Samsung Galaxy J5 Review: The Budget All-Rounder
Samsung Galaxy J5 review: The budget all-rounder
Samsung
Samsung has been turning heads for over a while with its premium Galaxy S6 Edge and the recently launched Galaxy S6 Edge Plus globally. The flagships are distinctively designed, have amazing cameras, brilliant displays but come with a hefty price tag. However, the Korean tech giant was somewhat losing the game in the budget category as there were no potential contenders from the smartphone maker to fight the likes of Moto G, Xiaomi Mi and Lenovo's smartphones.
Therefore, knowing the fact that the sub-15k price category is one of the hottest in the Indian market, Samsung has introduced two affordable smartphones under the new Galaxy J series in this price segment. Priced at Rs 14,999 and Rs 11,999, respectively, the Galaxy J7 and J5 feature decent specifications and will compete with the myriad of Chinese and domestic smartphones that comes at an affordable price.
We got the younger sibling- the Galaxy J5 for review and this smartphone seems to be a value for money deal. So, let's dig deep and find out whether the smartphone is a threat to Xiaomi's and Moto G's reign or not.
Specifications:
Display: 5 inch HD 1280x720p Super AMOLED display, 294ppi
OS: Android Lollipop 5.1.1
CPU: 1.2 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 RAM: 2GB
Storage: 8GB (4.6GB usable)
Cameras: 13MP (rear), 5 MP (front with LED flash)
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, 3G/4G/2G, GPS, Bluetooth, microUSB
Battery: 2,600mAh
Dimensions: 142.1x71.8x7.9 mm
Weight: 146 grams
Price: Rs 11,999
Design:
The Galaxy J5 is built on the same design philosophy of Samsung's earlier flagship devices such as the Galaxy S4, S3 and a number of Duos smartphones. The old design is not very appealing, is kind of monotonous but is quite practical. You can remove the rear panel to replace the battery unit.I It also houses two SIM card slots and one microSD card slot. The glossy plastic of the previous Galaxy devices has gone. The matte finish rear not only prevents fingerprint smudges, but feels good in hands as well.
The chrome metal band runs around the edges and shines a lot, but doesn't add a premium feel; something with a subtle touch would have enhanced the overall design. The band houses the volume rockers (placed on left side), power on/off button (place on right side) and a microphone, USB charging port and the 3.5mm headphone jack at the bottom.
The buttons are rightly positioned and the compact size of the Galaxy J5 gives it a better grip. Your thumb can reach any part of the display, making it quite comfortable to operate the device even with one hand.
Samsung Galaxy J's closest rival is the 3rd generation Moto G, which is definitely a better-looking smartphone and also features IPX7 rating that makes the device durable and conducive for rough-and-tough usage. This is one of the best design selling points for Moto G which is missing on the Galaxy J5.
Display
Considering the price tag, a display with HD resolution (1280x720p) would have been a standard thing if we were in 2014. But in 2015, full-HD is the norm and Samsung has failed to offer the bare minimum. The Korean company has equipped the Galaxy J5 with Super AMOLED display that delivers vivid and saturated colours than the phones available in this price bracket.
The Galaxy J5 poses no major issues on the viewing angles front, largely thanks to the use of AMOLED panels which delivers a soothing multimedia experience essential for users with taste for watching movies and playing games on their devices. It does not feel dull and washed out like the LCD panel on the Moto G 3rd generation. The sunlight legibility is also decent as the display has adequate brightness to make content easily visible even in direct sunlight.
Hardware
The smartphone is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410 CPU and 2GB RAM; same as the Asus Zenfone Laser and the Moto G (2015).
The internal 8GB storage feels a bit limited. However, microSD cards of up to 128GB can be used to further boost the storage capacity that solves the memory issues. In terms of connectivity, the Galaxy J5 offers two SIM card slots that support 4G LTE and beyond that we're talking about conventional connectivity features like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS available on the device.
Software
Samsung Galaxy J5 utilises the TouchWiz UI based over Android 5.1.1 Lollipop on the software side of things. Unlike the previous versions of TouchWiz prior to Android 5.0 Lollipop, the one on the Galaxy J5 and some recently-launched Samsung smartphones feels a lot refined and fluidic in terms of design and usability. We did not come across major responsive issues with the interface. On the whole, we were satisfied with the way things seem to have improved with the software.
Long pressing home button opens up the Google Now and double press leads to the camera app instead of Samsung's S Voice, which is good as the voice assistant is sparely used by anyone. Samsung has also added 'Smart Manager,' which is basically a tool to check the performance statistics of the device. You can check battery status, storage space, memory used by the apps, etc. And it also allows you to close the apps in background, delete unused files and run antivirus checks.
Considering the fact that Chinese as well as domestic players are investing a lot on customisation features, Samsung has also made its theme engine quite powerful. All in all, we found that the software on the Galaxy J5 is snappy, feels much improved and doesn't make the smartphone feel sluggish.
Performance:
The combination of Snapdragon 410 chipset and 2GB RAM is decent for a mid-level performance. You can easily churn out a good level of multitasking with ability to run all the applications in the Play Store. We did not encounter any major issues with the performance of the smartphone in day-to-day usage.
We also ran our usual set of benchmarks and you can check the performance in the below graph. Though the scores signifies that the Galaxy J5 is not the winner among the three but the real life performance is fairly smooth. The Moto G wins the game in all the tests and also feels a bit smoother in real life performances because of its stock Android nature.
The benchmarks score | Create infographics
Camera
The 13MP rear camera comes equipped with the wide f/1.9 aperture, which makes it absorb a good amount of light to capture bright images. The results are quite good in day-light conditions where colours pops out really well on the AMOLED panel and even the low-light images turn out to be decent. The LED flash at the rear is quite powerful and results in well lit images in complete darkness. Moreover, the front 5MP shooter is also accompanied by an LED flash, which gives the Galaxy J5 an edge over the Moto G (2015), Zenfone 2 Laser and other competitors.
We really liked the double press home button feature that quickly opens up the camera as there are situation when you want to capture something interesting and fails to do so because you just can't find the damn camera icon.
The focus, however, seems to be a bit sluggish as for the objects placed closer, the rear 13MP struggles a lot. We made multiple attempts to focus the front object in the below image. Zenfone 2 Laser beats the Galaxy J5 in this context and that too at a lower price tag. You can check some of the shots that we have taken with the Galaxy J5 below.
The camera UI also features a number of modes to experiment with the shots you take. In total, there are seven modes, namely: Auto, Beauty Face, Sound & Shot, Panorama, Continuous Shot, Sports and even the Pro mode.
Battery
Backed by a 2600 mAh battery unit, the smartphone does not deliver the best battery back-up in the category but still manages to offer an acceptable performance. It lasted for 13 hours on a single charge with heavy usage in real life scenarios and touched a mark of 7 hours 24 minutes in PC Mark battery test. With moderate usage, you make it work for 16 hours a day, which is not bad. And with the advantage of a removable battery, you can always carry a spare one.
This smartphone beats the Moto G (2015) by a slight margin, but loses the game when compared with the 3000mAh battery unit integrated in Zenfone 2 Laser
Liked
There's a lot to like in the Galaxy J5, the Super AMOLED display, 4G connectivity on both SIM cards, microSD card expandability up-to 128GB, a front LED flash and the much-improved Samsung TouchWiz over its previous versions. Samsung has tried to offer almost everything at the pricepoint of 12k and has managed to achieve that.
Disliked
The same boring Samsung design and the limited internal memory makes the Galaxy J5 a bit unwanted in the race of affordable feature-packed smartphones.
Verdict
Samsung Galaxy J5 comes across as a strong contender from the Korean giant to take on some of the best devices in sub-15k category such as the Moto G, Xiaomi Mi 4i, Asus Zenfone 2, etc. If you are looking for stock Android experience, the Moto G (2015) is the legitimate choice, while the Samsung Galaxy J5 stands out among the crowd for its sheer brand recall and years of potency.
It also comes down to personal choice whether you would like to invest in a brand that is well established in the country or opt for a newbie brand with far less market credentials
.
Therefore, knowing the fact that the sub-15k price category is one of the hottest in the Indian market, Samsung has introduced two affordable smartphones under the new Galaxy J series in this price segment. Priced at Rs 14,999 and Rs 11,999, respectively, the Galaxy J7 and J5 feature decent specifications and will compete with the myriad of Chinese and domestic smartphones that comes at an affordable price.
We got the younger sibling- the Galaxy J5 for review and this smartphone seems to be a value for money deal. So, let's dig deep and find out whether the smartphone is a threat to Xiaomi's and Moto G's reign or not.
Specifications:
Display: 5 inch HD 1280x720p Super AMOLED display, 294ppi
OS: Android Lollipop 5.1.1
CPU: 1.2 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 RAM: 2GB
Storage: 8GB (4.6GB usable)
Cameras: 13MP (rear), 5 MP (front with LED flash)
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, 3G/4G/2G, GPS, Bluetooth, microUSB
Battery: 2,600mAh
Dimensions: 142.1x71.8x7.9 mm
Weight: 146 grams
Price: Rs 11,999
Design:
The Galaxy J5 is built on the same design philosophy of Samsung's earlier flagship devices such as the Galaxy S4, S3 and a number of Duos smartphones. The old design is not very appealing, is kind of monotonous but is quite practical. You can remove the rear panel to replace the battery unit.I It also houses two SIM card slots and one microSD card slot. The glossy plastic of the previous Galaxy devices has gone. The matte finish rear not only prevents fingerprint smudges, but feels good in hands as well.
The chrome metal band runs around the edges and shines a lot, but doesn't add a premium feel; something with a subtle touch would have enhanced the overall design. The band houses the volume rockers (placed on left side), power on/off button (place on right side) and a microphone, USB charging port and the 3.5mm headphone jack at the bottom.
The buttons are rightly positioned and the compact size of the Galaxy J5 gives it a better grip. Your thumb can reach any part of the display, making it quite comfortable to operate the device even with one hand.
Samsung Galaxy J's closest rival is the 3rd generation Moto G, which is definitely a better-looking smartphone and also features IPX7 rating that makes the device durable and conducive for rough-and-tough usage. This is one of the best design selling points for Moto G which is missing on the Galaxy J5.
Display
Considering the price tag, a display with HD resolution (1280x720p) would have been a standard thing if we were in 2014. But in 2015, full-HD is the norm and Samsung has failed to offer the bare minimum. The Korean company has equipped the Galaxy J5 with Super AMOLED display that delivers vivid and saturated colours than the phones available in this price bracket.
The Galaxy J5 poses no major issues on the viewing angles front, largely thanks to the use of AMOLED panels which delivers a soothing multimedia experience essential for users with taste for watching movies and playing games on their devices. It does not feel dull and washed out like the LCD panel on the Moto G 3rd generation. The sunlight legibility is also decent as the display has adequate brightness to make content easily visible even in direct sunlight.
Hardware
The smartphone is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410 CPU and 2GB RAM; same as the Asus Zenfone Laser and the Moto G (2015).
The internal 8GB storage feels a bit limited. However, microSD cards of up to 128GB can be used to further boost the storage capacity that solves the memory issues. In terms of connectivity, the Galaxy J5 offers two SIM card slots that support 4G LTE and beyond that we're talking about conventional connectivity features like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS available on the device.
Software
Samsung Galaxy J5 utilises the TouchWiz UI based over Android 5.1.1 Lollipop on the software side of things. Unlike the previous versions of TouchWiz prior to Android 5.0 Lollipop, the one on the Galaxy J5 and some recently-launched Samsung smartphones feels a lot refined and fluidic in terms of design and usability. We did not come across major responsive issues with the interface. On the whole, we were satisfied with the way things seem to have improved with the software.
Long pressing home button opens up the Google Now and double press leads to the camera app instead of Samsung's S Voice, which is good as the voice assistant is sparely used by anyone. Samsung has also added 'Smart Manager,' which is basically a tool to check the performance statistics of the device. You can check battery status, storage space, memory used by the apps, etc. And it also allows you to close the apps in background, delete unused files and run antivirus checks.
Considering the fact that Chinese as well as domestic players are investing a lot on customisation features, Samsung has also made its theme engine quite powerful. All in all, we found that the software on the Galaxy J5 is snappy, feels much improved and doesn't make the smartphone feel sluggish.
Performance:
The combination of Snapdragon 410 chipset and 2GB RAM is decent for a mid-level performance. You can easily churn out a good level of multitasking with ability to run all the applications in the Play Store. We did not encounter any major issues with the performance of the smartphone in day-to-day usage.
We also ran our usual set of benchmarks and you can check the performance in the below graph. Though the scores signifies that the Galaxy J5 is not the winner among the three but the real life performance is fairly smooth. The Moto G wins the game in all the tests and also feels a bit smoother in real life performances because of its stock Android nature.
Camera
The 13MP rear camera comes equipped with the wide f/1.9 aperture, which makes it absorb a good amount of light to capture bright images. The results are quite good in day-light conditions where colours pops out really well on the AMOLED panel and even the low-light images turn out to be decent. The LED flash at the rear is quite powerful and results in well lit images in complete darkness. Moreover, the front 5MP shooter is also accompanied by an LED flash, which gives the Galaxy J5 an edge over the Moto G (2015), Zenfone 2 Laser and other competitors.
We really liked the double press home button feature that quickly opens up the camera as there are situation when you want to capture something interesting and fails to do so because you just can't find the damn camera icon.
The focus, however, seems to be a bit sluggish as for the objects placed closer, the rear 13MP struggles a lot. We made multiple attempts to focus the front object in the below image. Zenfone 2 Laser beats the Galaxy J5 in this context and that too at a lower price tag. You can check some of the shots that we have taken with the Galaxy J5 below.
The camera UI also features a number of modes to experiment with the shots you take. In total, there are seven modes, namely: Auto, Beauty Face, Sound & Shot, Panorama, Continuous Shot, Sports and even the Pro mode.
Battery
Backed by a 2600 mAh battery unit, the smartphone does not deliver the best battery back-up in the category but still manages to offer an acceptable performance. It lasted for 13 hours on a single charge with heavy usage in real life scenarios and touched a mark of 7 hours 24 minutes in PC Mark battery test. With moderate usage, you make it work for 16 hours a day, which is not bad. And with the advantage of a removable battery, you can always carry a spare one.
This smartphone beats the Moto G (2015) by a slight margin, but loses the game when compared with the 3000mAh battery unit integrated in Zenfone 2 Laser
Liked
There's a lot to like in the Galaxy J5, the Super AMOLED display, 4G connectivity on both SIM cards, microSD card expandability up-to 128GB, a front LED flash and the much-improved Samsung TouchWiz over its previous versions. Samsung has tried to offer almost everything at the pricepoint of 12k and has managed to achieve that.
Disliked
The same boring Samsung design and the limited internal memory makes the Galaxy J5 a bit unwanted in the race of affordable feature-packed smartphones.
Verdict
Samsung Galaxy J5 comes across as a strong contender from the Korean giant to take on some of the best devices in sub-15k category such as the Moto G, Xiaomi Mi 4i, Asus Zenfone 2, etc. If you are looking for stock Android experience, the Moto G (2015) is the legitimate choice, while the Samsung Galaxy J5 stands out among the crowd for its sheer brand recall and years of potency.
It also comes down to personal choice whether you would like to invest in a brand that is well established in the country or opt for a newbie brand with far less market credentials
.
Samsung Galaxy J5 Review: The Budget All-Rounder
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