If (for a wise reason) you don't want to spend your hard cash on the recently launched Galaxy Note 8, Samsung has announced the Galaxy J7 Plus as its next dual-camera setup featuring smartphone. The new smartphone is designed to be a superior version of the existing Galaxy J7 and is initially debuting in Thailand.
Samsung has provided a 13-megapixel camera sensor with an F1.7 lens and an F1.9 lens featuring 5-megapixel camera sensor. The latter is a monochrome sensor -- available to capture a more detailing copy of the colored image. Ultimately, the twin-camera system helps to enhance bokeh effect and enables sharper focus on objects.
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Despite being similar in terms of sporting two camera sensors, the Galaxy J7 Plus and Galaxy Note 8 are two distinct options by Samsung. Even the dual-camera setup on the Note model includes lenses with different focal length and accompanies technologies such as a phase-detection autofocus (PDAF) and optical image stabilisation (OIS). These are absent from the new Galaxy J series handset.
Standard features
Barring the dual-camera setup, the Galaxy J7 Plus is an ordinary mid-range offering. The smartphone has a 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display with full-HD (1920x1080 pixels) resolution and a 2.39GHz octa-core processor. It comes with 4GB of RAM, 32GB of onboard and a microSD card slot to expand the built-in storage by up to 256GB.
Samsung has given Android 7.1 Nougat on top of its TouchWiz UX. The handset also has proprietary features such as an always-on display option and fingerprint sensor support. Further, there is voice-enabled Bixby Home and dual messenger functionality to support up to two accounts on apps such as WhatsApp and Instagram.
There is a 3,000mAh battery that packs in a full metal body. Besides, Samsung has built the front panel of the smartphone with a 2.5D curved glass and a selfie-camera that includes an autofocus lens.
The Galaxy J7 Plus is available in the Thailand market with a price of S$526 (approximately US$389). Details about its global launch are yet to be revealed. But the smartphone is expected soon reach stores in other Asian markets.
Strategy in the background
Samsung's strategy with the new Galaxy J model is quite clear. The South Korean company doesn't want its limited presence in the mid-range market and is also aimed to sit against companies like Asus, Huawei, Lenovo, OnePlus and Xiaomi that all are bringing new dual-camera smartphones under sub-US$400 price.
