With the Galaxy S series taking precedence in the limelight, we often forget about great budget choices like the Samsung Galaxy J7 Core. This device claims the ability to deliver a great mobile experience worth of the Samsung name, for a PHP 10k price tag.
Every new purchase of the Galaxy J7 Core gets you the following:
- Samsung Galaxy J7 Core main unit (1 pc)
- Exclusive Mobile Legends-Samsung promo card (1 pc)
- Galaxy J7 Core Quick Start Guide (1 pc)
- 3,000 mAh battery (separated, 1 pc)
- Samsung-brand travel charger (1 pc)
- micro-USB charging cable (1 pc)
- Earphones (1 pair)
There’s a lot to unpack from the initial unboxing of the J7 Core alone, not the least being the contents. From the get-go, buyers receive a special Mobile Legends-related treat. Specifically, these offer 10,000 battle points and a 3 hero 7-day trial pack. Besides that, the Core J7’s battery comes separately in another section of the box. You’ll have to manually put it into the device to turn it on. Overall, unboxing it wasn’t a bad experience, but it was certainly different.
Design and Construction
The phone’s packaging follows prior J-series styles, namely those of the Galaxy J7 and On7. How so? By keeping similar button and feature placements. Speaking of which, this particular device touts a 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display. Above it lies the front camera, flanked by its LED flash and sensors. Below the display, on the other hand, shows us the raised, physical home button. Flanking this particular feature, are the other capacitive buttons. Unfortunately, they don’t light up so I had a bit of a problem with these physical buttons in very low light. However, I’d say that this particular fault doesn’t hurt the overall device as all other design choices made up for it.
For the left side of the phone, we have the volume keys, while the right has the power and lock button. Personally, it was the first time I saw a setup like that. I’m used to the lock and volume keys being on one side, likely the right. It could prove detrimental to people who are used to the keys on the right. On the other hand, the bottom of the device contains the micro-USB port and the 3.5mm audio jack.
Meanwhile, the back of the device shines in a way that reveals the polycarbonate make of the back plate. While it may feel plasticky, or even look like cheap plastic, the truth might surprise you. Basically, the polycarbonate ensures that grime and smudges don’t appear on the surface! That means I don’t have to figuratively ‘walk on eggshells’ when handling the device with my bare hands. It makes it easier to get a good grip on the smartphone. For the top-to-middle part of the back, we see the rear camera. This shooter is flanked by its LED flash, and the loudspeaker grille. Within the back, users will find the 3,000 mAh removable battery, micro-SD card slot and two micro-SIM card slots.
To sum up my thoughts on the design, I’d say that the choices made in building the 5.5-inch Galaxy J7 Core feels just fine. Of course, the setup isn’t the most luxurious-looking, or the most chic, but this was never the aim of this phone. Instead, the Samsung Galaxy J7 Core goes straight for functionality. It has all the buttons, ports, and outer features you need, packed in a body that resists smudges and marks. What else would we need? For the price point provided, the outer design satisfies.
OS, UI, and Apps
Upon opening the device, you already feel the smoothness of the software from the opening screen alone. Obviously, this sounds a bit fake so let me explain further. On paper, Android Nougat keeps this phone running, but the TouchWiz UI skin takes it to a next level. This is a good option, considering that it doesn’t do anything drastic to the original Android interface. In my opinion, it’s almost as good as the EMUI skin, if not better. The seamless swiping between apps and menus really enhances the experience. Personally, my favorite feature would be the Briefing page. To be specific, Briefing delivers curated content like news and weather throughout the day
So far, so good, I’d say. The Samsung Galaxy J7 Core manages to stand as a solid choice, especially for those on a budget. But will the specs be able to solidify the impression made so far? Or will we see a subpar phone with cut features in order to cut costs? Find out in our full review.
More photos of the Samsung Galaxy J7 Core
