Design and Build

Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016) is a metal framed with a plastic back phone, measuring 145.8 x 72.3 x 8.1 mm and weighing just 158 g. It is equipped with a 5.2-inch Super AMOLED screen and it also has front and rear LED flashes, a micro-SIM slot, microSD slot for expansion, and a removable 3100 mAh battery. Additionally, the device supports dual-SIM and NFC connectivity, comes in Black, Gold, and White colors, and is still very popular among users. The latter, however, praise only the vibrant screen and solid construction while, on the other hand, they emphasize the relatively low resolution and fingerprint sensor features based on older Android versions.

• Metal frame, plastic back
• 5.2″ Super AMOLED HD display
• Dual-SIM + microSD (up to 128 GB)
• Removable 3100 mAh battery
• Front & rear LED flash

Display

The Galaxy J5 (2016) packs a 5.2-inch Super AMOLED screen with the resolution of 720×1280 (282 ppi), vivid colors and deep black, which are hardly ever reached even in this price range. The maximum brightness of the display can reach 358 nits, which is good for indoor use. However, it might be challenging for outdoor use in bright sunlight. Users describe the contrast and the sharpness as excellent, but, at the same time, they complain about low resolution.

• 5.2″ HD Super AMOLED
• 720 × 1280 resolution, 282 ppi
• Deep contrast and vibrant colors
• Brightness ~358 nits—limited under direct sun
• Features auto‑brightness and screen modes

Performance and Software

Being powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 410 (1.2 GHz quad-core Cortex‑A53) with the Adreno 306 GPU, the J5 (2016) packs 2 GB RAM and 16 GB internal storage. The users can add up to 128 GB of memory by inserting a microSD card. It comes with the Android 5.1.1 (Lollipop) operating system and has received operating system upgrades up to Android 7.1.1 (Nougat). This model is capable of handling phone calls, messaging, some basic apps, and light gaming as well as it struggles with multitasking and running complex apps.

• Snapdragon 410, 1.2 GHz quad-core
• Adreno 306 GPU
• 2 GB RAM, 16 GB storage + microSD
• Android 5.1.1 → Android 7.1.1
• Decent for everyday tasks, limited for gaming

Camera System

It sports a 13-MP rear lens (f/1.9 LED flash) and one of 5 MP for the front with the flash included. Outdoor shots are well lit, detailed, and oversaturated a little bit, however, indoor and darker parts of the image often suffer from blurriness and uneven exposure. Video recording comes at 1080p/30 fps level without any stabilization effect. Users acknowledge that good quality photos can be taken intermittently in daylight, although the problems occurring indoors continue to be mentioned as the main weaknesses of the app.

• Rear: 13 MP, f/1.9, LED flash
• Front: 5 MP, LED selfie flash
• 1080p video @30 fps
• Bright daylight shots, indoor focus issues
• No image stabilization

Battery and Charging

The removable 3100 mAh battery gives great battery life approximately 8h 41m of non-stop usage. With light usage, it easily lasts more than one day. On the other hand, the charging is slow: it needs about 2h 33m to be fully charged with the stock 1A charger..

• 3100 mAh removable battery
• ~8h 41m screen-on time
• 1A charger, ~2h 33m full charge
• Excellent battery endurance
• Removable design for easy swap

Connectivity

The Galaxy J5 (2016) is equipped with 4G LTE, dual-SIM, NFC, Wi-Fi b/g/n (2.4GHz), Bluetooth 4.1, GPS/Glonass, and USB 2.0. It also carries a 3.5mm headphone jack and FM radio. Surfing the net and making connections everyday go smoothly but Wi-Fi speeds can be a bit slow. Also, NFC is great for those places where contactless payments are used.

• 4G LTE, dual-SIM
• NFC, Wi-Fi b/g/n
• Bluetooth 4.1, GPS/Glonass
• USB 2.0 micro‑USB
• 3.5 mm jack, FM radio included