Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017) in the making
Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017) in the making.Reuters

Samsung is tight-lipped on its upcoming smartphone, the Galaxy J7 (2017). However, the release date and specifications of the device have already been leaked online. The phone was recently spotted on GFXBench benchmarking site.

The Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017) with model number SM-J727A has been spotted with a 5.5-inch touchscreen and 1,280x720 pixel resolution, an Exynos 7870 processor clocking at 1.5 GHz, an ARM Mali-T830 GPU and an Android 7.0 Nougat operating system on GFXBench. The device will come with features including 16GB internal memory, 2GB RAM, 8MP main camera, and a 5MP front-snapper.

[READ:Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017) receives Wi-Fi certification]

Interestingly, the Galaxy J7 (2017) with model number SM-J727P was earlier seen with features like 2GB RAM, Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor clocking at 2.21 GHz and Android 7.0 Nougat operating system on Geekbench site. So, it seems Samsung will release two variants of the device, one with a Qualcomm chipset and the other with an Exynos processor.

The South Korean technology giant hasn't revealed the release date of the device but its launch may not be far off, as it has already received certification from Bluetooth SIG, Wi-Fi and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

How will Galaxy J7 (2017) stack up against Galaxy J7 (2016)?

Well, the Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017) may disappoint many if the leaked specifications actually make it to the device, as few features, including screen resolution, RAM and camera are inferior to its predecessor.

The Galaxy J7 (2016) sports a 5.5-inch display with 1,080x1,920 pixels (401 ppi pixel density), powered by an Exynos 1.6Ghz octa-core processor, and runs Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow operating system. It also features a 16GB internal storage (expandable up to 128GB via microSD card), a 3GB RAM, a 13MP main camera with f/1.9 aperture, 28mm, autofocus and LED flash, a 5MP front-snapper with f/1.9 aperture and a 3,300mAh battery.

(Source: GFXBench)