Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) review: Value driven

Display

The Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) is equipped with a 5-inch display which, like it or not, is set to becoming the new compact. Yes, the J-series even has a 4.5-incher in the J1 (2016), but that one is really an entry-level model.

The screen is of the Super AMOLED variety, obviously being made available to even smartphones as low in the pecking order as our J3 (2016) here. It's pleasingly sharp (294ppi), with rich colors and superb contrast - pretty much the screen alone justifies the handset's higher-than-average price tag, considering some of the direct competition.

We would choose the excellent contrast that the J3 (2016) has to offer over a lower-midrange LCD any day of the week. And, with a brightness of 331 nits, the panel is perfectly adequate even in bright light.

In Outdoor mode, the display gets even brighter at 468 nits. This means that you shouldn't have any issues using the Galaxy J3 (2016) in any conditions. It is bright enough and has a 3.523 ratio. Yet, one thing that gives away the budget nature of the J3 (2016) is the lack of auto brightness mode.

Sunlight contrast ratio

• Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+
  4.615
• Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
  4.439
• OnePlus 3
  4.424
• Samsung Galaxy S7
  4.376
• HTC One A9
  4.274
• Samsung Galaxy A3
  4.241
• Samsung Galaxy S6 edge
  4.124
• Samsung Galaxy Note5
  4.09
• Huawei Nexus 6P
  4.019
• OnePlus X
  3.983
• Vivo Xplay5 Elite
  3.983
• Oppo R7s
  3.964
• Samsung Galaxy A7 (2016)
  3.918
• Samsung Galaxy A5
  3.895
• Samsung Galaxy J7 outdoor
  3.879
• Samsung Galaxy J2 outdoor
  3.873
• Samsung Galaxy A8
  3.859
• Apple iPhone 6
  3.838
• Samsung Galaxy A9 (2016)
  3.817
• Motorola Moto X (2014)
  3.816
• Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016) outdoor mode
  3.802
• Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016)
  3.789
• Apple iPhone 6s
  3.783
• Meizu Pro 5
  3.781
• Microsoft Lumia 650
  3.772
• Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016)
  3.756
• Oppo F1 Plus
  3.709
• Vivo X5Pro
  3.706
• Apple iPhone SE
  3.681
• Samsung Galaxy A7
  3.679
• Meizu PRO 6
  3.659
• BlackBerry Priv
  3.645
• Apple iPhone 6s Plus
  3.53
• Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016)
  3.523
• Acer Jade Primo
  3.521
• Microsoft Lumia 950
  3.512
• Oppo R7 Plus
  3.499
• Samsung Galaxy J7
  3.422
• Meizu MX5
  3.416
• Oppo R7
  3.32
• Samsung Galaxy J2
  3.235
• Sony Xperia X Performance
  3.234
• Motorola Moto X Play
  3.222
• Huawei P9
  3.195
• Lenovo Vibe Shot
  3.113
• Motorola Moto X Force
  3.105
• LG Nexus 5X
  3.092
• Huawei Mate S
  3.073
• Microsoft Lumia 640 XL
  3.065
• Apple iPhone 6 Plus
  3.023
• Sony Xperia X
  2.989
• Samsung Galaxy Note
  2.97
• Huawei Mate 8
  2.949
• LG G5
  2.905
• HTC One S
  2.901
• Sony Xperia Z5
  2.876
• Microsoft Lumia 550
  2.851
• Sony Xperia Z5 compact
  2.784
• Meizu MX4 Pro
  2.765
• LG V10
  2.744
• Xiaomi Redmi 3
  2.735
• Sony Xperia M5
  2.69
• Huawei P9 Lite
  2.679
• Vivo V3Max
  2.659
• Xiaomi Mi 4i
  2.641
• Sony Xperia XA
  2.609
• Xiaomi Mi 4c
  2.574
• LeEco Le Max 2
  2.567
• Microsoft Lumia 640
  2.563
• Lenovo Moto G4
  2.544
• Oppo F1
  2.528
• Sony Xperia Z5 Premium
  2.525
• Sony Xperia M4 Aqua
  2.503
• Motorola Moto G
  2.477
• Huawei G8
  2.471
• Sony Xperia Z
  2.462
• Huawei Honor 7
  2.406
• Sony Xperia E5
  2.386
• ZUK Z1 by Lenovo
  2.382
• HTC 10
  2.378
• Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016)
  2.378
• HTC One E9+
  2.305
• Alcatel One Touch Hero
  2.272
• Lenovo Vibe K4 Note
  2.254
• Sony Xperia C5 Ultra
  2.253
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 (MediaTek)
  2.249
• Sony Xperia C4 Dual
  2.235
• Motorola Moto G (2014)
  2.233
• LG Nexus 5
  2.228
• Huawei P8
  2.196
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 2
  2.166
• OnePlus Two
  2.165
• HTC One X
  2.158
• LG Aka
  2.145
• Archos 50 Diamond
  2.134
• Xiaomi Redmi Note
  2.119
• Acer Liquid X2
  2.084
• Huawei P8lite
  2.078
• Moto G 3rd gen max manual
  2.026
• Xiaomi Mi Max
  1.996
• Sony Xperia E4g
  1.972
• OnePlus One
  1.961
• Meizu m3 note
  1.923
• BlackBerry Leap
  1.892
• Meizu m2 note
  1.892
• HTC Butterfly
  1.873
• ZTE Nubia Z9 mini
  1.759
• Sony Xperia U
  1.758
• Asus Zenfone Selfie
  1.68
• Motorola Moto E (2nd Gen)
  1.675
• ZTE Nubia Z9
  1.659
• Jolla Jolla
  1.605
• Motorola Moto E
  1.545
• Sony Xperia M
  1.473
• Xiaomi Redmi 2
  1.311
• Sony Xperia C
  1.283
• Meizu MX
  1.221
• Sony Xperia E
  1.215

As for color reproduction, it would be both naive and unnecessary to expect sRGB calibration from the budget handset. Still, it maintains a fairly low average deltaE of 7.3. There are also a few Samsung display modes to choose from. In Basic mode, colors are most accurate, whereas AMOLED cinema notably oversaturates things. The middle ground is AMOLED photo.

The standard DeltaE 2000 deviation is used to describe the accuracy of the screen's color rendition. We test the screen with a set of over 100 different color and grayscale patterns to determine the accuracy of the color reproduction.
Even when a phone's screen color reproduction is off, you would still have a hard time noticing a color cast without a reference as the human eye is quite quick to adjust and normalize colors.
Also, the display colors are a matter of personal taste and perception so consider this test data only if you are concerned about presenting color-critical content on the mobile screen.
Any deviation above DeltaE 2000 of 10 is considered a highly visible error in color reproduction on the display. A DeltaE 2000 deviation between 4 and 10 is considered okay or acceptable color performance. A DeltaE 2000 deviation below 4 is considered good, but professional color calibration requires a deviation between 1 and 2.

Connectivity

In a predictable Samsung fashion, the Galaxy J3 (2016) is available in single-SIM and dual-SIM variants, so you can get some flexibility in terms of carriers and plans. It is also worth noting that opting for a dual SIM option doesn't limit the use of a microSD card, as it has a dedicated slot of its own - another merit quickly being lost to slim unibody designs.

Now, let's try and get the chipset situation straight, as it has important implications on connectivity. Some units are powered by Spreadtrum SC8830 or SC9830. They have practically no difference in performance, but the former is only 3G, while the latter supports 4G LTE. If you get an Exynos 3475 unit, it will also have 4G support and the same goes for the alleged Snapdragon 410 variant. We weren't able to conclusively prove or disprove its existence, despite our best efforts, but it might very well be a reality on certain markets.

Naturally, you get Wi-Fi, but it only operates on the 2.4GHz band, so needless to say there's no Wi-Fi ac support. There's GPS with A-GPS and BDS on some markets, Bluetooth v.4.1, and an FM radio receiver. Sadly, unlike the J5 (2016) and J7 (2016), there is no NFC in the J3 (2016).

It is also worth noting that the Galaxy J3 (2016) only has an accelerometer and a proximity sensor on board. That means no magnetometer or gyroscope - both essential for some apps. However, we can't imagine too many prospective buyers will be looking to use it with Google Cardboard.

Battery

The Galaxy J3 (2016) is powered by a 2600mAh battery and we can't really complain about the capacity all that much, as the battery on the Galaxy J3 (2016) is removable - you can just pop the back cover and replace it. This, of course, means no need for bulky power banks, just pack an extra battery for the peace of mind.

The Galaxy J3 (2016) managed an endurance rating of 66 hours. There's a lot to be desired from the video playback performance.

We do measure standby battery drain, and even though it's not included explicitly in the scorecard, it has its influence on the overall rating.

The battery testing procedure is described in detail in case you're interested in the nitty-gritties. You can also check out our complete battery test table, where you can see how all of the smartphones we've tested will compare under your own typical use.