Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) vs Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016)
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) and the Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016), taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.
Head to head
| Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) | Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016) |
|---|
| Price | $58 | $60 |
| Our rating | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| Battery | 2,600 mAh | 3,100 mAh |
| RAM (max) | 5 GB | — |
| Storage (max) | 16 GB | 128 GB |
| Screen size | 5 in | 5.2 in |
| Main camera | 8 MP | 13 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 138 g | 159 g |
| Released | May 2016 | Apr 2016 |
Summary: Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) is ahead on weight (lower is lighter). Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016) is ahead on battery, storage (max), screen size, main camera.
★ Which should you buy? Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016) is the stronger overall pick on the measured specs. If budget matters more than the extra capability, Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) is the cheaper option.
Reviewed by the infozme.com Editorial Team — see how we research & rate phones.
Display
| Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) | Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016) |
|---|
| Type | Super AMOLED | Super AMOLED |
| Size | 5.0 inches, 68.2 cm2 (~68.2% screen-to-body ratio) | 5.2 inches, 74.5 cm2 (~70.7% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Resolution | 720 x 1280 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~294 ppi density) | 720 x 1280 pixels (HD) |
| Protection | Asahi Dragontrail Glass | — |
| Aspect Ratio | — | 16:9 |
| Pixel Density | — | ~282 ppi |
Platform
| Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) | Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016) |
|---|
| OS | Android 5.1.1 (Lollipop), upgradable to 6.0.1 (Marshmallow) or 7.0 (Nougat) depending on region/carrier | Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, upgradable to 7.1.1 Nougat |
| Chipset | Spreadtrum SC9830 (most regions) or Exynos 3475 (some regions) or Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (some US variants) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (28 nm) |
| CPU | Quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A7 (Spreadtrum) or Quad-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A7 (Exynos) or Quad-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A53 (Snapdragon 410) | Quad-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A53 |
| GPU | Mali-400 MP2 (Spreadtrum) or Mali-T720 (Exynos) or Adreno 306 (Snapdragon 410) | Adreno 306 |
Memory
| Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) | Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016) |
|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (dedicated slot) | microSDXC (dedicated slot), up to 128GB |
| Internal | 8GB 1.5GB RAM, 16GB 2GB RAM (USA models) | 16GB |
| RAM | — | 2GB LPDDR3 RAM |
Main Camera
| Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) | Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016) |
|---|
| Single | 8 MP, f/2.2, AF (most regions) or 5 MP (some US variants) | — |
| Features | LED flash, HDR | LED flash |
| Video | 720p@30fps | 1080p@30fps |
| Specs | — | 13 MP, f/1.9, 28mm (wide), AF |
Selfie Camera
| Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) | Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016) |
|---|
| Single | 5 MP, f/2.2 (most regions) or 2 MP (some US variants) | — |
| Video | Yes | Not specified |
| Specs | — | 5 MP, f/1.9 |
| Features | — | LED flash |
Battery
| Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) | Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016) |
|---|
| Type | Removable Li-Ion 2600 mAh battery | Removable Li-Ion |
| Talk time | Up to 22 h (3G) | — |
| Music play | Up to 77 h | — |
| Capacity | — | 3100 mAh |
Body
| Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) | Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016) |
|---|
| Dimensions | 142.3 x 71 x 7.9 mm (5.60 x 2.80 x 0.31 in) | 145.8 x 72.3 x 8.1 mm (5.74 x 2.85 x 0.32 in) |
| Weight | 138 g (4.87 oz) | 159 g (5.61 oz) |
| Build | Glass front (Asahi Dragontrail), plastic back, plastic frame | Metal frame |
| SIM | Micro-SIM (Single SIM or Dual SIM) or Nano-SIM (USA models only) | Single SIM (Micro-SIM) or Dual SIM (Micro-SIM, dual stand-by) |
| Colors | — | White, Black, Gold, Rose Gold |
Comms
| Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) | Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016) |
|---|
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Bluetooth | 4.0, A2DP, LE | 4.1, A2DP, LE |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS | — |
| NFC | Yes (market/region dependent) | Yes (market dependent) |
| Radio | FM radio, RDS, recording | FM radio, RDS, recording |
| USB | microUSB 2.0, OTG | microUSB 2.0, USB On-The-Go |
| GPS | — | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS |
Launch
| Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) | Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016) |
|---|
| Announced | March 2016 | 2016, March |
| Status | Discontinued | Discontinued |
| Released | — | 2016, April |
Frequently asked questions
Which has the better battery, Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) or Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016)?
Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016) — 2,600 mAh for the Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) versus 3,100 mAh for the Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016).
Which is lighter, Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) or Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016)?
Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) — 138 g for the Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) versus 159 g for the Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016).
Which is newer, Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) or Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016)?
Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) — May 2016 for the Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) versus Apr 2016 for the Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016).
Is the Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) or the Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016) rated higher?
We rate the Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) 6/10 and the Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016) 6/10.
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