Galaxy J7 Max review: Excellent budget phone held back by poor performance

India is an important smartphone market, and every manufacturer worth its salt knows that. Samsung has been especially agile at taking steps to cement its position in the land's highly competitive mobile space, and the fact that Samsung launches devices sectional to India (followed by launches in a couple of small neighboring countries) is a good indication of the company's intentions.

Last yr, one of these exclusive devices that hit Republic of india was the Galaxy J7 Prime number. The J7 Prime brought many beginning-time features to Samsung's budget Galaxy J lineup, features that people were expecting would debut on the globally available 2016 editions of the Milky way J5 and Galaxy J7. The J7 Prime had a full metal body, a fingerprint sensor (one that is always active and doesn't demand to be pressed for device unlocking), and even a notification LED. Information technology made for an impressive package that would accept done well globally, but Samsung decided to keep its availability limited to Indian shores.

Now, less than a year afterward, the Galaxy J7 Prime's successor has fabricated its way to the Indian market in the form of the Galaxy J7 Max, with a price tag of. The Galaxy J7 Max is notable for being Samsung's 2d Android phone to exist powered by a MediaTek SoC, replacing the Korean giant'south entry-level Exynos chips that have been at the heart of most of its recent budget devices. It also brings dorsum a feature that no one wanted: Smart Glow, which is a large notification ring around the rear photographic camera that is supposed to be a better alternative to the simple yet e'er constructive standard notification LED.

In other respects, the Galaxy J7 Max is similar to the Galaxy J7 (2017), although it gets more RAM (4GB vs. the latter'southward 3GB) and higher storage (at least when compared to the J7 (2017)'due south European edition). Every bit I said in our hands-on of the device, the MediaTek chip (a Helio P20 clocked 2.39GHz) is a worrying aspect of the Galaxy J7 Max, as MediaTek processors aren't known for their performance. Merely then once again, neither are Samsung'southward low-finish Exynos chips, so existent-life performance should be rather similar, correct?

That's one of the questions our official Galaxy J7 Max review will answer, along with a detailed look at other aspects of the device. Allow'southward become to it.

Milky way J7 Max Review: Blueprint

At start glance, you would be hard-pressed to tell the J7 Max apart from whatsoever other recent Samsung phone (well, except the Milky way S8). But the J7 Max also looks rather handsome, at least on the blackness variant that I received for review. Information technology's a big device thanks to that 5.7-inch display, and its imposing figure makes for a visually appealing design.

At the back, Samsung has gone for a new design style that nosotros haven't seen on other Samsung devices. There's this thin line running across the height and dorsum and around the edges that would make you think the phone has a removable back, simply that's not the case. This is a metal unibody similar all recent upkeep phones from Samsung, although the overall feel in hand is something similar a mix of metallic and plastic. The phone tends to stick well to my hand as a outcome, and the only outcome I take is that the back can get visibly dirty with but a few hours of apply.

Of course, the Smart Glow band around the photographic camera is another thing that stands out. Other things, like the ports and buttons, are exactly where they usually are on Samsung phones. The loudspeaker is placed above the power push, like to the J7 Prime and 2017 versions of the Milky way A serial phones.

Display

It'south disappointing that Samsung didn't complement the handsome looks of the Galaxy J7 Max with a Super AMOLED display. The LCD display on the J7 Max isn't bad. In fact, it'due south 1 of the excellent panels I've seen on a budget phone. It'due south a Full Hd brandish (five.7 inches in size) so the sharpness is spot on, and the contrast and viewing angles are as well impressive. Maximum brightness is where the display falls behind Samsung's AMOLED panels, although I didn't actually have issues making out things on the display out in the harsh Indian sunlight.

Yet, it just doesn't feel correct that Samsung isn't offer a Super AMOLED display on the J7 Max, despite keeping information technology a feature on the more mainstream Galaxy J handsets. Unsurprisingly, at that place is no back up for Ever On Display, which is offered on the Galaxy J7 (2017). Overall, the screen on the J7 Max doesn't disappoint, but an AMOLED display would have made the deal notably sweeter.

Smart Glow

Well, this is where the J7 Max differentiates itself from other J series devices launched this yr. The Smart Glow notification ring was introduced on the Galaxy J2 (2016) as an culling for the standard notification light (which was offered on the J7 Prime number only isn't there on the J7 Max). It's a nifty idea, particularly given Samsung offers a great bargain of customization for the ring'south colors, just it's a useless feature for anyone who doesn't go along their phone upside down.

Smart Glow on the J7 Max works exactly every bit it did on the Milky way J2 (2016), so I will simply point yous to the latter'southward review if you need more than details. Again, it's a characteristic that won't be handy for anyone who doesn't keep their phone upside down when it's not in use. Samsung says information technology'southward designed with higher students in listen, but Smart Glow would be infinitely more useful if information technology were something around the domicile button. Or, well, Samsung could just do abroad with it and stick to a standard notification LED, as that hasn't ever let anyone down.

Camera

The Milky way J7 Max has what Samsung calls an "f/1.7 flagship camera". Confused? Well, then was I at start, until I realized Samsung is equating this camera to a flagship because it has the same low aperture as the cameras on the company'due south flagships phones. f/1.seven is the lowest discontinuity y'all tin can find on smartphones, and compared to the usual f/1.9 cameras on Samsung'due south budget and mid-range phones, the J7 Max's camera manages to capture noticeably more calorie-free because of the reduced aperture.

I've already written about the cameras on the Milky way J7 Max, on how the device brings a good camera feel to Samsung's budget lineup, so I will try to keep it brusk hither. The 13-megapixel rear camera on the J7 Max can have great pictures, at least when you lot consider the phone's toll tag. Photos taken outdoors in proficient lighting have plenty of detail, although the colors do come out a bit too dull at times, and Samsung's photographic camera app no longer tends to blur out images. The camera tin take an extra second before responding in one case the shutter push button is pressed, but I found it took milk shake-free photos for the most office, something I can't say nigh the 2017 editions of the Galaxy A lineup.

At nighttime, the f/1.7 aperture helps in letting in more light. Night photos and those taken indoors aren't commonly too sharp, only again, for a budget smartphone, the result is frequently very usable and of a higher quality than what ane could achieve with Samsung's old upkeep smartphone cameras. Naturally, shake creeps in extremely night situations, and so it's best non to get too comfortable and a practiced idea to keep the phone every bit stable as possible when you're shooting in extra dark conditions. Or, well, you tin can always plow on the flash.

Here are samples from the rear camera:

The selfie camera on the J7 Max is likewise a xiii-megapixel sensor, with f/1.9 aperture. Photos aren't as detailed as ane would await, but I plant that selfies taken on this phone look quite make clean, with barely any dissonance when lighting is skilful or when you're shooting outdoors. Even indoors, the telephone manages to grab plenty of calorie-free, with simply a tiny chip of noise creeping in as one would expect. Thankfully, the front flash works wonders in improving selfie quality in poor lighting atmospheric condition, with the screen likewise turning white when the wink is on to farther increment the amount of lite that gets thrown on your face.

As for the camera app, information technology's the same equally the 1 found on the Galaxy S8 and S8+, with the floating camera button from the A (2017) series included. The J7 Max does accept a unique feature that y'all won't find on any other Samsung phone: Instant Share. With Instant Share, earlier you start taking pictures, y'all tin add a couple of WhatsApp, Messenger, and other contacts to the photographic camera app. Then, after yous're washed taking pictures, you can hitting either of the contact names on the screen, and the camera app will take you directly to the relevant app, with the images already added to that particular app'due south share function.

The J7 Max also gets a dedicated camera mode that takes the help of Smart Glow to take selfies via the rear photographic camera. You aim the rear camera at yourself, and if your face gets detected, the Smart Glow ring will wink once before a timed capture is initiated. Other modes on the camera app include defended modes for nighttime and HDR photography, and besides an Anti-fog style that I wasn't able to test out properly to see what kind of difference information technology makes. For the front camera, you get a wide selfie (panorama) mode, and you can too take images with sound of up to 9 seconds in length via the Sound and Shot way.

Software

Android 7.0 Nougat with Samsung'south newest user interface is onboard the Milky way J7 Max. It'southward the Samsung Experience UX that debuted on the Milky way S8; in that location's no Bixby hither, but you take the new app icons and overall user interface that are found on Samsung'due south flagship. Well, a blue light filter option is as well missing, but that is probably an inconsistency issue rather than something Samsung will proceed with other devices, as the Milky way J5 and Galaxy J7 (2017) do take the feature.

Since this is the aforementioned interface equally the S8'southward, you become an updated launcher where accessing the app drawer is done past swiping up or downwardly on the habitation screen, with the option to remove the apps button from the home screen dock. Y'all can also disable the app drawer and put all app shortcuts on the home screen, giving you a higher degree of customization than has been seen on previous Samsung phones (fifty-fifty those that take gotten the Nougat update).

Elsewhere, the Milky way J7 Max has many of the features that are now common across Samsung'south lineup, including support for themes, Multi Window multitasking, and Secure Folder. A new feature called Dual Messenger, which lets you lot use two different versions of the aforementioned social networking app so you can use different accounts, comes loaded on the J7 Max, and likewise other 2017 Galaxy J handsets. Information technology's exclusive to the J series, merely will hopefully come to other devices in the hereafter.

The J7 Max also comes with Samsung Pay Mini. It's a stripped down version of Samsung Pay and only supports wallets (like PayTM and Mobikwik) and India'due south Unified Payments Interface (UPI) service. UPI can exist accessed on any characteristic or smartphone with a SIM card inside, just Samsung Pay Mini does make the process of using UPI a lot more convenient. Convenience, in fact, is what Samsung Pay Mini is almost, and it can't offer the usefulness of the full-fledged version of Samsung Pay.

Operation

If you lot follow SamMobile on a regular basis, you lot accept probably stumbled upon this article I wrote about how Samsung's software, which isn't the most optimized out there, and a MediaTek processor are a friction match made in hell. Well, in example yous didn't, that commodity was well-nigh how the Galaxy J7 Max suffers from performance issues in less than a month of use. Since then, performance on this device has become even worse, and it's something that simply negates all the positives of the telephone in my opinion.

From taking a few seconds to unlock (especially when you lot open a notification from the lock screen) to getting stuck when I'm trying to take a moving picture later firing upwards the camera, the J7 Max can lag and stutter at the most inopportune moments. At one moment, things will exist going smoothly, and at the next, yous'll notice the phone taking its time to practice what you lot're asking it to do. Virtually of the stutters happen when you've been using an app or 2 for a while and of a sudden go, for example, to the domicile screen or open the camera app to accept a picture show. Switching betwixt two apps by double borer the multitasking/recent apps fundamental also makes the telephone lag at times, taking away the do good that the Nougat-specific gesture is supposed to offer.

Is MediaTek to blame? Is it Samsung's software, which just isn't as optimized every bit other custom Android skins? Is it a combination of both, with Samsung possibly non fully capable of optimizing the MediaTek chip simply yet? I have no clue, simply I do know that this sort of performance during regular usage is not acceptable, and Samsung should have worked harder at optimization earlier releasing this device on the market.

Thankfully, gaming is handled with aplomb by the J7 Max, at to the lowest degree when you consider the performance problems of the general software. High-terminate titles like Modern Gainsay v and Asphalt 8 offer a playable frame rate as long as yous stick to the default graphics settings. Multitasking likewise benefits from the 4GB of RAM, which is higher than the J5 (2017) and J7 (2017). The 32GB internal storage ways you can install a ton of apps before the telephone complains of low storage, and you also get proper expandable storage in addition to 2 SIM slots.

The Galaxy J7 Max has a quick fingerprint sensor, similar to the one that we saw on the J7 Prime number. It's always-on, so you don't need to press the dwelling house push to unlock the phone, although, like whatsoever of Samsung's phones, the fingerprint sensor can oft fail at detecting your fingerprint. Y'all also get facial recognition on the J7 Max; it doesn't always work, and when it does, it's not ever too quick. Information technology's nevertheless overnice to accept, though, given the price tag of this phone.

Audio and Call Quality

The J7 Max has a pretty good external speaker. Information technology'south loud and doesn't notably distort at full volume – it's so loud that a few folks in my office complained when the phone started ringing on an incoming call. It'south tuned towards loftier frequencies (treble); that'southward not to say it totally lacks depth, but sometimes the speaker can sound a bit as well shrill, especially in lower quality audio and video. Simply overall audio output from the speaker is impressive.

The supplied earphones are budget-grade, and so don't await corking quality when y'all plug them in. As e'er, there's not a lot of depth to the sound output over the earphones, and it'south only the high volume that manages to stand out. Equally for call quality, I had no issues with the J7 Max at any moment. I could always conspicuously hear the person at the other end, and my vocalisation besides went through without trouble. Network performance was non a trouble, either, with the phone managing to offer fast LTE speeds and catching on to a signal on either of my SIM cards.

Battery Life

A full day, with moderate to heavy usage. That's the kind of battery life the Galaxy J7 Max's 3,300 mAh bombardment manages to offer, both on Wi-Fi and LTE and with two SIMs within, on most days. Yous tin easily get in to the adjacent morning and proceed using the phone well into the afternoon with sparing use, simply if you're looking for 2-twenty-four hour period battery life, you lot will probably take to cut downwardly on usage and possibly remove the 2d SIM carte if yous're using 1.

But over again, the phone easily gets through a day no matter what, and slightly more than if you apply the congenital-in power saving modes. What you don't get is fast charging. It doesn't matter if you hook it up to a higher rated charger than the one Samsung supplies – the phone hands takes around 2 hours and 30 minutes to reach full charge.

Decision

Never earlier have I used a budget Samsung phone that does so many things well, even matching mid-range phones in some aspects. The camera is the all-time I've seen on any non-flagship Samsung phone in the last ii years, the phone has a premium design with all-day battery life (and more than, if y'all don't subject it to heavy use all the time), and it gets peachy features like facial recognition.

Which is why it'due south extremely disappointing that the J7 Max suffers from poor performance, even with non-so-enervating usage. Y'all tin can never tell when the phone will starting time lagging and stuttering, and it makes for an irritating user experience. The performance issues are what y'all will have to live with if you intend to buy the Galaxy J7 Max. They are certainly dismissable given the other strengths of the phone, and if you can alive with the lag, the J7 Max suddenly becomes an impressive budget phone in Samsung's stable.

Just I would be remiss if I didn't mention that in that location are quite a few alternatives from other manufacturers that you lot should accept a look at. In that location'due south the Moto G5 Plus, which also has a flagship-like photographic camera (information technology comes with dual pixel autofocus, same equally the Milky way S8), and Xiaomi'due south Redmi Note four. Fifty-fifty the Nokia 6 will shortly be releasing in India, although that device will only exist made available via a wink sale model, meaning information technology won't exist too easy to get your hands on ane.

In Samsung's camp, the Galaxy J7 Prime is a ameliorate, cheaper alternative. It doesn't match the J7 Max on all specs and its camera can be called strictly average, just again, for a lower price, information technology makes a lot of sense. If yous can increment your upkeep, the Galaxy J7 Pro is likewise an interesting device, with the same photographic camera as the J7 Max, an AMOLED display, a bigger battery, back up for Samsung's Always On Display feature, and even the total-fledged version of Samsung Pay.

Merely, if you have your mind assail the Galaxy J7 Max, it's certainly a good phone to spend your money on given its listing of positives. Simply don't say I didn't warn y'all when the performance bug arise just a few weeks later and brand you experience similar you made the wrong decision.

Pros	Cons
Skillful cameras that defy the cost tag	Abysmal performance at times in regular usage
Solid design, good to concord	No AMOLED display
Competent, abrupt LCD display	Smart Glow not useful for everyone
All-solar day battery life	Why is bluish light filter missing?
Good quality output through speaker	Battery life could have been better
Latest Samsung software
Dual Messenger is handy

Source: https://www.sammobile.com/2017/08/03/galaxy-j7-max-review

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