Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016) is a smartphone that holds a charge for a long time. Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017) - Specifications

Samsung's Galaxy J line of smartphones is one of the best-selling. Not long ago, the company updated it and introduced the Galaxy J3, Galaxy J5 and Galaxy J7 2017. We tell you in detail what's new and interesting about Samsung mid-rangers in our review.

Design and appearance

When you see these smartphones in the picture, it seems that they look a little strange. This impression is also created by the plastic antenna inserts on the back cover, which have a very unusual shape. But in real life, both the Galaxy J5 and Galaxy J7 look good. The weight is especially surprising - even the J5 seems like a monolithic piece of metal, not to mention the J7. It seems that they are more expensive than they actually are. You feel this especially acutely on black smartphones. They collect more prints, but look more expensive. In addition to black, the Galaxy J5 and Galaxy J7 will be sold in pink, blue and gold colors.

Both devices look exactly the same, the only difference is in size. At the bottom there is a Micro-USB for charging and synchronization. In 2017, a smartphone without Type-C looks very strange, but this is the reality of the new Galaxy J. There is also a microphone and a 3.5 mm headphone jack at the bottom. The speaker is located on the right side, under the power button. Its unusual location does not cause discomfort, except in one case: if, when watching a video or while playing a game, you take the device with both hands and clasp the upper ends with your index fingers, the speaker closes. There is a power button under the speaker, a volume rocker on the left side and two trays at once that can accommodate two SIM cards and a memory card; you won’t have to sacrifice anything. The Galaxy J7 is claimed to be protected from dust and splashes according to the IP54 standard; the J5 does not have this joy.

Key differences between Galaxy J5 and Galaxy J7

Galaxy J5 is equipped with a 5.2-inch SuperAMOLED screen with a resolution of 1280 by 720 pixels (282 ppi), an eight-core Exynos 7870 processor, a Mali-T830 graphics chip, 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage and a 3000 mAh battery.

The Galaxy J7 has a larger screen size - 5.5 inches, and its resolution is Full HD (401 ppi). The processor is the same, but the RAM is 3 GB. The volume of the built-in battery is significantly larger - 3600 mAh.

Display

The display in both Super AMOLED smartphones is of very decent quality, bright and with maximum viewing angles. As standard for AMOLED displays, the picture is too saturated, but in the settings you can adjust the color to suit you. There is automatic brightness adjustment and oleophobic coating. Screens are one of the main advantages of these smartphones over their competitors. I would like the Galaxy J5 to also have a Full HD display, but for Samsung this is a budget mid-range. Plus, if you need a larger display with good sparseness, there's always the Galaxy J7. This smartphone, unlike the Galaxy J5, among other things, also has an Always On Display function, that is, the time and other information is always displayed on the screen. This is due to the fact that the company either did not want to load the battery of the Galaxy J5, or wanted to give the Galaxy J7, in addition to hardware, also software advantages.

Autonomy

Both smartphones are capable of providing a full day of work with social networks, YouTube videos, reading, listening to music and other forms of their use. 4-5 hours of screen operation for the Galaxy J5 and Galaxy J7 is not the limit. Moreover, the operating time on both devices is approximately comparable. There is no fast charging here. Samsung has lines more expensive than the Galaxy J, where all this already exists and no one wants to create internal competition.

Performance

In terms of performance, it can be noted that in most scenarios, smartphones work normally, multitasking, not very heavy games, almost all applications launch and work as normal. It's a little more difficult with heavy games. For example, you can play tanks, but only at low settings; Asphalt 8 or Real Racing runs fine at medium settings, although sometimes there are slight freezes. But what did you expect from the average? His destiny is timekillers and there are no questions here, of course. On the other hand, the J7, thanks to 3 GB of RAM, performs better in heavy games.

The interface works with some delay. This is especially noticeable when calling up the menu. The rest of the interface is pretty quick. The shell itself is the same as in . A lot of settings, the ability to apply themes. There's no Bixby, but swiping right on the home screen brings up a separate page with the Flipboard-powered news aggregator Briefing. To be honest, this solution seems even more interesting and practical than the new Bixby voice assistant from Samsung. There is always a news source at hand, no additional programs are required. Another software feature worth noting is the ability to use two messenger accounts in one device. This function is familiar to many Chinese smartphones, and in any dual-SIM smartphone it should be by default, in our opinion. There is an FM radio, a rather rare occurrence these days, and a Game Launcher that helps you manage game settings or record your screen while playing without third-party applications.

Camera

Both smartphones are equipped with the same 13 megapixel modules with an f/1.7 aperture. Compared to the previous generation, the camera has definitely taken a step forward. There is a panorama mode, HDR and even manual settings. The quality of photo and video shooting is one of the most important criteria that buyers set for smartphones, and the Galaxy J5 and Galaxy J7 can easily replace an inexpensive point-and-shoot camera. The oversharpening of the pictures and the thoughtful autofocus are a little confusing, but we had non-commercial samples in our test. Perhaps this will be corrected in the public versions. Smartphones can record video in Full HD at 30 frames per second. The front camera is worth mentioning separately. It is also 13 megapixels with an f/1.9 aperture and its own flash. The entire J line has flash. It is constant and simply illuminates you while shooting. The screen also works as a flash. It is possible to automatically retouch the face. Ladies will appreciate this approach.

J-ruler from Samsung can stand at a respectful distance from the Galaxy S and A-series. And in terms of modernization, the budget application from the manufacturer has not become much better, but a step forward has been made.

Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016) was originally created for the Asian markets. Affordable phones were in great demand in India, but, as it turned out, they are loved just as much in Europe.

The reason for the love is that the Galaxy J7 (2016) has a new metal finish, a bigger battery, the latest Android and advanced chips. Samsung can afford all this without crossing the bar for a budget application.

Just like the original, the 2016 model is offered in two versions in different markets: you can get either a Snapdragon processor or an Exynos chipset. The difference is negligible considering they both have eight Cortex-A53 cores.

Key Features:

– two MicroSim SIM cards;

– 5.5-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen with 720p resolution and 268 ppi density;

– eight-core Exynos 7870 processor with a clock frequency of 1.6 GHz and a Mali-T830 graphics chip;

– 2 GB of RAM;

– 16 GB of internal memory + MicroSD slot (up to 128 GB);

– 13 MP main camera with LED flash and the ability to record 1080p video at 30 frames per second;

– 5-megapixel front camera with LED flash and the ability to record 1080p video at 30 frames per second;

– Android 6.0.1 with proprietary TouchWiz shell;

– removable battery 3300 mAh;

– plastic cover, metal body.

Main disadvantages:

– no dedicated microphone for noise reduction;

– only the 2.4 GHz band for Wi-Fi;

– no MHL (but USB OTG is supported).

Interestingly, the very first announcement of the J7 in 2016 offered a screen resolution of 1080p. But as it turned out, it was a limited edition, available only for China. The remaining specifications are more or less identical for the 2015 and 2016 editions. Obviously, the quality of selfie photos is still a big selling point, which is why the Galaxy J7 (2016) has an updated front camera with a fast aperture and LED flash.

Overall, the Galaxy J7 (2016) looks like a small step up from the J-series. Let's move on to the equipment.

Equipment overview

Just like the Galaxy J5 (2016), the J7 comes with a new design compared to its predecessor. The plastic case was replaced with a metal one. Only the lid is spared the stylish new metal finish. It remained plastic, but it was made to imitate metal. So it doesn’t stand out from the general look.

The cameras protrude literally a millimeter from the body. The ensemble includes an LED flash and grilles. Only under the one in front is a speaker (but there is no light sensor), and under the one behind the phone is a loudspeaker hidden.

Samsung has laid out the buttons in a traditional way: the power/lock key is located on the right, while the volume key is on the left side of the phone.

The display of the Galaxy J7 (2016) has an impressive bezel. At the bottom of the screen is the traditional Home button for navigation. You won't find a fingerprint sensor in it. To the right and left of it there are two touch control buttons.

At the bottom you'll find a MicroUSB port, the main (and only) microphone, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. There is nothing on the top of the phone.

Removing the back cover gives access to the 3300 mAh battery, as well as MicroSim slots and a MicroSD memory card. Please note that the NFC chip is also located on the back panel.

Handling the Galaxy J7 (2016) is a pleasure. The body is durable, large, solid in weight, and pleasant to look at. But nothing more can be said about him, because all this has already happened.

Final words

Samsung uses the traditional recipe. If a dish tastes good and sells well, then there is almost nothing to change about it, except perhaps add seasonings to taste. But the smartphone did not receive any extraneous ingredients. An upgrade to a metal body is enough for all of the company’s lines to switch to aluminum, moving away from plastic. The result is excellent build quality and a design that most people will enjoy using. And to make things less boring, we slightly updated the front camera and installed a faster processor. The dish is ready and can be served.

Market, bon appetit.

The latest model of the Samsung Galaxy J7 smartphone was announced in Europe in June, and this review examines the variant from the American telecom operator AT&T. Externally it is no different, but the internal components are slightly changed. The J7 has many incarnations, all of which are aimed at the mid-price segment of the smartphone market. In this case, the device contains features of the Galaxy J7 V from Verizon, which was released in March, and last year's Galaxy J7. The device costs about $240 and has quite a lot of competitors. You can name smartphones from the Moto G series, Chinese brands like Honor 6X, even iPhone SE, if you don’t pay attention to the screen size.

Design

Samsung has a proven track record of designing the look and feel of flagship devices like the Galaxy S8, so its capabilities are not in question. However, these innovations have not yet reached the mid-priced devices of this company. Externally, the Galaxy J7 resembles the Galaxy Note 2 tablet, not counting some sensors, and this device was released five years ago. The large metal Samsung lettering and silver ear grille pair well with the non-backlit silver buttons and the frame around the Home button, which doesn't have a fingerprint scanner inside. All this gives the smartphone an outdated appearance, reminiscent of the times of plastic Samsung devices. That's where the silver accents end, with a rubberized plastic coating on the corners and back.

Also at the back there is a single horizontal metal strip about 12 mm wide, inside of which there is an 8 MP camera and one LED flash. They do not protrude beyond the body. On the right side there is a metal speaker grille, also inside a metal strip. This unusual arrangement allows you to avoid covering the speaker with your hand when holding the smartphone. Below on the right is the loudly clicking power button, in this place it is easy to reach. On the other side there is an equally loud volume control, although it is located a little higher and you have to pull your finger towards it when you hold the device in one hand. The device weighs 159 g, which gives it a feeling of solidity. Thinner smartphones with larger screens tend to slip out of your hands, but here a thicker body with rounded corners provides improved grip.

Screen

Samsung decided to use LCD instead of the usual AMOLED screens of its own production. It is capable of producing rich and fairly accurate colors in most cases. The screen has a noticeable cool bluish tint, which is most often seen in white and purple colors.

Oddly enough, the screen resolution here is not even 1080p, but only 1280 x 720 pixels and a pixel density of 267 ppi. Despite this, detail is at a good level. Enlarging high-resolution photos does not introduce grain or pixels. Meanwhile, there were such concerns from the TFT panel. The screen is very bright, the maximum value is 628 nits and just set the brightness to 25%. There is no ambient light sensor, and with it there is no automatic brightness adjustment. Instead, it offers a less-than-ideal outdoor mode that brightens the screen for 15 minutes or permanently if the screen is left on.

Interface and functionality

Together with the Samsung Galaxy S8 smartphone, a new interface from this manufacturer called Samsung Experience was presented. The main goal of this interface is simplicity and now this simple interface has made its way to the Galaxy J7. There is no large-scale support for gestures and sensors of flagship models, so the functionality is simpler. Users will get a lightweight interface with a stripped-down settings menu and meaningful search, device support, Samsung Secure Folder, and a more cohesive look and feel. You can't enable up and down gestures to open the app drawer like you can on the S8, which once again shows the simplistic nature of this interface on this smartphone.

Most functions are handled by Samsung's proprietary apps, including text, internet and email. The quality here is at a good level, the messenger is simple and intuitive, like the web browser, not counting the support for gestures for moving back and forth, the email client has a convenient layout of elements. The main problem with the email client is the lack of a linear view of notifications. For example, Gmail allows you to delete emails and reply to them through notifications, but Samsung only allows you to clear notifications or write a reply. The settings within the client do not match perfectly with the system settings. The option to sync SMS messages with your email account is only available in the app's settings section, not in the system settings as is the case with other sync options.

Processor and memory

The device runs on a Samsung Exynos 7880 processor, this is an 8-core chip with a clock frequency of 1.6 GHz. The same processor was used in the Galaxy J7 2016 and in the unlocked J7 2017. We would like to see a faster Exynos 7880 1.9 GHz processor with the ability to work with UFS 2.0 storage, but ordinary buyers of inexpensive smartphones will not notice the difference. Samsung achieves good results even with an older processor. It is supported by 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB eMMC. There will be no rapid speeds, but there will be no slowdowns either. Navigating the system and multitasking sometimes exhibits slight pauses, but overall everything works smoothly and responsively.

Like most mid-range devices, this one can run games, but not in the best way. In them you will see the true colors of the screen, which look mediocre at 720p resolution. Grains and pixels are visible, more than with other use cases. Many frames will be dropped and games will slow down.

Connection

Supported communication standards are Bluetooth 4.1, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/r, four frequency bands, which allows you to work in most countries. There is no support, and with it the Samsung Pay payment system. If the South Korean company wants to make it ubiquitous, it should include this system even in cheap smartphones. In the meantime, you'll have to buy the more expensive Galaxy A7 to get payments and a connector. There is no wireless charging there either; it is available only in flagships.

Cameras

The rear camera has a resolution of 8 megapixels and a relatively large f/1.9 aperture. Samsung is known for its extensive camera app functionality and the Galaxy S8 has one of the best. The Galaxy J7 doesn't have flagship options like selective focus, slow motion, or hyperlapse. There are more basic features such as , night mode and Pro mode.

The quality of the photos is good. Color reproduction is quite accurate, with sufficient detail in good lighting. There is a loss of orange color in landscape shots, and there is also not enough depth. This can be attributed to the tendency to overexpose images. Using the HDR mode helps, but it will not return the orange color. Sometimes objects come out too sharp and detail is lost due to artifacts, but this doesn't happen often.

HDR needs to be turned on in most cases to bring back detail and color. However, there is a limit here, especially in low light. In any case, HDR results in at least a half second increase in shooting time, which should not happen to get the correct exposure. Sometimes HDR increases the shooting time by a second.

In low light the camera doesn't perform well. The relatively large aperture does little to enhance detail and instead increases image grain in some situations. Due to the tendency to overexpose, the level of detail in dark areas where, if properly exposed, the lenses would not have collected enough light. This does not improve image quality because overexposure blurs the image and erases small objects such as leaves and branches. Enabling HDR, which doesn't happen automatically, solves this problem and brings another. Colors and separation between objects return, but sharpness is lost, causing the image to look painted on.

To consistently get high-quality photos, you need to use the professional shooting mode, especially in low light. This is a full-fledged Samsung set with settings for ISO, white balance, brightness, etc. Lowering the ISO works wonders for overexposure and sometimes helps enhance detail. The problem doesn't go away completely and doesn't do anything to help with poor light capture, but the result is better than in automatic mode.

I'd like to see automatic HDR and improvements to auto shooting to allow for the simple point and shoot experience that most users want.

The 5MP front camera offers a couple of useful features and provides decent quality in good lighting. Beautify mode contains three sliders with Snapchat-style filters for faces. They are not cartoony, like in Snapchat, but they allow you to change your skin tone, make your face thinner, enlarge your eyes, and all this on a scale from 0 to 8. At low settings, this allows you to get rid of skin imperfections; at maximum, you can look like an alien. Wide-angle selfies allow you to fit more people into the frame. You will need a strong hand to take pictures or the photo will not be of high quality.

Video

The maximum video resolution is 1080p, the quality and color reproduction are good. When moving, imperfections become noticeable. There is no image stabilization at all and shaking is visible at the slightest uneven movement. Autofocus is also uneven, focusing only at a certain length and taking a certain time to do so.

Call quality

This setting here is pretty good. HD Voice is supported, although even then there is a feeling of muffled, muddy sound, which most will not even notice unless they upgrade to this smartphone from a much higher quality one. The speakerphone is loud, but it also has the same small problem with sound.

Autonomous operation

There's nothing to complain about here. The 3300 mAh battery allows you to last until the second day of operation with moderate use, especially if you lower the brightness. In tests with the screen on, the J7 lasted 12 and a half hours, which is impressive. Charging time is also quite long, 2 hours 22 minutes.

Conclusion

There is a temptation to classify this device as “for older people” who are not chasing fashionable shiny flagships, but for whom solid devices are enough for many years to come. Those in the same price category and slightly higher include those who are technology savvy and do not see the point in buying smartphones for 60 thousand rubles. As a result, the value of such models is constantly growing and will continue to grow. Many manufacturers, well-known and not so well-known, offer their models at an average price.

If you don't care about screen size and want a cheap yet valuable Android smartphone, think again. iPhone SE has better call quality, faster and smoother performance, a better camera with 4K support, better materials and a fingerprint scanner. The iPhone 6s 16 GB costs $80 more than the $240 J7.

If you're an Android loyalist and want a screen larger than 5 inches, there are also options like the Moto G5 Plus. It has a better camera, 4K video recording with stabilization, fast charging, a fingerprint scanner, a nicer screen, and a $230 price tag. Externally, the device is also more attractive, but this is a matter of taste.

Nokia 6 for $230 has a stylish metal body, a 16 MP camera, a fingerprint scanner and NFC. There is also Honor 6X from Huawei. This is one of the best mid-range smartphones with some flagship features, like a dual camera, 3 GB of memory with a fast processor, a fingerprint scanner, solid performance and a price of $200-$250.

As a result, we can say that the choice of devices for $200-$300 is greater than ever.

Samsung Galaxy J7 for AT&T is a good device. The redesigned interface is lightweight and features proprietary Samsung apps that are useful and intuitive. There are occasional stutters when navigating and launching applications, but more often than not everything happens quickly and smoothly. The screen is quite clear and colorful, although its shortcomings strain the eyesight. The camera isn't the highest quality for the price, struggling with exposure, focus and detail, but it's far from the worst and gets the job done.

Some of the competitors mentioned above are more appealing to tech enthusiasts, and there are advantages for more casual users, but there are also disadvantages. So, it would be nice to have some protection against splashes. Also, no one would say no to more flash memory or a better camera. The screen's shortcomings are also visible to anyone with eyes.

If you like Samsung's approach to Android and don't want to spend more than $300, the J7 2017 is the only choice. On the market as a whole, this is not the best smartphone in terms of price and quality.

pros

• Bright, rich screen
• The camera reproduces colors well in sufficient lighting
• The processor provides sufficient speed

Minuses

• Outdated appearance
• Materials feel cheap
• The screen strains the eyes
• Poor camera performance in low light
• No fingerprint scanner, no splash protection, no 1080p screen resolution

Announced in early July, the inexpensive Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017) smartphone is an extremely well-made product that is far superior to both its predecessors and numerous Chinese competitors.

At the moment, the Galaxy J7 (2017) has already begun to arrive in retail chains. At first, the price of the device will be quite high (about $300), but in the future it should decrease. It is important to note that the new product has received a number of features that were previously characteristic only of more expensive Samsung lines.

It’s interesting that online publications are still covering the release of the Korean giant’s new “state employee” rather sparingly, although, in our opinion, the Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017) definitely deserves a large, detailed review. And in general it is one of the best devices in its class.

Key features of the new product

• Excellent large 5.5-inch frameless Super AMOLED screen with a resolution (finally!) FullHD 1080x1920 pixels *. Goodbye HD Ready! By the way, it looks very stylish and noble. Even the poppy 2.5D effect doesn’t spoil the impression.
• For the first time in the history of the line, there is a metal case. The design of the plastic antenna inserts on the Galaxy J7 (2017) is interesting, as it does not try to copy the latest Apple iPhone models.
• Possibility of separate installation of two SIM cards in nano-SIM format and a MicroSD memory card with a capacity of up to 256 Gb. Very comfortably!
• Full support for the branded contactless payment service, to connect to which you no longer need to buy more expensive and sophisticated models.
• New main camera with a resolution of 13 MP, f/1.7 aperture, high sensor sensitivity and fast autofocus. Now you can take excellent quality pictures even with a relatively budget smartphone.
• A very decent front camera - also with a resolution of 13 MP, an f/1.9 aperture and a front flash. It can also be controlled using gestures. Your “selfies” will turn out better than even those of Apple iPhone 7 owners!
• A very impressive 3600 mAh battery.
• Availability of basic protection against dust and moisture according to the IP54 standard. Not IP68 yet, but it will do for a start.
• Android 7.1 Nougat out of the box with Samsung's proprietary TouchWiz shell.
• Supports such features as FM radio, dual-band WiFi and Dual-SIM *.

* Not for all modifications (read about this below).

Modifications of Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)

The new product has several regional and operator versions, which differ in some technical characteristics:

• SM-J730F/DS— the basic international modification of Dual-SIM, has 3 Gb of RAM and 16 Gb of flash memory. A number of regional variations may have a built-in storage capacity of 32 Gb:
  • SWA (South West Asia)
  • SEA (South East Asia) - Southeast Asia
  • LATAM (Latin America)
• SM-J727A— version for the American operator AT&T, greatly reduced in comparison with the international one (plastic case, HD Ready screen 720×1280, main camera 8 MP and front camera 5 MP, battery 3300 mAh, lack of Samsung Pay).

It is worth noting that a number of devices with the code SM-J727* are branded completely differently, for example SM-J727V (USA, Verizon) - Samsung Galaxy J7 Pop. In the future, when talking about the Galaxy J7 (2017), we will mean the international version of the SM-J730F, and not the “strange device” for AT&T.

Design

The new Galaxy J7 (2017) looks very cool for a relatively inexpensive smartphone: durable metal body, frameless screen covered with impact-resistant 2.5D glass, smooth shapes.

Somewhat reminiscent of the flagship Galaxy S6+, released a couple of years ago, but even better (even despite the lack of real curved side edges).

Smooth shapes and 2.5D effect

Last year, we wouldn't have thought that a representative of the budget Galaxy J line would look like this. However, times change - and unexpectedly change for the better. Special thanks to Samsung for the dedicated MicroSD slot, which is located on the left side.

The plastic inserts for the antennas on the Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017), as mentioned above, are made in a very non-standard way, which is certainly pleasing to the eye. The camera module does not protrude, for which a special “thank you” goes to the Koreans.

Overall, most critics praised the design of the new Galaxy J7 (2017).

"Iron"

Here the new product has not advanced much compared to last year's Galaxy J7 (2016):

• The same processor - eight-core Exynos 7870
• There is a little more RAM - 3 Gb
• The built-in storage is the same - 16 Gb (in some countries a 32 Gb version is available)

The screen of the current J7, however, is already FullHD, but given the old processor, this may even add “brakes”. However, the good news is that the battery is 3600 mAh versus the previous 3300.

But full support for Samsung Pay (NFC + MST), Wi-Fi networks 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz, and Always On Display technology has been added. But, alas, there is no fast charging (after all, it’s a budget model). Although they could - the Chinese are already doing it.

Camera

The photographic abilities of the Galaxy J7 (2017) have yet to be tested in detail, but initial reviews indicate that the main camera takes very high-quality pictures in normal daylight conditions.

If we compare the new J7 with most “Chinese” models under $300, then it definitely comes out the winner in terms of mobile photography quality.

New price

The recommended price of Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017) in Russia is 19,990 rubles. (about 333 US dollars or 292 euros). In Ukraine the situation is similar - 8,999 UAH. (approximately $345 or €302). This is quite a lot when compared with competitors. Even the more advanced Galaxy A7 (2017) can now be purchased for not much more.

Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017) in the Ukrainian online store ALLO

However, in European countries, for example, the situation is much worse: they demand 340 euros for a new product. In addition, by the fall the smartphone should fall in price by 20-25%, which will make it an excellent purchase.

Disadvantages of Galaxy J7 (2017)

1. A rather weak processor (Exynos 7870), somewhere between MediaTek MT6753T and Helio P10 (MT6755).
2. The smartphone turned out to be quite weighty, even taking into account the 5.5-inch screen - a whole 181 g.
3. Not enough flash memory - only 16 Gb. The 32 Gb version is available only in some regions. However, the manufacturer gives 15 GB of Samsung Cloud cloud storage.
4. Outdated microUSB 2.0 connector. Taking into account the time, they could also install USB Type-C.
5. The price tag is a little high compared to competitors, in European countries - 340 euros (in Russia and Ukraine the situation is better).

Overall rating

In our opinion, despite the five shortcomings listed above, Samsung’s Galaxy J7 (2017) definitely turned out well and is generally above all praise. Until now, the budget models of the Korean giant have been criticized for weak hardware and “plastic remnants”, but all these critical reviews have nothing to do with the new product.

If we compare the new J7 and last year's, there is a huge step forward in everything except the processor. Particularly pleasing is the presence of full support for Samsung Pay contactless payments, a frameless FullHD screen, IP54 protection and a stylish metal case.

Specifications Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)

The specification below corresponds to the international version of the SM-J730F/DS smartphone; the modification for AT&T is written above.

*Only the version with 16 Gb of built-in memory is available in Russia and the CIS countries.
** Depending on the sales region, the range of supported frequencies may vary.
*** In Russia and the CIS countries, only the Dual-SIM option is sold.

Therefore, excuse me, I have to compare the budget Samsung with the budget daughter of Huawei. And this is much better! Because smartphones are very close to each other ideologically and constructively. The difference is in the little things - Honor priced a good dual camera at 16 thousand, but saved on the body (the smartphone is “ugly” and looks Chinese in the bad sense of the word), while Samsung, as I already mentioned, saved on the skill level of its programmers.

In terms of performance “on paper,” the smartphones differ little, but in reality Honor works a little faster (the difference is hardly noticeable) and takes better photographs, although the screen, sound and battery life remain with Samsung. Some will be captivated by the Always-on-display, the constant display of date/time/notifications on the J7 (2017) screen. Samsung is expensive, but it is better in a number of parameters than Honor, and in other details it lags behind slightly.

conclusions

The new Samsung J-series cannot be measured by a yardstick; I especially like the “jokes” when a cheaper model suddenly turns out to be better than its older brothers. This happens very rarely - in large offices there are specially trained marketers who make sure that the quality of smartphones increases by the teaspoon along with the price.

And here we find that the display in the J3 is superior in clarity to the J5 (the model is 40% more expensive), while both smartphones lag approximately the same. And the J5, in turn, handles games better than the J7, which struggles and tries to render games at 1920x1080 pixels instead of 1280x720.

If we assume that Samsung programmers will have their hands transplanted from hard-to-reach places to their shoulders, and that with the new firmware the J3/J5/J7 will not “hiccup” like the budget garbage on the MediaTek MT6582, the smartphones will still be a little expensive, but already worthy of a purchase. Because they are beautiful, practical, very durable, with good cameras and sound in headphones (the last arguments apply to J5/J7).

At the same time, the J7, as a smartphone that has not suffered much in terms of performance and has excellent display quality, will already please everyone who does not like “Chinese phones.” If you don’t plan to run games on your mobile phone, you can take it, because radically cooler smartphones cost 23-25 ​​thousand rubles in Russia, or they need to be ordered from China, and this is a separate conversation and separate realities.