So, you’re interested in buying the Samsung Galaxy J6. Good choice, but is it a budget device that packs a punch? Let’s talk about this below.
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The J series was discontinued by Samsung a while back in favor of the newer M and A series of lower to mid-range Samsung phones. We checked, but couldn't find any stores that sell new devices. If you are still adamant on getting the J6 though, your best option would be a second-hand phone which would cost around Rs. 20,000.
It’s no surprise that the J6 rocks a plastic body. Samsung’s not a fan of glass backs on lower and mid-range devices.
Surprisingly, the J6 isn’t that light. It’s got some heft to it, being a 154-gram device. It also feels nice in your hands. The phone’s not too big and has rounded edges.
Its back is not super glossy. Samsung decided to go for a more metallic look, so the J6 has a pearl-like sheen. If you look at it from a distance, you might even think that it had a metal rear instead of a plastic one.
We mentioned that it’s not too big, but did we talk about its dimensions? You’re getting a 149.3 x 70.2 x 8.2 mm device.
It’s 2020 and fingerprint sensors are staples. It’s on the back, as you’d expect.
We have to say, its buttons are tactile and easy to reach.
What more could you want? A MicroSD slot and headphone jack, maybe? The phone comes with these two as well.
You’re getting a 5.6-inch display. By today’s standards, this is small as most phones are over 6 inches. Most phones these days, even the budget ones, come with very few bezels. This isn’t what you’re getting with the J6.
Although its sides barely have any bezels, there are large ones on the top and bottom of the display. This is why it comes with a 76.5% screen-to-body ratio. Newer budget devices like the A20 have ratios of 85.0%, so what do you think?
Thankfully, you’re getting a very vivid screen. The one on the J6 is Super AMOLED. But is it detailed? Yes, for its price. The device comes with a 720 x 1480-pixel screen resolution. If you look close, you’ll notice blurriness, unfortunately.
Samsung’s not only a fan of giving their budget devices plastic backs, but they tend to give their phones small batteries.
How small is the battery on the J6, you ask? 3000 mAh. Samsung’s 2015 flagship, the S6, came with a 2550 mAh unit just to put things into perspective.
You can barely last a day with it. However, using it sparingly would make it last for a day, even more.
Unfortunately, the J6 does not come with fast charging. It takes the phone around 2 and a half hours to go from 0-100%.
Being a budget device from some years back, you may be wondering if its battery is removable. The answer is no.
You’re getting the Exynos 7870 chip with your purchase. It works best in the 4 gig variant of the device.
Speaking of memory variants, you can choose from 32 or 64 gigs of space along with 3 or 4 gigs of RAM. As we mentioned, the device can be expanded with a microSD card.
Its chipset doesn’t hide that the J6’s on the lower end of the price spectrum. By no means is it bad, but heavy tasks can deplete the battery. Everyday tasks are a breeze though.
Gaming-wise, overheating is an issue. Don’t expect to game too extensively.
In terms of what Android version you get, the J6 comes with Android 8 out of the box. If you’re excited for Android 10, know that the phone is getting the update.
Samsung’s not a fan of stock android. Although their UI has bloatware, it’s been customized to make the J6 easy to use.
The J6’s camera is not the best. It struggles to produce colour-accurate shots, especially in low light. The phone is unable to capture complex light sources as well, so stay away from settings with varying degrees of light intensities.
Its camera comes with multiple camera modes, however. They’re fun to play with and its HDR mode makes shots somewhat vibrant.
Front camera-wise, things look the same. Like the back camera, things go south in dim-lit settings.
Does the J6 tickle your fancy? Tell us in the comments below! In the meantime, let’s compare the J6 with a couple of alternatives.
Compared to the J6, the A10 is a giant. The phone’s 6.2 inches, giving you a more immersive viewing experience.
Not only is it bigger, but it’s heavier too. It feels more premium in your hand, being a 168-gram device. This doesn’t mean it’s made from more premium materials, sadly. The A10 has a plastic body. Is it metallic like the J6? No, it has a cheap matte effect.
One of the few positive things about it includes the display size. You have an IPS LCD screen. This means colours are not as vibrant as AMOLEDs. Thankfully, IPS LCDs are known to be sharp.
Speaking of sharpness, the A10 has a more detailed screen, but not by much. Its screen resolution is 720 x 1520 pixels.
What do you think about its screen to body ratio? It’s more impressive than the J6’s, at 81.6%. You barely get as much bezel action, which is refreshing.
The A10 comes with a more powerful chipset. This isn’t a surprise as it was released a year after the J6. In terms of what you get, it’s the Exynos 7884 chip.
What version of Android does the Exynos 7884 chip power? Android 9 out of the box. The A10 can be upgraded to Android 10, thankfully.
Did we mention its memory variants yet? Although you get more storage space, with 32 or 64 gig variants, there are inferior RAM options. You can only choose from 2 or 4 gigs of RAM, instead of 3 or 4 gigs like its counterpart.
If you’re wondering, yes, the phone comes with a MicroSD slot. We’d be surprised if it didn’t.
Battery-wise, you’re getting a unit that’s larger by 400 mAh. Is this shocking? Not really. The A10’s screen is much larger, so it needs more power to feed it. You’re probably wondering how it fairs. Well, the A10 can last a day.
Once again, we don’t get fast charging. The A10 nearly takes 3 hours to fully charge, which is worse than the J6.
We just have to talk about its cameras. The rear set up is identical to the one on the J6, in terms of specs at least. This isn’t true for the front camera, however. You’re getting a higher resolution 8 MP unit.
The Samsung A20e is super glossy. This is especially true for its black variant. Its back is very mirror-like. It’s gorgeous and feels well built. We would’ve loved it if the phone was heavier, though. You’re getting a 141-gram device, which is a feather compared to the Samsung J6.
It’s larger, but not by much. The A20e is 5.8 inches, so it fits nicely into your hands.
Its screen is not Super AMOLED. Unfortunately, you get a PLS TFT display. It’s similar to an LCD panel, so we’re disappointed.
That being said, the A20e barely has any bezels. You’re getting a device that comes with an 80.4% screen to body ratio. It’s better, but is it the best? Not really.
It isn’t a surprise to know that it comes with a more detailed screen as well. You’re getting a screen resolution of 720 x 1560 pixels.
Processor-wise, you’re met with the Exynos 7884 again. It also has Android 9 out of the box. Yes, the A20e can be upgraded to Android 10.
You’re not getting much memory variants. There’s one to choose from, with 32 gigs of storage space and 3 GBs of RAM. If it’s any consolation, the Samsung device accepts microSD cards.
We’re thrilled that it has fast charging. With your purchase, you’re getting a 15 W fast charger that takes the A20e around an hour and a half to go from 0-100%.
So, how big is its battery? 3000 mAh. It’s as large as the J6’s but doesn’t last as long. It barely lasts a day.
The A20e has a superior camera set up. You’re getting a 13 MP primary sensor along with a 5 MP secondary sensor. The front camera is 8 MPs.
We think that the Samsung J6 is a great phone. Not only is it budget-friendly, but when compared to newer devices it holds up fairly well. This is especially true when compared with the A10. And next to the more expensive A20e, it especially held its own when it came to battery and display.
If you’re thinking of making the purchase, go for it!
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