Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016) leaked further

At the end of last year, the first legitimate-looking leaked images of the Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016) surfaced, along with some spec details. The device would feature a display slighter larger than the original 2015 variant, along with a somewhat new front design language for Samsung. Today what appears to be full-on press renders have surfaced, courtesy of veteran leaker Evan Blass, perhaps better known by his Twitter handle, @evleaks.

Based on previous leaks, it seems the device, which spec-wise should be rather wallet-friendly, will feature a 4.5-inch display of 480X800 pixels, an Exynos 3457 SoC with Mali-720 graphics, 1GB of RAM, a 5-megapixel rear camera and 2-megapixel front camera, and ship with Android 5.1.1.

Based on the specs, it can also be assumed the device will not have an AMOLED display but instead opt for LCD, will not have back-lit capacative buttons, will not have an embedded fingerprint sensor.  The display has been increased from the 4.3-inches of the original Galaxy J1, however the resolution has not. RAM has been increased, from 512MB to 1GB. The SoC and GPU have also been increased over their original, and – assuming the original leak was legitimate – Samsung is apparently going to be putting its own silicon inside.

The key take away here, aside from the aforementioned screen size increase, is the clear redesign that Samsung is going for with the front of the phone. Whereas the Galaxy series has always made due with single color front faces (light patterns aside), the Galaxy J1 (2016) is clearly opting for a two-toned approach provided the White or Gold variants are considered.

Notice how the black boarder around the display actually extends to the earpiece on top. This is an almost playful, fun look which serves to elevate what might otherwise be seen as a standard-affair budget product into something that looks more visually stimulating. As was mentioned in the original leak post, the approach almost makes one recall the second generation VAIO P that Sony released a number of years back:

At the moment it is unclear as to when Samsung plans to formally announce the new Galaxy J (2016) series. Given today’s new leak, it would appear press materials have already been prepared – at least somewhat – and as a working model has apparently already been photographed, it might be safe to believe sometime within the next few weeks would be the proper timing. At the very least one might expect Samsung to make a move before the formal unveiling of its new Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge, now widely believed to be unpacking in February and possible hitting China in March.

On a final note, given that the 2015 Galaxy J series gave birth to several size variants, it is likely Samsung will have at least one other installment this year as well. The question is what size it/they may be, as this J1 is now larger than its progenitor: so too would a Galaxy J5 be as well? Only time will tell!

We’re interested to hear what you think! Does the Galaxy J1 (2016) look like a winner? Would you be interested in seeing this design language used on more Samsung devices in the coming months? Does the two-tone front remind you of a different product? Please leave your comments below and tell us!