Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Phones
  3. Android
  4. Mobile
  5. News

The budget-conscious Samsung Galaxy J3 is at Virgin Mobile now and coming to Boost Mobile

By
Add as a preferred source on Google

While everyone is getting excited for the Galaxy S7, Samsung went ahead and released its first phone of 2016 in the U.S. The Galaxy J3 might be the perfect phone for those looking for something that won’t break the bank.

This phone is already available in China as the Galaxy J3(6). You can grab it now from Virgin Mobile for $180, and it’s coming to Boost Mobile retail stores and select independent wireless retailers nationwide on Monday, January 18 for the same price, followed by online availability on Tuesday, January 19.

Recommended Videos

The Galaxy J3 has a 5-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 720p or 1,280 x 720 pixels. It’s powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core processor that’s most likely the Qualcomm Snapdragon 410. It also has 1.5GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage, which is very generous for a sub $200 phone. Plus, you can add an additional 128GB of storage via the MicroSD slot.

The rear camera comes in at 5 megapixels, while the front-facer sports 2 megapixels. The battery is 2,600mAh, which should provide fantastic battery life when you consider the display resolution and processor size.

Users will also enjoy enhanced LTE as well as 4G LTE, 3G, and HD Voice.

Lastly, Android 5.1 Lollipop is onboard, and while this isn’t the latest and greatest, Android 6.0 Marshmallow, it should be more than adequate for this phone.

If you’re unfamiliar with Boost Mobile or Virgin Mobile, both carriers offer very affordable plans.

Boost Mobile’s claim to fame is its “growing data” plans, which means your data grows provided you simply pay your bill on time. You get an increase of 500MB for every three on-time payments all the way up to 3GB for 18 on-time payments. Right now you can sign up for the $30 per month plan that includes unlimited talk and texts. It also includes 2GB of data, but that can grow to 5GB after 18 on-time payments. If you’re more data-hungry, you can opt for the $45 per month plan, which includes 5GB and can grow that to 8GB.

Virgin Mobile offers something very similar to T-Mobile’s Music Freedom, which allows you to stream music from a variety of apps without it counting toward your data allotment. Plans start at $35 per month and include unlimited talk and texts, as well as 1GB of high-speed data. You also get unlimited throttled data after you pass the 1GB mark each month.

Robert Nazarian
Robert Nazarian
Former Contributor
Robert Nazarian became a technology enthusiast when his parents bought him a Radio Shack TRS-80 Color. Now his biggest…
Topics
Huawei’s latest tri-fold phone is thinner, tougher, and wilder than ever
Executive, Person, Accessories

We’ve reached a point where a phone folding in half doesn’t feel particularly strange anymore. Huawei, however, is still determined to make foldables weird. The company has introduced the Mate XT 2 Ultimate Design, the second generation of its trifold smartphone. And while the basic idea remains familiar — two hinges, three sections, one enormous folding screen — Huawei has upgraded almost everything around it.

Fold the Mate XT 2 completely, and you get a relatively conventional 6.5-inch smartphone. Open another section when you need some extra room, or unfold the whole thing into a 10.2-inch, 3K display with an almost square 12.8:9 aspect ratio. Perhaps the wildest number is its thickness. Fully opened, the Mate XT 2 measures just 3.5mm. Naturally, stacking three sections of the phone on top of one another makes it considerably thicker, at 12.3mm when completely folded. And Huawei isn't being subtle about the "Ultimate Design" part either. Black, white, and purple finishes are paired with gold detailing, while the camera housing gets a star-diamond pattern. It's very clearly supposed to look as expensive as it is.

Read more
WhatsApp could soon let you call people who don’t have an account
WhatsApp is working on guest voice and video calls that let non-users join through a link without downloading the app, creating an account, or verifying a phone number.
Electronics, Mobile Phone, Phone

WhatsApp is preparing to eliminate one of its biggest friction points by letting you hop on voice and video calls with people who don't have an account. According to a new report from WABetaInfo, the messaging platform is working on a new guest calling feature for WhatsApp Web that'll let non-users join a call through a link without needing to download the app, create a profile, or verify their phone number.

Call anyone, no account needed

Read more
Apple is days away from launching a foldable, but its rivals just stole a head start
Two major Chinese phone makers have unveiled new foldables days before Apple's expected entry into the category, setting up what could be a pivotal week for folding phones.
Electronics, Phone, Mobile Phone

Apple may be about to make its long-awaited move into foldable phones, but Huawei and Xiaomi clearly have no intention of letting it have the week to itself. Both Chinese smartphone makers unveiled new flagship foldables in China on Monday, just two days before Apple is expected to introduce its first foldable iPhone. The timing is difficult to ignore. Foldables have been around for years, but an Apple entry could bring a fresh wave of attention to the category, and Huawei and Xiaomi want their newest hardware in the conversation before that happens.

Huawei is taking the more unusual route with the Mate XT 2, its second-generation trifold phone. Like its predecessor, it uses two hinges to transform from something resembling a regular smartphone into a much larger tablet-sized device. It is also the first Huawei phone based around the company’s new LogicFolding chip design philosophy. Xiaomi, meanwhile, has taken a different approach with the Xiaomi 18 Fold. Its passport-like folding design is notable because it resembles the form factor Apple is expected to use for its first foldable iPhone.

Read more