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Samsung Galaxy J3 gets a 2017 refresh

What do you get with a superbudget handset? Dive in and find out.

Jessica Dolcourt
Jessica is a passionate content strategist and team leader across the CNET family of brands. She leads a number of teams, including commerce, performance optimization and the copy desk. Her CNET career began in 2006, testing desktop and mobile software for Download.com and CNET, including the first iPhone and Android apps and operating systems. She continued to review, report on and write a wide range of commentary and analysis on all things phones, with an emphasis on the iPhone and Samsung devices. Jessica was one of the first people in the world to test, review and report on foldable phones and 5G wireless speeds. Jessica began her leadership role managing CNET's How To section for tips and FAQs in 2019, guiding coverage of topics ranging from personal finance to phones to home. She holds an MA with Distinction from the University of Warwick in the UK.
Jessica Dolcourt
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1 of 8James Martin/CNET

The Samsung Galaxy J3 update for 2017 is a nice-looking phone for a very low price.

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2 of 8James Martin/CNET

The stripe along the back adds a little visual flair.

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3 of 8James Martin/CNET

It runs the latest version of Android, 7.0 Nougat.

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4 of 8James Martin/CNET

Samsung also made the processor faster and added a greater external storage capacity.

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5 of 8James Martin/CNET

The battery is removable, just like last year's model.

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6 of 8James Martin/CNET

Unfortunately, the phone is really sluggish.

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7 of 8James Martin/CNET

Photos from the 5-megapixel camera (and 2-megapixel front-facing cam) are notably lacking.

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8 of 8James Martin/CNET

The new J3 for 2017 brings you all the smartphone essentials you need, but we've gotta recommend the Motorola Moto E4 instead; you'll get more for less money. Here's why.

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