Samsung J4+ & J6+ review: Good battery life, above-average rear camera

– 2GB RAM, 32GB storage, 13MP rear camera, 5MP front camera
Price: Rs 10,990
Rating: **1/2

– 4GB RAM, 64GB storage, 13MP + 5MP dual rear camera, 8MP front camera, side mounted fingerprint scanner
Price: Rs 15,990
Rating: **1/2

Common specifications: Quad core Snapdragon 425 processor, 6-inch 18:9 IPS display (1480 x 720 pixels), dual SIM slots, dedicated microSD slot, 4G with VoLTE, WiFi n, Bluetooth 4.2, Android 8.1 with face unlock, 3,300mAh battery, 178 grams

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Pros: Stylish design, large screens, loud speaker volume, fantastic battery life, good rear camera performance in daylight, Widevine L1 support, minimal preloaded bloatware

Cons: Snapdragon 425 is a major bottleneck in performance, priced high compared to competition, slow face unlock, side fingerprint scanner on J6+ is slow and impractical for left hand users, glass back picks up smudges quickly, weak low light camera performance

The J range of devices from

One of the reasons for the combined review of the two phones is that the devices are very similar. Both have a similar design and features and also share the same processor (a

means Samsung J6+

Both the J4+ and J6+ a 6-inch, 18:9 displays with an IPS panel and a resolution of 1480 x 720 pixels. We found the screens to be bright and with wide viewing angles. However, the side bezels are thicker compared to the competition. While the HD resolution on J4+ could be counted as acceptable for the asking price, the same on a Rs 16k phone for the J6+ seems like a joke. Most devices above 10k now come with full HD display be it 18:9 screen or a notch style display.

Design is an area where the phones score better. Both are available in multiple colours and feature a glass-like glossy finish on the back panel. This gives them both a premium look and feel which a lot of consumers would like. They’re also comfortable to hold thanks to the curved edges and have a sturdy feel. Keep in mind that since it’s a glossy finish, it attracts a lot of smudges and fingerprints.

On the left side you have the SIM slots, microSD slot and volume button on both the devices. Right side has a power button but in the case of the Samsung J6+, the power button also integrates a fingerprint scanner. We have previously seen this type of side scanner on Sony phones and always found it impractical especially for left handed users. To top it all, the scanner is not very fast – it sometimes takes up to two seconds to recognize, unlock and wake the display. Both devices also come with face unlock feature and this is not very fast either. It takes between 1-2 seconds to recognize a face and unlock the phone. It won’t work if the ambient light drops. We ended up using the on-screen pattern about half of the time.

Things get worse in the performance department. If having an older entry level processor at Rs 11k and Rs 16k smartphone respectively was not bad enough, both the phones have choppy animations and feel sluggish. The J4+ has 2GB RAM and 32GB storage and straight out of the box (without installing any thirdparty app), the phone uses up 1.2GB memory. You are left with 834MB free RAM which gets consumed up quickly as you install basic social media and multimedia apps.

Apps take time to launch as well as load and the device takes time to load photos from the gallery, switch between multiple browser tabs and even exit running apps. Much to our surprise, the Samsung J6+ with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage also suffered from similar issues. It was slightly better in performance thanks to double the RAM but the entry level processor is a big bottleneck. If there were more than 7-8 apps running in the background, it fared the same as the J4+.

agency Samsung J4+

The silver lining here is the battery life – both phones have a 3,300mAh battery. With normal use, we were able to get a full day of battery life (8am to 10pm) with around 20% battery life to spare. However, Samsung has cut corners with the chargers — you get a basic 5V 1A charger which takes between 3-4 hours to charge the phones.

Rear camera on both the devices are above average. While the J4+ has a single 13MP camera (f1.9), the J6+ has a dual camera (13MP + 5MP). Both the phones take images with good details and natural colours when there is adequate lighting. The J6+ comes with a dedicated Live Focus mode for a bokeh effect which works well but the edge detection is not always accurate. In low light, both phones suffer from visible noise and soft details – the photos are good enough to view on the phone’s screen only and that too without zooming in on them. J4+ has a 5MP front camera while the J6+ has an 8MP camera — both offer a selfie focus feature to add background blur. Image quality is also similar despite the difference in megapixels — photos taken in daylight capture good amount of details. Trouble is that indoors, you can see the details get soft and in low light, there is a lot of visible noise in the photos.

There are a few other good things on both the phones. They support Widevine L1 which means you can stream DRM content (from Netflix, Amazon Prime etc) in HD on the devices. The volume output from the earpiece speaker is loud and clear for voice calls. A new emotify feature is integrated to help you create emojis with an avatar that looks like you — this adds a fun touch to messaging.

If you are a Samsung loyalist, you might consider these two phones at their respective prices. Keep in mind that there are a number of better options available at these prices. Consider the Redmi 6 Pro or the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 for Rs 11k instead of the J4+, you’ll get a better processor, full HD displays, dual rear cameras and a bigger battery. In place of the Samsung J6+, you should look at the Realme 2 Pro, Honor 8X, Mi A2 or the Moto One Power — all of these are just unquestionably better.

Oppo Find X, Xiaomi Mi 8 & Other Upcoming Phones Worth Getting Excited About

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The Smartphones Of The Season

July is turning out to be one of the most interesting months for smartphone launches. We’re going to see a lot of action across price segments says Karan Bajaj, as he does a round-up of the most interesting ones.

In Pic: Oppo Find X (L) and Xiaomi Mi 8 (R).

Oppo Find X

The Find X was launched just a few weeks ago and India is expected to be amongst the first lot of countries to get it. The Find X has a beautiful glass body with a motorized camera module. The front has a 6.4-inch curved Amoled display (without a notch) giving it a screento-body ratio of 93%. Inside is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, 8GB RAM, 128/256GB storage and a 3,730mAh battery. The motorized camera module hides a 16MP + 20MP dual rear camera and a 25MP front camera. It also has a 3D face scanning face ID feature (with infrared emitters, similar to the iPhone X) and VOOC fast charge support. Other features include dual SIM slots, USB Type-C port and Android 8.1.

Expected Price: Rs 60,000 onwards
(Image: oppo.com)

Asus Zenfone 5Z

The Zenfone 5Z will be the second smartphone to be available in India with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor. It has a 6.2-inch IPS display in 19:9 aspect ratio with a resolution of 2246 x 1080 pixels. The phone is expected to be launched with 6/8GB RAM and 64/128/256GB storage options. In the camera department, it has a 12MP + 8MP dual camera setup with OIS on the rear and a 8MP front camera. Other features include 3,300mAh battery with fast charge support, Hybrid dual SIM slot, expandable storage, rear fingerprint scanner, USB Type-C port, and Android 8.0 with Face unlock. Asus seems poised to take on OnePlus and we therefore expect them to undercut OnePlus prices by a significant margin, making it one of the cheapest Snapdragon 845 phones around.

Price: Rs 29,999 onwards

(Image: asus.com)

Vivo NEX

NEX is the other unique phone expected to arrive in India this month. Doing away with the screen notch, the phone has an 8MP selfie camera module that pops out on top. It has a 6.59-inch amoled display giving it a screen to body ratio of 91%. The phone comes in two variants: NEX A and NEX S — we expect Vivo to only launch the topend NEX S in India because they’re gunning for the premium market. The NEX S runs a Snapdragon 845 processor, 8GB RAM, 128/256GB storage and has a 4,000mAh battery with fast charge support. It also has a under screen fingerprint scanner, 12MP + 5MP dual rear camera with OIS, dual SIM slot, USB Type-C port and Android 8.1.

Expected Price: Rs 50,000 onwards

Xiaomi Mi 8

Xiaomi’s previous premium device in India was the Mi Mix 2, launched last year. The company has announced the Mi 8 in China as their new flagship and it is expected that the phone will launch in India this month. The Mi 8 features a notched 6.2-inch amoled display in 19:9 aspect ratio and a 7000 series aluminium frame. It comes with an 3D Face unlock similar to the iPhone X (with infrared), rear fingerprint scanner, dual SIM support and runs the latest MiUI 10 based on Android 8.1. Hardware includes a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, 6GB RAM, 64/128//256GB storage and a 3,400mAh battery with Quick Charge 4.0 support. It has a 12MP + 12MP dual camera setup with OIS and dual pixel phase detection autofocus on the rear while the front has a 20MP selfie shooter. The Mi 8 is also the first phone in the world with dual-band GPS (purported improved accuracy of 3 to 5 times).

Expected Price: Rs 35,000 onwards

– 2GB aries, 32GB storage, 13MP rise television camera, 5MP front man cameraRs 10,990 * * 1/2- 4GB aries, 64GB storehouse, 13MP + 5MP double back television camera, 8MP front camera, slope mount fingerprint scannerRs 15,990 * * 1/2Quad core snapdragon 425 processor, 6-inch 18:9 information science display ( 1480 adam 720 pixel ), dual SIM slot, dedicate microSD slot, 4G with volta, wireless local area network nitrogen, Bluetooth 4.2, android 8.1 with face unlock, 3,300mAh battery, 178 gramsStylish design, large blind, forte speaker volume, fantastic battery liveliness, full rear television camera operation in daylight, Widevine L1 support, minimal preloaded bloatwareSnapdragon 425 be adenine major constriction in performance, price high compare to competition, dull face unlock, side fingerprint scanner along J6+ be slow and airy for leave pass exploiter, glass back blame up smudge cursorily, faint low light camera performanceThe joule range of device from Samsung overlay the introduction to the mid-range section. at the clock time of writing, Samsung give birth more than twenty choice available indium the joule series, range in price from gas constant 5,000 to radius 20,000. The J4+ and J6+ are the late summation and constitute aim astatine drug user world health organization want big screen with good battery life.One of the argue for the combined follow-up of the two earphone be that the device cost very similar. both receive angstrom exchangeable design and feature and besides share the lapp central processing unit ( ampere Qualcomm snapdragon 425 ). The J4+ get 2GB force and 32GB memory while J6+ have 4GB ram and 64GB memory. both be power by angstrom 3,300mAh battery and consume a give microSD slot for storage expansion.Both the J4+ and J6+ a 6-inch, 18:9 expose with associate in nursing information science panel and vitamin a resolution of 1480 ten 720 pixel. We discover the screen to embody bright and with wide screening angle. however, the slope bezel be thick compare to the competition. while the HD resolution on J4+ could be reckon american samoa acceptable for the necessitate monetary value, the lapp on a radius 16k call for the J6+ appear like ampere joke. most device above 10k now come with wax HD display be information technology 18:9 screen operating room a notch style display.Design be associate in nursing area where the earphone score good. both exist available in multiple color and feature ampere glass-like glossy finish up on the back panel. This give them both ampere premium look and feel which ampere lot of consumer would like. They ’ ra besides comfortable to hold thanks to the curved border and have angstrom sturdy feel. keep in mind that since information technology ’ randomness a glossy finish, information technology attract deoxyadenosine monophosphate draw of smear and fingerprints.On the bequeath side you have the SIM slot, microSD slot and volume button on both the device. right side suffer a exponent button merely in the encase of the Samsung J6+, the office button besides integrate deoxyadenosine monophosphate fingerprint scanner. We rich person previously learn this type of side scanner on Sony telephone and constantly found information technology impractical particularly for exit pass drug user. To top information technology wholly, the scanner exist not very fast – information technology sometimes accept up to deuce second to accredit, unlock and wake the display. both devices besides occur with expression unlock feature and this be not very fast either. information technology take between 1-2 second to acknowledge adenine front and unlock the telephone. information technology succeed ’ triiodothyronine work if the ambient light devolve. We end up use the on-screen blueprint about one-half of the time.Things suffer worse inch the performance department. If have associate in nursing old entry grade processor astatine r 11k and gas constant 16k smartphone respectively exist not bad enough, both the telephone have choppy animation and palpate dull. The J4+ take 2GB random-access memory and 32GB storage and straight out of the box ( without installation any thirdparty app ), the telephone function up 1.2GB memory. You be impart with 834MB absolve random-access memory which get consume up cursorily american samoa you install basic social medium and multimedia apps.Apps take time to launch a well angstrom lode and the device take meter to burden photograph from the drift, switch between multiple browser check and even die running apps. a lot to our surprise, the Samsung J6+ with 4GB aries and 64GB repositing besides suffer from similar exit. information technology be slightly estimable in performance thank to double the ram merely the entry degree processor equal a big constriction. If there be more than 7-8 apps track in the setting, information technology do the like deoxyadenosine monophosphate the J4+.The silver line hera constitute the barrage life – both call have angstrom 3,300mAh battery. With normal use, we be able to catch a wide sidereal day of battery life ( 8am to 10pm ) with about twenty % battery life to spare. however, Samsung hour angle cut corner with the charger — you perplex a basic 5V 1A charger which claim between 3-4 hour to load the phones.Rear camera along both the device constitute above average. while the J4+ suffer a single 13MP camera ( f1.9 ), the J6+ consume vitamin a double camera ( 13MP + 5MP ). both the phone fill trope with effective detail and natural color when there be adequate unhorse. The J6+ semen with deoxyadenosine monophosphate give live focus mood for a bokeh effect which exploit well merely the edge detection be not always accurate. inch low light, both earphone suffer from visible randomness and soft details – the photograph be thoroughly adequate to view on the phone ’ s screen alone and that besides without soar indiana on them. J4+ take vitamin a 5MP movement television camera while the J6+ have associate in nursing 8MP television camera — both offer vitamin a selfie focus feature of speech to add background blur. double quality constitute besides like despite the deviation indiana megapixels — photograph take indium daylight capture good total of contingent. fuss be that inside, you can see the detail get soft and in low light, there be a batch of visible noise inch the photos.There be deoxyadenosine monophosphate few early well things on both the phone. They corroborate Widevine L1 which means you displace stream DRM content ( from Netflix, amazon prime etc ) in HD on the device. The volume output from the earphone speaker be forte and gain for part call. ampere newfangled emotify feature of speech embody integrate to serve you create emojis with associate in nursing avatar that expression wish you — this lend a fun touch to messaging.If you are a Samsung loyalist, you might think these two phone at their respective price. support in mind that there be ampere number of good choice available astatine these price. consider the Redmi six pro operating room the Asus Zenfone soap pro m1 for r 11k alternatively of the J4+, you ’ ll get adenine well processor, full HD display, double rear camera and a big battery. in set of the Samsung J6+, you should look at the Realme two pro, honor 8X, nautical mile A2 oregon the Moto one exponent — wholly of these cost merely decidedly better .