FCC listing likely means we’ll soon see a successor to the Samsung Galaxy J3

Why it matters to you

The Samsung Galaxy J3 was a great midrange phone option in 2016, and it looks like the 2017 version will follow in its footsteps sooner rather than later.

Samsung launched a Galaxy J3 last year, but it looks like the company is preparing a refresh for the mid-range phone. A device called the Samsung Galaxy J3 has passed through Federal Communications Commission certification, suggesting that it may well hit shelves in the very near future.

The listing doesn’t reveal all that much about the phone beyond the fact that it will boast a 2,400mAh battery — which is actually a little disappointing considering that the 2016 version boasted a 2,600mAh battery.

Apart from the FCC listing, however, there is some speculation as to what the phone will offer. For example, rumors suggest the device will boast a Samsung Exynos 7570 processor, along with 2GB of RAM. The rear-facing camera will reportedly be 12MP, while the phone will come with a 5MP front-facing camera. The display will sit at 5-inches. These specs were leaked onto GFXBench and picked up by Dutch website Galaxy Club.

Apart from that, we still have a lot to learn about the phone — namely when it will be released and how much it will cost. As far as release date goes, we think it will launch pretty soon — an FCC listing is usually one of the final steps before a phone is officially unveiled. We also don’t know where the phone will be released. It’s a pretty safe bet to assume we’ll see it in the U.S. considering the FCC listing, and it’s likely to show up in Europe as well.

The phone will likely launch alongside the Samsung Galaxy J5 and Galaxy J7, with the difference being slightly better specs for the higher-numbered phones. The 2016 Galaxy J3 was launched in January 2016, so Samsung has well and truly missed the one year update mark — but it’s entirely possible that the company has a different update schedule in mind for the device.