Samsung India today launched the Galaxy J5 (2016) and Galaxy J7 (2016) priced at Rs. 13990 and Rs. 15990 respectively. Both smartphones will be available on Flipkart starting midnight tonight.
The biggest change in the new Galaxy J 2016 series smartphones in the build of the device. We now have a metal frame on both which makes them sturdier and the display size on the Galaxy J5 2016 has been increased to 5.2-inches with a bigger 3100 mAh Battery. The specs have got a boost to here with 2GB RAM, 16GB Storage on both with microSD expansion slot.
The Galaxy J7 too has been upgraded with Exynos 7870 octa-core processor and both run Android Marshmallow right out of the box. There are some neat Samsung additions like S-Bike Mode, Ultra Power Saving Mode and Ultra Data Saving mode available here as well. Before we talk more about the changes, lets get into our hands-on with first impressions of the new Galaxy J5 and Galaxy J7 (2016) editions.
Videos
Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016) Hands-on and Features
Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016) Indian Variant Hands-on Impressions
Key Specifications
Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016)
Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016) Specs and Photos
Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016)
Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016) India Specs and Photos
Build Quality
Both the Galaxy J5 (2016) and Galaxy J7 (2016) now come with a metal frame which makes the device sturdy and lighter as well. The backcover on the phones is slightly textured to make it easier to grip and doesn't feel slippery. Even the metal frame has a matte finish with chamfers at both ends which allow for better grip and solid in-hand feel.
The volume buttons on the left have adequate tactile response, feel clicky and don't wobble, the same can be said about the power button the right. It should be noted that buttons on both sides are placed for better one-handed use.
Coming to the front you have a 5MP camera up front on both the Galaxy J7 and Galaxy J5 which has a f/1.9 aperture lens for better low-light imaging. adjacent to that you have a proximity sensor, main earpiece and a selfie flash. There's no ambient light sensor though for adjusting brightness automatically.
Just below this, you have a 5.2-inch display on the Galaxy J5 with a HD 720p resolution which is of the Super AMOLED variety. While the Galaxy J7 2016 has a 5.5-inch 720p HD display with great viewing angles and vibrant color reproduction. Displays on both phones are quite bright and easily legible under direct sunlight. Below the display you have capacitive buttons for back and switching apps which are not backlit, sandwiched in between you will find the physical home button. But there's no fingerprint sensor here.
The front panel of both phone seems like glass while the backcover is made of plastic and removable. Once you open the backcover, you care greeted to two Micro-SIM card slots and a microSD card slot with a removable 3100 mAh battery on the Galaxy J5 and 3300 mAh on the Galaxy J7. The back-cover in itself does seem a bit flimsy but when on the phone it is pretty solid. Moreover, the NFC antenna of the device is embedded within the backcover as well, meaning you cannot loose this one.
There is also a 13MP camera at the back on both devices which is flanked by the speakerphone and the LED flash. The camera doesn't protrude much from the back and has a metal casing surrounding it for added protection. Overall both the Galaxy J5 and Galaxy J7 2016 editions feel good to hold and don't seem bulky even with their larger batteries. In terms of size, there is not much difference between the two devices. They feel well built and the metal frame makes them feel more solid.
Camera Samples
Software
Samsung is starting the year great with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow on both devices. There's ample space available here as well with 16GB internal storage which is expandable upto 128Gb with a microSD card slot and 2GB RAM should be enough for multitasking with Marshmallow onboard.
There are some crowd favorites here as well, including Ultra Data Saving (UDS) mode, Ultra Power Saving (UPS) mode and S-Bike mode. There's NFC here as well which allows for connecting to speakers, headphones and talk to NFC tags easily.
Storage
There is 2GB RAM, 16GB storage on both the new Galaxy J Series devices. Out of the internal storage you have about 11GB available when you get the device. There is not much bloat on the device and apps are movable to the external SD card. Both the Galaxy J5 (2016) and Galaxy J7 (2016) also support USB OTG for storage.
Conclusion
Samsung's new offerings are more than just updates to the previous-gen Galaxy J5 and Galaxy J7. The company listed to feedback from users, added more memory and storage to the devices and made the build better.
Both devices may seem priced a bit higher than the competition, but they come with the latest Android OS and also with the promise of excellent service. The new Galaxy J5 (2016) and Galaxy J7 (2016) may not be the most feature-rich smartphones available in this price segment but they offer reliability, and what seems like solid performance as well.
