Boost Mobile has a lot of affordable smartphones, but the BDT 19,000 Samsung Galaxy J7 is one of the better phablets in the bunch. Think of it as a larger, more powerful version of the entry-level Galaxy J3, proud of the latest Android software, a better processor, and an attractive display. It comes with some relatively rare features compared to midrange phones such as dual-band Wi-Fi for mobile payments and NFC. This is a tough option if you are looking for a capable phablet that will not break the bank.
Design, features, and display
Measuring 6.0 by 3.1 by 3.1 inches (HWD) and 6.0 ounces, the J7 is basically a larger version of the J3 (5.6 by 2.8 by 0.3 inches, 4.9 ounces), which is the Galaxy S4. It will look like this. The phone has Samsung’s standard design language, with two capacitive controls and a physical home button on the front, a band of invisible chrome plastic on the side, and a back made of solid white polycarbonate.
The J7 Stylus equipped is almost the same size as the LG Stylo 2 (6.1 by 3.1 by 0.3 inches, 5.1 ounces), though it’s about an ounce heavier. It is slightly extended for one-handed use, but the relatively slim build makes it slide into your pocket.
Network performance and connectivity
Boost Mobile Sprint is one of the low-cost weapons, so you can see that network performance is identical in both carriers. J7 supports LTE bands 2/4/5/12/25/26/41. Sprint didn’t have the best data speeds, but our latest mobile network tests show that the provider is making a big comeback with faster download and upload speeds than ever before. Unfortunately, I did not experience this improved speed while testing in midtown Manhattan. In most cases, downloads and uploads remain single digits, but it is compatible with other Sprint phones tested in the same spread.
The voice calls are clean but have a rigid robotic edge, which makes the conversation a bit unpleasant. On the plus side, the volume of the earpiece is loud and the sound cancellation background is good for blotting the sound.
Rare of a midrange phone, the J7 has dual-band Wi-Fi and NFC. The former creates opportunities for improved Wi-Fi performance.
Processor, battery, and camera
The J7 is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 processor clocked at 1.4GHz. It scored a solid 33,107 on the Antutu benchmark, which tests the performance of the overall system. It is much better than the Snapdragon 410-powered Stylo 2 (26,822) and the Exynos 3475-powered Galaxy J3 (17,284). Performance is smoother when launching applications and multitasking. While there were several apps running in the background, I didn’t notice any slowdown; With 2GB of RAM, you won’t hit the RAM usage limit. High-end games like Asphalt 8 and GTA San Andreas play smoothly with minimal control delays.
Battery life is also good. The J7 stood our test in 6 hours and 21 minutes, so we set the screen brightness to the maximum and stream full-screen video over LTE. The way you get it is almost the same with the Stylo 2 (6 hours, 6 minutes), although the smaller Galaxy J3 effectively surpasses both in 9 hours and 27 minutes. However, all-day use is not a problem and you can always remove the removable battery.
