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Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016) review

7.9/10 AVG.
RATING
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Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016)
Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016)
Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016)
Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016)
...


7.9/10
Informr score
The Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016) currently has an Informr score of 7.9 out of 10. This score is based on our evaluation of 7 sources including reviews from users and the web's most trusted critics.

What's good

  • Excellent battery life
  • Beautiful and vibrant screen
  • Decent performance
  • Removable battery
  • Great build quality

What's bad

  • Poor camera
  • Cannot handle more recent games
  • Plastic frame looks cheap

Most of Samsung’s smartphones manage to get a lot of good and bad press. The outlier, however, is the Galaxy J5. This budget device received so little attention Samsung’s own PR team had no idea about it. Yet despite the budget price tag and lack of marketing, the J5 is quite a capable smartphone. While at first glance it might look like the S5, upon closer inspection the differences are much more noticeable. The plastic frame does not offer any water protection and many reviewers call the look and feel “tacky” especially after handling the metal frames of the A series. Despite this, they add it’s very well-made with no flex or creaks. The curved sides and slim dimensions also made it easy for them to grip.

The 5-inch display offers a resolution of 1280x720 for a pixel density of 294 pixels per inch. In comparison to many other smartphones on the market, it’s quite low. However, it makes up for it in other areas such as max brightness. More importantly it manages to cover the entire color spectrum, something other budget rivals don’t do. Critics have nothing but praise for the screen calling it “vibrant” and “incredible.” And since it uses Super-AMOLED technology, they had no complaints about the viewing angles or bright light legibility.

If you’re looking for a very fast phone, it’s best you look elsewhere. The J5 offers a quad-core 1.2GHz processor and only 1.5GB of RAM. As expected, experts noticed some slight hiccups when multi-tasking or playing graphics-intensive games. Still, during basic tasks it ran smoothly with some slight stutters when trying to load image heavy web pages. Battery life is where it excels. Armed with a 2,600mAh battery the J5 managed to provide reviewers with just over 17 hours of life. What’s better, you can replace the battery so you never really have to worry about your phone dying again. Unless you forget to charge the batteries of course.

Perhaps the area where the J5 really shows its budget roots is with the 13MP rear camera. While on paper it sounds like it should take some good pictures, the problem lies in the sensor. Experts found it could not manage different lighting situations often overexposing scenes that had too much light and obscuring details when there was not enough. With that said, when the conditions are just right, they did manage to take some excellent images with high detail and vibrant colors.

Despite the weak camera, experts have no qualms suggesting the J5 to people on a tight budget. IT-Pro states, “It’s an excellent choice for anyone who’s looking for quality on a budget.” Alphr adds, “It’s smooth, stylish, and performs nicely with a bright screen and incredibly battery life.”


Android
Operating system
Operating system
Android
1.2 GHz
Processor
Processor
1.2 GHz
5.2"
Screen Size
Screen Size
5.2"
13+ MP
Camera
Camera
13+ MP
3100 mAh
Battery


What the Critics Are Saying...


Know Your Mobile
Know Your Mobile

Really quite an impressive low-cost smartphone with a lot of bang for your buck. Arguably one of the best budget handsets on the market thanks to Samsung's mastery of Super AMOLED display technology and some sterling battery performance, both of which put it ahead of rivals such as the Moto G, while...

- Paul Briden, Know Your Mobile
IT Pro
IT Pro

The third-gen Moto G just retains its place in our budget smartphone affections thanks to its classier looks and build quality as well as its clean version of Android and waterproofing. Even so, the J5 has a lot going for it and is a very good alternative if you want a better looking screen and a re...

- Adam Shepherd, IT Pro
PhoneArena
PhoneArena

The Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016) is a smartphone of reasonably good quality. It looks elegant and its screen is fairly pleasant. Its software experience is well-accomplished and its camera can land surprisingly good shots. While the Galaxy J5 (2016) does cover the essentials, it does so with the absolut...

- Luis D., PhoneArena
GSMArena
GSMArena

In terms of hardware the Galaxy J5 (2016) feels like a pretty minor update. The bigger screen and battery are always a good way to lure customers in, but the chipset is feeling decidedly dated at this point. And the camera certainly can't live up to the promises that its specs make.

- GSMArena team, GSMArena
Notebookcheck
Notebookcheck

Samsung's Galaxy J5 (2016) is not perfect, but it is a really good smartphone from the lower mid-range.

- Florian Wimmer, Notebookcheck


Prices (Where to Buy)




Common Questions



Samsung backs up the Galaxy J5 (2016) with a 1 Year parts & labour warranty.


If your Galaxy J5 (2016) has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact Samsung support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find Samsung's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.




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Quick view

Screen Size
5.2"

The Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016)'s screen size is 5.2 inches with 720 x 1280 pixels resolution.

Processor
1.2 GHz

There is a Qualcomm MSM8916 Snapdragon 410 Quad core 1.2 GHz processor (CPU).

OS

The phone runs on the Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow (Update Available: 7.1.1 Nougat) operating system (OS).

Camera
13+ MP

You can take photos with the phone's onboard 13+ MP camera.

There is also a secondary front facing camera with 5+ megapixels resolution.

Storage
16 GB

Internal memory is 16 GB. An external, MicroSD, MicroSDHC, microSDXC (up to 128 GB) expansion slot is available for increased storage capacity.

Battery
3100mAh

The phone is powered by a Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion), 3100 mAh battery. Samsung's performance ratings are 1260 minutes, 840 minutes Wi-Fi surfing.

Galaxy J5 (2016) Specs

Overview
Release Date April 1, 2016
Regions Available Canada, United Kingdom
Operating System Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow (Update Available: 7.1.1 Nougat)

Compare Android Smartphones

Processor Qualcomm MSM8916 Snapdragon 410 Quad core 1.2 GHz
Internal Storage 16 GB
RAM 2 GB
Hearing Aid Compatible No
TTY/TDD No
Noise Cancellation Yes
SAR Head: 0.45 W/kg
Body: 1.17 W/kg
Manufacturer Warranty 1 Year
Accessories Included AC Charger, Manual, Standard Battery
Cellular
Networks
GPRS, EDGE, HSUPA, HSPA+, LTE
Mobile / Cellular Data
4G/LTE
Push-to-talk (PTT) No
Wi-Fi Calling Unknown
Voice over LTE (VoLTE) Unknown
SIM card size
Micro-SIM
Dual SIM No
Connectivity
USB Micro-USB 2.0
USB OTG Support Yes
GPS Type A-GPS
Infrared No
Bluetooth 4.1
Bluetooth Profiles A2DP, AVRCP, OPP/FTP, HID, HFP, HSP, PAN
Bluetooth Audio Codecs SBC
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Mobile Hotspot Yes
Memory Expansion Slot Yes
Expansion Slot Info MicroSD, MicroSDHC, microSDXC (up to 128 GB)
NFC Yes
Data Tethering Compatibility Yes
Camera
Main Camera
Resolution / Aperture
13+ Megapixels
Zoom
Yes
Flash
Yes (LED)
Additional Rear Camera Info
Auto focus, Geotagging, ISO, Multi-shot, Night mode, Panorama, Self-timer, White balance, Exposure value, Sound & Shot, HDR
Video Recording Formats
3GP / 3GPP, 3G2 / 3GPP2, H.264 / AVC, MPEG-4, WMV, ASF, FLV, AVI, MKV
Video Recording Parameters
Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels), 30 fps
Front Camera
Resolution / Aperture
5+ Megapixels
Additional Front Camera Info
No
Video Recording Parameters
Display / Screen
Type Color
Technology Super AMOLED
Colors 16.7 million
Resolution 720 x 1280 pixels
Pixel Density 285 pixels
Size 5.2 inches
Secondary Display No
Sensors Ambient Light, Proximity, Motion / Accelerometer
Multi-Touch Yes
Fingerprint-Resistant Coating No
Additional Display Features Capacitive touch screen
Power & Battery
Battery Type Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion)
Battery Capacity 3100 mAh
Removable Battery Yes
Wireless Charging No
Fast Charging No
Video Playback Time Up to 1020 minutes
Internet Use (Wi-Fi) Up to 840 minutes
Internet Use (Cellular) Unknown
Talk Time Up to 1260 minutes
Standby Time Up to 10 days
Mixed Usage
Physical Characteristics
Design Type Bar
Material Aluminium
Colors Black, White, Gold
Dimensions [H x W x D] 14.6 x 7.2 x 0.8 cm (5.8 x 2.8 x 0.3 in)
Weight 159 grams
Water Resistant / Waterproof Unknown
Rugged design No
IP Rating No
Headset Jack 3.5mm
External Speakers Yes
Input / Navigation
Sleep / Wake Key Yes
Home Key Yes
Input / Keyboard Type Touchscreen
Navigation Type Touchscreen
External Volume Control Yes
Fingerprint Sensor No
More
Additional Information Other Names (AKA): Samsung SM-J510
Related Links Manual (PDF)
Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016) Reviews
Where to buy Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016)
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