Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) Review

• Overview
• Design and Build Quality
• Display
• Performance
• Software and User Interface
• Camera
• Battery Life
• Connectivity and Networking
• Additional Features
• Comparison with Other Related Phones
• Pros and Cons
• Conclusion

Overview

The Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) is a stylish mid-range smartphone that offers a blend of great design, solid performance, and a reasonable price tag. With its metal body and 5.2-inch Super AMOLED display, it exudes a premium feel. Powered by a 1.6GHz octa-core processor and 2GB of RAM, it handles everyday tasks with ease. The 13-megapixel rear camera captures decent photos, and the 5-megapixel front camera is perfect for selfies. The phone also features a fingerprint scanner, dual SIM support, and expandable storage. While it may not have the highest resolution or the latest features, the Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) offers a reliable and affordable option for those seeking a well-rounded smartphone experience.

Design and Build Quality

The Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) boasts a sleek and premium design that is sure to catch the eye. Its metal build gives it a sturdy and robust feel, while the curved edges and slight curve on the back make it comfortable to hold. The phone's physical appearance is enhanced by the aesthetic elements, such as the antenna bands on the back, which add a touch of uniqueness to its design. The construction and build quality of the J5 (2017) are commendable, with the buttons and controls feeling clicky and responsive. The bezels are relatively slim, allowing for a larger display within a compact form factor. The back panel has a smooth texture that adds to the overall premium look and feel of the device. Despite the metal construction, the phone remains lightweight and easily portable. The J5 (2017) scores high on ergonomics, with its grip ensuring comfortable one-handed usability. Overall, the Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) impresses with its sleek design, premium aesthetics, and sturdy build quality.

Display

The Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) features a 5.2-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels. The display offers vibrant colors and good color accuracy, thanks to the OLED technology used. The screen has decent brightness levels, making it easily readable even under direct sunlight. The touch responsiveness is smooth and accurate, ensuring a seamless user experience.

The display is protected by Gorilla Glass, which provides durability against scratches and minor impacts. The pixel density is not the highest, but it still offers sharp and clear visuals for everyday use. The viewing angles are wide, allowing for comfortable viewing from different angles without any loss in color or clarity.

While the phone does not feature HDR or a wide color gamut, the display still delivers enjoyable multimedia experiences with its rich colors and deep blacks. The absence of an anti-reflective coating might affect outdoor visibility slightly, but overall, the display performs well in various lighting conditions.

Additionally, the phone offers features like an adaptive brightness setting and a blue light filter, which help reduce eye strain and improve viewing comfort. The screen calibration is generally accurate, but users have the option to adjust it according to their preferences.

In terms of design, the Galaxy J5 (2017) has noticeable bezels around the display, which might not appeal to those looking for a more bezel-less design. However, the screen-to-body ratio is decent, providing a good balance between display size and overall phone dimensions.

Overall, the display on the Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) offers a pleasant viewing experience with its vibrant colors, good touch responsiveness, and decent brightness levels.

Performance

The performance of the Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) is commendable, thanks to its efficient chipset and optimized system. The phone is equipped with a 1.6GHz octa-core processor, which ensures smooth multitasking and app loading speeds. It handles everyday tasks with ease and provides a lag-free user experience. The CPU benchmarks of the J5 (2017) showcase its processor performance and efficiency.

When it comes to gaming capabilities, the Galaxy J5 (2017) delivers a satisfactory gaming experience. The GPU benchmarks reveal its graphics scores, demonstrating its ability to handle most mobile games with decent frame rates. While it may struggle with more demanding games, it still provides an enjoyable gaming experience overall.

The system optimization and thermal management of the J5 (2017) contribute to its smooth performance. The phone efficiently manages its resources, ensuring that it doesn't overheat even during extended gaming sessions or intensive tasks. This is evident in the benchmark tests and synthetic benchmarks, which reflect the phone's stable performance and thermal efficiency.

Overall, the performance metrics of the Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) indicate that it is a capable mid-range device. Its processor efficiency and GPU efficiency allow for smooth multitasking and decent gaming performance. While it may not be the most powerful phone in its price range, it offers a reliable and enjoyable user experience for everyday tasks and casual gaming.

Software and User Interface

The Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) runs on the Android 7.0 Nougat operating system with Samsung's TouchWiz UI on top. This combination offers a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate and customize. The interface is clean and minimalistic, with a simple layout that makes it easy to find and access apps and settings.

The software on the Galaxy J5 (2017) comes with some pre-installed apps, including Samsung's own suite of apps such as Samsung Health, Samsung Notes, and Samsung Pay. While these apps can be useful for some users, others may consider them as bloatware and prefer to uninstall or disable them.

One of the highlights of the software is the customization options it offers. Users can personalize their home screens by adding widgets, changing wallpapers, and organizing their apps in folders. The notification panel is also customizable, allowing users to choose which quick settings toggles they want to have easy access to.

Overall, the software on the Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) is user-friendly and offers a smooth and responsive experience. The combination of Android 7.0 Nougat and Samsung's TouchWiz UI provides a good balance between simplicity and functionality. However, some users may find the pre-installed apps to be excessive and may prefer a more stock Android experience.

Camera

The Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) is equipped with a 13-megapixel rear camera that captures detailed images in various lighting conditions. The camera has a wide aperture of f/1.7, allowing for better low-light performance and shallow depth-of-field effects in portrait mode. The focal length of the lens is approximately 27mm, providing a versatile field of view for both indoor and outdoor photography. The camera sensor size is not specified, but it delivers satisfactory image quality with natural colors and good sharpness.

In daylight photography, the J5 (2017) produces vibrant and well-exposed images with accurate colors. It handles dynamic range decently, preserving details in both shadows and highlights. However, in challenging lighting situations, such as low-light or night photography, the camera struggles to maintain image quality. The J5 (2017) lacks image stabilization, which can result in blurry shots when shooting in low-light conditions or capturing moving subjects.

The camera app on the J5 (2017) offers useful features such as HDR, panorama mode, and a pro mode for manual adjustments. However, it does not have advanced features like AI scene recognition. Video recording is limited to Full HD resolution, and there is no support for 4K video. The J5 (2017) also lacks video stabilization, which can result in shaky footage.

Overall, the camera of the Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) is suitable for basic photography needs, delivering satisfactory image quality in well-lit conditions. However, its performance in low-light situations and video recording capabilities are limited compared to higher-end smartphones.

Battery Life

The Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) comes with a 3,000mAh battery, which provides good battery life. With moderate usage, the phone easily lasts a full day before needing to be charged. The battery capacity is sufficient for most users, allowing them to use their phone throughout the day without constantly worrying about running out of power. The phone does not support fast charging, so it takes a bit longer to fully charge the device. However, the phone does not have any wireless charging options. The battery performance is decent, but it is not exceptional. The phone does offer some battery optimization features to help extend battery life, such as a battery saver mode and the ability to monitor battery usage. Overall, the battery of the Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) is reliable and provides adequate backup for day-to-day use.

Connectivity and Networking

The Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) offers a range of connectivity options to keep you connected on the go. It supports 4G LTE, allowing for fast data speeds and seamless browsing. The phone also has Wi-Fi connectivity, supporting the latest Wi-Fi standards for a stable and reliable wireless connection. Bluetooth is available on the Galaxy J5 (2017), allowing you to easily connect to other devices such as headphones or speakers. The phone also supports GPS for accurate navigation and location tracking. It has a microUSB port for charging and data transfer, although it does not support the newer USB-C standard. The Galaxy J5 (2017) also features dual SIM functionality, allowing you to use two SIM cards simultaneously for added convenience. NFC technology is not available on this device, which means you won't be able to use it for wireless payments or other NFC-enabled features. Overall, the Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) provides a good range of connectivity options, ensuring you can stay connected and enjoy all the features of a modern smartphone.

Additional Features

Comparison with Other Related Phones

When comparing the Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) with related gadgets in the market, it's important to consider its features, specifications, performance, and pricing in order to determine its value for money in the competitive landscape.

In terms of competitors, devices such as the Huawei P10 Lite and the Samsung Galaxy A5 can be considered. These phones offer similar features and specifications, making them direct competitors to the Galaxy J5 (2017).

Looking at the specifications, the Galaxy J5 (2017) stands out with its metal body, which gives it a more premium feel compared to its plastic predecessors. The 5.2-inch Super AMOLED display offers vibrant colors, but the resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels may be a drawback compared to devices with higher resolutions in the market.

When it comes to performance, the J5 (2017) is equipped with a 1.6GHz octa-core processor and 2GB of RAM, providing smooth performance for everyday tasks. However, it may struggle with more demanding apps and games compared to devices with higher RAM capacities.

In terms of camera capabilities, the J5 (2017) features a 13-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front camera. While it can capture decent photos, it may not offer the same level of image quality as devices with higher megapixel counts or additional camera features.

Battery life is an important consideration, and the J5 (2017) offers good battery life, easily lasting a full day with moderate usage. However, it does not support fast charging, which may be a drawback compared to devices that offer this feature.

When it comes to pricing, the Galaxy J5 (2017) is positioned as an affordable phone in its market segment. However, considering its lower resolution display and limited camera capabilities compared to some competitors, consumers may find the price to be on the higher side.

In terms of competitive advantage and product differentiation, the J5 (2017) does not have any standout features that set it apart from its competitors. It offers a decent overall experience for its price range, but it may struggle to compete with devices that offer more advanced features or higher specifications.

Overall, the Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) faces tough competition in the market, with devices offering similar features and specifications at similar price points. While it may appeal to those looking for a budget-friendly option with a solid build quality, consumers may find better value for money with other devices in the market.

Pros and Cons

Conclusion

Conclusion:
The Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) offers a solid mid-range experience with its metal build, vibrant display, and smooth performance. While its camera performance is decent and the battery life is good, the low resolution of the display and lack of standout features may be a drawback for some users. However, considering its affordable price point, the J5 (2017) provides a decent overall package for those looking for a reliable smartphone without breaking the bank. If you're in need of a budget-friendly device that still offers a solid set of features, the Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) is worth considering.