie will help you place a landmark in the background, and the second one will help you record additional sound. The set of filters is approximately the same.

The maximum resolution of the main camera is 13 megapixels, while the aspect ratio is only 4:3.

In general, the camera copes well with various scenes. If you want, you can almost always get a good photo.

The main camera can shoot Full HD video. There is a square video preset for Instagram.

The video also turned out to be quite good.

The front camera can also take a 13-megapixel photo and it will also be 4:3.

The front camera lags behind the main one in image quality, but not significantly. With backlight and front flash, you can take good selfies.

The front camera allows you to shoot Full HD videos, as well as square videos.

Video is a little worse. The camera reacts more slowly to changes in lighting, but in general it is also suitable for taking pictures of yourself. Don't forget about the front flash. Everything is much better with her.

Specifications Samsung Galaxy J3 (2017)

The characteristics of the Samsung Galaxy J3 (2017), like the entire line, have significantly improved compared to the previous generation.

Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) was a very modest smartphone. Let us remember that it was released not even in 2016, but at the end of 2015, so its platform was not the newest even at that time, even in its class.

Samsung Galaxy J3 (2017) received an Exynos 7570 processor with four Cortex-A53 cores with a frequency of 1.4 GHz. Compared to last year’s model, it’s not so much the frequency that has improved, but the architecture. The 2016 version used Cortex-A7. Cortex-A53 is both faster and more economical, so you can expect a noticeable increase in performance.

There were no fundamental changes in the graphics compared to the American version, but the main one used Mali-400. So installing Mail-T720 can give a noticeable boost in games.

RAM capacity has also increased slightly. Now it's a standard 2 GB. Yes, and 16 GB of memory in the minimum version also looks, although not “meh,” but it’s not a measly 8 GB.

In general, the Samsung Galaxy J3 (2017) platform is more modest than that of the J5 (2017). Considering that the younger Galaxy J has the same software, it may work slower.

The Galaxy J3 (2017) is more modest from a communication point of view. It only has LTE category 4, while other smartphones have a higher category. They have higher capacity of fourth generation networks. Also, Galaxy J3 (2017) does not support Wi-Fi 802.11ac, NFC.

The cameras have improved compared to the previous model. They now record Full HD video. The battery capacity has decreased to 2400 mAh. We can only hope that the new processor is more economical and the autonomy of the device will not deteriorate.

Performance testing

Before the test runs, a brief summary: the new Galaxy J3 (2017) has a higher frequency, more RAM and a more advanced architecture. The performance increase over the 2016 model should be very noticeable.

In the first Basemark test, the new J3 brought more than 70% to the old one.

JetStream shows performance in web applications. Mobile devices have long passed the critical point when it comes to displaying web pages, even the most complex ones. In this case, this is reflected in the smaller difference between the two smartphones.

In 3DMark, the new Samsung Galaxy J3 (2017) turns out to be noticeably faster than its predecessor, but it’s worth paying attention to the overall rather small number of points.

The small number of “parrots” in 3DMark is confirmed by another test. The new J3 is faster again, but the FPS is very low.

Let's take a look at how the Samsung Galaxy J3 (2017) performs in the popular Antutu test.

A comprehensive AnTuTu test compares the CPU and GPU of the chipset. Let us remind you that although the processor architectures of the models are different, the graphics are almost the same.

Autonomy Galaxy J3 (2017)

Autonomy is the highest achievement of the new model. After our standard set of actions, the new Galaxy J3 (2017) retained 83% charge, and its predecessor only 73%. Moreover, the J3 (2016) has a 200 mAh larger battery capacity. As a result, we can safely say that the Galaxy J3 (2017) will last more than a day. However, given the low performance in graphics tests, for greater autonomy it is better not to load it with games. Noticeable battery savings are achieved by eliminating the AMOLED screen.

3D graphics consume the most, followed by data transfer. It is better to read the Internet via Wi-Fi if you want to increase battery life.

The phone manager can be found in the settings section Optimizing the smartphone settings menu. You can also go there through the Energy Saving icon in the notification panel. There are two energy saving modes: medium and maximum. Both can be customized. Allows you to adjust the brightness of the display, processor frequency and the operation of wireless networks in the background.

Games on Samsung Galaxy J3 (2017)

In principle, the new Galaxy J3 (2017) processor should be enough to provide acceptable gaming performance, but there are some doubts due to the low 3DMark score.

• Riptide GP2: excellent, everything flies;

• Asphalt 7: excellent, everything flies;

• Asphalt 8: good, extremely rare, but slows down;

• Modern Combat 5: excellent, everything flies;

• Dead Trigger: excellent, everything flies;

• Dead Trigger 2: excellent, everything flies;

• Real Racing 3: excellent, everything flies;

• Need For Speed: No Limits: excellent, everything flies;

• Shadowgun: Dead Zone: excellent, everything flies;
• Frontline Commando: Normandy: did not start;

• Frontline Commando 2: excellent, everything flies;
• Eternity Warriors 2: did not start;

• Eternity Warriors 4: excellent, everything flies;

• Trial Xtreme 3: excellent, everything flies;

• Trial Xtreme 4: excellent, everything flies;

• Dead Effect: excellent, everything flies;

• Dead Effect 2: excellent, everything flies;

• Plants vs Zombies 2: excellent, everything flies;

• Dead Target: excellent, everything flies;

• Injustice: great, everything flies.

• Injustice 2: great, everything flies.

And indeed, two games did not launch, one did not receive the highest rating. In the end, the Galaxy J3 (2017) remains a good gaming console, but fair warning: there may be some unpleasant surprises.

BY

Samsung Galaxy J3 (2017) received Android 7.0, as well as Samsung Essentials 8.1 interface. We wrote about it in detail in, so here we will only list the main points.

Samsung Galaxy J3 (2017) has two home screens and a News Briefing screen. They display search and folders with Google and Microsoft applications. The new interface does not have a menu button. It is called up by a gesture if you swipe up from the bottom just above the bottom row of icons. On the second screen you can see Yandex search.

Home screens now have settings. Here you can select the grid, set the font size and color.

In addition to the main one, a simple mode has appeared. It is clearly aimed at people who are elderly or have low vision. Larger icons are used here, and there is a screen with contacts for quick dialing. A Menu button also appeared.

The appearance of the application menu is standard. At the top there is a search. Applications can be sorted alphabetically. In the menu settings you can change the color scheme. A selection of Samsung Essentials applications have also gone to settings.

The set of Google applications is normal. There are no new products. The most recent addition was made last year - Duo messenger. Microsoft, as usual, is represented by shortcuts to Office suite applications. You still need to install them and, if asked, subscribe. You won't need to install Skype or OneDrive, except maybe update it.

News Briefing has not changed. Individual news selections, etc. are also possible.

Notifications and quick settings panel. The full list of icons opens if you drag the border between notifications and icons. There is a quick start of the access point, energy saving.

Samsung Galaxy J3 (2017) supports Smart Switch app. With its help, you can transfer all personal data from your old phone to a new one. Not only Samsung devices and not only Android devices are supported.

Samsung applications are stored in a separate folder, although not all of them. There are a few more that are on the main menu.

Samsung's voice recorder is much better than the stock Android one. Here you can select the recording quality, its format, and also block incoming calls while recording.

S Health in the new Galaxy is no longer just a fitness tracker, it is an entire ecosystem with social functions, supported by accessories and an API that works with third-party applications. You can use other trackers, but information from them will still end up in S Health if desired.

The file manager looks familiar. It is possible to display folders as a list or preview icons. You can send files to a protected folder directly from the manager.

Its own browser, or rather an add-on for Chrome, is tied to a Samsung account, offers cloud links and supports extensions.

Samsung Notes are still multifunctional and convenient. Take notes by voice, by hand, draw, type. Nothing will be lost.

Samsung Members - support service, corporate magazine, Galaxy owners forum and phone manager in one package. True, some functions are available through registration with Samsung.

Samsung Galaxy J3 (2017) lacks biometric identification, but this is not a reason to leave your smartphone without a Secure Folder. You can restrict access to it using a password or a picture. The folder can contain personal files, as well as copies of applications that only the owner of the smartphone will have access to.

Samsung also pre-installs a shortcut on the Galaxy J3 with a link to its store. There is another shortcut - Gifts from Samsung. Unfortunately, we were not offered anything. Apparently test devices are not allowed.

Samsung Galaxy J3 (2017) also has the Yandex application. Here you can find search, weather, and news.

Finally, the last “bun” is Ubank mobile banking.

Conclusion

Samsung Galaxy J3 (2017) accelerated less than other smartphones in the line. It remains a very budget device. In some cases, it is clear that the potential of the smartphone is higher. Functionality limitations are made for the sake of positioning the device on the market.

The clear advantages of the smartphone are the screen and the main camera. Taking into account the feature taken in the selfie, the front one could have a higher resolution, for example 8 megapixels, not 5.

Overall, it turned out to be a decent budget model that can be recommended with a clear conscience and the caveat that you shouldn’t expect revelations from a device for that kind of money.

Price Samsung Galaxy J3 (2017)

You can buy a Samsung Galaxy J3 (2017) for 12 thousand rubles, which is a good price, slightly higher than its predecessor.

Lenovo K6 Power costs 14,000 rubles. It has a Full HD display, albeit IPS, not AMOLED. It received an 8-core Snapdragon 430 and 2 GB of RAM. The resolution of the main camera is 13 megapixels, and the front one is 8 megapixels, and most importantly - a 4000 mAh battery.

Xiaomi Redmi 4X with 16 GB of storage costs 13,000 rubles. It has an IPS display with a resolution of 720p, an 8-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 processor and 2 GB of RAM, 13 and 5 megapixel cameras, and a 4100 mAh battery.

Huawei Honor 6C is also offered for 13,000 rubles. It has a 720p IPS display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 processor and 3 GB of RAM, as well as a 32 GB drive. Camera resolution is 13 and 5 megapixels, battery capacity is 3020 mAh.

What all Android 6.0 rivals have in common is that they are at least slightly thicker than the Galaxy J5 (2017), with the exception of Huawei. As a result, we can say that the AMOLED display and the latest Android 7.0 require sacrifices, if not financial, then in terms of characteristics. Set your priorities.

pros:

• good body;
• decent design;
• good main camera;
• good screen;
• two separate slots for SIM cards.

Minuses:

• low resolution of the front camera;
• relatively unproductive platform;
• lack of a fingerprint scanner, NFC;
• There is no automatic screen brightness adjustment.

TFT IPS- High quality liquid crystal matrix. It has wide viewing angles, one of the best indicators of color rendering quality and contrast among all those used in the production of displays for portable equipment.
Super AMOLED- if a regular AMOLED screen uses several layers, between which there is an air gap, then in Super AMOLED there is only one such touch layer without air gaps. This allows you to achieve greater screen brightness with the same power consumption.
Super AMOLED HD- differs from Super AMOLED in its higher resolution, thanks to which you can achieve 1280x720 pixels on a mobile phone screen.
Super AMOLED plus- this is a new generation of Super AMOLED displays, differs from the previous one by using a larger number of subpixels in a conventional RGB matrix. The new displays are 18% thinner and brighter than displays made using the old PenTile technology.
AMOLED- an improved version of OLED technology. The main advantages of the technology are significantly reduced power consumption, the ability to display a larger color gamut, reduced thickness and the ability of the display to bend slightly without the risk of breaking.
Retina-high pixel density display designed specifically for Apple technology. The pixel density of Retina displays is such that individual pixels are indistinguishable to the eye at a normal distance from the screen. This ensures the highest image detail and significantly improves the overall viewing experience.
Super Retina HD- the display is made using OLED technology. The pixel density is 458 PPI, the contrast reaches 1,000,000:1. The display has a wide color gamut and unsurpassed color accuracy. Pixels in the corners of the display are smoothed at the sub-pixel level, so edges are not distorted and appear smooth. The Super Retina HD reinforcing layer is 50% thicker. It will be harder to break the screen.
Super LCD is the next generation of LCD technology, it is characterized by improved characteristics compared to earlier LCD displays. The screens not only have wide viewing angles and better color reproduction, but also lower power consumption.
TFT- A common type of liquid crystal display. Using an active matrix controlled by thin-film transistors, it is possible to significantly increase the performance of the display, as well as the contrast and clarity of the image.
OLED- organic electroluminescent display. It consists of a special thin-film polymer that emits light when exposed to an electric field. This type of display has a large reserve of brightness and consumes very little energy.

As a rule, a budget smartphone is something unattractive and bulky made of cheap plastic, but you can’t say that about the Galaxy J3. Of course, it cannot be confused with the flagship Samsung Galaxy S6, but it also looks nice.

Dimensions and weight are at a good level - 142.3 × 71 × 8.4 mm and 138 grams, respectively. Thus, it is lighter and more compact than the popular Asus Zenfone 2 Laser, quite comparable to the “sophisticated” Huawei P8 Lite, and it also fits comfortably in the hand. The phone is recognizable as the company's typical "washed-up" design, so it looks like any other budget device from the company, for example, the 5-inch Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime, both front and back. The only differences are in the side ends, which have become more ornate on the Galaxy J3 (as if they had been run over with a file once again), and in the colors of the front panel - the top frame and the thin strip around the screen will always be black, regardless of the color of the case.

The frames of the phone were skillfully disguised with black color and the side ends slightly rising above the display, making them seem thin. But in fact, they are not so narrow, the ratio of screen area to device area is about 68%, this is an average figure. The back panel is quite featureless, it only has the Samsung logo, the DUOS inscription at the bottom, a speaker grille, a camera lens and a backlight LED. Everything is the same as other state employees of the company.

The smartphone has a collapsible body - both the cover and the battery are removed. Today, when manufacturers are chasing all-metal cases with all their might, this is even unusual. The build quality of the Samsung Galaxy J3, according to our experts, is at a good level; the phone does not bend under pressure. The lid fits tightly, the only inconvenient thing is the latches that hold it in place - when assembling the smartphone, you will have to press on each separately.

Samsung Galaxy J3 can be purchased in three colors: white, black and gold.

Screen - 4.0

The display of the Samsung Galaxy J3 turned out to be of high quality, largely due to its AMOLED matrix. It provides wide viewing angles, sufficient brightness and infinite image contrast.

The phone has a 5-inch screen with HD resolution (1280×720 pixels), which today is rather the norm rather than a luxury. The pixel density is at a good level - 294 per inch, which is more than enough for a clear picture. Viewing angles are wide, but not maximum, they are noticeably at the same as the same flagship Galaxy S7. If you watch the same video on two phones from an angle, you can see that on the Galaxy J3, skin tones and other colors begin to fade, but this does not happen on the company's top phone. Separately, we note that the screen quickly collects fingerprints, but is wiped off quite easily.

The measured screen brightness ranges from 4 to 256 cd/m2, which is low and comparable to the results of the Asus Zenfone 2 Laser. But, firstly, in the case of the Samsung J3, it is an AMOLED display, which, even with nominally low performance, does not look dim. Secondly, it has a special “Outdoor” mode, with which the brightness increases to 435 cd/m2. Curiously, the phone does not have an auto-brightness function; apparently, the manufacturer decided to save money on the light sensor. The color rendition of the screen turned out to be normal, especially in comparison with the simply “exuberant” screen of the Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016).

In the display settings you can see the already familiar picture modes - “Adaptive”, “Movie AMOLED”, “Photo AMOLED” and “Main”. In the first three, the color gamut corresponds to the wider Adobe RGB standard, which makes the picture seem too oversaturated, even garish. In the “Basic” mode, the color gamut is “compressed” to the sRGB standard, in which colors look more natural and familiar.

Performance - 1.8

In daily use, the Samsung Galaxy J3 works quite smoothly, but periodically “thinks” and slows down when solving many tasks. For heavy games and those who like to run several applications at once, this is not the best option.

The Samsung Galaxy J3 uses the Spreadtrum SC9830 chipset (4 cores, frequency up to 1.5 GHz). It is far from the most productive, but it supports LTE. The smartphone cannot be called very productive, but at least it is not annoying when working. So, when going to different menus, settings or when launching applications, he often thinks for half a second, but this is not so critical for a budget employee. As for heavy games, this is definitely not for him - the phone runs them, but they do not work very smoothly. Even the average Thumb Drift slows down at high graphics settings, which becomes critical at high speeds and sharp turns. We checked to see if the Galaxy J3 overheats during operation - it turns out it doesn't. After half an hour of playing racing, the case temperature never exceeded 37 degrees.

In various benchmarks, the phone received low budget scores:

• Geekbench 3 (CPU test) - 1169 points, lower than the flagship four years ago;
• Ice Storm Unlimited from 3DMark (graphics) - 3662, more than a thousand less than the budget ZTE Blade X5;
• AnTuTu (mixed test) - 25123 points, several thousand lower than Huawei Honor 4C Pro.

It looks funny, but in some tests the Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) scored lower than its younger brother Galaxy J1 (2016).

Cameras - 3.1

The 8 and 5 MP cameras of the Samsung Galaxy J3 can be called quite good for their resolution, but they are noticeably inferior to the same Samsung Galaxy J7. You can take a good selfie with them, capture your friends, or photograph the necessary document.

The camera application has a clear interface; you may only be annoyed by the constant sound of the shutter when shooting - there is simply nowhere to turn it off, only if you turn off the sounds of the system itself. There are a number of modes in the settings:

• "Auto"
• "Pro"
• "Continuous Shooting"
• "Panorama"
• "Retouch"
• "Sport"
• "HDR"
• "Sound and Photo".

The purpose of the latter seemed strange - you take a photo, and immediately after that a 9-second audio clip is recorded. This is interesting, but it is not clear who would benefit from such a mode. Interestingly, compared to the Galaxy J1 (2016), the phone now has an HDR mode, but the manual mode (“Pro”) turned out to be poorer in adjustable parameters. In Pro mode you can configure:

• Exposure (−2 to +2)
• ISO (100 to 800)
• White balance (automatic or one of four to choose from).

The number of customizable parameters and adjustment ranges are not impressive. Most phones can already change ISO up to 1600, and exposure can be adjusted from −3 to +3.

The shooting quality is good for 8 MP, the level of detail is not bad. The camera focuses accurately, but takes quite a long time, on the order of a second or longer. In good lighting conditions, the phone will be able to take a good side shot, but will not replace a camera. In the dark and indoors, photographs no longer look as attractive due to noise.

The Galaxy J3 camera can shoot video in no more than HD resolution (1280x720 pixels) at a speed of 30 frames per second and with tracking autofocus. Why there is no Full HD video is unclear. Perhaps these are limitations of the chipset, or the manufacturer decided that for a device with an HD display it is enough to shoot with the same quality.

The front-facing camera is fine for outdoor selfies, but the photos come out with a slight cool tint. Indoors, the result does not look so good due to the omnipresent noise. Besides, whatever one may say, the front camera is inferior to the main one.

Photos from the camera Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) - 3.1

Photos from the front camera of Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) - 3.1

Working with text - 4.0

The Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) comes pre-installed with the company's proprietary keyboard. One of its features is the ability to switch to a 3x4 format with large icons, as was the case in old push-button phones.

Working with such a keyboard is quite convenient, it has predictive input, you can adjust the size of the keyboard and set text shortcuts for long words or entire phrases. There is no marking of additional characters here, only a row of keys with numbers. But it supports continuous word input (Swype). It's a little sad that there wasn't a separate icon for the comma. We also didn’t like switching between languages, which occurs by holding down the space bar and swiping to the side.

Internet - 3.0

Initially, the Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) has Google Chrome and simply “Internet” browsers. The first has the function of changing the text size to a pre-selected one using a double click and synchronization with the desktop version. The Internet browser does not have any special functions, everything is quite typical. Although it used to have automatic adjustment of text to the width of the screen, for some reason they decided to remove it. When working with several heavy pages, the phone begins to slow down and “stick” when scrolling through sites.

Communications - 2.6

The Samsung Galaxy J3 smartphone received a standard set of communications:

• simple Wi-Fi b/g/n with Wi-Fi Direct support
• Bluetooth 4.1 with A2DP profile
• LTE support
• FM radio (needs headphones)
• A-GPS with GLONASS support.

The phone supports two micro SIM cards. A regular MicroUSB 2.0 connector is used for charging. Surprisingly, it supports USB On-the-Go for connecting peripheral devices. As a rule, more expensive devices, for example, Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016), enjoy this “privilege”. Also pay attention to the phone version - for example, the SM-J320H/DS modification does not work in LTE networks. During our tests, we didn't really like the performance of the GPS module. Its cold start took more than a minute and a half - smartphones usually handle this faster.

Multimedia - 3.6

As a rule, the company takes a serious approach to device support for audio and video formats. Samsung Galaxy J3 is no exception, but it cannot be called an omnivore. Thus, the phone plays music in FLAC, but, like most mobile devices, it cannot cope with AC-3. From video, he did not want to launch 2K, 4K videos and RMVB format.

The typical audio player “Google Play Music” is preinstalled on the smartphone. This is not just a player, but also an entire music service from Google with an equalizer and a bunch of services. If you pay for a subscription, you can save your favorite tracks, listen to them offline, and also get rid of ads. To watch videos, there is a proprietary video player without any special functions. True, except for the ability to show subtitles, send videos and listen to sound from videos via Bluetooth.

Battery - 3.4

We rated the battery life of the smartphone as decent, which is quite high for the moderate price of the Galaxy J3. We easily had enough of a smartphone for a day of work and even more.

The battery capacity of the smartphone can be called average - 2600 mAh. But don’t forget that its main expenses are the screen and processor, and in this case they can be called economical. Thus, the phone lasted 11 hours and 10 minutes when watching HD video at maximum brightness (“Airplane” mode). This is close to record holders for autonomy like Lenovo Vibe P1m and others. It’s even funny that the cheaper Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016) lasted a couple of hours longer, however, due to the small and unclear screen. But in audio player mode the miracle no longer happened - a constant light load drains the battery relatively quickly, 50 hours and you're done. This is comparable to the results of Huawei Honor 5X or Sony Xperia E4.

In an hour of running the GeekBench Battery Test, the battery lost 15% of its charge, a result slightly better than average. An hour of mid-range games consumes 18%, you can expect that you can play about 5 hours on the Samsung Galaxy J3. Shooting a 10-minute HD video consumed only 4% of the battery, one of the best results.

Yes, in some tests the smartphone shows incredibly high autonomy, but in daily use it is not such a record holder, it lasts for a day of work and a little more. In principle, this time is enough, and this “a little more” will be a reserve when the phone’s battery begins to deteriorate. However, in this case you can easily replace it with a new one, because it is removable.

The Samsung Galaxy J3 comes with a 1 A charger. It takes a little over two and a half hours to fully charge the device.

Memory - 3.5

The amount of permanent memory in the Samsung Galaxy J3 is small - only 8 GB (4.3 GB available to the user), while Chinese (and not only) competitors have long flaunted 16 GB on board. But this is not so critical, because the volume can be expanded using a MicroSD memory card (up to 128 GB). Moreover, the slot for it is separate, and not combined with any of the SIM cards. It is located near the battery, but to install a MicroSD card it is not necessary to remove it, because it does not interfere with inserting the card inside - a small thing, but nice. Most applications are installed only on the internal memory of the device. After this, only part of the software data can be transferred to the card. Sometimes this leads to funny things. For example, the 3DMark application takes up 55 MB of device memory, but if you move it to MicroSD, you will see that it takes up about 42 MB on the card and 29.3 on the phone, that is, almost one and a half times more in total.

Peculiarities

Apparently, Samsung decided that state employees are not entitled to the latest Android, so the Galaxy J3 runs version 5 of the system and its own TouchWiz interface. As usual, the phone comes pre-installed with quite a lot of different software that not everyone needs - not only from Google and Samsung, but now also from Microsoft. In principle, this may be useful for someone, but the catch is that they are not simply deleted from the phone. The interface is still a little heavy and a little confusing with the abundance of settings, which are also scattered rather strangely. For example, they are grouped under the names “Connections”, “Device”, “Personal” and “System” and it is not always possible to guess in advance where the item you need will be located. Features of the device include the use of an AMOLED screen, a removable battery, support for LTE and two SIM cards. However, the last two points are not so special today.