The Samsung Galaxy J2 Prime tries to give you a relatively premium experience for less, but does it make the cut for a proper budget device? Here’s what we think.
Table of Contents
SAMSUNG GALAXY J2 PRIME SPECS
| Features | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Processor | 1.4GHz MediaTek MT6737T Quad-Core Processor |
| Camera/s: | Rear: CMOS 8.0MP f/2.2 Front: CMOS 5.0 MP f/2.2 |
| Battery: | 2600mAh (removable) |
| Memory: | RAM: 1.5 GB ROM: 8 GB Available Memory: 3.3 GB With MicroSD support up to 256GB |
| Wireless Connection/s: | 2G GSM, 3G WCDMA, 4G LTE FDD, 4G LTE TDD, WiFi (802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz), Bluetooth v4.2 |
| Display: | 5.0" PLS TFT LCD at 540 x 960 resolution (qHD) |
| SIM Card Slots: | Dual SIM; SIM 1 + Hybrid (SIM or MicroSD) |
| OS: | Android 6.0 with TouchWiz |
| Price: | P5,990 |
LOOK AND FEEL
The J2 Prime reminds you of basic smartphones from a few years back with its looks. Its body feels a tad bit outdated, but I must say that I personally like the textured removable back panel even if it is made out of plastic—it makes it less likely to slip out of my grasp.
You’ve got that physical home button in the middle bordered by two haptic buttons, which would have been great if they lit up. Move up a bit and you’ll see the front-facing camera, and the LED flash which is actually pretty nifty in low light environments.
The power button is on the right, while the volume rocker is on the left edge. At the back, you’ll see your rear camera (which has a bit of a bump), the LED flash, and the speaker. Underneath is your micro-USB port and microphone.
DISPLAY
The Samsung J2 Prime has a 5-inch qHD resolution display at 540 x 960, which is okay when doing daily tasks, but can be a challenge when you’re into mobile games. We powered up Mobile Legends, and you can see the breaking of pixels and the blurring of animation. However, you won’t really be getting a J2 Prime if you’re planning on going all out on portable MOBA. Display-wise, it’s enough for quick viewing and interaction, plus it has an outdoor mode which turns it pretty bright—best for afternoons at the beach or even just when you need a torch to find your keys in the dark.
OS and UI
The J2 Prime has TouchWiz UI on top of Android 6.0 Marshmallow. TouchWiz is easy on the eyes and transitions smoothly, although it does hiccup sometimes and can really be sensitive to touch that it flips from one screen to another. But then again, that could just be me since after using phones that don’t have physical buttons for the longest time, the device’s layout and UI took a bit of getting used to, but that’s not to say the UI isn’t intuitive enough. It does the job, and admittedly, it’s pretty.
Of course, as with every Samsung phone, you have a plethora of out-of-the-box apps that you really don’t need. At least they don’t mess with your experience, but they do mess with your storage. In this day and age, 3.3 GB doesn’t cut it, and while sure, you’ve got microSD support, it still would have been awesome if we at least had more than half of the device’s 8GB internal memory.
CAMERA/S
Both main and front cameras are decent, especially in sharp light-and-dark contrasts. You’ll just need to take time to focus properly (especially with the front camera) to make sure that everything is clear and vivid, and best shoot in well-lit vicinities, since you may notice pixels once you’re in low-light environments. Here are a few sample shots:
BATTERY
While the J2 Prime’s 2,600mAh battery can get you more or less half a day’s worth of regular use, you may want to remember to always turn off data or WIFI if they’re not in use since they can really zap the juice out of our phone. The phone also has the tendency to get hot after heavy extended use, so you may want to remember that if you’re into playing games.
CONCLUSION
For all its quirks, I was certainly surprised that the J2 Prime can handle games such as Mobile Legends, despite the graphics not being too smooth. It just means that it has enough power to multi-task and get you through the day. Sure, the phone lags a few times when you’ve got so many apps and tabs open, but for its brand and at its price, people who are simply looking for a straight-forward daily driver may want to consider this phone. Sulit na rin.
