Samsung Galaxy J7+ Unboxing and First Impressions
The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 has of the best if not the best dual camera implementation in the market right now. However, not everyone has the capacity to shell out PHP 50K in an instant for that high-end smartphone.
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| Samsung Galaxy J7+ |
Enter Galaxy J7+, the first J-series midrange smartphone of Samsung equipped w/ one of the better dual camera setup and some of Note 8's camera features. In particular, it has a 13MP f/1.7 RGB + 5MP Mono f/1.9 w/ AF and LED flash that has selfie focus for depth effects, cute stickers, and facial recognition feature.
Priced at PHP 19,990, this handset also has one of the most competitive specs and overall features in its class. It's also the first Samsung midranger w/ Bixby support.
Intriguing? Let's start w/ the review!
Samsung Galaxy J7+ Specs
Display: 5.5-inch FHD Super AMOLED 1920 x 1080 resolution w/ Gorilla Glass protection and 2.5D curved glass at 401 ppi
CPU: 2.4GHz 64-bit Helio P20 octa-core processor
GPU: Mali-T880
RAM: 4GB
ROM: 32GB expandable via microSD card slot up to 256 GB
Back Camera: 13MP f/1.7 RGB + 5MP Mono f/1.9 w/ AF and LED flash
Selfie Camera: 16MP f/1.9 w/ LED flash
Battery: 3,000mAh
OS: Android 7.1 Nougat w/ TouchWiz UI
Connectivity: WiFi, 3G, LTE, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, dual SIM (micro)
Sensors: Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic
Others: Fingerprint sensor, Bixby, facial recognition, Colors, black, gold, pink
Dimensions: 152.4 x 78.6 x 7.6 mm
Weight: 170 g
Price: PHP 19,990
CPU: 2.4GHz 64-bit Helio P20 octa-core processor
GPU: Mali-T880
RAM: 4GB
ROM: 32GB expandable via microSD card slot up to 256 GB
Back Camera: 13MP f/1.7 RGB + 5MP Mono f/1.9 w/ AF and LED flash
Selfie Camera: 16MP f/1.9 w/ LED flash
Battery: 3,000mAh
OS: Android 7.1 Nougat w/ TouchWiz UI
Connectivity: WiFi, 3G, LTE, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, dual SIM (micro)
Sensors: Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic
Others: Fingerprint sensor, Bixby, facial recognition, Colors, black, gold, pink
Dimensions: 152.4 x 78.6 x 7.6 mm
Weight: 170 g
Price: PHP 19,990
Disclaimer: This review unit is from Samsung Philippines for our honest review. This is not a paid post.
Unboxing / Accessories
Samsung has refreshed the look of the Galaxy J7+ box w/ cute dog print specially made for the Philippine market.
Unfortunately, we only have the unit and the box for now. Our review unit didn't have the accessories in it. But, expect this to have Samsung's usual wall charger, USB to micro USB cables, earbuds w/ mic, and SIM ejector tool.
Build Quality / Design
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| Legit dual camera setup behind |
Construction of this device reminds us of the Galaxy J7 Prime minus the dual camera setup. It uses a metal unibody construction w/ proper curves, heft, and nice paint finish. The 2.5D curved glass in front is protected by an unspecified version of Corning Gorilla Glass.
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| Mic on top |
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| Another mic, micro USB port, and 3.5 mm jack below |
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| Volume rocker at left |
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| Power button and speaker at right |
Design is ageing, but safe and still premium. Side bezels are noticeably slimmer versus the lower-end J-series phones and it looks quite curvy and slim in general. The 2.5D curved glass on top also looks great and we like that it has no camera bump at the back.
It's technically nice to hold as it fits perfectly in my hands. We loved that it has no sharp edges as well. However, it could be slippery if your grip is not tight.
Ports and buttons are on easily to find locations. It has top and bottom microphones, 3.5 mm headphone jack slot below, single cam w/ front flash and fingerprint scanner in front, dual camera module w/ dual tone LED flash behind, volume rocker at left, and power button at right.
The speaker placement it still on the weird right side position above the power button, but we are not complaining, it works and it is loud by far.
Initial Findings
1. Build is average for a midrange smartphone. It would have been better if Samsung opted for the taller and slimmer 18:9 builds, but it is just fine.
2. Inside, powering this phone is one of my favorite midrange chips, the Helio P20 by MediaTek, one of the most power efficient yet speedy processors around. It's paired w/ Mali-T880 GPU that can handle even some of the heaviest Android games around. It even has 4GB RAM. The storage isn't as big as the competition at 32GB though. 3,000mAh battery is average.
3. It boots w/ Android 7.1 Nougat w/ TouchWiz UI and the cleaner Samsung Experience profile. Bloats are minimal and it is intuitive as well.
4. The dual camera setup of this phone is impressive. It shoots quickly and can really create close to realistic bokeh effect for a smartphone. The selfie cam shoots decent photos too and even has flash for selfies at night or in the dark.
5. Capacitive keys aren't lit, OTG works, it has light indicator, sensors are near complete, and fingerprint scanner is fast.
2. Inside, powering this phone is one of my favorite midrange chips, the Helio P20 by MediaTek, one of the most power efficient yet speedy processors around. It's paired w/ Mali-T880 GPU that can handle even some of the heaviest Android games around. It even has 4GB RAM. The storage isn't as big as the competition at 32GB though. 3,000mAh battery is average.
3. It boots w/ Android 7.1 Nougat w/ TouchWiz UI and the cleaner Samsung Experience profile. Bloats are minimal and it is intuitive as well.
4. The dual camera setup of this phone is impressive. It shoots quickly and can really create close to realistic bokeh effect for a smartphone. The selfie cam shoots decent photos too and even has flash for selfies at night or in the dark.
5. Capacitive keys aren't lit, OTG works, it has light indicator, sensors are near complete, and fingerprint scanner is fast.
As of the moment
We are quite pleased w/ Samsung Galaxy J7+ for the price! This is Samsung's best midrange smartphone in the Philippines so far. Design is a bit ageing, but the AMOLED screen is impressive as usual and it has one of the speediest and most power efficient chip around.
The dual camera setup are quite good too. It can deliver that close to natural looking deep bokeh effect it and decent lowlight performance it advertised. The selfie camera has nice depth effect as well, but it isn't as impressive compared w/ most of its selfie centric competitors.
But so far, this is a SOLID offering from Samsung.
Watch out for our full review in the next few weeks!
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