Samsung Galaxy J7 2018

We are looking at a phone that is extraordinarily endowed with features to make business management effortless. Yes, Samsung Galaxy J7 (2018) is packed with enterprise features like very few Smartphones in its price range! Organizing mobile workforce, handling large chunks of critical data, protecting sensitive information, data analysis and multitasking was never so efficient.

Powered by an Octa-Core processor to enhance productivity, a replaceable long-life battery, App Pair feature, lightweight design, ProCare and Account Manager for business related work, this is a genuinely enterprise Smartphone. If that isn’t enough, it also carries Samsung Knox security platform laden with features like Configure for customization, Manage for cloud-based solutions and Mobile Enrollment for managing a moving workforce. Secure Folder feature for data privacy provide it an edge amongst business Smartphones.  

It needs to be admitted that this phone is far from attractive. Even though it’s functioning might betray its looks, but at this price the company should have paid some attention to at least make it look decent. The phone is made of thick plastic, which is shiny but still makes the phone look a bit oversized. The multitasking and “back” softkeys are not backlit and are placed in inverted positions as compared to other Samsung phones. The home button in the center lacks a fingerprint sensor which some of its competitors are offering. It isn’t smooth either!

The phone has a 5.5” LCD HD display with 1280 X 720 pixel display and 720p resolution. Though low on paper, the display is good. The colours are real and bright, and the phone adapts to any sunlight or darkness with ease. The display is comfortable for the eyes and the ambient light sensor ensures battery longevity.

The phone offers an internal storage of 16GB, but the available memory is less than half of it. It is powered by Exynos 7870 SoC and 2GB RAM. Can we expect more at this price? The phone is fluid in everyday tasks but one feels that the company would have provided a greater RAM while multitasking as there is a significant hitch. To not to have done that with an enterprise phone is a bit of a worry.

The 13MP main camera is a bit of a letdown. It is low on detail but good on colour accuracy. The camera features are very limited besides inconsistent quality of pictures. At times, the pictures could lack colour and quality even in optimum light. Overexposure is common, shutter is lazy and focusing would not be easy. Low light captures would come with a blue tint. Overall, the camera is far from decent.

The 3300 mAh battery adds to the efficiency of software-hardware duo to make the phone strong on essentials. It is better than the 2017 model and can last into the latter half of second day on regular usage. Fast charging feature could have been better.

The phone has only the basic connectivity features. NFC, fast charging and USB-C is missing. The video capturing is available at 1080p. There are no issues with detail or colours. The shutter speed is satisfactory while image stabilization is impressive. The speakerphone is not placed well at might get hindered with hand often but there would not be any complaints about call sound quality.

Even though the phone is no measure for Samsung’s ability to churn out exciting models every year, it needs to be said that it could have been done better. In a tough market, the phone seems to be slightly overpriced despite its strengths which lie in performance and battery life. There isn’t much special in the phone but the Samsung experience balances that out somewhat. Had the camera been good and the design a notch better, Galaxy J7 2018 would have been able to compete with its Motorola and Nokia counterparts in similar price bracket.