Samsung, Galaxy J7 prime 2, India, launch, price
Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime 2 comes with 5.5-inch full HD display having 16:9 aspect ratioSamsung India (sceen-grab)

Unlike rival brands, Samsung has launched the new Galaxy J7 Prime 2 without much fanfare in India. The company has listed the Android mid-range phone on the company's official page with price details.

Going by the specs, the new phone has a very modest upgrade over its predecessor. The new Galaxy J7 Prime 2 costs Rs 13,999 and is in a direct fight with the popular Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 and the Note 5 Pro, which fall in the same price range.

The new Galaxy J7 Prime sports a metal-clad shell on the back with 5.5-inch full HD display having 16:9 aspect ratio and 13MP front camera.

Under-the-hood, the new Samsung phone comes with 1.6GHz Exynos 7 octa-core processor backed by 3GB RAM, 32GB RAM and a 3,300mAh battery, which the company claims can offer 21 hours of talk time.

Samsung, Galaxy J7 prime 2, India, launch, price
Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime 2 with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage costs Rs 13,990 in IndiaSamsung India (sceen-grab)

On the other hand, the generic Redmi Note 5, whose price starts Rs 9,999 also comes with a metal cover on the back but offers bigger 5.9-inch full HD+ (2160x1080p) display having latest 18:9 aspect ratio guaranteeing rich cinematic viewing experience.

Inside, it comes with Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 octa, 3GB/4GB RAM, 32GB/64GB storage, single 16MP primary rear camera, 5MP front snapper and a 4,000mAh battery.

The top-end Redmi Note 5 Pro price starts at Rs 13,999. It also features similar 5.99-inch display and 4,000mAh cell, as the generic Redmi Note 5. But, everything else is superior in this model.

It houses powerful 1.8GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 octa-core with 4GB / 6GB RAM and 64GB storage.

Xiaomi, Redmi Note 5, review, camera, design, display
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 sports a 5.99-inch FullView screen with full HD (2160x1080p) resolutionKVN Rohit/IBTimes India

It comes packed with better dual-camera: 12MP (with Sony IMX486, 1,25µm pixel size, f/2.2 aperture, PDAF,) +5MP (Samsung sensor, 1.12µm, f/2.0 aperture) having dual-tone LED flash.

And on the front, the Redmi Note 5 Pro features 20MP selfies camera having Sony IMX376 sensor, f/2.2 aperture, and dedicated front LED flash.

Going by the comparison, Galaxy J7 Prime 2 will have a hard time convincing shrewd Indian customers to spend money on it, who are already spoilt for choices in the highly competitive mid-range smartphone market. Besides the Redmi Note 5 [review] series, there are several good alternatives such as Honor 7X [review], Honor 9 Lite [review] and Moto G5s series, among others.

Key specifications of Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime 2, Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 and Redmi Note 5 Pro:

Models Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime 2 Redmi Note 5 Redmi Note 5 Pro
Display 5.5-inch full HD (1920x1080p) display with 16:9 aspect ratio 5.99-inch full HD+ (2160x1080p) screen with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection and 2.5D curved glass
  • Brightness: 450 nits and 84% NTSC color gamut
  • Aspect ratio: 18:9
  • Contrast ratio: 1000:1
5.99-inch full HD+ (2160x1080p) screen with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection and 2.5D curved glass
  • Brightness: 450 nits and 83% NTSC color gamut
  • Aspect ratio: 18:9
  • Contrast ratio: 1500:1
OS Android Nougat Android v7.1.2 Nougat-based MIUI 9 Android v7.1.2 Nougat-based MIUI 9
Processor 1.6GHz Samsung Exynos 7 series octa-core 14nm 2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 octa-core 14nm 1.8GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 octa-core
RAM 3GB Adreno 506 Adreno 512
Storage 32GB (+ expandable up to 256GB via microSD card)
  • Model 1: 3GB RAM+ 32GB storage
  • Model 2: 4GB RAM+ 64GB storage

(Note: Storage expandable up to 128GB)

  • Model 1: 4GB RAM+ 64GB storage (eMMC v5.0)
  • Model 2: 6GB RAM+ 64GB storage (eMMC v5.0)

(Note: Storage expandable up to 128GB)

Camera
  • Main: 13MP camera with F1.9 aperture, LED flash, full HD (1080p) video recording
  • Front: 13MP snapper
  • Main: 12MP rear-side camera dual-tone LED flash, 1.25µm pixel size, f/2.2 aperture, PDAF (Phase Detection Auto Focus)
  • Front: 5MP with f/2.0 aperture and LED flash
  • Main: 12MP (with Sony IMX486, 1,25µm pixel size, f/2.2 aperture, PDAF,)+5MP (Samsung sensor, 1.12µm, f/2.0 aperture) rear-side camera with dual-tone LED flash
  • Front: 20MP with Sony IMX376 sensor, f/2.2 aperture, full HD (1080p) and LED flash
Battery 3,300mAh
  • Talk time: up to 21 hours
  • Audio playback time: close to 84 hours
  • Video playback: up to 14 hours
4,000mAh (easily lasts full day under mixed usage) 4,000mAh (easily lasts full day under mixed usage)
Network 4G-LTE 4G-LTE dual stand by both the SIMs 4G-LTE dual stand by both the SIMs
Add-ons Dual-SIM slots, fingerprint sensor, Bluetooth v4.1, Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n), microUSB 2.0, GPS/GLONASS/Beidu, FM radio, 3.5 mm audio jack Fingerprint sensor, Face unlock (coming before March-end), hybrid dual-SIM (nano+nano or microSD), Infrared sensor, Bluetooth v5.0, Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n; dual-band: 2.4GHz+5GHz), GPS/GLONASS, 3.5 mm audio jack Fingerprint sensor, Face unlock (coming before March-end), hybrid dual-SIM (nano+nano or microSD), Infrared sensor, Bluetooth v5.0, Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n; dual-band: 2.4GHz+5GHz), GPS/GLONASS, 3.5 mm audio jack
Dimensions 151.7 x 75.0 x 8.0 mm 158.6 x 75.45 x 8.05 mm 158.6 x 75.45 x 8.05 mm
Weight 170g 181g 181g
Colors Gold and Black Black, Gold, Lake Blue and Rose Gold Black, Gold, Lake Blue and Rose Gold
Price Rs 13,990
  • Model 1 (4GB RAM+ 64GB storage): Rs 13,999
  • Model 2 (6GB RAM+ 64GB storage): Rs 16,999
  • Model 1 (4GB RAM+ 64GB storage): Rs 13,999
  • Model 2 (6GB RAM+ 64GB storage): Rs 16,999

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