The Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) is the successor to one of the more popular cheap phones out there: theJ5 (2016) .
And while it retains the form factor and some key specs — an equally-sized 5.2-inch HD display and just 16 GB of on board storage — it gets rid of the plastic build in favor of a sturdier, metal design and it adds essential features like a fingerprint scanner. With its minimal side bezel, it even looks fairly modern.
But what is the experience of using an affordable Android phone like the Galaxy J5 (2017) and is it worth getting one? Let’s find out.
In the box:
- Phone
- White earbuds with in-line mic
- microUSB cable
- Wall charger
- SIM cjection tool
- User manual
Design
Sturdy and solid, but far from pretty.
The Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) is made out of metal and feels reassuringly solid in terms of build quality. At 0.31 inches (7.9mm) of thickness it is neither too thin, nor too thick, and the curved edges and slight curve on the back make it fit comfortably in the hand. The most notable design element are the antennas on the back that extend like two halves of a curved rectangle, a look unlike that on any other phone. This is particularly noticeable on the pink and gold J5 (2017) models, where the antenna bands contrast more with the color of the phone, while on the black and blue models, the antenna lines are barely noticeable.
There is a single camera on the back, flush with the body of the phone. The other notable thing about the new J5 is that it has its speaker neither at the bottom, nor at the back, but on the right side of the phone (just like the Samsung A series from this year). This is actually not a bad place for the speaker: you're less likely to accidentally cover it with your hand.
The buttons are made of metal and feel clicky and responsive. There is now a fingerprint scanner embedded in the home key on the front. It’s definitely not among the fastest ones, but it is fairly accurate.
On the bottom, you’d find the microphone, a microUSB port for charging (no USB-C here, unfortunately), and a 3.5mm audio jack.
The Galaxy J5 (2017) features a 5.2-inch Super AMOLED display with a 720 x 1280 pixel, HD resolution.
The display is properly laminated and features oleophobic coating, which might be a standard on pricier phones, but is not as common on affordable phones, so it’s nice that the J5 (2017) has this.
What is not so great is the resolution: it’s just low for today’s standards, even for an affordable phone. In practical terms, this means that you see some pixelization, especially noticeable when you read text.
There is a single camera on the back, flush with the body of the phone. The other notable thing about the new J5 is that it has its speaker neither at the bottom, nor at the back, but on the right side of the phone (just like the Samsung A series from this year). This is actually not a bad place for the speaker: you're less likely to accidentally cover it with your hand.
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The buttons are made of metal and feel clicky and responsive. There is now a fingerprint scanner embedded in the home key on the front. It’s definitely not among the fastest ones, but it is fairly accurate.
On the bottom, you’d find the microphone, a microUSB port for charging (no USB-C here, unfortunately), and a 3.5mm audio jack.
Display
A 5.2” AMOLED display with an HD resolution in 2017 is a bit sad.
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The Galaxy J5 (2017) features a 5.2-inch Super AMOLED display with a 720 x 1280 pixel, HD resolution.
The display is properly laminated and features oleophobic coating, which might be a standard on pricier phones, but is not as common on affordable phones, so it’s nice that the J5 (2017) has this.
What is not so great is the resolution: it’s just low for today’s standards, even for an affordable phone. In practical terms, this means that you see some pixelization, especially noticeable when you read text.
Interface and Functionality
The new Samsung user interface on top of Android 7.0 Nougat looks great and rich in features that matter.
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Samsung keeps on improving its custom Android interface that just a couple of years ago rhymed best with overwhelming and chaotic.
While it is still very clearly a custom interface that is heavy and that has very little to do with stock Android and Material Design, it has evolved tremendously. The J5 (2017) features its latest iteration, similar to what you get on the flagship Galaxy S8 series.
You get the new weather widget, the new fonts, the swipe-up app drawer, the new light grey and blue notification dropdown, support for UI themes, and all the rest of the tricks from the S8. There is even one new trick from the lockscreen: you can now swipe to the side to see music controls and easily switch to the next song in your preferred music service.
On top of that, here is a quick list of some unique features you'll find on the Galaxy J5 (2017):
- Dual Messenger: this allows you to install two IM accounts for the same service on your phone, so you can use two profiles be it for Messenger, Skype, Whatsapp, Viber, WeChat or others. This is not something most people will need, but if you have a work and a personal Skype account, for instance, you can stay online on both of them using this functionality.
- Secure folder: a place for your private apps and photos.
- Game launcher: allows you to block capacitive buttons while you play a game, so you don’t accidentally interrupt gameplay. Allows you to also block calls while you play for no interruptions.
Processor, Performance and Memory
Underpowered.
Samsung might have a great new interface in the J5 (2017), but the phone does not have enough fire-power to handle it well. While it’s not terribly slow, it is far from being buttery smooth. In many apps you will see stutter when you scroll around, apps drop frames often, and animations and transitions prove a bit too resource-intense for this phone. There is also this very typical split-second freeze before you launch a new app. Once you notice it, you cannot unsee it.
The phone is just not powerful enough, and that is probably my biggest gripe with it.
Camera
Just ‘okay’. Slow to focus and photos are not too rich in terms of detail.
 The J5 (2017) comes with a 13-megapixel, 27mm f/1.7 camera on the back, and a 13MP, 28mm f/1.9 shooter up front. The camera app supports the neat double-click the home key shortcut to launch, and it is the familiar clean Samsung affair. You swipe up and down to switch between the front and rear cameras, and swipe left to see effects and right for modes. You have an auto mode, pro mode (with limited controls including White Balance, ISO, Exposure and Metering), Panorama, Continuous shot, HDR, Night, Sports and Sound and Shot. To start recording video, simply tap on the red button right next photo shutter key. Image QualitySo how do images turn out? First, what strikes me most about using this camera is that it is much slower than on other phones. The camera app takes longer to start and focusing is noticeably slower than on pricier phones. This means you will have more blurry images and it’s harder to capture those impromptu moments. Sound qualityThere is a single loudspeaker located right above the lock key on the right handside. It delivers plenty of punch, but sounds too tinny and lacking definition. You can’t expect too much from a phone, and we are happy we get the extra loudness, something important when you are trying to show friends a funny video on the web. There is an audio jack on the bottom as well, which is also nice. Call QualityCall quality on the Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) is okay, without any major issues, but not as clear as on a flagship. We found it a bit more challenging than usual to understand what our callers are saying in busier environments, but if you are not out on a busy street, you should be just fine. Battery lifeWill last you a busy day, and then some.The Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) features a 3,000mAh, non-removable battery. This, combines with the HD display that is not too taxing and the power-efficient, 14nm system chip, make the phone a battery champ. 
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