The new Galaxy J6 with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage costs Rs 13,990 while the 4G RAM and 64GB storage version is priced at Rs 16,490. While both the versions, obviously, look the same, Samsung has introduced its almost bezel-less ‘Infinity Display’ with an aspect ratio of 18:5:9 in both. The dual-curved ‘Infinity Display’ was first introduced in the flagship Galaxy S8 series last year. However, the display in the new Galaxy J6 is not curved on its sides to keep costs down for consumers. After using the new Samsung Galaxy J6 (3GB RAM/ 32GB storage) for a couple of days, here is our review.
In-the-box
The Samsung Galaxy J6 comes with a charging adapter, microUSB cable for charging and data transfer and basic earphones. It’s a dual-SIM smartphone with separate SIM cards and microSD card slots.
Design
Samsung has finally done away with the traditional Galaxy looks found in the earlier budget Galaxy smartphones. Thanks to the new 18:5:9 aspect ratio ‘Infinity Display’, the new Samsung Galaxy J6 looks fresh with a great screen-to-body ratio. Despite housing a 5.6-inch screen, the device is compact and lightweight. You can easily use the device with one hands. The device looks simple with everything in place yet manages to make a statement. The rear of the new Galaxy J6 is made of polycarbonate bit feels premium. There is fingerprint scanner at the back while speaker vent is on the right side. The device comes with the standard microUSB port for charging and data transfer needs along with a 3.5mm headphones jack. Overall, the device feels solid in the hands and the build quality is premium. The smartphone is available in Blue, Black and Gold colour options.
Display
The Galaxy J6 sports a 5.6-inch HD+ Super AMOLED ‘Infinity Display’. As already mentioned, the screen-to-body ratio makes it look attractive. The display is without doubt one of the best in this price range. It is a delight to watch videos or movies and play games on it. The AMOLED panel makes every thing look vivid and the viewing angles are decent. As far as sunlight visibility is concerned, you shouldn’t face problems viewing the phone under direct sunlight only if the display is put to maximum brightness. Else, it’s a bit difficult.
Camera
The smartphone comes with a 13MP rear camera with an aperture of f/1.9 along with an 8MP front camera with the same aperture. There is an LED flash on both the sides. As far as imaging is concerned, the Galaxy J6 will easily please with you in daylight and good lightning conditions. The camera UI offers several options like HDR, Night Mode, Panorama, Beauty and Stickers. You can event opt for the Pro mode.
Talking about night photography, it seems to be a bit of weakness for the device. The lens with an aperture of f/1.9 and the sensor tries its best to provide accurate colours in low light, but the images appear grainy. Also, this device will not be able to deliver under complex lighting conditions like when you visit a club or disco to party. The selfie camera will easily impress you. Also, under low light, the LED flash in the front comes handy.
The camera mode (in auto) also allows visual search with Samsung Mall integration. This means you will have to just point the camera at a product that you wish to buy or search on e-commerce sites and Samsung Mall will list the product with their prices on different partner e-commerce sites like Jabong, ShopClues and TataCLiQ. By default, Amazon.in listings are shown. The products with the best visual search match gets listed. Samsung had earlier launched the Samsung Mall with its On7 Prime smartphone in January this year.
Software
The Samsung Galaxy J6 runs Android 8.0 Oreo-based TouchWiz UI. Samsung has literally loaded the phone with loads of software and even Facebook has been bundled as a bloatware. However, Samsung apps make the device ready out-of-the box and it might come handy for most average users. Thankfully, you can uninstall system apps if you feel they are bloatware affecting performance. Bixby seems to be forcefully integrated in the budget J6 and you will have very little clue as to what to do with it. Overall, it’s a smooth phone and the TouchWiz offers a neat experience. Not to forget, there is Samsung Pay Mini which makes digital payments easy and a Knox-powered ‘Secure Folder’ for you store to sensitive files. There is no word from Samsung as to whether the phone will get Android P update or not.
Performance
Overall, the device is a smooth performer. Average users will find it a delight to use while heavy gamers might complain about minor heating and some freezes while multi-tasking. But that’s okay as it doesn’t ruin the experience at all. The Galaxy J6 is powered by a 1.6GHz octa-core Exynos 7870 processor with Mali-T830 MP1 GPU. While the specs are decent for the price, given it’s made by the Samsung brand, it is recommended to opt for the 4GB RAM version for better performance in the long run. Samsung has worked a lot on optimising the UI for a smooth performance.
