Samsung Galaxy J5, J7 (2016) launched in India: Key specs, price and more

Samsung Galaxy J5 and J7 (2016) smartphones have been launched in India at Rs 15,990 and Rs 13,990 respectively. The smartphones are Flipkart exclusive and will go on sale on midnight, May 10. Samsung is offering double data (up to 30 GB) free to Airtel users.

Samsung says that the J series is their largest selling smartphone series in India. The company has added some India specific features to the J5, J7 (2016 series) like an Ultra Data Saving mode, S-Bike mode, My Galaxy app for better customers service. Samsung says that nearly 50 per cent of its J-series users are relying on the Ultra Data Saving app for web browsing, etc.

The SBike mode is for users who use motorcycles and find themselves forced to pick up calls. The feature is supposed to enhance a biker’s safety, by only allowing urgent calls and comes with a motion lock feature whereby a user can’t pick up a call while he driving.

“The Galaxy J Series has received a tremendous response from consumers. We are proud to share that owing to our consumer-centric approach and ability to bring valuable and meaningful innovations to the Indian consumers, J series has become India’s largest selling series of smartphones. Given the tremendous success of the J Series, we are happy to announce the expansion of the portfolio with the addition of Galaxy J7 and Galaxy J5 2016 that will elevate consumer experience to the next level,” Manu Sharma, Vice President, Mobile Business, Samsung India Electronics, said at the launch event.

The 2016 edition of the Galaxy J5 and J7 features a metal frame, and a more stylish design. Both smartphones also run the latest Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS as well.

In terms of specs, the 2016 Samsung Galaxy J7 features a 5.5-inch HD AMOLED display, while Galaxy J5 gets a smaller 5.2-inch HD AMOLED display. The smartphones support 4G LTE.

Samsung Galaxy J7 is powered by an Exynos 1.6Ghz octa-core processor coupled with 2 GB RAM, while Galaxy J5 has a 1.2 Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor paired with 2 GB RAM. Both the smartphones come with 16GB internal storage, further expandable up to 128GB via dedicated memory card slot.

On the camera front, Samsung Galaxy J7 and J5 get a 13-megapixel main camera with a f/1.9 aperture and five megapixel front camera. The smartphones come with front LED flash for selfies.

Samsung Galaxy J7 is backed by a 3,300mAh battery while Galaxy J5 has a 3,100mAh Li-Ion battery. Both smartphones have a removable battery.

For Samsung, the J series has been an important one in winning new consumers. According to an IDC report, in emerging markets, Samsung’s J series helped it win “both budget conscious consumers and first-time buyers,” for the first quarter of 2016.

The company had recently announced the prices of these new smartphones in South Korea. The new J series was first launched in China in March, 2016. In Korea, the J5 (2016) was launched at KRW 290,000 or Rs 17,000, and the J7 was launched at KRW 363,000 or Rs 21,000.