Samsung Galaxy J3

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Reviews for the Samsung Galaxy J3

83% Galaxy J3 review: Samsung’s great-value $249 phone
Source: Bit-Tech Archive.org version
The Samsung Galaxy J3 is a great budget smartphone. It’s reasonably well made and has a great screen that leaves us wondering why more manufacturers don’t specify AMOLED panels on their cheap handsets.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 12/01/2016
Rating: Total score: 83%

60% Samsung Galaxy J3 review
Source: Techradar Archive.org version
With a bright screen and slim design the Samsung Galaxy J3 makes a good first impression, but annoyances like a lack of auto brightness hold it back from greatness.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 09/16/2016
Rating: Total score: 60%

Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) review
Source: GSM Arena Archive.org version
The Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) is one of those devices that will likely end up free-on-contract or a similar carrier-subsidized deal. There really isn't all that much about the handset to leave a lasting impression. Now that the J2 (2016) is officially out, this became even more apparent, as the two devices are identical hardware-wise and price-wise, only the J2 has the added novelty of Samsung's new Smart Glow notifications.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 07/17/2016

60% Still can't beat the Moto G
Source: Expert Reviews Archive.org version
Of course, there's also the 3rd Gen Moto G to consider as well. This is just as fast as the J5 and has one of the best budget cameras we've ever seen. It also runs the latest version of Android 6.0, making it feel newer and more up to date than Samsung's J series, all of which only run Android 5.1.1. Samsung's notoriously bad at providing its cheaper handsets with free OTA updates for newer versions of Android, so those that want all the latest Android features such as Doze and Now on Tap should probably pick the Moto G instead. For me, the Moto G is still our favourite budget smartphone, but if you're not fussed about what version of Android you're running and value having a long battery life, then Samsung's Galaxy J5 is still the J series phone to buy.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 07/12/2016
Rating: Total score: 60%

This is how Samsung challenges other affordable models
Source: Laptop Media Archive.org version
The Samsung Galaxy J lineup cannot boast with the same premium looks of the Galaxy S or Galaxy A models, but compensates this with a price that’s easy on your budget. This is exactly the case with the Galaxy J3 (2016) which comes at a reasonable price and, at the same time, provides all necessary features for a mid-range smartphone. Such components are the 5″ Super AMOLED HD display with high contrast and detailed image. Also impressing is the battery which performed more than well in our tests, despite its not so great capacity.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 05/21/2016

70% Samsung Galaxy J3 (AT&T)
Source: PC Mag Archive.org version
If you're looking for an affordable phone on a major carrier, you typically need to prepare to make a compromise. The $169.99 (full price) Samsung Galaxy J3 on AT&T doesn't buck this trend, but unlike many other affordable smartphones, you won't be compromising on software. The J3 runs the latest version of Android, 6.0 Marshmallow, which is more than you can say for even plenty of higher-end devices. It also boasts a rich 5-inch 720p AMOLED display and great battery life, making it a solid choice for AT&T customers shopping on a budget.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 05/10/2016
Rating: Total score: 70%

80% Another great budget phone from Samsung
Source: PC Pro Archive.org version
The Samsung Galaxy J3 is a great budget smartphone. It’s reasonably well made and has a great screen that leaves me wondering why more manufacturers don’t specify AMOLED panels on their cheap handsets. The biggest problem the Galaxy J3 faces is the fact that its stablemate, the Galaxy J5, is better. That phone is not only faster, but also has a slightly better camera, a marginally bigger screen and better battery life than the J3. For a mere £10 extra, you can’t argue with the fact that it’s the better buy.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 05/09/2016
Rating: Total score: 80%

60% Still can't beat the Moto G
Source: Expert Reviews Archive.org version
The Samsung Galaxy J3 is certainly a respectable budget smartphone for £150, but with very little difference compared to the Galaxy J5 in terms of price - just £10 at the time of writing - I can't think of any reason why you'd pick this instead. Both have an excellent display, but the Galaxy J5 is faster, longer lasting and has a far superior camera, making it much better value overall.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 04/25/2016
Rating: Total score: 60%

60% Still can't beat the Moto G
Source: Expert Reviews Archive.org version
The Samsung Galaxy J3 is certainly a respectable budget smartphone for £150, but with very little difference compared to the Galaxy J5 in terms of price - just £10 at the time of writing - I can't think of any reason why you'd pick this instead. Both have an excellent display, but the Galaxy J5 is faster, longer lasting and has a far superior camera, making it much better value overall.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 04/25/2016
Rating: Total score: 60%

60% Samsung’s budget Galaxy J3 is cheap, but not cheap enough
Source: Tech Advisor Archive.org version
The Samsung Galaxy J3 is a no-frills phone that will suit many users needs, but it's not quite cheap enough for our liking. At £150 it is underpowered and under-featured, though we like the microSD support and removable battery.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 04/25/2016
Rating: Total score: 60% price: 60% performance: 60% features: 70% workmanship: 70%

Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) Review
Source: Fone Arena Archive.org version
At a price tag of Rs. 8,990, the Galaxy J3 (2016) is just an average budget 4G smartphone from Samsung. It comes with a good Super AMOLED display for the price, has 4G support and has unique S bike mode along with NFC, but Samsung has missed out the ambient light sensor for auto brightness adjustment, yet again and the performance is also not the best. Even though these is an 8-megapixel camera, the quality could have been better and just 4GB of usable storage is definitely not enough.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 04/18/2016

50% Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016): Compromised Budget Phone
Source: Tom's Guide Archive.org version
The J3's strengths — its battery life and appealing exterior — can't obscure the device's glaring weaknesses. Even if you can overlook the phone's subpar performance, the blurry images taken by the J3's camera just aren't acceptable in an era when even low-priced phones feature cameras that can take sharper images.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 04/17/2016
Rating: Total score: 50%

Foreign Reviews

63% Samsung Galaxy J3 DUOS
Source: Chip.de DE→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 12/15/2016
Rating: Total score: 63% performance: 73% features: 42% display: 84% mobility: 63%

84% Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016)
Source: Stiftung Warentest - Heft 11/2016
Single Review, , Length Unknown, Date: 10/01/2016
Rating: Total score: 84% mobility: 76%

70% Samsung Galaxy J3 Duos
Source: Chinahandys.net DE→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 07/06/2016
Rating: Total score: 70% performance: 60% display: 70% mobility: 70% workmanship: 70%

62% Dual-SIM-Smartphone mit Wechsel-Akku
Source: Netzwelt DE→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 07/01/2016
Rating: Total score: 62% features: 60% mobility: 70% workmanship: 70%

Premium für Preisbewusste
Source: A1 Blog DE→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 06/14/2016

Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) DuoS
Source: Computerbild - Heft 11/2016
Single Review, , Length Unknown, Date: 06/01/2016

72% Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016), análisis y opinión
Source: Computerhoy ES→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 12/16/2016
Rating: Total score: 72% price: 80% features: 60% display: 80% mobility: 80% workmanship: 70%

Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) Ventajas y Desventajas más Destacadas
Source: Mi Mundo Gadget ES→EN Archive.org version
Positive: Stylish design; excellent display; good cameras. Negative: Mediocre speakers; average hardware; low gaming performance.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 12/04/2016

Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) review
Source: Nieuwe Mobiel.nl NL→EN Archive.org version
Positive: Good display; beautiful design; solid workmanship. Negative: Lack light sensor; slow camera.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 07/27/2016

Comment

Model: The Samsung Galaxy J3 is an affordable and reliable smartphone with solid specifications. It is undeniably a Samsung designed device due to the button layout, curved edges and the familiar back panel. There are three colour variants; white, black and gold. Even with the lightweight chassis at just 138g, the Samsung Galaxy J3 feels solid enough in hand. The Android 5.1.1 device features a 5 inch Super AMOLED panel with a pixel density of 294 PPI for good contrast and color depth.

The Samsung Galaxy J3 comes with a Cortex-A7 quad-core processor clocked at 1.2 GHz, 1.5 GB RAM, a Mali-400 GPU and two storage options either with 8 or 16 GB. There is an 8 MP f/2.2 rear-camera and a 2 MP front shooter. Other features include an FM radio, A-GPS, microSD support up to 128 GB, Bluetooth 4.1 and microUSB 2.0. Audio quality is decent with the single speaker at the back. There are several variants of the device and the most apparent difference is the dual-SIM capability. Battery life on the Samsung Galaxy J3 is provided by a removable lithium ion battery rated at 2600 mAh.

ARM Mali-400 MP2: OpenGL ES 2.0 GPU for ARM based SoCs with 2 fragment processors and 1 vertex processor.

These graphics cards are not suited for Windows 3D games. Office and Internet surfing however is possible.

» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.

SC8830: Entry-level smartphone SoC with a quad-core Cortex-A9 CPU part (in the Galaxy J1 only dual-core) at usually 1.2 GHz and a LPDDR2/3 memory controller.» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.

5.00":

This display is tiny. You will probably see very little on the screen and be able to use mini-resolutions.

Samsung: Samsung Group is the largest South Korean conglomerate and was founded in 1938. Samsung Group employed 489,000 people in 2014 and is one of the world's largest companies in terms of revenue and market strength. The name Samsung means "Three Stars" in Korean and represents the three sons of the company's founder. The company was founded in 1938 as a grocery store. With its subsidiary Samsung Electronics, founded in 1969, Samsung took up the production of electrotechnical items, focusing on consumer electronics and household appliances at an early stage. Other branches in which the large corporation is active include mechanical engineering, automobiles (Hyundai), insurance, wholesale, real estate and leisure. Samsung manufactures a wide range of electronic products, including smartphones, televisions, home appliances and semiconductors. The company's Galaxy line of smartphones is one of the most popular in the world. Samsung is also a major player in the semiconductor industry, making memory chips and processors for many other electronics manufacturers.

66.71%: This rating is poor. More than three quarters of the models are rated better. That is rather not a purchase recommendation. Even if verbal ratings in this area do not sound that bad ("sufficient" or "satisfactory"), they are usually euphemisms that disguise a classification as a below-average laptop.

» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.

Devices from a different Manufacturer and/or with a different CPU