Mid-Range Performance for an Entry-Level Price: Samsung Galaxy J3 (2017)

Samsung has already launched its Galaxy S8, and it also prepares for the release of its business-class beauty, the Note 8. All three phones are clearly flagship material, with high-performance hardware hidden under a slick and functional body, yet they come with one major disadvantage: their price tag. According to predictions, the Note 8 will cost around $1,000 – this is a prohibitive price level for the majority of smartphone users today. Yet most of us don’t actually need such pocket-sized supercomputers anyway. There are many other handsets out there, made by Samsung and others, that are perfect for everyday use and they come at a much friendlier price. Today, let’s take a look at one of these: Samsung’s Galaxy J3 (2017).

Hardware

The best word for this new handset’s hardware is “impressive”. It is the perfect handset to run the usual apps, from social media to entertainment.

The J3 (2017) comes with an Exynos 7570 Quad SoC, with four 1.4 GHz cores, paired with 1.5 GB of RAM. It looks and feels a lot like the Galaxy S6, with a 5″ screen and all the buttons and sensors in the right place. Its removable 2,600 mAh battery is good for up to 23 hours of talk time. Its internal storage is a bit restricted – it comes with 16 GB built in, expandable with a Micro SD card of up to 256 GB – and its camera is also a bit behind (its main camera comes with a 5-megapixel sensor) but these shortcomings are offset by its incredibly friendly price tag.

Software and sensors

The 2017 edition of the Samsung Galaxy J3 comes with Android 7.0 out of the box. Its list of sensors includes the obligatory accelerometer and proximity sensor but it also comes with a gyroscope, making it compatible with Samsung’s own Gear VR headset. Surprisingly, it doesn’t miss the FM radio, something that’s slowly going out of style in the age of music streaming.

Price and availability

The Galaxy J3 (2017) comes in a single-SIM and a dual-SIM version. The price tag attached to this handset is around 170 euros (approximately $190) which is a very friendly price for a phone with these amenities.

The phone has been released this May, and will slowly become available all over the world. It is the perfect “first smartphone” and it is more than enough to handle everyday tasks for the average user.