First impressions of Galaxy J1 – even in the most budget sector, Samsung has a lot to offer

LaptopMedia.com Repere First impressions of Galaxy J1 – even in the most budget sector, Samsung has a lot to offer

De la: Hristiyan Tsutsev 06 August 2015 / 12:14 0

Samsung have already proved that they are a strong competitor in every price range. Even though the high-end is their top priority, it seems as though they haven’t forgotten about the lowest sector too – that’s where Galaxy J1 is placed. This is what we’ll be testing to introduce you to its capabilities in a detailed review. For now, we’ve prepared a short article about our first impressions of the device.

We’re curious to see what performance the two 1.2GHz Cortex-A7 cores will offer. So far we’ve experienced smooth browsing through the menus of the smartphone, which is really important for this price range. We still have to test the mobile chip and compare it to those in other competitor models (like Snapdragon 200) and some more affordable MediaTek representatives.

Software-wise the South Korean company tried really hard to offer something different from the standard menus and apps of Android 4.4 KitKat. We have more colorful and distinguishable icons and menus, and in addition, you’ll find functionality such as the Ultra Power Saving mode, which is especially useful when you’re down to almost no battery charge and nowhere near a power outlet.

We consider the design to be one of the strong features of the device. It doesn’t offer anything different from the well-known “Galaxy” shape and plastic construction, but the 4.3-inch screen comes with smaller overall dimensions, which makes Galaxy J1 really comfortable for one-hand usage. Your thumb will reach almost every pixel on the display, which is not that common nowadays. The thin body (8.9mm) and the rounded edges make the device even more comfortable to grip. We didn’t come across any dents or squeaks that would ruin the user experience. On the contrary, the device feels solid and sturdy. On the front you’ll see the physical home button, which is typical for the Galaxy series, accompanied by two more sensor buttons – one for going back and one for the multitasking menu.

The rear panel can be easily removed. Underneath you can see the 2 SIM card slots. Literally on top of the first one, there is a microSD slot which you’ll most likely use sooner or later, because the device has only 4GB of internal memory. Only a third of it is free, however.

The main camera is 5MP with autofocus and LED flash. You’ll notice a menu with many modes and settings. Among them are Panorama, Face beauty, Night mode, Best picture, etc. Picture quality isn’t really impressive, but we can say it’s good, considering the price range.

The battery has a capacity of 1850mAh, but we have yet to confirm whether it will provide more than 12 hours of Wi-Fi surfing, as Samsung is claiming. We’ll test that very soon, of course. The processor likely won’t consume a lot of energy. The same goes for the small TFT display with resolution of 800 x 480 pixels. Although it doesn’t look like much, the details are good and the colors look bright enough.

Specs sheet

OS	Android v4.4.4 (KitKat)
Processor	Spreadtrum SC7715 (2-core, 1.20GHz, Cortex-A7)
RAM	512MB
Internal memory	4GB
GPU	Mali-400
Display	4.3-inch TFT capacitive multi touch screen with resolution of 800 x 480 pixels
Connectivity	Bluetooth v4.0, A2DP, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, GPS, АGPS
Cameras	5MP with autofocus and LED flash (rear), 2MP (front)
Other features	microSD slot (up to 128GB) microUSB v2.0 port built-in speaker 3.5 mm audio jack FM radio with RDS accelerometer proximity sensor
Battery	1850 mAh
Dimensions	68.2 x 129 x 8.9 mm
Weight	122 grams