The Smart Glow notification ring around the camera is the main attraction, diverting the J2 ( 2016) ’s design even further away from existing Galaxy smartphones. Sadly, the ring hasn’t been very well designed – it’s too big and noticeable, and while it doesn’t look that bad when it is unlit, that quickly changes once it starts notifying you with different colors ( something we will look at in a dedicated section below) . The rest of the design is standard fare for Samsung – a home button flanked by back and recent apps keys on the front, a microUSB port at the bottom, a headphone jack at the top, and volume and power buttons on the left and right sides.
The Galaxy J2 ( 2016) is the first budget phone from Samsung to come in silver, and I have to say the color helps the J2 ( 2016) look more premium than it actually is. It doesn’t feel that great in the hand because of the all-plastic build, but you won’t get a feeling of cheapness either. I just wish Samsung had stuck with the soft-touch rear panel from the original J2, which would have improved both ergonomics and in-hand feel. But then the company wouldn’t have been able to put those stripes on the back, so I guess it is a trade-off for adding visual flare to the design.
