We go hands-on with Samsung’s Galaxy J7 Core

With so many budget phones in the market right now, companies really have to have a great hook for people to fork over their hard-earned cash for their new phone. For Samsung, that hook is mobile gaming – they’re hoping that their collaboration with the hit mobile game, Mobile Legends and the performance of their Galaxy J7 Core in said game will be enough for you to consider it.

Samsung Galaxy J7 Core

• 1.6GHz Octa-core processor
• 2GB RAM
• 5.5-inch HD Super AMOLED display
• 16GB internal storage, expandable via microSD
• 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash
• 5-megapixel front camera
• Dual SIM
• 3G, LTE
• WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS
• Micro-USB
• Android 7.0 Nougat
• 3,000mAh battery

Initial impressions: Can it really handle Android games?

Make no mistake, the Galaxy J7 Core is a budget phone. While Samsung has mostly shied away from using plastic in its more expensive devices, it has no qualms about using said material on more affordable models. The J7 Core sports a mostly plastic body, though the company has tried to give the phone a more premium feel by approximating the look of metal on the frame.

The rear of the phone is removable, as well as the 3000mAh battery which is par for the course for budget phones from the Korean brand. There’s room for two SIMs plus a microSD card on the rear, which is fortunate since the J7 Core only comes with 16GB of storage overall. The power button is on the right side while the volume rocker is on the left. The USB port is on the bottom, along with the 3.5mm jack.

The phone has a physical home button on the bottom of the 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display, flanked by the capacitive Android navigation keys. Unfortunately it’s just a home button, and does not hide a fingerprint scanner beneath it.

Sine we’re on the display, the J7 Core uses Samsung’s Super AMOLED display tech, albeit only in HD. If we’re not mistaken, the J7 Core is the most affordable phone currently in the market that uses a Super AMOLED panel, which should make the device ideal for watching movies and playing games if the somewhat over saturated display doesn’t bother you. If it doesn’t, then you’ll probably appreciate the inky blacks and vibrant colors that the display produces.

The J7 Core is powered by Samsung’s own Exynos 7870 octa-core processor running at 1.6GHz, paired with 2GB of RAM. The Exynos 7870 processor is a brand-new chipset built on the 14nm process, much like another mid-range processor, the SD625. The processor is the same one used on Samsung’s more expensive Galaxy A3 2017, down to the hardware config. The J7 Core is basically the runt of Samsung’s 2017 A-series phones, minus the expensive metal exterior.

Is it a gaming machine as Samsung advertises it to be? Depends on what you play. For Mobile Legends, the company that Samsung partnered with to showcase the J7 Core’s gaming cred, it’s adequate. Keep in mind that the Mobile Legends is a very scalable game since the makers wanted it to run in a large variety of devices for a higher userbase, so it’s very flexible when it comes to settings to keep the game running smoothly. More graphically intense games like Asphalt 8, for example, will have to have its graphic settings managed to keep everything nice and smooth. 

That’s it for this hands-on. The J7 Core is priced at Php 9,990, and comes with a free 16GB microSD card plus points for the hit mobile game, Mobile Legends.