Samsung Galaxy J3 2017 Smartphone Review
For the original German review, see here.
All the hype around Samsung's successful high-end devices easily lets us forget that the manufacturer is also very successful in the mid-range. The Galaxy A series is a kind of mini offspring of the Galaxy S smartphones, while the Galaxy J devices are more autonomous and situated in the mid-range below the Galaxy A phones. Like in the A series, there are different sizes and configurations. The three models of the Galaxy J series are called Galaxy J7, Galaxy J5, and Galaxy J3. The latter is the center of attention in this test. Since there have been several iterations of the J phones, Samsung has added the year (2017) to this year's smartphones. Samsung only sells this year's smartphones as dual-SIM models as the name affix "Duos" indicates.
The Galaxy J3 (2017) Duos is a 5-inch smartphone that comes with the usual configuration features for the 200 Euro (~$190) price range. We are curious to find out where the differences to the bigger Galaxy J5 are and how similarly priced devices, such as the Nokia 3, Sony Xperia XA1, and Lenovo Moto G5, score in comparison. And it would of course be interesting to see how our review sample fares compared with last year's model. Can Samsung continue its prior success?
Case
The Galaxy J3 (2017) also follows the current Galaxy design language with rounded, organic shapes, its big, separated home button and pastel colors. In contrast to last year's Galaxy J3, the design is more homogeneous and makes a more balanced impression. Available colors are black, gold, and a bright metallic blue like that of our review sample. All three colors are quite restrained and the Galaxy J3 is thus not really an eye-catcher. Instead, it impresses with an impeccable build and its entirely glass-covered front with elegantly rounded edges toward the rear. The casing is only sensitive when high pressure is applied to the screen. The device cannot be warped in any way.
The battery cannot be replaced, thus the predecessor holds a big advantage over the 2017 model. Instead, the rear is non-removable, and the SIM and micro-SD cards are inserted via tray on the device's sides.
Connectivity
2 GB of working memory and 16 GB of data storage are very common in this price range. 10.3 GB of storage remain for personal use. The system reserves the rest. Buyers who are willing to spend a bit more can sometimes find 32 GB of storage, as in Sony's Xperia XA1, or 3 GB of RAM like in the Moto G5. Our review sample supports two SIM cards simultaneously and still allows inserting a micro-SD card. The micro-SD card cannot be formatted as internal storage, but apps can be moved to the external storage device.
A conventional micro-USB port is situated on the lower edge. The Galaxy J models do not yet have USB Type-C. The smartphone supports USB OTG, NFC, and Bluetooth 4.2.
Software
The Galaxy J3 (2017) Duos is shipped with the Android 7.0 operating system. The security patches were dated 1st June 2017, which was already over two months old at test time.
Samsung does not deliver its smartphones with a pure Android. It installs its own user interface called Samsung Experience. Although it is not much different from stock Android, it has some special features. For example, the settings are grouped differently and swiping to the right on the home screen opens an adaptable news overview.
Additional software, such as Microsoft's complete office suite, is preloaded. Samsung avoids having to pay patent fees to the software developers. Samsung does not install many of its own apps on the Galaxy J3 (2017): S Health is a fitness program and Galaxy Apps is an app store that uses data from Google's Play Store.
Communication and GPS
A smartphone without LTE support is only thinkable in the absolute lowest price sector now. Thus, the Galaxy J3 (2017) Duos also comes with LTE support, but with a maximum download speed of 150 MBit/s. The Xperia XA1 already offers 300 MBit/s, and the Galaxy J5 also supports higher speeds. However, our review sample is on par with its bigger brother with seven supported LTE bands. The Nokia 3 presents its best side with nine LTE bands. The reception in the German D2 network in an urban area was also good indoors: We usually had the full signal in the LTE network.
The Wi-Fi of the Galaxy J3 has been slimmed down a bit: 802.11 b/g/n is the absolute minimum configuration. In contrast to most other devices in the comparison, the device cannot use the less frequented 5 GHz network, and it does not support fast 802.11ac networks. The Galaxy J5 supports both. The review sample's transmission rates are also at the far back in the standardized test routine. We had the full signal near the router and pages opened fairly quickly in practical use. 3/4 of the signal was still received at a distance of ten meters (~33 feet) and through three walls, and pages opened just as fast.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) Duos | |
| Sony Xperia XA1 | |
| Lenovo Moto G5 | |
| Nokia 3 | |
| Samsung Galaxy J3 2017 | |
| iperf3 receive AX12 | |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) Duos | |
| Lenovo Moto G5 | |
| Sony Xperia XA1 | |
| Nokia 3 | |
| Samsung Galaxy J3 2017 | |
The GPS module could only locate us very inaccurately indoors. Many satellites were quickly found outdoors, but the accuracy did not drop below 13 meters (~42.6 ft), which is quite a poor performance.
We looked at what this means in practice on a mountain bike trip with both Samsung's Galaxy J3 and Garmin's Edge 500 (as a reference device). The measured route is equal - very good. Samsung's Galaxy J3 draws curves as sharp corners unlike Garmin's Edge 500, which is more accurate here. However, the Galaxy J3's tracking performance is overall very good. The device traces our route very accurately for a smartphone.
Telephony and Call Quality
Samsung has created its own phone app that offers a few more features than Google's stock app. For example, it is possible to fade out contacts without an assigned phone number in the overview, making the contact list more cleaned up. It is also possible to look for localities in the area and call them directly, which is convenient when looking for a restaurant. Short messages can be written or a video conference can be started directly in the app.
The call quality makes a mixed impression. On the one hand, we liked the earpiece's sound; the contact's voice sounds relatively clear and natural. On the other hand, the earpiece distorts in high volumes just like the microphone, which also transmits our voice slightly muffled. The speaker generally sounds good in hands-free mode, but the microphone again transmits our voice slightly muffled and hardly records anything when we speak quietly.
Cameras
Compared with the predecessor, the cameras have been upgraded considerably: 13 rather than 8 megapixels are now on the rear. This is not only the current mid-range standard, but even some premium smartphones do not offer more pixels. After all, the photo quality only depends on the pixel count to a certain degree. The Galaxy J3 proves this quite impressively: Its primary camera, which is lowered slightly into the casing for protection, takes sharp and quite detailed photos. The dynamics in bright and dark areas is decent. Only the colors sometimes look a bit cool. In total, the primary camera's photo quality very much appealed to us.
Videos can be recorded in 1080p at 30 frames per second. The smartphone adapts well to the environment although the photo is sometimes a bit too dark. The auto focus does a good job. However, focusing manually, which is also possible, confuses it and it then needs quite long to adjust the desired focus. The exposure can also be set manually.
The camera app that Samsung developed is relatively intuitive to use. It offers many settings and useful assistance. For example, the right aspect ratio for videos can be viewed beforehand so that objects can be placed properly or one of the installed filters can be used for photos.
Like the predecessor, the front camera has a resolution of 5 megapixels. However, it now has an LED flash. We liked the photo quality; the camera still manages to keep overexposure within limits even in very bright areas. Its sharpness is also good.
The primary camera did a good job in practice. But what does it look like under standardized conditions in the lab? In fact, details are slightly blurred; especially text on a colored background. Outlines of objects generally look a bit fuzzy and the sharpness decreases slightly toward the corners. Nevertheless, the overall photo quality here is good. The color reproduction is visibly too pale, and large, colored areas are sometimes a bit patchy.
Accessories and Warranty
Samsung puts a charger and USB cable in the box besides a headset and SIM tool. Two covers for the device can be purchased via the website: A dual layer cover in different colors (20 Euros/~$23) and a softer jelly cover (15 Euros/~$18).
Samsung includes a 24-month warranty on its devices. Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.
Input Devices and Handling
Samsung has developed its own keyboard. It is the only keyboard preloaded on the smartphone. Of course, another keyboard can be downloaded and installed from Google's Play Store. The keyboard is very clearly arranged and resembles Apple's iPhone keyboard slightly. The app provides many settings, such as a one hand mode, can place punctuation marks semi-automatically or be used as a TrackPad for the cursor. Overall, it is possible to type well with the app.
As known from Samsung, there are many aids for impaired users. For example, the keyboard app can be zoomed and its contrast can be increased or flashing light shows notifications when the user has a hearing impairment.
Samsung has also come up with some special ideas. For example, the user is informed about missed calls or notifications when picking up the phone via automatic vibration. A multi-window function that runs several applications on one screen is also present. A basic mode is again available, which provides smartphone novices facilitated handling.
A physical home button and two touch-sensitive menu buttons below the screen are easy to use, but the "back" button is on the right and might need some getting used to. The standby button is on the casing's right and the volume control on the left. Both are easy to find and have clear pressure points, but they could both feel higher quality.
Display
Screens with a resolution of 1280x720 pixels are normal in this price range. Unlike the bigger Galaxy J models or its predecessor, the Galaxy J3 does not have an AMOLED panel but instead a PLS screen. The average brightness of 494 cd/m² is high and can even be increased for a limited time via the outdoor mode; here, we measured a maximum of 572 cd/m². The illumination of 89% is relatively homogeneous, and we did not see a brightness difference in large colored areas with our naked eye.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 89 %
Center on Battery: 502 cd/m²
Contrast: 1434:1 (Black: 0.35 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.6 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.91
ΔE Greyscale 2.5 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
99.9% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.29
| Samsung Galaxy J3 2017 PLS, 1280x720, 5" | Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) Duos Super AMOLED, 1280x720, 5.2" | Lenovo Moto G5 IPS, 1920x1080, 5" | Nokia 3 IPS, 1280x720, 5" | Sony Xperia XA1 IPS, 1280x720, 5" | Samsung Galaxy J3 2016 Super AMOLED, 1280x720, 5" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | 6% | 5% | -42% | -43% | -33% | |
| Brightness middle | 502 | 448 -11% | 660 31% | 481 -4% | 522 4% | 295 -41% |
| Brightness | 494 | 451 -9% | 625 27% | 469 -5% | 499 1% | 299 -39% |
| Brightness Distribution | 89 | 91 2% | 92 3% | 84 -6% | 92 3% | 96 8% |
| Black Level * | 0.35 | 0.29 17% | 0.22 37% | 0.74 -111% | ||
| Contrast | 1434 | 2276 59% | 2186 52% | 705 -51% | ||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 4.6 | 2.7 41% | 4.9 -7% | 8.1 -76% | 4.2 9% | 5.8 -26% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 8 | 9.8 -23% | 7.6 5% | 15.4 -93% | 11.5 -44% | 8.6 -8% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 2.5 | 1.6 36% | 4.8 -92% | 8.5 -240% | 6.4 -156% | 4.8 -92% |
| Gamma | 2.29 96% | 2.06 107% | 2.18 101% | 2.16 102% | 2.18 101% | 1.84 120% |
| CCT | 6351 102% | 6557 99% | 7357 88% | 9014 72% | 7044 92% | 6252 104% |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM not detected |  | ||
In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8705 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
Samsung's Galaxy J3 presents a decent contrast result: 1434:1 are not record-breaking but quite good. The black value of 0.35 cd/m² is just as satisfactory. The AMOLED devices with an absolute black reproduction have an advantage here, just like many of the comparison devices. It is pleasing that Samsung reduces the screen brightness without flickering; thus, the manufacturer does not use pulse width modification.
There are some predefined display modes for the reproduction. We analyzed these with our spectrophotometer and the CalMAN software and discovered that the cinema setting presents the most natural colors. We only found a bluish tint in the adapted screen mode that is to adjust to every app individually. According to the software that unfortunately does not measure very accurately, sRGB is covered by 99.9% and AdobeRGB by 89.3%.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 28 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 17 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 11 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 68 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (20.9 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 37 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 21 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 16 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 49 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (32.8 ms). | ||
The Galaxy J3 can be used well outdoors thanks to its special outdoor mode. It increases the screen's brightness considerably, but then also needs a lot of power. Therefore, it turns off automatically 15 minutes after disabling the screen. It remains active until deactivation otherwise. A bit of the screen's content can be recognized even in direct sunlight in outdoor mode, but looking at contents is not recommendable then because intense reflections strain the eyes anyway. It is possible to work with the Galaxy J3 easily in the shade. The device does not have an ambient light sensor, and thus the brightness has to be adapted manually.
Content remains clear even from the sides thanks to the PLS technology.
Performance
We know the Exynos 7570 Quad SoC from Samsung's Galaxy XCover 4. Its processor unit has four cores and clocks at a maximum of 1.4 GHz. This clearly outperforms the performance of the Galaxy J3 (2016) or even Nokia 3. Other devices, such as the Moto G5, offer considerably more power. We did not encounter stutters while navigating through the operating system in practice. The browser stutters to quite some extent when a game is running in a second window in multi-window mode.
In contrast to the Galaxy XCover 4, Samsung uses an ARM Mali-T720 MP2 graphics unit, which is the dual-core model with a maximum of 650 MHz, this time. The smartphone is again faster than last year's Galaxy in the benchmarks, but it clearly lags behind its bigger Galaxy J5 (2017) brother.
| AnTuTu v6 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy J3 2017 | |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) Duos | |
| Lenovo Moto G5 | |
| Nokia 3 | |
| Sony Xperia XA1 | |
| Samsung Galaxy J3 2016 | |
| PCMark for Android | |
| Work performance score (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) Duos | |
| Lenovo Moto G5 | |
| Nokia 3 | |
| Sony Xperia XA1 | |
| Samsung Galaxy J3 2016 | |
| Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy J3 2017 | |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) Duos | |
| Lenovo Moto G5 | |
| Nokia 3 | |
| Sony Xperia XA1 | |
| Geekbench 4.4 | |
| 64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy J3 2017 | |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) Duos | |
| Lenovo Moto G5 | |
| Nokia 3 | |
| Sony Xperia XA1 | |
| 64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy J3 2017 | |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) Duos | |
| Lenovo Moto G5 | |
| Nokia 3 | |
| Sony Xperia XA1 | |
| Compute RenderScript Score (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy J3 2017 | |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) Duos | |
| Lenovo Moto G5 | |
| Nokia 3 | |
| Sony Xperia XA1 | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 | |
| T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy J3 2017 | |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) Duos | |
| Lenovo Moto G5 | |
| Nokia 3 | |
| Sony Xperia XA1 | |
| Samsung Galaxy J3 2016 | |
| 1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy J3 2017 | |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) Duos | |
| Lenovo Moto G5 | |
| Nokia 3 | |
| Sony Xperia XA1 | |
| Samsung Galaxy J3 2016 | |
| GFXBench 3.0 | |
| on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy J3 2017 | |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) Duos | |
| Lenovo Moto G5 | |
| Nokia 3 | |
| Sony Xperia XA1 | |
| 1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy J3 2017 | |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) Duos | |
| Lenovo Moto G5 | |
| Nokia 3 | |
| Sony Xperia XA1 | |
| GFXBench 3.1 | |
| on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy J3 2017 | |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) Duos | |
| Lenovo Moto G5 | |
| Nokia 3 | |
| Sony Xperia XA1 | |
| 1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy J3 2017 | |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) Duos | |
| Lenovo Moto G5 | |
| Nokia 3 | |
| Sony Xperia XA1 | |
The Galaxy J3 (2017) is midfield in terms of Internet speed. Pages open with a tangible delay, but this can hardly be prevented in this price range. The sophisticated HTML5 flipper from letsplay.ouigo.com needs a bit of time to load and then stutters occasionally, which can sometimes lead to losing a ball. The performance improves after a while, and commands are implemented smoothly.
| JetStream 1.1 - Total Score | |
| Sony Xperia XA1 | |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) Duos | |
| Lenovo Moto G5 | |
| Samsung Galaxy J3 2017 | |
| Nokia 3 | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score | |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) Duos | |
| Sony Xperia XA1 | |
| Samsung Galaxy J3 2017 | |
| Lenovo Moto G5 | |
| Nokia 3 | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total | |
| Nokia 3 | |
| Samsung Galaxy J3 2017 | |
| Lenovo Moto G5 | |
| Sony Xperia XA1 | |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) Duos | |
| WebXPRT 2015 - Overall | |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) Duos | |
| Sony Xperia XA1 | |
| Samsung Galaxy J3 2017 | |
| Lenovo Moto G5 | |
| Nokia 3 | |
* ... smaller is better
Unfortunately, the Galaxy J3 (2017) is a bit sluggish when accessing the storage in total. However, the Galaxy J5 was not convincing here, either. Accessing our Toshiba EXCERIA PRO M501 reference micro-SD card (with extremely high write and read rates possible) is relatively slow on the Galaxy J3 considering the card's potential. However, they can keep up with expensive mid-range devices by comparison.
Our review sample accesses the internal storage much slower than the Moto G5 or Xperia XA1. Sophisticated apps accordingly also need a certain time until they are loaded.
| Samsung Galaxy J3 2017 | Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) Duos | Lenovo Moto G5 | Nokia 3 | Sony Xperia XA1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | -0% | 64% | -17% | 72% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 177.7 | 204.4 15% | 230.6 30% | 181 2% | 248.5 40% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 51 | 52 2% | 45.6 -11% | 34 -33% | 127.8 151% |
| Random Read 4KB | 24 | 24.07 0% | 37.6 57% | 17.7 -26% | 66.2 176% |
| Random Write 4KB | 9.5 | 9.9 4% | 37.9 299% | 5.5 -42% | 13.2 39% |
| Sequential Read 256KB SDCard | 70.3 | 72.2 3% | 78.5 12% | 64.3 -9% | 78.4 12% |
| Sequential Write 256KB SDCard | 59.6 | 44.21 -26% | 58 -3% | 62.9 6% | 68 14% |
Games
Details sometimes have to be reduced when playing demanding games, such as the racing game Asphalt 8: Airborne. Less demanding games like Angry Birds can be played without issues. Using the touchscreen and position sensor as controls function very reliably here.
Samsung also preloads its own game launcher and an overlay called Game Tools. All installed games can be collected and managed in one place in the Game Launcher. The Game Tools allow making screenshots or enabling a "do not disturb" mode, for example. This does not have an impact on the frame rates as we found out in the test.
| Asphalt 8: Airborne | |||
| Settings | Value | ||
| high | 14 fps | ||
| very low | 30 fps | ||
| Dead Trigger 2 | |||
| Settings | Value | ||
| high | 30 fps | ||
Emissions
Temperature
Although the casing heats up slightly, the user will hardly notice it. At a maximum of 32.5 °C (90.5 °F), Samsung's Galaxy J3 always stays pleasantly cool. Thus, it can be put into a pocket even after prolonged load without feeling unpleasantly warm.
We check whether prolonged load without throttling is possible with GFXBench. It is since the frame rates are just as high after thirty loops as in the beginning in the Manhattan 3.1 benchmark.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 32.5 °C / 91 F, compared to the average of 35.1 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 63.7 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 31.4 °C / 89 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29.4 °C / 85 F, compared to the device average of 32.8 °C / 91 F.
Speaker
The little speaker is situated on the casing's upper right area. This is an unusual, yet not a bad position. The sound is acceptable. Trebles are very prominent and background noises sometimes dominate too clearly in songs and videos. The speaker at 80.9 dB(A) has an average loudness. The speaker in Samsung's bigger Galaxy J5 is much louder and its sound output is considerably more linear and more pleasant. Nevertheless, the speaker in the Galaxy J3 can be used for occasionally sampling a song or playing a video soundtrack.
Audiophile users will more likely rely on headphones or speakers. The included headset is decent to start with. The 3.5-mm jack transmits the sound clearly. Sound output also functions very well via Bluetooth.
Samsung Galaxy J3 2017 audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (80.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 16.8% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (13.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 6% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (4.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 6.4% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (7.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (23.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 49% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 42% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 37%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 67% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 26% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) Duos audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (86.8 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 24.1% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 6.2% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (4.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (18.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 18% of all tested devices in this class were better, 10% similar, 72% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 37%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 40% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 52% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Frequency diagram comparison (checkboxes above can be turned on/off!)
Energy Management
Power Consumption
Samsung's Galaxy J3 (2017) does not present its best side when it comes to power consumption. It consumes considerably more power than Samsung's Galaxy J5 and considerably more than its predecessor. The average consumption in both idle and during load belongs to the highest in the comparison field. The device still drains power from the outlet when it is shut down. The device's absolute maximum consumption is 3.89 watts, which is still an acceptable rate.
| Off / Standby |   0.12 / 0.23 Watt |
| Idle |  0.82 / 1.94 / 2.06 Watt |
| Load |
3.31 / 3.89 Watt |
    
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
| Samsung Galaxy J3 2017 2400 mAh | Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) Duos 3000 mAh | Lenovo Moto G5 2800 mAh | Nokia 3 2630 mAh | Sony Xperia XA1 2300 mAh | Samsung Galaxy J3 2016 2600 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | 38% | -4% | 17% | 38% | 23% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 0.82 | 0.52 37% | 0.73 11% | 0.67 18% | 0.64 22% | 0.96 -17% |
| Idle Average * | 1.94 | 1.17 40% | 1.64 15% | 1.35 30% | 0.81 58% | 1.14 41% |
| Idle Maximum * | 2.06 | 1.24 40% | 1.68 18% | 1.39 33% | 0.86 58% | 1.23 40% |
| Load Average * | 3.31 | 1.66 50% | 3.46 -5% | 3.1 6% | 2.09 37% | 2.45 26% |
| Load Maximum * | 3.89 | 2.94 24% | 6.13 -58% | 4.02 -3% | 3.31 15% | 2.92 25% |
* ... smaller is better
Battery Runtime
The 2400 mAh or 9.1 Wh battery is quite small and even weaker than that of its predecessor. Nevertheless, the Galaxy J3 (2017) manages very good runtimes in the Wi-Fi test: It is possible to browse the Internet for just over 12 hours before the device is depleted. The energy management apparently functions very well considering that the consumption is relatively high. Thus, the smartphone will easily last a work day and two days of normal use should also be possible.
An energy-saving mode can be enabled. It has two different levels that modify the system to different degrees. While the medium mode limits background services and reduces the brightness, the maximum mode additionally loads a more basic launcher that is to save energy with a dark theme and limited options. Recharging the battery, with the included small power supply, takes 1:30 to 2 hours.
| Samsung Galaxy J3 2017 2400 mAh | Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) Duos 3000 mAh | Lenovo Moto G5 2800 mAh | Nokia 3 2630 mAh | Sony Xperia XA1 2300 mAh | Samsung Galaxy J3 2016 2600 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | 18% | -23% | -17% | -8% | -8% | |
| Reader / Idle | 1425 | 1564 10% | 1243 -13% | 1258 -12% | 1433 1% | 1212 -15% |
| H.264 | 819 | 917 12% | 616 -25% | 628 -23% | 751 -8% | 590 -28% |
| WiFi v1.3 | 722 | 738 2% | 561 -22% | 552 -24% | 675 -7% | 502 -30% |
| Load | 305 | 449 47% | 207 -32% | 283 -7% | 256 -16% | 433 42% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict
Samsung has successfully managed to further develop its Galaxy J3 top-seller. The camera is great and its resolution has been boosted compared with the predecessor. Although the screen is no longer an AMOLED, it is brighter. The performance corresponds to the category, the software is extensive and stylish, the GPS module tracks us accurately, and although the casing's design is a bit restrained, it is elegant and solid. In addition to the dual-SIM support, it is possible to insert a micro-SD card as well.
Criticism can only be applied to details: The battery is now non-removable, which many users will dislike. The somewhat too many preloaded apps might also deter some buyers, but they can be uninstalled with a bit of patience. A 5-GHz Wi-Fi network would have been nice, and the microphone could make clearer recordings.
Samsung's Galaxy J3 (2017) Duos is a well-developed, overall good smartphone from the lower mid-range. The device offers a lot for little money.
In total, the Galaxy J3 leaves us with a high overall impression that involves restrictions typical for the category. Buyers cannot expect a high-end device for just over 200 Euros (~$190). However, Samsung definitely makes the most of the tight budget and offers a smartphone with a very good price-performance ratio.
Samsung Galaxy J3 2017
- 08/04/2017 v6 (old)
Florian Wimmer
Price comparison
