If price is your guide, Samsung's entry-level Galaxy J3 is worth the buy today, though it won't hold up well over time.
CNET editors pick the products and services we write about. When you buy through our links, we may get a commission.
There aren't many new phones you can compare to the 5-inch Samsung Galaxy J3. An extremely inexpensive device with parts to match, the phone nevertheless performed better than I expected, but never stellar. Battery life was strong, it ships with the current version of Android (6.0.1) and its daylight photography is good enough to post online despite the camera's low 5-megapixel resolution (selfies, low-light shots, and indoor photos aren't quite as good).
At $110 to $180 in the US (pricing varies by carrier), £140 in the UK (for the 8GB version, from Carphone Warehouse) and AU$329 in Australia, the J3 also earns points for its immediate global availability. In the notoriously carrier-controlled US, for example, it sells on five networks (AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, Virgin Mobile and Boost Mobile).
The J3 is likable enough in its looks and feel, and its battery kept going long after I expected the phone to conk out -- it lasted 15 hours in CNET's looping video drain test. Phone calls were also problem-free on the AT&T model I tested in San Francisco on medium-high volume. There's plenty of room to expand storage (up to 128GB with a microSD card) and you can replace the battery if that's your jam. Where the J3 falters is mainly in its quad-core processor, which makes gaming slightly less smooth and the camera a half-beat late to capture and process photos.
In the short term, the J3 will serve wallet-watchers well enough, especially if you plan to use the phone lightly. But if you have the cash to spare, jumping up to the next price bracket will get you a phone that will wear better with time, as we expect the Motorola Moto G4 to. This J3, by contrast, leaves you with a slower processor, photos that suffer in larger formats and less on-board storage for photos. (See the specs comparison chart below.)
Double-click the home button to launch the camera.
One interesting feature I like is an option to jump into "outdoors mode," a screen brightness setting in the notifications/quick settings tray that immediately boosts the brightness so you can read the screen in outdoor lighting. It makes a huge difference.
Samsung lets you double-tap the home button to launch the camera app, which opens right away, but it takes a long second ("one-one thousand") to snap a shot. That's fine for patient people posing for portraits, but I missed most of the pictures I wanted to take of seagulls scrubbing their wings in a fountain and summer bees loading up on pollen (yeah, yeah, I spend a lot of time in parks). Just be aware.
Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) | Motorola Moto G4 | Sony Xperia XA | Huawei Honor 5X | Blu Vivo 5 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Display size, resolution | 5-inch; 1,280x720 pixels | 5.5-inch; 1,920x1,080 pixels | 5-inch; 1,280 x 720 pixels | 5.5-inch; 1,920x1,080 pixels | 5.5-inch; 1,280x720-pixels |
Pixel density | 294ppi | 401ppi | 294ppi | 401ppi | 267ppi |
Dimensions (inches) | 5.6 x 2.8 x 0.3 in. | 6.0 x 3.0 x 0.39 in. | 5.7 x 2.6 x 0.31 in. | 6 x 3 x 0.32 in. | 6 x 3 x 0.27 in. |
Dimensions (millimeters) | 142 x 71 x 7.9 mm | 153 x 76.6 x 9.8 mm | 144 x 67 x 7.9 mm | 151 x 76 x 8.2 mm | 152 x 75 x 6.9 mm |
Weight (ounces, grams) | 4.87 oz. (138g) | 5.47 oz. (155g) | 4.8 oz. (137.4g) | 5.6 oz. (158g) | 5 oz. (141g) |
Mobile software | Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow | Android 6.0 Marshmallow | Android 6.0 Marshmallow | Android 5.1 Lollipop | Android 5.1 Lollipop |
Camera | 5-megapixel | 13-megapixel | 13-megapixel | 13-megapixel | 13-megapixel |
Front-facing camera | 2-megapixel | 5-megapixel | 8-megapixel | 5-megapixel | 5-megapixel |
Video capture | 720p | 1,080p HD | 1,080p HD | 1080p HD | 1080p HD |
Processor | 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 | 1.5GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 | 2GHz octa-core MediaTek Helio P10 | 1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 | 1.3GHz octa-core MediaTek MT6753 |
Storage | 16GB | 32GB | 16GB | 16GB | 32GB |
RAM | 2GB | 2GB | 2GB | 3GB | 3GB |
Expandable storage | Up to 128GB | Up to 128GB | 200GB | Up to 128GB | 64GB |
Battery | 2,600mAh (removable) | 3,000mAh (removable) | 2,700mAh (nonremovable) | 3,000mAh (nonremovable) | 3,150mAh (removable) |
Fingerprint sensor | None | None | None | Back cover | None |
Connector | Micro-USB | Micro-USB | Micro-USB | Micro-USB | Micro-USB |
Special features | N/A | Water-resistant | N/A | Dual-SIM card slots | Dual-SIM card slots |
Price off-contract (USD) | $110-$180 (varies by carrier) | Converts to $245 | $280 | $200 | $200 |
Price (GBP) | £140 (8GB version) | £169 | Converts to £192 | Converts to £135 | Converts to £135 |
Price (AUD) | AU$329.00 | Converts to AU$335 | Converts to AU$391 | Converts to AU$275 | Converts to AU$275 |