I've always had Moto X phones, but Lenovo didn't bother with a follow-on to the Moto X Play (Moto Z Play was just too expensive), so I had to look for an alternative. The option that fit the bill was the J7 Prime.

Good screen; Good size; Snappy UI; Acceptable hw (3 GB memory; 16 GB storage; CPU 1.6 GB; Plenty of configuration options

Fingerprint scanner is slow; Slippery finish; Physical navigation buttons (vs on screenbuttons

This phone performs quite well. The only time you might notice any lag will be playing graphics heavy games, otherwise it's rather snappy. I love the design of the phone, and especially liked the aluminum body. I've had enough of glass backs on phones, they always crack.

The full metal body, 2.5D glass and satisfying performance of the J7 Prime is definitely something we would recommend to those out for a mid-range smartphone.

Performance

None

For Samsung, the year 2016 has been a mixed one so far. The company tasted success with the Galaxy S7 but then had to deal with the Note 7 fiasco. But even as these high profile devices grabbed most of the headlines, Samsung continued to work towards capturing a sizable market share in the...

Powerful device Long battery life

Flagship devices are very pricey today and repairing them can cost a bomb. Taking for example a device that costs about RM3,000, repairing the most easily damaged component – the display, can cost a third of the phone itself.

Affordable; Support for dual Nano-SIM; Has an 'Outdoor' mode for brighter display

Generic Samsung design; Performance could be better

While on one end, Samsung's flagship side of things is going quiet for the year, the budget segment is only getting busier. With a range of phones in the On, J and C series, Samsung has been making all possible combinations with the specs to push the phones. And why not, it's working for them!

Samsung launched the Galaxy On Nxt it in fact is exactly similar to the Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime that was silently launched few weeks back. Check this Samsung Galaxy on Nxt review to know about how well the handset performs.

While the Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime has yet to be officially announced, we've received info that it has started selling here in Malaysia for RM1199. In addition, our sometimes random but mostly accurate leakster Mr. Anonymous has returned, this time with hands-on pics of the Galaxy J7 Prime.

J7 PRIME. All photos by LA Benitez Let me start by saying that the J7 Prime didn't look like a midrange device in the slightest, with its curved glass front and slightly textured metal back. In fact, most of my colleagues thought it was a Galaxy S7 until they examined it closely.

Good display; Reasonably smooth performance

Underwhelming camera; Mediocre battery