If you are looking for a budget phone just for calls and texting, and maybe a few photos, you might want to consider Samsung’s Galaxy J2 Prime. It comes with a good set of features but is not heavy on the budget.
Physical Features
The Galaxy J2 Prime comes at 144.8 x 72.1 x 8.9 mm. and weighs 160 grams. With these physical characteristics, this handheld is not too large nor too small to handle. It is handy enough for one-handed operation. The rear surface utilizes a special pattern that allows you to grip it comfortably and helps prevent it from slipping away.
An earphone jack is available on the top side for easy listening while the bottom offers a standard microUSB port for fast-charging and file transfers.
The volume key can be found on the left side and the power button is located on the right side.
The rear has the primary camera with flash, and the loud speaker.
The front of the phone displays the sleek 5.0 inch QHD screen, the selfie camera and flash, and the receiver on the top. The bottom front part shows the physical home button and embedded icons for recently used apps and the back button.
The back cover can be removed for access to the replaceable 2600mAh battery, a SIM slot, and the hybrid SIM slot that can contain a SIM card and microSD card.
Performance
Pros
The phone is quite responsive. Swiping from one open app to the next is quick because of its 1.4 GHz Cortex-A53 quadcore processor. Call quality is very good and the speaker, though not as powerful as others, sound clear enough.
The front camera, just like the rear camera, comes with flash functionality. Pictures taken from either camera are good enough for the average user though there are a few deficiencies. The following pictures were taken without any filters and resized for publication.
As can be seen from the photos, the rear camera has no problem with close up and wide shots. However it struggles when taking photos under low light conditions. Extreme light can also be a challenge as the colors become washed out. Fortunately, there are predefined filters and a Pro mode that lets you adjust some camera settings. The selfie camera also comes with filters and customization settings.
The videos recorded using the Samsung Galaxy J2 Prime are very good and clear provided you have moderate to excellent lighting. Here are a couple of sample videos.
Cons
Two things you should be aware of before buying this phone.
- The bloatware will consume more than half of the allotted 8GB storage for the phone. You will find this out when you open it for the first time and it updates the apps to the most recent version. This means you will not be able to install a lot of apps. While you may be able to remove some native apps and disable the others, you will still find yourself lacking space for apps you want to install. It is therefore essential to install a microSD card where you can install your music, photos and other files. Special Note: You cannot transfer your apps to an SD card by default. In order to do that you may have to root the phone.
- The 1.5 GB RAM and limited storage limits you to installing non-graphically-intensive games. At best, this unit is only suitable for casual gaming.
Verdict
We cannot complain about the screen and the performance. It is just right for this kind of phone at this price point. The camera’s are average but good for quick selfies and sharing on social media on-the-spot. If you want to take a lot of photos, it is recommended that you also purchase and use a Samsung microSD card.
Samsung’s Galaxy J2 Prime is the budget phone for quick calls, SMS messages, light casual gaming. It is not for everyone.
But if you have a tight budget and you want a smartphone that:
a. Fits your pocket
b. Is easy to handle
c. Will let you upload photos as soon as you take them
This is the handset you are looking for.
For more information on pricing and other details, click here.