Galaxy J7 Max

For budget smartphones, the Samsung Galaxy J7 Max is not the one with the fastest speed but it is a great option for those users who prioritize updated software and camera over other things. The device was launched in June 2017. if you are in this budget range, there are two reasons to consider this smartphone. It runs on Android Nougat and has a great camera. 

The Galaxy J7 Max is considered to be the epitome of the South Korean giant’s evolution while still keeping some of the things that consumers dislike about the company. It doesn’t offer class-leading specifications. However, it is surely a result of large-scale market research.

Display

The J7 Pro, which is slightly more expensive, has an AMOLED panel. Many are curious why the J7 Max doesn’t have the same technology. However, Samsung uses another technology for this one. The J7 Max’s 5.7-inch panel has a TFT display with Samsung’s PLS technology.

PLS technology prevents viewing angle issues which are commonly found in TFT displays from happening. Black levels do meet the IPS standards; however, they are not on par with AMOLED panels. The display of the Galaxy J7 Max looks slightly washed out but with decent black levels and color saturation. The glass has a premium feel to it. But you could get a much better display with smartphones like Xiaomi Redmi Note 4, Moto G5 Plus, and many more.

The Galaxy J7 Max has similar touch issues to the Galaxy A5. The phone requires users to repeatedly tap an app or button whenever it does not respond to touches. While the phone’s display isn’t its strong point, it is still one of the best TFT panels.

The Samsung Galaxy J7 Max comes with a unibody metal design with rounded corners. The phone feels premium more than its chief competitor, the Moto G5 Plus. It has a sturdy build. The Galaxy J7 Max is really aligned with the industry’s standards.

For those who love big smartphones, this one is for you. But a big smartphone also means that you need to have large pockets and you will have to shift your grip whenever you hold the smartphone with one hand.

On the left of the phone is the power button. As long as your hand size is medium to large, the button will be below your thumb. In order to reach the volume button which is on the upper half on the right side of the phone, you will have to shift your grip.

The rear edges of the phone are slightly curved. On its top and bottom are stylized plastic strips. On the front is the oval fingerprint slash home button. On either side houses touch-based keys for back and recent apps.

Chip

It is the MediaTek Helio P20 that causes the downfall of the Samsung Galaxy J7 Max. The chipset just isn’t powerful enough. The smartphone is slow and doesn’t feel snappy. Its price was not justifiable.

Apps need more time to load and on regular usage, the phone isn’t as responsive compared to other phones. Apps like Twitter, Facebook, etc. fell slow. While games’ frame rates are still playable, the loading times and in-game menus need more time than reasonable.

While the device has no heating issues, such performance would not cause excessive heating anyway. And as it is an Android phone, keep in mind that it would keep getting slower. It is frustrating to play games like Injustice 2 with this phone.

RAM – Internal Storage

The smartphone comes with only one RAM option with 4GB RAM and 32GB internal storage. There is a dedicated slot for microSD cards to expand the storage.

Battery

Given its size, a 3300 mAh battery seems small. Regular usage tests indicate that the phone can easily last you a full day of use. HD video can be streamed for more than 7 hours. The Galaxy J7 Max can give you 16 hours of battery life.

Camera

The camera is the best thing about J7 Max. The rear camera is 13 megapixels with f/1.7 aperture. It has the same UI as other phones from Samsung while its image quality is among the best.

No matter the light conditions, the Galaxy J7 Max is still able to produce great photos. The photos have good white balance and details.

Comparing the smartphone to the Moto G5 Plus, Samsung J7 Max’s ability is quite impressive. At times, in low-light conditions, J7 Max produces slightly brighter photos. The photos of the J7 Max lean toward the cooler side while those of the Moto G5 Plus are warmer.

However, the Samsung smartphone has trouble focusing on subjects whenever they are too close. The issue with the camera on the back is that in some cases, the colors of the photos may look a bit drab. Pictures taken in low-light conditions may suffer if you don’t switch to the dedicated HDR mode. The mode does a great job in bring out the details of the photos in bright and dark areas.

The phone can record Full HD videos. In good lighting, it can capture plenty of detail. However, optical image stabilization is not available. So, naturally, you shouldn’t move too much.

On the front is a 13MP selfie camera with f/1.9 aperture. It isn’t as good when compared with the rear camera. But it does take clean selfies with not much noise. When you move indoor, the detail is lost. However, it still manages to produce clean images. Next to the earpiece is a selfie flash that works subtly to take a balanced image.

The camera app is similar to that of Galaxy S8 and S8+. To access different shooting modes, you can just swipe right, left, up, or down. Double-pressing on the home button will launch the app. There are different shooting modes available for the rear camera. There is a Pro mode with which you can manually adjust the phone’s exposure, ISO, and white balance. For the front camera, there is a wide selfie mode that is just like a panorama mode.