Introduction
Segmentation at its finest in the Samsung smartphone lineup. Thats how we have the entire alphabet of series with a handful of models in each of them. Near the bottom of the food chain, which is in no way sorted alphabetically the hugely successful J series is the place to get good value for money and the Galaxy J5 (2017) is ready to oblige.
At 5.2 inches of screen diagonal, the Galaxy J5 (2017) fits between the 5-inch J3 (2017) and the 5.5-inch J7 (2017), and from then on its some careful balancing between those two extremes to assemble a J5 that is that much better than the J3 without being as good as the J7. Perhaps most importantly, the J5 for this year gets the Exynos 7870 SoC - a proper 14nm chip with an octa-core CPU, as opposed to the quad-core Snapdragon 410 that powers the J5 (2016).
With only the J7 treated to full-HD, the J5 has a 720p screen - which is acceptable considering the smaller diagonal. Plus, the J7 (2016)s sales figures didnt seem to be hurt by its own 720p display, a 5.5-inch diagonal there, not to mention that the Mali-T830MP2 GPU appreciates the lower load of fewer pixels. Theres no Always on display on the J5, you need the J7 to get it and thats a bit of a waste of AMOLED.
The J7 (2017) comes with 3GB of RAM in all its incarnations, but the J5 only has 2 gigs, except for a Pro version that matches the big bro. Storage is less than generous too, with the international version getting just 16GB, though its double that in some regions - remember, segmentation.
The cameras come from the J7, and not the J3, which is good even if we werent ecstatic about the J7s output. The overall body design is identical to the larger models which makes the J3 look like a member of a different family. Additionally, you do get a fingerp rint reader with the J5 (2017), the basic J3 is denied that.
Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) key features:
- Body: Aluminum unibody
- Screen: 5.2" 720p Super AMOLED screen (282ppi)
- OS: Android 7.0 Nougat; Samsung UX
- Chipset: Exynos 7870, 14nm: octa-core 1.6GHz Cortex-A53 CPU, Mali-T830MP2 GPU
- Memory: 2/3GB of RAM; 16/32GB storage, dedicated microSD slot for expansion
- Camera: Primary 13MP, f/1.7, LED flash; Secondary 13MP, f/1.9, LED flash
- Video: 1080p at 30fps
- Connectivity: nano SIM (dual SIM version available); LTE (Cat. 6); dual-band Wi-Fi ac; Bluetooth 4.2; FM Radio; microUSB; 3.5mm jack
- Battery: Li-Ion 3,000mAh, sealed
- Misc: Fingerprint reader, Samsung Pay
Main shortcomings
- Low base storage for the global version at 16GB
- microUSB port is getting outdated
- No quick charging
- No Always on display
Theres no denying the usefulness of a dedicated microSD slot and weve got nothing but praise for Samsung for going that route with the J-series. That said, its no substitute for decent internal storage, which 16GB no longer is. The lack of quick charging is a nuisance but hardly a deal-breaker and while microUSB is yesterdays interface, at least youll probably have a use of legacy chargers and cables.
Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) press images
So, is the Galaxy J5 (2017) a J7 for big-screen haters, or is it the archetype of a full-featured droid on a budget? Well be finding that out on the following pages, starting with the hardware overview.
Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) 360-degree spin
The Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) measures 146.2x71.3x8mm - a whole millimeter narrower than the outgoing model, which is the metric that weve established to matter the most. Hence, the 0.1mm shaved off the thickness and the 0.4mm increase in height can be dismissed as irrelevant. The J5 (2017) is more compact than the J7, and that is likely one reason youd go with the 5 and not the 7 (that, and price, of course).
Perhaps more importantly, however, the J5 (2017) is tangibly lighter than the J7 - at 160g, the smaller model will put less strain on your pocket than the 181g J7. If lighter is what youre after though, a Moto G5, an Xperia XA1, or a Huawei P10 lite might be viable options at around 145g. The dual-glass Galaxy A5 (2017) is 3g lighter than the J5 - unlikely to make a difference.
Hardware overview
Once plastic phones true to the traditions of Samsung of old, the J-series have evolved to the more premium metal unibody designs we see today. The downside is no more removable batteries, but the number of people still insisting on swapping batteries seems to be dwindling, so we should just move on.
Having done just that, we can appreciate the smooth matte finish of the aluminum back that flows nicely into the rounded sides. The finish handles fingerprints well, as in it doesnt pick up too many to begin with, theyre not readily visible, and are reasonably easy to clean. The J5 (2017) is decently grippy, though plastic did use to allow a firmer hold. But yeah, we moved on.
The antenna band styling is quite refreshing - instead of trying to mask the strips, Samsungs designers have made them stick out. Not a new approach, strictly speaking, but it does work on the J5 and J7 for 2017. The camera and flash are positioned alongside the central axis and the assembly doesnt stick out from the back - if anything, its marginally recessed.
Matte aluminum back • No camera bump
Its classic Samsung on the front - a Super AMOLED display takes center stage with the good old hardware Home button under it, as is the case with Samsungs phones with finite displays (as opposed to the Infinity Galaxy S8). Theres a fingerprint sensor embedded in the Home button, so its not merely a button.
The capacitive Recent tasks key is to the left of Home, and the Back key is on the other side. Theyre not illuminated, but the contrasting markings are decently visible.
Above the display next to the earpiece is one major upgrade the 2017 model brings over last years: a 13MP selfie cam compared to the 5MP front-facer of the 2016 J5. Theres an ambient light sensor too. Whats missing is a notification LED, which is fin e on the J7 with its Always-on display, but since the J5 omits that feature an LED would have been appreciated. Well, there is an LED, but its the front flash - its something.
Classic Samsung AMOLED shines • ...then goes black • Home button and capacitive keys • LED flash on the front
The power button is (where it should be) on the right side, and next to it youll find the single loudspeaker. Introduced with this years A-series this alternative placement m akes sense, particularly for landscape use, where youre unlikely to block it and it fires towards you.
Right side with a power button and loudspeaker - yeas loudspeaker on the side.
On the left side there are the volume controls - two separate buttons instead of a rocker. Two separate card slots allow you to insert up to three cards - two nano SIMs and a microSD. Thats for the dual SIM version though, our single SIM v ariant will obviously only take one SIM.
Side edges curved to the back • Left side • Volume buttons • Two trays, three cards possible (well not in our single SIM version)
The J-series dont get a USB-C interface - its the microUSB 2.0 port that youll find on the bottom of the J5 (2017). To its right theres a 3.5mm jack and on the other side a pinhole reveals the location of the microphone.
microUSB port, 3.5mm jack and mic pinhole on the bottom
The way the J5 (2017) fits in your hand is no small part of the reason why people will chose it over the J7. Its more compact, and reasonably comfortable for single-handed use.
In the hand
The 5.2-inch Super AMOLED display doesnt disappoint
Samsung has fitted the Galaxy J5 (2017) with a 5.2-inch 7 20p Super AMOLED display - same as the one in last years model, if going solely by the numbers. The pixel density is 282ppi, but the fact that its a diamond pixel arrangement with half the number of blue and red subpixels means youd be able to see the weave of pixels if you look closely.
Looking at the test results, it may well be the same panel indeed. Maximum brightness isnt great at 326nits (a dozen less than the 2016 model), but in Auto the J5 (2017) can do way better. The brightness under direct light is virtually identical to what the J5 (2016) produced in Outdoor mode - the difference here is that the latest model has an ambient light sensor and can boost the brightness on its own, while you had to manually engage Outdoor mode on the J5 (2016).
| Displa y test | 100% brightness |
| Black, cd/m2 | White, cd/m2 | Contrast ratio |
| Nokia 5 | 0.69 | 632 | 916 |
| Huawei P10 Lite | 0.351 | 560 | 1595 |
| Sony Xperia XA1 | 0.512 | 537 | 1049 |
| Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime | 0.475 | 528 | 1112 |
| Xiaomi Redmi 4 | 0.576 | 527 | 915 |
| Nokia 6 (Chinese version) | 0.377 | 522 | 1385 |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) Max Auto | 0 | 485 | ∞ |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625) | 0.322 | 484 | 1503 |
| Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016) outdoor mode | 0 | 484 | ∞ |
| Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017) Max Auto | 0 | 482 | ∞ |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016) outdoor mode | 0 | 476 | ∞ |
| Motorola Moto Z Play | 0 | 371 | ∞ |
| Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016) | 0 | 353 | ∞ |
| Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017) | 0 | 348 | ∞ |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016) | 0 | 338 | ∞ |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) | 0 | 326 | ∞ |
Our sunlight legibility test puts the 2017 model slightly ahead of its predecessor. It obviously falls short of the premium AMOLEDs but you still cant find an LCD in this class that can match the Galaxy J5 (2017) in sunlight legibility. Pretty great then.
Sunlight contrast ratio
- Samsung Galaxy S8
4.768 - Samsung Galaxy S8+
4.658 - Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+
4.615 - Oppo R11
4.454 - Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
4.439 - OnePlus 3
4.424 - Samsung Galaxy S7
4.376 - HTC One A9
4.274 - Samsung Galaxy Note7
4.247 - Samsung Galaxy A3
4.241 - OnePlus 3T
4.232 - Google Pixel XL
4.164 - ZTE Axon 7
4.154 - Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017)
4.124 - 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 - Apple iPhone 7
3.964< /li> - Oppo R7s
3.964 - Huawei P9 Plus
3.956 - Meizu Pro 6 Plus
3.935 - Lenovo Moto Z
3.931 - Samsung Galaxy A7 (2016)
3.918 - OnePlus 5
3.914 - Samsung Galaxy C5
3.911 - Samsung Galaxy C7
3.896 - Samsung Galaxy A5
3.895 - Samsung Galaxy J7 outdoor
3.879 - Samsung Galaxy J2 outdoor
3.873 - Samsung Galaxy A8
3.859 - Sony Xperia XZs
3.818 - Samsung Galaxy A9 (2016)
3.817 - Motorola Moto X (2014)
3.816 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
3.812 - Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
3.804 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016) outdoor mode
3.802 - Xiaomi Redmi Pro
3.798 - LG V20 Max auto
3.798 - Sony Xperia XZ
3.795 - Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016)
3.789 - Apple iPhone 6s
3.783 - Meizu Pro 5
3.781 - Microsoft Lumia 650
3.772 - Xiaomi Mi 6
3.767 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016)
3.756 - Oppo F1 Plus
3.709 - Vivo X5Pro< /span>
3.706 - Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017)
3.688 - Apple iPhone SE
3.681 - Huawei Mate 9
3.68 - Samsung Galaxy A7
3.679 - Meizu PRO 6
3.659 - BlackBerry Priv
3.645 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017)
3.599 - Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra
3.597 - Apple iPhone 7 Plus
3.588 - LG G6
3.556 - Apple iPhone 6s Plus
3.53 - Motorola Moto Z Play
3.526 - Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016)
3.523 - Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) outdoor mode
3.523 - Acer Jade Primo
3.521 - Microsoft Lumia 950
3.512 - Opp o R7 Plus
3.499 - nubia Z11
3.466 - Huawei P10 Plus
3.456 - HTC U Ultra
3.453 - Samsung Galaxy J7
3.422 - Meizu MX5
3.416 - LG V20
3.402 - Huawei P10
3.379 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016)
3.378 - Oppo R9s
3.352 - Honor 8 Pro
3.341 - Oppo R7
3.32 - Lenovo P2
3.316 - Honor 9
3.289 - Xiaomi Mi 5s
3.276 - Nokia 5
3.261 - Nokia 6 (Chinese version)
3.244 - Xiaomi Mi 5
3.24 - Samsung Galaxy J2
3.235 - Sony Xperia X Performance
3.234 - Xiaomi Mi Note 2
3.228 - Motorola Moto X Play
3.222 - Oppo F3 Plus
3.218 - Huawei Mate 9 Pro
3.206 - Huawei P9
3.195 - ZTE Nubia Z17
3.159 - Lenovo Vibe Shot
3.113 - Motorola Moto X Force
3.105 - LG Nexus 5X
3.092 - HTC U11
3.089 - Huawei Mate S
3.073 - Microsoft Lumia 640 XL
3.065 - Sony Xperia XA1
3.012 - Sony Xperia L1
2.994 - Huawei P10 Lite
2.974 - Samsung Galaxy Note
2.97 - Huawei Mate 8
2.949 - Xiaomi Redmi 4
2.92 - Xiaomi Redmi 3S
2.913 - Sony Xperia XA Ultra
2.906 - LG G5
2.905 - HTC One S
2.901 - Xiaomi Redmi 3s Prime
2.893 - Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus
2.884 - Sony Xperia XZ Premium
2.877 - Sony Xperia XZ Premium (sRGB)
2.877 - Sony Xperia Z5
2.876 - Nokia 3
2.871 - Microsoft Lumia 550
2.851 - Lenovo Moto M
2.813 - Xiaomi Redmi 3 Pro
2.803 - Sony Xperia Z5 compact
2.784 - Meizu MX6
2.751 - LG V10
2.744 - Xiaomi Redmi 3
2.735 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)
2.714 - Meizu M5
2.71 - Sony Xperia M5
2.69 - Huawei P9 Lite
2.679 - Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime
2.679 - Vivo V3Max
2.659 - Xiaomi Mi Mix
2.658 - Xiaomi Mi 4i
2.641 - Xiaomi Redmi 4a
2.635 - Sony Xperia XA
2.609 - Motorola Moto G4 Plus (max auto)
2.582 - Motorola Moto G4 Plus
2.582 - Meizu M5s
2.58 - Xiaomi Mi 4c
2.574 - LeEco Le Max 2
2.567 - Microsoft Lumia 640
2.563 - Asus Zenfone 3 ZE552KL
2.563 - Lenovo K6 Note
2.544 - Lenovo Moto G4
2.544 - Oppo F1
2.528 - Sony Xperia Z5 Premium
2.525 - Huawei Honor 7 Lite / Honor 5c
2.506 - Sony Xperia M4 Aqua
2.503 - Oppo F1s
2.481 - Motorola Moto G
2.477 - Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus
2.473 - Huawei G8
2.471 - Huawei nova
2.467 - Lenovo Vibe K5
2.459 - Me izu m3 max
2.447 - HTC 10 evo
2.407 - Huawei Honor 7
2.406 - Sony Xperia E5
2.386 - ZUK Z1 by Lenovo
2.382 - HTC 10
2.378 - Oppo F3
2.376 - vivo V5 Plus
2.371 - Meizu m1 note
2.362 - Huawei nova plus
2.329 - 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 - Xiaomi Mi Note
2.234 - Motorola Moto G (2014)
2.233 - Huawei P8
2.196 - Meizu M5 Note
2.189 - Huawei Honor 6
2.169 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 2
2.166 - OnePlus Two
2.165 - HTC One X
2.158 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (X20)
2.145 - LG Aka
2.145 - Archos 50 Diamond
2.134 - Xiaomi Redmi Note
2.119 - Xiaomi Mi 4S
2.095 - Acer Liquid X2
2. 084 - Huawei P8lite
2.078 - vivo V5
2.059 - Moto G 3rd gen max manual
2.026 - Xiaomi Mi Max
1.996 - Sony Xperia E4g
1.972 - OnePlus One1.961
- Meizu m3 note
1.923 - Meizu m2 note
1.892 - BlackBerry Leap
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 - Sony Xperia L
1.351 - Xiaomi Redmi 2
1.311 - HTC Desire C
1.3 - Meizu MX
1.221 - Sony Xperia E
1.215
As for color accuracy, do not expect much of it in Adaptive display mode. This default setting produces noticeably blue whites and average DeltaE is 5.6 with a maximum of 12.9. The good news is that in any of the other modes the blue tint is gone. If for some reason you insist on true-to-sRGB reproduction, the basic mode can get you close to that with an average Del taE of 3.
Connectivity
The Galaxy J5 (2017) is sold as either a single SIM or dual SIM package though not all regions necessarily get both. Nano SIMs must be used in any case. The microSD slot is always available even if you have two SIMs inside, so you dont have to sacrifice carrier/plan flexibility for extra storage or the other way around. The LTE is Cat.6 for up to 300Mbps of downlink.
The J5 (2017) comes with Wi-Fi b/g/n support in the 2.4GHz spectrum and a/n/ac over 5GHz. Theres GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS, and Beidou; Bluetooth v.4.1, and an FM radio receiver. NFC is also on board with a dedicated menu in the Settings.
Charging and wired connectivity use a microUSB 2.0 interface - how about a switch to USB-C across the range already! On a positive note, theres a 3.5mm jack for attaching headphones or an external amp.
Samsung Galax y J5 (2017) battery life
The Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) is powered by a 3,000mAh battery and thats 600mAh less than the J7 (2017) but then the display here is smaller and the resolution is lower, so we expected comparable results.
With screen size and resolution out of the equation in voice calls, the J5 (2017) scored 21:37h on a 3G call compared to the J7 (2017)s 26:29h.
In tests with the display on the two variables - size and resolution - made things more complicated and the numbers didnt match our expectations.
In video playback the Galaxy J5 (2017) outlasts the J7 (2017) by two full hours, only to be defeated in web browsing by 4 hours. Weve come to expect AMOLEDs to be much more efficient in our video test than web browsing, and thats the case with the J5 - perhaps even more so in this instance.
In the end, the overall result of the Galaxy J5 (2017) is 97h in our battery test - an excellent endurance rating despite the slightly lower than projected web browsing longevity.
Our endurance rating denotes how long a single battery charge will last you if you use the Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) for an hour each of telephony, web browsing, and video playback daily. Weve established this usage pattern so our battery results are comparable across devices in the most common day-to-day tasks. The battery testing procedure is described in detail in case youre interested in the nitty-gritties. You can also check out our complete battery test table, where you can see how all of the smartphones weve tested will compare under your own typical use.
Android 7.0 with Samsung UX
The Galaxy J5 (2017) runs on Android 7.0 Nougat, with the latest Samsung UX - the same one you can find on the Galaxy S8s of this world. We have to hand it to Samsung for extending its fresh new UI design all the way down to the budget/mid-range J-series.
What hasnt made the cut on the J5 (2017) is the Always on display, sadly. Couple that with the lack of a notification LED and youre left with no other option of checking for messages the old fashioned way - by waking up the phone. What year is it? It says 2017 in the name.
Anyway, that brings you to the lockscreen where you get the standard Nougat notification feed with grouping and direct reply. There are two shortcuts in the bottom corners, Dialer and Camera by default, but you can change them to any app you want.
Lockscreen • Shortcuts settings • Pick an app, any app
You may not get to see the lockscreen at all though, depending on how you choose to handle the unlocking process. Fingerprint recognition is the way to go, probably, now that its made it all the way down to the J5 this year. Its not the fastest fingerprint reader, but its always-on, no pressing or waking up required. It also completely bypasses the lockscreen.
Theres always the option for a simple swipe unlock, no biometrics whatsoever, as well as PIN, pattern, or password. Youll need to set up one of those three as backup to the fingerprint reader anyway. Dont go with 0000 for your PIN, please. The standard Android Smart Lock feature is als o supported and you can use it to set trusted voices, places or devices, as well as leverage on-body detection.
Unlock options
On to the homescreen then, where we find Samsungs still new Light and Line concept for icons and navigation keys. Since the J5 (2017) still has a physical home button and the standard Samsung pair of capacitive navigation keys (in the old-school arrangement) you get none of the fancy new remapping options of the S8 on-screen navigation controls. Depending on your personal taste, this might actually be a good thing.
The stock icons look cool, theres no denying it, and the simp le and clear designs for the pre-installed apps make them easy to tell apart. You can have third-party app icons on a padding with the same shape as the stock ones, or you can leave them as they are. Multiple grid sizes are available, and you can set them differently for the homescreen and app drawer.
Home screen • Home screen settings • Apps button settings
By default, you have no Apps icon to take you to the app drawer. Instead, you evoke it with a swipe up or down from pretty much anywhere on the screen. Its not the most natural implementation, though - on a Pixel, you practically drag the app drawer up from under the dock, while here you swipe up or down, and the app drawer just appears.
You can still have the Apps icon, if so you wish, but that wont change the swiping behavior. Alternatively, you can opt for a one-level UI, iOS-style, where all your apps are on your homescreens and theres no app drawer.
Hide apps • Folders • App drawer toggle • App drawer • Sorting
Samsung UX includes a powerf ul Theme engine. You can tweak almost every part on the interface individually to your liking. There is also a rich online database of pre-made skins. Some of them include an icon pack as well.
Samsung themes
The notification shade is slightly tweaked in this new design as well. On the first pull only the first six toggles are displayed - just the icons, no text. Pull down a second time or do a two-finger pull (yes, that still works), and you get the full list of toggles, complete with text. Where theres contextual info to be shown, it replaces the buttons respective title - under Wi-Fi youd see the network youre currently connected to, under Bluetooth its the headphones you have paired.
You can choose between three button layouts, or rather you can select between 3 and 5 icons for each of the three rows - that number you cannot customize. You can pick from 17 toggles in total, so if you want to have all of them there and you go for the 3x3 layout, theyd fit into 2 panes of toggles.
Samsung hid the Auto brightness in a drop down menu next to the slider, which also contains a toggle than controls whether you have the slider displayed at the first pull or the second. Theres also a red area on the slider where the phone warns you that brightness might strain your eyes - much like headphone volume warnings.
Notification shade
Notification handling is one of the big changes in Nougat, and were already familiar with how Samsung adopted it on the Galaxy S7/S7 edge, first and then on the S8 - its the same here. Gone are the separate cards for each notification - instead, its more of a feed of notifications. If an app has more than one event to inform you of, the notifications from that app are bundled together, so things dont turn into an endless feed of Gmail messages, for example.
You can, however, unbundle those, and act on them one by one. You can go one step further and expand the card to see part of the message body, and then you can go ahead and reply straight from the notification panel. Google calls this Notification Direct Reply and the rationale behind it is to allow you to streamline your workflow and save you the hassle of having to go into each separate app.
The task switcher is pretty traditional - its the rolodex thats been around for a while, with Nougat niceties like screen pinning and multi-window support.
Task switcher
Samsungs flagships had multi-window since way before it was cool (debuted on the Galaxy Note 3), and its only made its way to stock Android with v7.0. Yet, Samsungs implementation is still better and more powerful t hat what youd find on a Pixel, or on the LG G6, for example. Here, you can resize the windows to just about any ratio and you can swap them. You cant, however, have the pop-up view apps on top of the two ones that are in multi-window - that remains exclusive to the S8. The S8s cropping feature is also missing.
Multi-window
The Galaxy J5 (2017) is a rather compact device, yet Samsungs still included a One-handed mode. Its not on by default, but when you enable it, you can swipe diagonally from either bottom corner and the interface will shrink to more-manageable proportions. Alternatively, you can call it with a triple-tap on the Home button.
Direct share is another neat little feature that allows the OS to dig through supported apps and collect your frequent conversations and popular contacts, then place them at the beginning of the share interface for convenience.
Dual Messenger simply allows you to install two instances of certain messenger apps and use them with a pair of different accounts at the same time.
One-handed mode • Direct share • Dual messenger
If you like the idea of a second space within your phone, Secure folder takes it one step further. It has been around for a while too. Its where you can keep files, memos and apps away from prying eyes. Its locked independently from the lockscreen. You can also install two copies of an app - one in plain sight and one in the Secure folder. And you can hide the folder too, so people can snoop all they want and will not find anything suspicious.
Samsung says Secure folder is like having a second phone. It does feel a lot like it too - you can have a different Google account in the Secure folder, you can launch the camera from here and photos you take go straight into the secure gallery. There are secure Contacts too; calls to them do not show up in the regular call log, but you can import contacts from your phones non-secure-folder alter ego.
The whole Secure Folder platform is tied in with Samsungs patented KNOX active protection system. It is the companys primary offer in terms of user data protection. You can find some settings for it in the Device Maintenance menu.
Secure folder • Device maintenance
The same central hub also has you covered with easy tools for memory and storage optimization. All the battery saving features reside here as well. Besides a convenient per-app battery consumption breakdown and process control, the J5 (2017) has two battery saving levels. Medium is relatively mellow. It throttles your CPU, lowers the brightness and turns off background data usage, so you all your messengers will probably be off the grid.
Then there is the Maximum power saving mode that basically leaves you with a minimal, mostly black and white shell, with very limited phone functionality by default. It is great for emergencies.
Battery saving modes
The Game Launcher has been Samsungs way of improving mobile gaming since the S7. It groups all your games in one place, so they dont get lost in the busy app drawer.
The in-play Game tools portion of it has been redesigned, and offers pretty much the same functionality as before, admittedly in a much more straightforward manner. You can disable notifications during a game and disable the home and navigation buttons. You can grab screenshots, and record gameplay too.
Again, the interface seems almost as full-featured on the J5 (2017) as it is on the S8 and S8+. It does, however, lack resolution control, but how much lower would you go than the J5s native 720p?
Game Launcher and Game Tools
Synthetic benchmarks
The Galaxy J5 (2017) is powered by Samsungs own Exynos 7870 chipset, much like the J7 (2017). Thats actually one of the most significant changes introduced with this years J5 - its now out of quad-core territory and has a proper octa-core CPU in charge of number crunching. Neither the J5 (2017) nor the J7 (2017) have been deemed worthy of the newer Exynos 7880 that you can find in the A-series, but its still a great statement that the J5 now shares hardware with the J7 instead of the entry-level J3.
Less exciting is the amount of RAM, which at 2GB is might be a little limiting of the number of apps you can quickly switch between.
You know our usual benchmark drill starts off with some GeekBench, and you couldnt really call the results surprising. The single-core numbers of the J5 (2017) are virtually identical to the J7 (2017)s, and in turn to the J7 (2016)s - we resorted to GeekBench 3.0 for that comparison. Phones with the Snapdragon 625 inside do outperform the J5 (2017), but thats a different tier chip, in all fairness. The Huawei P10 Lite posts even higher scores, but even it gets defeated by the Xperia XA1 on occasion.
GeekBench 4.1 (single-core)
Higher is better
- Sony Xperia XA1
887 - Moto G5 Plus
847 - Huawei P10 lite
834 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
734 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017)
731 - Nokia 5
672 - Xiaomi Redmi 4
670 - Moto G5
618
GeekBench 4 (single-core)
Higher is better
- Huawei P10 lite
886 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)
832 - Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime
819 - Sony Xperia XA1
800 - Moto G5 Plus
799 - Motorola Moto Z Play
795 - Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
764 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017)
695 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
693 - Xiaomi Redmi 4
655 - Nokia 5
647 - Nokia 6 (Chinese version)
638
GeekBench 3 (single-core)
Higher is better
- Sony Xperia XA1
1025 - Huawei P10 lite
1008 - Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime
938 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)
924 - Motorola Moto Z Play
922 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
755 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017)
751 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016)
745 - Xiaomi Redmi 4
690 - Nokia 5
678 - Nokia 6 (Chinese version)
672 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016)
471
In multi-core the J5 (2017) trails its bigger brother ever so slightly, but not to a point to make us wonder if theres something wrong. The results are all over the place here, with the Xperia XA1 and P10 Lite beating the J5 in v4.0, only to lose in v4.1 - Primate Labs say v4.1 is more accurate.
GeekBench 4.1 (multi-core)
Higher is better
- Moto G5 Plus
4255 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
3779 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017)
3667 - Sony Xperia XA1
3611 - Huawei P10 lite
3344 - Nokia 5
2851 - Moto G5
2580 - Xiaomi Redmi 4
1819
GeekBench 4 (multi-core)
Higher is better
- Samsung Galaxy A5 ( 2017)
3958 - Moto G5 Plus
3789 - Sony Xperia XA1
3554 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
3388 - Huawei P10 lite
3307 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017)
3256 - Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime
3016 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)
3011 - Nokia 5
2728 - Nokia 6 (Chinese version)
2719 - Motorola Moto Z Play
2621 - Xiaomi Redmi 4
2099
GeekBench 3 (multi-core)
Higher is better
- Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime
4997 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)
4617 - Motorola Moto Z Play
4584 - Sony Xperia XA1
4539 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
4187 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017)
4154 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016)
4140 - Huawei P10 lite
4004 - Nokia 5
3286 - Nokia 6 (Chinese version)
3244 - Xiaomi Redmi 4
2774 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016)
1437
We then turn to Basemark OS II 2.0 to get an idea of the overall performance that can be expected out of the J5 (2017) compared to its rivals. Well, slightly better than the J7 (2016) and the Moto Z Play (the old one, with a Snapdragon 625, mind you), but nowhe re near the numbers of the P10 lite and Xperia XA1, not to mention Samsungs own A5 (2017). Apparently, something went south with the J7 (2017)s runs of this benchmark, so disregard its lowly score.
Basemark OS 2.0
Higher is better
- Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
1417 - Sony Xperia XA1
1351 - Huawei P10 lite
1284 - Moto Z2 Play
1259 - Moto G5 Plus
1089 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)
1050 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017)
1038 - Motorola Moto Z Play
1031 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016)
1007 - Nokia 5
982 - Xiaomi Redmi 4
832 - Moto G5
795 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016)
532 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
349
In Antutu we observe a wide gap between the Exynos 7870-equipped Js and other competing phones, Snapdragon 430s excluded. We attribute a lot of that to the chips GPU, which doesnt allow the phones to shine in the 3D-graphics-heavy v6 of the benchmark.
AnTuTu 6
Higher is better
- Moto Z2 Play
68680 - Moto G5 Plus
63390 - Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime
62316 - Motorola Moto Z Play
62217 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)
61616 - Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
61020 - Huawei P10 lite
60895 - Sony Xperia XA1
60707 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016)
49094 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
46822 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017)
46400 - Xiaomi Redmi 4
44089 - Nokia 6 (Chinese version)
44062 - Moto G5
43755 - Nokia 5
43392 - Sa msung Galaxy J5 (2016)
27487
The graphics-focused GFXBench does a good job exposing the Exynos 7870s GPU for what it is - average performer in 720p, underpowered to drive 1080p. Well, good thing then that the Galaxy J5 (2017)s display is 720p, right? Even so, the Snapdragon 430s Adreno 506 is capable of achieving higher frame rates - compare the numbers of the Redmi 4 and the Nokia 5 against the Samsung midranger. It is, however, the Xperia XA1 that is the absolute winner in onscreen tests here.
GFX 3.0 Manhattan (1080p offscreen)
Higher is better
- Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
15 - Moto Z2 Play
9.9 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)
9.9 - Motorola Moto Z Play
9.8 - Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime
9.8 - Moto G5 Plus
9.7 - Sony Xperia XA1
9.6 - Huawei P10 lite
7.8 - Xiaomi Redmi 4
7.2 - Nokia 6 (Chinese version)
7.2 - Moto G5
7.1 - Nokia 5
7.1 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017)
5.1 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
5.1 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016)
4.9 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016)
1.8
GFX 3.0 Manhattan (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Sony Xperia XA1
19 - Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
15 - Nokia 5
14 - Xiaomi Redmi 4
14 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017)
10 - Motorola Moto Z Play
10 - Moto Z2 Play
9.9 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)
9.7 - Moto G5 Plus
9.7 - Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime
9.6 Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016)
9.5- Huawei P10 lite
8.4 - Moto G5
7.1 - Nokia 6 (Chinese version)
7 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
5.1 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016)
3.8
GFX 3.1 Man hattan (1080p offscreen)
Higher is better
- Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
9.1 - Moto Z2 Play
6.5 - Moto G5 Plus
6.4 - Motorola Moto Z Play
6.2 - Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime
6.2 - Xiaom i Redmi Note 4 (S625)
6.2 - Sony Xperia XA1
6.2 - Huawei P10 lite
4.6 - Nokia 6 (Chinese version)
4.6 - Moto G5
4.6 - Nokia 5
4.6 - Xiaomi Redmi 4
4 .5 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
3.3 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017)
3.3 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016)
3.2
GFX 3.1 Manhattan (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Sony Xperia XA1
15 - Nokia 5
10 - Xiaomi Redmi 4
10 - Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
9 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017)
7.4 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016)
7.2 - Motorola Moto Z Play
6.7 - Moto Z2 Play
6.5 - Moto G5 Plus
6.4 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)
6.2 - Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime
6.1 - Huawei P10 lite
5 - Nokia 6 (Chinese version)
4.6 - Moto G5
4.6 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
3.3
GFX 3.1 Car scene (1080p offscreen)
Higher is better
- Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
5.2 - Sony Xperia XA1
3.7 - Moto Z2 Play
3.6 - Moto G5 Plus
3.5 - Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime
3.4 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)
3.4 - Motorola Moto Z Play
3.4 - Huawei P10 lite
2.8 - Moto G5
2.5 - Xiaomi Redmi 4
2.5 - Nokia 5
2.5 - Nokia 6 (Chinese version)
2.5 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
1.9 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017)
1.9
GFX 3.1 Car scene (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Sony Xperia XA1
7.9 - Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
5.2 - Nokia 5
5.2 - Xiaomi Redmi 4
5.1 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017)
3.8 - Motorola Moto Z Play
3.7 - Moto Z2 Play
3.6 - Moto G5 Plus
3.5 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)
< span class="value">3.4 - Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime
3.4 - Huawei P10 lite
3 - Moto G5
2.5 - Nokia 6 (Chinese version)
2.5 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
1.9
Basemark OS II
Higher is better
- Huawei P10 lite
1521 - Sony Xperia XA1
1367 - Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime
1296 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)
1290 - Motorola Moto Z Play
1226 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
1171 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017)
1154 - Nokia 5
1098 - Nokia 6 (Chinese version)
1041 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016)
999 - Xiaomi Redmi 4
946 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016)
576
Its a little funny to look at the Basemark X scores - the separation between the chipset tiers is so well defined. Ignoring last years Galaxy J5 and its Snapdragon 410 weakling of an SoC, the Exynos 7870 devices sit at the bottom, t he Snapdragon 430 crowd is in the middle, and team Snapdragon 625 is on top. Okay, technically the Moto Z2 Play packs the 626, but its just a minor update over the popular 625. The Xperia XA1 with the Helio P20 inside is a notch below the S625s, but out of reach of the S430s, while the Huawei P10 Lite slots inbetween the S430s.
Basemark X
Higher is better
- Moto Z2 Play
10536 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)
10446 - Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime
10424 - Moto G5 Plus
10406 - Motorola Moto Z Play
10401 - Sony Xperia XA1
9714 - Xiaomi Redmi 4
7608 - Huawei P10 lite
7588 - Nokia 6 (Chinese version)
7522 - Moto G5
7475 Nokia 5
7316Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
5489Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016)
5383Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017)
5258Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016)
2180
To sum up the charts above, Samsungs done a good pairing a 720p display and an Exynos 7870 chipset to fit into the Galaxy J5 (2017). It delivers sufficient CPU power and its GPU is just about adequate. Its not a powerhouse, the J5, but handles day-to-day task without breaking a sweat, and its graphics performance is in fact superior to the more expensive FullHD J7 (2017).
Telephony and loudspeaker
The Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) is available in either a single-SIM or a dual-SIM version and we have the former. Well take another chance to note, however, that on the dual SIM variant theres a dedicated microSD expansion slot accompanying the two SIM slots, as opposed to the hybrid compromise.
The new Samsung UX design has soaked through to the core features of the J5 as well. There are some notable differences, though, from the likes of the S8 and S8+ we recently reviewed. Some are surely dictated by hardware limitations, but then there are things like the omission of the new Places tab in the Phone app. Shame really, the local directory it provided was kind of neat.
Still, you get the familiar dialer, which can be summoned from any tab by tapping on the green button in the bottom right corner. And Contacts in the adjacent tab.
Dialer • Contacts • Settings
The Do Not Disturb mode can be put on an automated schedule. When its on, only priority notifications can get through and you decide what counts as "priority" - it can be anything from calls by select contacts to reminders from key apps.
Do not disturb settings
Loudspeaker
The Galaxy J5 (2017) is equipped with a single speaker located in a rather unusual spot high on the right side of the phone. Unusual, that is, unless youre familiar with Samsungs latest entries in the A and J series, all of which are designed that way.
The speaker is a massive improvement over the J5 of last year in terms of loudness, and pumps out enough decibels for a Very Good rating in our three-prong test - just like the J7 (2017). We didnt experience any distortion at maximum volume either.
| Speakerphone test | Voice, dB | Pink noise/ Music, dB | Ringing phone, dB | Overall score |
| HTC 10 (Theater mode) | 61.9 | 66.0 | 62.1 | Below Average |
| Sony Xperia XZ Premium | 62.9 | 65.2 | 71.6 | Below Average |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016) | 66.0 | 64.3 | 70.1 | Below Average |
| Sony Xperia XA1 | 61.7 | 69.7 | 71.8 | Average |
| Xiaomi Redmi 4 | 64.8 | 70.1 | 72.0 | Average |
| Moto Z Play | 62.9 | 70.3 | 77.0 | Good |
| Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) | 66.4 | 66.2 | 78.0 | Good |
| Nokia 5 | 63.9 | 70.0 | 81.7 | Good |
| Nokia 6 (Chinese version) | 63.0 | 70.2 | 85.2 | Good |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625) | 67.3 | 70.3 | 81.5 | Very Good |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) | 68.0 | 70.2 | 82.3 | Very Good |
| Huawei P10 Lite | 68.5 | 72.5 | 80.1 | Very Good |
| Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017) | 67.8 | 71.2 | 83.1 | Very Good |
| Google Pixel XL | 73.4 | 72.1 | 84.1 | Excellent |
| Sony Xperia L1 (xLOUD) | 91.5 | 74.3 | 83.2 | Excellent |
Text input
The Galaxy J5 (2017) uses the Samsung Keyboard, which long-time Samsung users swear by. Its quite feature-packed, with a dedicated numbers row, a row above that for word suggestions and additional characters on each key (accessible via long-press).
If that seems too tall, you can scale the keyboard down (or up, if you want bigger keys). We dont like that the Space bar can end up quite short in some instances, though. Additional typing tools include swipe input, My Hot Keys (predefined phrases that can be typed by long-pressing a number key) and voice dictation.
Samsung keyboard
Other apps
Samsung continues to bundle the Microsoft app package that includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive and Skype.
Microsoft app package
The Samsung-customized web browser makes use of the Samsung Pass service and features Web sign in - a password manager secured by your fingerprint. This makes logins as simple as unlocking the phone, and people cant peek over your shoulder to see your password.
< img src="http://ift.tt/2vzJLSz" height="220" alt="With the Samsung browser, your fingerprint is your password - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) review" />
With the Samsung browser, your fingerprint is your password
S Health has been renamed to Samsung Health, but its the same thing - it can fully utilize the heart rate and blood oxygen sensors. It also tracks walking/r unning/cycling, and you can manually input water and coffee intake and so on.
Samsung Health
The My Files app is the default file browser. It features Google Drive and Samsung Cloud integration. You can ZIP folders to make them easier to share as a single file, and you can do batch actions.
My Files
All the other basics are covered as well and all executed in a consistent visual style. Clock, Calendar and Calculator are about as straight-forward and approachable as possible. Samsung Notes (formerly S Note) is a bit more feature-rich, but still pretty simple to use.
Clock • Calendar • Calculator • Sound recorder • Samsung Notes
If you do find something essential missing, Samsung still maintains its own aptly named "Galaxy Essentials" app store. It is a good place to find great tools (like Kids Mode), but for general app shopping, you would probably be better off with Google Play.
Gallery
The Samsung Gallery has been focused on Stories for a while now. Stories are shared, collaborative albums - that means your friends can add their own photos from the party or just a Story on a shared theme (e.g. sunsets).
Samsung Gallery
Several image editing tools are available - from basic cropping, to collage making, to a more capable editor (which supports image correction, effects and drawing).
Viewing an image • Image details • Powerful editor
Video player
There is no video player app pre-installed, so the Gallery handles the videos by default. Like with the music player, you can grab the traditional Samsung one from the Galaxy Essentials collection in Galaxy Apps (the Video Editor is there too). Even if you dont, the Gallery app is up to the task. It has full subtitle support with advanced features to modify their appearance.
Video player
The app also lets you play only the audio track of the video. A pop-up view is supported, which you can resize with a pinch gesture - dont look for resizing handles. There is even a convenient interface for quickly creating animated GIFs out of your clips.
Google Play Music for music playing
Google Play Music is the default player for your tunes on the Galaxy J5 (2017). It can play your local files, as well as stream music from the cloud and its backed by Samsungs extensive sound enhancements.
They include the SoundAlive tool, which has an intuitive interface for tuning the equalizer. Presets and two simple dials are available for basic users, and there is a manual 9-band equalizer for more advanced users.
Google Play Music
Adapt Sound is even simpler. It tunes the EQ to your hearing and your particular pair of ears and headphones by playing multiple frequencies and asking how well you hear them. Smart Volume automatically adjusts the volume of tracks from multiple sources.
UHQ sound resolution enhancer is available as well for upscaling compressed audio. There are also features such as Surround sound emulation and Tube Amp Pro simulator.
Equalizer and Adapt Sound
FM radio
J > S, at least in one area - the Galaxy J5 (2017) has an FM radio receiver. The app interface is clean and simple, theres RDS (you need to enable it settings) and a recorder - not much more you can ask for.
FM radio
Audio output is solid
The Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) demonstrated perfectly clean output when hooked up to an active external amplifier. Its loudness was high too so a great start for the mid-ranger.
Volume remained unchanged when we hooked up our standard headset, while the drop in output quality was acceptable. Stereo quality went to below average and a small amount of intermodulation distortion crept in, but the other readings remained excellent, so not much to frown at, really.
| Test | Frequency response | Noise level | Dynamic range | THD | IMD + Noise | Stereo crosstalk |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) | +0.03, -0.01 | -85.0 | 85.8 | 0.0039 | 0.021 | -90.3 |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) (headphones attached) | +0.25, -0.12 | -84.0 | 84.0 | 0.083 | 0.215 | -59.1 |
| Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017) | +0.01, -0.03 | -92.8 | 92.8 | 0.0032 | 0.031 | -92.3 |
| Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017) (headphones attached) | +0.23, -0.15 | -92.1 | 91.8 | 0.013 | 0.223 | -77.3 |
| Sony Xperia L1 | +0.10, -0.11 | -93.6 | 92.9 | 0.0090 | 0.013 | -93.8 |
| Sony Xperia L1 (headphones) | +0.79, -0.10 | -92.9 | 91.9 | 0.010 | 0.420 | -53.1 |
| Nokia 5 | +0.02, -0.03 | -94.3 | 92.8 | 0.0035 | 0.019 | -91.9 |
| Nokia 5 (headphones) | +0.00, -0.09 | -92.4 | 89.9 | 0.0041 | 0.016 | -68.6 |
| Xiaomi Redmi 4 | +0.06, -0.02 | -94.3 | 90.8 | 0.0024 | 0.0089 | -94.0 |
| Xiaomi Redmi 4 (headphones) | +0.06, -0.04 | -93.8 | 90.6 | 0.035 | 0.044 | -79.5 |
Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) frequency responseYou can learn more about the tested parameters and the whole testing process here.
13MP camera same as the J 7s
Just like last years models, the Galaxy J5 (2017) shares its camera setup with the J7 (2017). That means a Sony IMX258-based primary shooter with 13MP resolution and a 27mm-equiv. f/1.7 aperture lens. Theres no stabilization, but if the A-series skip that, why should you expect it from the Js? There is a flash, a single LED one like Samsung tends to do it.
As part of the latest Samsung UX, the camera app is familiar from the flagship Galaxy S8, and yes, the J7 (2017). That means swiping down (or up) will switch between the front and back camera. Left brings up a panel with filters (no download option, though). Right lands you on a shooting mode selector. All pretty convenient, at least at first glance.
There is an issue worth noting here, and it has to do with HDR. Its not available as a toggle in straight in the viewfinder, and when you delve into the modes to enable it, its only ON or OFF - theres no Auto. Perhaps the mid-tier chipsets cant handle all the calculations for Auto HDR with live preview?
Camera interface
A Pro mode is present too, though thats clearly a huge overstatement - you get control over exposure compensation, ISO and white balance presets, plus a metering mode selector, but no manual focus and no manual shutter speed. Not really the "Pro" we were hoping for.
Basic Pro mode
A dedicated video mode and viewfinder would have been a nice touch, but Samsungs been stubbornly pushing the common one for stills and video, and if thats going to change, it certainly wont be with a mid-J-series phone.
The Galaxy J5 (2017) creates images that can best be described as just okay. Were not particular fans of the limited dynamic range, which coupled with an overall tendency to underexpose means youll be getting pitch black shadows in high-contrast scenes. Corners are a little soft too.
That said, theres detail to spare, and noise is pretty much non-existent. Colors are pleasing too, if a bit conservative in terms of saturation, especially in the reds.
Camera samples
HDR mode can help with dynamic range and given the relatively restrained processing you can just leave it on all the time. Well, not really, because you dont get a live preview of the effect like on the flagships, and it also takes longer to process and save.
HDR: Off • On • Off • On
Oddly enough, the J5s panoramas differ from the J7s in resolution. Where the J7 produced images around 1,800px tall, the J5s are just above 1,200px. There are virtually no stitching defects or artifacts, but theres just not enough resolution.
Panorama samples
Pixel-peeping through our Photo compare tool is always the right way to end your examination of a smartphone camera. Weve picked the Huawei P10 lite and the Galaxy A5 (2017) to get you started, but you can compare to any of the phones weve tested before.
Samsung Gala xy J5 (2017) vs. Huawei P10 Lite and Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) in our photo compare tool
Selfie shooter
The Galaxy J5 (2017) has another 13MP on the back, but its a different one with a Samsung-made sensor and a fixed-focus lens with f/1.9 aperture.
Fixed focus shouldnt really be an issue with a front cam, since shots are generally taken at arms length, but weve had mixed experience getting into the J5s focus plane - apparently you need to be a little closer. Its not isolated to the J5 too - the J7, A5, and A7 for 2017 behaved similarly.
Selfie samples at different distance
When in focus, the J5s selfie shots are excellently detailed. Colors are true-to-life and the cams dynamic range can handle sun on your forehead quite well.
Selfie samples
The J5s selfie cam is a life-saver in very low light, in conditions where youd otherwise end up with an unusable shot. Question remains whether you want to have usable shots from such occasions, but thats up to you.
Dark room: Flash off • Flash on
Video recording
The Galaxy J5 (2017) records video at up to 1080p and 30fps. The lack of 4K is currently the norm at this price point, so, we cant realistically ask for more.
Clips get saved in a standard MP4 format, with a bitrate of around 17 Mbps, an AVC video stream and an accompanying AAC audio one. The latter is captured in stereo at 48 KHz/256kbps.
The detail levels of the 1080p footage are high while noise is kept kept at bay. Color saturation could use a boost, but even as it is, its pleasing nonetheless. Dynamic range, on the other hand, is limited, just like in stills.
Next up, you can download an unedited sample (11s, 24MB) to leave YouTubes compression out of the equation.
Last, but not least, head over to our Video compare tool to see how the J5s footage stacks up against the competition. Weve pre-selected the Huawei P10 lite and the Galaxy A5 (2017) but you can play around and pick a different set for comparison.
Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) vs. Huawei P10 Lite and Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) in our video compare tool
Final words
Samsungs alphabet soup is making less and less sense. Here we have the Galaxy J5 (2017) thats got a premium metal build, a frugal 14nm chipset, an excellent Super AMOLED display, and Samsungs latest software. Hows that lower midrange?
Well, it is. And it just goes to show how far the budget segment has come. You will still need to step up to the A-series to get dust and water protection, a usable amount of internal storage, and a USB-C port. The J5 (2017) has also been denied the Always-on display, so theres diversity even inside the J-series - the J7 (2017) has it.
Those niceties aside, the J5 (2017) remains a great choice - perhaps its the J phone thats highest on the bang-for-buck-o-meter this year, a spot the J7 (2016) comfortably occupied in, well, 2016.
Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) key test findings
- Build quality worthy of a high-end phone, the antenna inlays may be too prominent for some, but not us. A little more manageable than the J7 (2017).
- Overall excellent display with high max brightness in auto mode, infinite contrast and your call between AMOLED punch or accuracy. No issues with sunlight legibility either.
- Great battery life with a particular emphasis on video - 18+ hours there. A little short of 11 hours in web browsing is above average and the endurance rating is 97h.
- The latest Samsung UX is present on the J5 (2017) and makes you feel like youre using the flagship S8 - most of the features are the same.
- The Exynos 7870 14nm chips chief claim to fame is efficiency, but its CPU is powerful enough for trouble-free daily usage, and the GPU is much better suited to the J5 (2017)s 720p display than the FullHD J7 (2017).
- There may be just one loudspeaker, but its loud enough for a Very good rating in our test; output is clean too.
- The primary camera produces images with rather muted colors and dynamic range is limited. Detail is aplenty, however, and noise is kept low.
- The same can be said of the video - above average detail for 1080p footage, but low dynamic range and colors in need of more pop.
- You wont be disappointed by the selfie camera, as long as you figure out the ideal distance for the fixed focus to get your mug sharp. The front flash can be a life-saver in absolute darkness.
Value isnt necessarily the universal top priority, and that means looking at some other options. If youre set on Samsung, the J7 (2017) will deliver a larger higher-res display, a few more hours on the web on a single charge, and some more RAM, though the J5 (2017)s 720p display allows games to run smoother. The J7 is way more expensive, however, so you must really be after that display for the price difference to be justified.
For about the same price as the J7 (2017), you can opt for the A5 (2017). That will let you st ay on the smaller 5.2-inch form factor, but with 1080p resolution and the newer GPU can actually handle that. The latest A5 is also IP68 rated, its 16MP primary cam is superior and it has 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage over J5 (2017)s 2GB/16GB. Did someone say segmentation?
Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017) • Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
The Huawei P10 lite seems to get mentioned in the same sentence as the J5 (2017) quite often. For a (not insignificant) sum of money on top of the J5s asking price, youd be getting more RAM and storage, a sharper display, and arguably a superior camera. The J5 (2017) has longer battery life going for it, the price advantage, and possibly the Samsung software (at least to some).
Huawei P10 Lite
A host of Moto G5 models are viable alternatives to the Galaxy J5 (2017). There are the old Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus, and then the brand new Moto G5S and Moto G5S Plus to choose from. The Moto G5S should probably top the list as it matches the J5 (2017)s display size, and isnt that much more expensive. The Moto G5Ss screen is sharper, and its got more RAM and storage. The J5 (2017) can boast higher-res selfies and an AMOLED display, if youre into those sorts of things.
Motorola Moto G5S • Motorola Moto G5 • Motorola Moto G5 Plus
Another one slightly more expensive alternative to the Ga laxy J5 (2017) is the Sony Xperia XA1. The Xperias display is a little smaller and its battery life is inferior, but its primary cam is a winner, storage and RAM are more than on the J5, and the Helio P20 packs more oomph than the Exynos 7870.
Sony Xperia XA1
The Galaxy J7 (2016) was the default phone to recommend last year for a complete package on a budget coming from one of the big names. With the Exynos 7870 made available to the 5 this season, and the metal build and design shared with the bigger brother, the J5 (2017) may as well be the standard for a no-frills all-rounder in 2017.
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