Our hands-on review with the Galaxy J5, one of Samsung’s most affordable Android phones, packing a 5-inch HD screen, 13-megapixel camera and 5-meg selfie cam with LED flash for just £159. But can the Samsung Galaxy J5 take on the mighty Moto G and other budget blowers?
Samsung’s ‘cheap’ Android mobiles used to be rather cack (anyone remember the infamous Galaxy Fame?), but some sort of divine intervention has since taken place and now we absolutely love Sammy’s affordable Galaxy phones.
The Galaxy J5 is one of Samsung’s cheapest mobiles in 2016, costing just £159 here in the UK. But is Samsung’s new budget blower actually any good and does it beat rivals like the Moto G? Here’s our 24-hour first-look Galaxy J5 review, along with our full unboxing.
Samsung Galaxy J5: Hands-on review
The Galaxy J5 sports an obvious budget design, but it’s not an ugly phone by any means. Those silver edges feel a lot more solid than the obviously-plastic LG X Screen, and fit comfortably against your palm. Around the back you get a matt plastic rear, which actually prises off to reveal the removable battery – the first Samsung phone we’ve reviewed in ages to do so.
And while the Galaxy J5’s 5-inch Super AMOLED screen might not be as impressively vibrant as the displays on other Samsung mobiles, such as the twice-as-expensive Galaxy A5, it’s still solid for the price. The 720p resolution keeps images nice and sharp and viewing angles are impressively wide.
TouchWiz once again sits upon the slightly out-of-date Android Lollipop, so far (after 24 hours) providing a smooth everyday experience. Existing Samsung owners will know exactly what to expect, although this time there’s no built-in Flipboard support, possibly due to the budget quad-core processor. You do get the usual duplicate apps (two web browser, two email clients and so on) and Samsung own services, such as S Health.
Taking on the Moto G’s excellent camera is no mean feat, but the Galaxy J5 packs a 13-megapixel snapper that’s possibly up to the task. It’s not the fastest shooter around but captures plenty of detail and seems to adjust well to difficult lighting. And the 5-megapixel front-facing camera actually has its own flash, for lighting you up in the pub or club.
Samsung Galaxy J5 unboxing
Check out our full unboxing video with the Samsung Galaxy J5, where we take a look at what you get in the box and also show off the J5’s nifty budget design, TouchWiz interface, camera tech and more.
Come back soon for our full Samsung Galaxy J5 review.
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