Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) review: Cheap, and surprisingly likable
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.
Jessica Dolcourt
Editorial Director / CNET Money, How-To & Performance Optimization
Jessica Dolcourt leads the CNET Money, How-To, and Performance teams. A California native who grew up in Silicon Valley, she's passionate about connecting people with the highest standard of advice to help them reach their goals.
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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).
The Good
The Bad
The Bottom Line
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.)
Camera and screen brightness
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.
Specs compared to other phones
| 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 |