Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016) vs Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016)
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016) and the Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016), taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.
Head to head
| Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016) | Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) |
|---|
| Price | £40 | £48 |
| Our rating | 4/10 | 6/10 |
| Battery | 2,050 mAh | 2,600 mAh |
| RAM (max) | — | 5 GB |
| Storage (max) | 128 GB | 16 GB |
| Screen size | 4.5 in | 5 in |
| Main camera | 5 MP | 8 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 131 g | 138 g |
| Released | Jan 2016 | May 2016 |
Summary: Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016) is ahead on storage (max), weight (lower is lighter). Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) is ahead on our rating, battery, screen size, main camera.
★ Which should you buy? Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) is the stronger overall pick on the measured specs. If budget matters more than the extra capability, Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016) is the cheaper option.
Researched with AI assistance by infozme.com from manufacturer and retailer sources — see how we research & rate phones.
Display
| Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016) | Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) |
|---|
| Type | Super AMOLED | Super AMOLED |
| Size | 4.5 inches | 5.0 inches, 68.2 cm2 (~68.2% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Resolution | 480 x 800 pixels (WVGA) | 720 x 1280 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~294 ppi density) |
| Protection | No official protection specified | Asahi Dragontrail Glass |
Platform
| Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016) | Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) |
|---|
| OS | Android 5.1.1 (Lollipop), upgradable to 6.0.1 (Marshmallow) | Android 5.1.1 (Lollipop), upgradable to 6.0.1 (Marshmallow) or 7.0 (Nougat) depending on region/carrier |
| Chipset | Spreadtrum SC9830 (3G models) or Exynos 3475 Quad (LTE models) | Spreadtrum SC9830 (most regions) or Exynos 3475 (some regions) or Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (some US variants) |
| CPU | Quad-core 1.3 GHz ARM Cortex-A7 | 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) |
| GPU | ARM Mali-400 (with Spreadtrum) or Mali-T720 (with Exynos) | Mali-400 MP2 (Spreadtrum) or Mali-T720 (Exynos) or Adreno 306 (Snapdragon 410) |
Memory
| Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016) | Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) |
|---|
| Internal | 8GB | 8GB 1.5GB RAM, 16GB 2GB RAM (USA models) |
| RAM | 1GB | — |
| Card slot | microSDXC (dedicated slot), up to 128GB | microSDXC (dedicated slot) |
Main Camera
| Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016) | Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) |
|---|
| Single | 5 MP | 8 MP, f/2.2, AF (most regions) or 5 MP (some US variants) |
| Features | f/2.2, autofocus, LED flash | LED flash, HDR |
| Video | 720p@30fps | 720p@30fps |
Selfie Camera
| Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016) | Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) |
|---|
| Single | 2 MP | 5 MP, f/2.2 (most regions) or 2 MP (some US variants) |
| Features | f/2.2 | — |
| Video | Not specified | Yes |
Battery
| Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016) | Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) |
|---|
| Type | Removable Li-Ion | Removable Li-Ion 2600 mAh battery |
| Capacity | 2050 mAh | — |
| Talk time | — | Up to 22 h (3G) |
| Music play | — | Up to 77 h |
Body
| Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016) | Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) |
|---|
| Dimensions | 132.6 x 69.3 x 8.9 mm | 142.3 x 71 x 7.9 mm (5.60 x 2.80 x 0.31 in) |
| Weight | 131 g | 138 g (4.87 oz) |
| SIM | Dual SIM (Micro-SIM, in some models) | Micro-SIM (Single SIM or Dual SIM) or Nano-SIM (USA models only) |
| Build | — | Glass front (Asahi Dragontrail), plastic back, plastic frame |
Comms
| Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016) | Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) |
|---|
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct (no 5GHz support) | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot |
| Bluetooth | 4.1, A2DP, AVRCP, DI, HFP, HID, HOGP, MAP, OPP, PAN, PBAP | 4.0, A2DP, LE |
| GPS | Yes, with GLONASS | — |
| NFC | No | Yes (market/region dependent) |
| Radio | FM radio | FM radio, RDS, recording |
| USB | microUSB 2.0 | microUSB 2.0, OTG |
| Positioning | — | GPS, GLONASS, BDS |
Launch
| Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016) | Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) |
|---|
| Announced | January 2016 | March 2016 |
| Status | Released January/February 2016 | Discontinued |
Frequently asked questions
Which has the better battery, Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016) or Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016)?
Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) — 2,050 mAh for the Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016) versus 2,600 mAh for the Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016).
Which is lighter, Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016) or Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016)?
Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016) — 131 g for the Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016) versus 138 g for the Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016).
Which is newer, Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016) or Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016)?
Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) — Jan 2016 for the Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016) versus May 2016 for the Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016).
Is the Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016) or the Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) rated higher?
We rate the Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016) 4/10 and the Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) 6/10.
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