The Samsung Galaxy J line includes low and mid-range models, and it is easy to tell their hierarchy – the greater the number after J, the better the specs of the given phone are, and the higher the price, too.
In the focus of this review shall be Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) which was announced toward the end of last year, and is already available on the market. The device is positioned in the low mid-range and yet offers decent features for its price. In this line of thought we can mention the 5-inch Super AMOLED HD display and nice and slim design. It is undoubtedly the case that in this price range you can find models with more impressing specs, but here we are talking about Samsung – the leading smartphone manufacturer.
If you are interested in the purchase of this model, you can check its price and available colors here: http://amzn.to/1TtLj4X
Contents
Design and construction
The models in this range cost around 160$, so one can hardly expect any other material different from plastic and the construction of Galaxy J3 is no exception to this rule. More important, however, is the fact that this smartphone doesn’t look, nor feel cheap. Its design features a silverish frame that resembles metal and a matte back that does not attract fingerprints.
On the left you can find the volume controls and on the right – the Power button. They are slightly protruding and use the same color and finish of the frame. The microUSB charging port and microphone are positioned at the bottom, while at the top only the headphone jack is to be observed.
Additionally, the smartphone edges are slightly rounded which is characteristic of the line. This taken together with the thin 7.9 mm profile make holding and working with this device comfortable and effortless. Of course, if you want to open the dropdown menu, you will have to use both hands but this is normal for a 5-incher. We were also impressed by the low weight – 138 grams.
The rear camera is slightly protruding but not to an annoying extent. It is centered and is surrounded by the LED flash and loudspeaker. Slightly below the camera you can find the Samsung logo and even further down there is a sign reminding you that you can use two simcards with on this device.
As expected, there is a hardware Home button at the front and beside it – the other two traditional sensor buttons. Even in the white version the area above the screen is in black. It is there where you can observe the strongly contrasting Samsung inscription, while the other proximity and ambient light sensors and front camera are more unobtrusive.
Under the hood
The back cover can be easily removed with the help of a dedicated notch in the upper part. Under it you can observe the battery which is also easy to remove. Right above it are the two SIM card slots (both are for micro-SIM cards). Also, literally on top of the second one there is the microSD card slot.
Display
Galaxy J3 (2016) features a 5-inch HD display (1280 x 720 pixels). This is the typical size and resolution for a mid-range phone, and the pixel density is around 294 ppi. The screen becomes of the “Retina” type when looked at 30 cm or more. An important feature here is the presence of a Super AMOLED panel that further increases the color saturation and contrast, and makes viewing angles as wide as possible.
There are several display modes in the settings menu. They can increase color saturation and sharpness, and thus provide an image more suitable for reading or video playback, for example. Yet another interesting mode is the Outdoor mode in which screen brightness becomes even higher than if you manually set it to 100%. In this way you will not have visibility problems even under direct sunlight. For safety reasons the mode can last for 15 minutes or until you turn the screen off, because energy consumption also increases while it’s on.
Specs sheet
| OS | Android 5.1.1 (Lollipop) |
|---|---|
| CPU | Spreadtrum SC8830 (4-core, 1.20GHz, Cortex-A7) |
| RAM | 1.5GB |
| Internal storage | 8GB |
| GPU | Mali-400 |
| Display | 5-inch Super AMOLED capacitive multitouch display (1280 x 720 pixels) |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth v4.1, A2DP, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, GPS, А-GPS |
| Cameras | 8MP with autofocus and an LED flash (rear), 5MP (front) |
| Features |
|
| Battery | 2600 mAh |
| Dimensions | 71 x 142.3 x 7.9 mm |
| Weight | 138 grams |
Battery
The Galaxy J3 (2016) battery capacity is 2600 mAh which is okay. Despite this, we expect decent results because the hardware doesn’t seem to consume a lot of energy. To check this we performed our five standard tests – phone call, Wi-Fi and 3G browsing, video playback and gaming. In order for you to form a better understanding of the battery durability, we compared its results to several other models from the same price range. The settings used for these tests are – screen brightness set to 120 cd/m2, Wi-Fi turned on, 3G (with the exception of the 3G Web browsing test), GPS and BLuetooth turned off.
In this test the screen doesn’t affect the battery life, since the proximity sensor turns it off during phone calls.
| Smartphones | Results (min.) | Result difference |
Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) 2600 mAh, 5.0-inch, Super AMOLED, Spreadtrum SC8830 | 1718 | 0 % | Check price | |
| Motorola Moto G (3rd Gen, 2015) 2470 mAh, 5-inch, IPS LCD, Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) | 1276 | - 25.73 % | Check price | |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 2600 mAh, 5.0-inch, Super AMOLED, Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) | 1364 | - 20.61 % | Check price | |
| Lenovo Vibe P1m 4000 mAh, 5.0-inch, IPS, Mediatek MT6735P | 1115 | - 35.1 % | Check price | |
| HTC Desire 626 Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) | 948 | - 44.82 % | Check price | |
| LG K10 2300 mAh, 5.3-inch, IPS, Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) | 1063 | - 38.13 % | Check price |
We run our Web surfing test with a custom-made script, which browses through 70 popular web pages.
| Smartphones | Results (min.) | Result difference |
Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) 2600 mAh, 5.0-inch, Super AMOLED, Spreadtrum SC8830 | 660 | 0 % | Check price | |
| Motorola Moto G (3rd Gen, 2015) 2470 mAh, 5-inch, IPS LCD, Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) | 610 | - 7.58 % | Check price | |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 2600 mAh, 5.0-inch, Super AMOLED, Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) | 700 | 6.06 % | Check price | |
| Lenovo Vibe P1m 4000 mAh, 5.0-inch, IPS, Mediatek MT6735P | 938 | 42.12 % | Check price | |
| HTC Desire 626 Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) | 376 | - 43.03 % | Check price | |
| LG K10 2300 mAh, 5.3-inch, IPS, Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) | 461 | - 30.15 % | Check price |
This test uses the same custom-made script, but we use 3G connection instead of Wi-Fi.
| Smartphones | Results (min.) | Result difference |
Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) 2600 mAh, 5.0-inch, Super AMOLED, Spreadtrum SC8830 | 524 | 0 % | Check price | |
| Motorola Moto G (3rd Gen, 2015) 2470 mAh, 5-inch, IPS LCD, Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) | 468 | - 10.69 % | Check price | |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 2600 mAh, 5.0-inch, Super AMOLED, Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) | 458 | - 12.6 % | Check price | |
| Lenovo Vibe P1m 4000 mAh, 5.0-inch, IPS, Mediatek MT6735P | 641 | 22.33 % | Check price | |
| HTC Desire 626 Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) | 309 | - 41.03 % | Check price | |
| LG K10 2300 mAh, 5.3-inch, IPS, Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) | 362 | - 30.92 % | Check price |
For this test we use a looping 720p movie.
| Smartphones | Results (min.) | Result difference |
Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) 2600 mAh, 5.0-inch, Super AMOLED, Spreadtrum SC8830 | 724 | 0 % | Check price | |
| Motorola Moto G (3rd Gen, 2015) 2470 mAh, 5-inch, IPS LCD, Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) | 671 | - 7.32 % | Check price | |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 2600 mAh, 5.0-inch, Super AMOLED, Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) | 913 | 26.1 % | Check price | |
| Lenovo Vibe P1m 4000 mAh, 5.0-inch, IPS, Mediatek MT6735P | 1000 | 38.12 % | Check price | |
| HTC Desire 626 Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) | 528 | - 27.07 % | Check price | |
| LG K10 2300 mAh, 5.3-inch, IPS, Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) | 523 | - 27.76 % | Check price |
In order to simulate 3D gaming, we use Epic Citadel cycles at High Quality setting.
| Smartphones | Results (min.) | Result difference |
Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) 2600 mAh, 5.0-inch, Super AMOLED, Spreadtrum SC8830 | 379 | 0 % | Check price | |
| Motorola Moto G (3rd Gen, 2015) 2470 mAh, 5-inch, IPS LCD, Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) | 324 | - 14.51 % | Check price | |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 2600 mAh, 5.0-inch, Super AMOLED, Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) | 346 | - 8.71 % | Check price | |
| Lenovo Vibe P1m 4000 mAh, 5.0-inch, IPS, Mediatek MT6735P | 473 | 24.8 % | Check price | |
| HTC Desire 626 Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) | 234 | - 38.26 % | Check price | |
| LG K10 2300 mAh, 5.3-inch, IPS, Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) | 290 | - 23.48 % | Check price |
Power saving mode
Even though Galaxy J3 offers long battery life (as we already saw), Samsung hasn’t forgotten to add several battery preserving modes. The first one is the Power saving mode which limits the maximum CPU performance, screen brightness and display timeout. Additionally, the Ultra power saving mode is even more extreme as it allows you to use only a few basic functions and changes the color of the screen to grayscale. These sacrifices, however, bring a considerable increase of the battery life.
Software
Galaxy J3 comes with Android 5.1.1 Lollipop supplemented by TouchWiz (Samsung’s UI), which modifies the overall appearance of menus and icons. Additionally, you will find some pre-installed apps including the Microstoft Apps folder which contains OneDrive, OneNote, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Skype. Also present are the S Planner and S Voice apps characteristic of Samsung devices. Furthermore, there is an app for notetaking, radio, convenient file manager and Smart Manager. The latter provides detailed info about the battery, RAM and internal storage, and also protects you from malware. You can also find the Galaxy Apps store.
Settings menu
Each section of the settings menu features subemenus in various colors. Before them, however, you can find shortcuts to six frequently used settings that allow for easier and faster access.
Easy mode
Easy mode allows you to use this device in a simpler way by increasing font and icons size, while keeping only the main apps on your homescreen. A swipe to the right provides access to frequently used contacts.
Themes
If you are bored by the traditional Samsung theme you can always resort to the “My themes” submenu and choose a new design inculding thematic wallpapers and new icons and menus layout. This submenu offers an online store with enough options to choose from.
Accessibility
The Accessibility menu also includes some useful and convenient functions that may be of great help mosty to people with different health problems. You can find all of the options this menu offers in the images below.
Performance
The mobile processor of this device is Spreadtrum SC8830. It is meant for mid-range phones and offers four Cortex-A7 cores, ticking at 1.5 GHz. Spreadtrum SC8830 is manufactured through a 28 nm technological process and supports up to 8MP cameras and Full HD recording. Samsung claims that this CPU provides not only high performance, but also lower power consumption. The latter was already confirmed in our battery life tests. In addition, there is a Mali-400 GPU and 1.5 GB of RAM. As far as internal storage is concerned, you get 8 GB but bear in mind that half of them are occupied by OS and UI files. Despite this, you can expand storage via the microSD card slot which supports up to 128 GB.
CPU
Geekbench 3.0 is Primate Labs cross-platform processor benchmark which simulates real-world scenarios and gives a combined score, based on the results of integer, floating point and memory performance.
| Smartphones | Results | Result difference |
Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) Spreadtrum SC8830 (4-core, Cortex-A7, 1.5 GHz), 1.5GB RAM | 1296 | 0 % | Check price | |
| Motorola Moto G (3rd Gen, 2015) Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) (4-core, Cortex-A53, 1.4 GHz), 1GB RAM | 1640 | 26.54 % | Check price | |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) (4-core, Cortex-A53, 1.4 GHz), 1.5GB RAM | 1436 | 10.8 % | Check price | |
| Lenovo Vibe P1m Mediatek MT6735P (4-core, Cortex-A53, 2GB RAM | 1181 | - 8.87 % | Check price | |
| HTC Desire 626 Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) (4-core, Cortex-A53, 1.4 GHz), | 1492 | 15.12 % | Check price | |
| LG K10 Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) (4-core, Cortex-A53, 1.4 GHz), 1.5GB RAM | 1459 | 12.58 % | Check price |
Metal 3 is the latest version of Vellamo’s CPU benchmark.
| Smartphones | Results | Result difference |
Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) Spreadtrum SC8830 (4-core, Cortex-A7, 1.5 GHz), 1.5GB RAM | 820 | 0 % | Check price | |
| Motorola Moto G (3rd Gen, 2015) Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) (4-core, Cortex-A53, 1.4 GHz), 1GB RAM | 906 | 10.49 % | Check price | |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) (4-core, Cortex-A53, 1.4 GHz), 1.5GB RAM | 975 | 18.9 % | Check price | |
| Lenovo Vibe P1m Mediatek MT6735P (4-core, Cortex-A53, 2GB RAM | 787 | - 4.02 % | Check price | |
| HTC Desire 626 Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) (4-core, Cortex-A53, 1.4 GHz), | 950 | 15.85 % | Check price | |
| LG K10 Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) (4-core, Cortex-A53, 1.4 GHz), 1.5GB RAM | 898 | 9.51 % | Check price |
Vellamo 2 Metal measures the CPU subsystem performance of mobile processors.
| Smartphones | Results | Result difference |
Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) Spreadtrum SC8830 (4-core, Cortex-A7, 1.5 GHz), 1.5GB RAM | 629 | 0 % | Check price | |
| Motorola Moto G (3rd Gen, 2015) Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) (4-core, Cortex-A53, 1.4 GHz), 1GB RAM | 675 | 7.31 % | Check price | |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) (4-core, Cortex-A53, 1.4 GHz), 1.5GB RAM | 708 | 12.56 % | Check price | |
| Lenovo Vibe P1m Mediatek MT6735P (4-core, Cortex-A53, 2GB RAM | 620 | - 1.43 % | Check price | |
| HTC Desire 626 Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) (4-core, Cortex-A53, 1.4 GHz), | 706 | 12.24 % | Check price | |
| LG K10 Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) (4-core, Cortex-A53, 1.4 GHz), 1.5GB RAM | 686 | 9.06 % | Check price |
GPU
The T-Rex 2.7 test is based on ES 2.0/GL 3.0 and includes highly detailed textures, materials, complex geometry, particles with animated textures and a post-process motion blur effect. The graphics pipeline also features planar reflections, specular highlights and soft-shadows.
| Smartphones | Results | Result difference |
Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) Spreadtrum SC8830; ; 1.5GB RAM | 4.5 | 0 % | Check price | |
| Motorola Moto G (3rd Gen, 2015) Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916); GPU: Adreno 306, 0.7 GHz ; 1GB RAM | 5.3 | 17.78 % | Check price | |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916); GPU: Adreno 306, 0.7 GHz ; 1.5GB RAM | 5.2 | 15.56 % | Check price | |
| Lenovo Vibe P1m Mediatek MT6735P; GPU: Mali-T720, ; 2GB RAM | 5 | 11.11 % | Check price | |
| HTC Desire 626 Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916); GPU: Adreno 306, 0.7 GHz | 5.3 | 17.78 % | Check price | |
| LG K10 Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916); GPU: Adreno 306, 0.7 GHz ; 1.5GB RAM | 5.2 | 15.56 % | Check price |
The Manhattan 3.0 test is based on ES 3.0 / GL 4.1 and uses deferred rendering and multi-render target (MRT) for the geometry pass, diffuse and specular lightning. It also features complex effects such as depth shadow map, cloaking effect, post-process effects (bloom, depth of field), occlusion query and animated volumetric light shafts.
| Smartphones | Results | Result difference |
Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) Spreadtrum SC8830; ; 1.5GB RAM | 0 % | Check price | ||
| Motorola Moto G (3rd Gen, 2015) Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916); GPU: Adreno 306, 0.7 GHz ; 1GB RAM | 1.7 | 0 % | Check price | |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916); GPU: Adreno 306, 0.7 GHz ; 1.5GB RAM | 1.8 | 0 % | Check price | |
| Lenovo Vibe P1m Mediatek MT6735P; GPU: Mali-T720, ; 2GB RAM | 1.4 | 0 % | Check price | |
| HTC Desire 626 Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916); GPU: Adreno 306, 0.7 GHz | 1.8 | 0 % | Check price | |
| LG K10 Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916); GPU: Adreno 306, 0.7 GHz ; 1.5GB RAM | 1.8 | 0 % | Check price |
In this test, 3DMark’s Unlimited engine uses a fixed frame interval and renders exactly the same frames in every run on every device. The frames are rendered in 720p "offscreen" while the display is updated with small frame thumbnails every 100 frames to indicate progress.
| Smartphones | Results | Result difference |
Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) Spreadtrum SC8830; ; 1.5GB RAM | 3711 | 0 % | Check price | |
| Motorola Moto G (3rd Gen, 2015) Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916); GPU: Adreno 306, 0.7 GHz ; 1GB RAM | 4450 | 19.91 % | Check price | |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916); GPU: Adreno 306, 0.7 GHz ; 1.5GB RAM | 4352 | 17.27 % | Check price | |
| Lenovo Vibe P1m Mediatek MT6735P; GPU: Mali-T720, ; 2GB RAM | 3097 | - 16.55 % | Check price | |
| HTC Desire 626 Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916); GPU: Adreno 306, 0.7 GHz | 4375 | 17.89 % | Check price | |
| LG K10 Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916); GPU: Adreno 306, 0.7 GHz ; 1.5GB RAM | 4348 | 17.17 % | Check price |
Temperatures
In accordance with our tradition, after checking the performance of a device we move on to test how it handles heat on the exterior. For this purpose, we employ the Epic Citadel app which stimulates real-life gaming. After several hours of load we measured temperatures in three different areas. The hottest point was in the camera section – 36.1 degrees Celsius, while from the middle we got – 30.9 degrees and in the lowest part – only 30.9 degrees. All this data proves that Galaxy J3 (2016) has no problems with overheating even after a continuous stress test.
Camera
Galaxy J3 (2016) features an 8MP main camera with an LED flash, autofocus and an aperture value of f/2.2. It also offers several modes, including the Pro mode that gives you additional manual settings (for ISO and whitebalance control, for example). You can also find the options for panoramic shots, continuous shooting, Beauty face, Sound & shot (adds up to 9 seconds of sound recording to the photo), Sports (good for moving objects) and an HDR mode for richer colors.
Modes and settings
Macro shots
Photos
Video
Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy J lineup cannot boast with the same premium looks of the Galaxy S or Galaxy A models, but compensates this with a price that’s easy on your budget. This is exactly the case with the Galaxy J3 (2016) which comes at a reasonable price and, at the same time, provides all necessary features for a mid-range smartphone. Such components are the 5″ Super AMOLED HD display with high contrast and detailed image. Also impressing is the battery which performed more than well in our tests, despite its not so great capacity.
On the other hand, you will not be blown away by the performance of the mobile chip, even though the benchmark results are quite similar to those of most other models from this price range. What is more, the mobile chip does not overheat after continuous load and the back of the smartphone remains cool.
If you are interested in the purchase of this model, you can check its price and available colors here: http://amzn.to/1TtLj4X
Pros
- Super AMOLED HD display with high brightenss and contrast levels
- Durable battery + Ultra power saving mode
- UI with useful functions and applications
- Low exterior temperatures after continuous load
- 8MP rear camera with good image quality for the price
Cons
- Nothing special in terms of CPU and GPU performance
The bad news is that the Samsung Galaxy J3 no protection against water and dust; the sound quality is average and the unstable support 4G network. In Uhans A101 this is not noticed