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WSJ: Samsung Galaxy S7 to feature 3D Touch, fast-charging Type C, maybe retina scanner too

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Samsung is widely expected to announce its next series of flagships at some point during the first quarter of next year. Early rumors have suggested that it’ll launch early, before the usual MWC launch cycle, while others expect it will be the big announcement at MWC. Either way, the Galaxy S7 will be announced before the end of February. If information obtained by the Wall Street Journal is anything to go by, we could have a device which, once again, leads the market in terms of features and performance…

WSJ’s sources have informed the site that it’s highly likely the Galaxy S7 will follow the likes of Apple’s iPhone 6s and 6s Plus as well as Huawei’s Mate S in adding a pressure-sensitive panel to the touch screen. Like Apple’s, it is expected the pressure sensitivity will be used to access bespoke features. Exactly what those are is yet to be seen, but we’d be surprised if Samsung didn’t build an extra layer in to its TouchWiz user interface with bespoke force-touch menus and features.

The site also claims the phone will have a new high-speed USB Type-C charging part. Like the Nexus 6P and 5X, this will be a ‘proper’ Type-C port, one which can take advantage of the technology’s fast-charging standards and I/O flexibility. Unlike the OnePlus 2 which just has a Type-C shaped connector, but without the real Type-C support. With this tech you’ll allegedly be able to get a full-day’s charge (or more) in just thirty minutes. It’s a rumor we’ve heard before and — frankly — we’d be surprised if it didn’t have Type-C support.

While the 3D Touch-like feature and USB Type-C port are fairly certain to make their way on to the Galaxy S7, another more tentative rumor is that it could also feature a retina scanner. This would work in conjunction with the fingerprint scanner to offer an added level of security to the smartphone. As it suggests, the retina scanner will scan your eye as authentication.

As usual, we’re expecting Samsung to improve the quality of its built-in camera with the S7, although we’re not expecting the phone to be a major departure from the S6 design-wise. Saying that, it’s supposedly going to be built from a stronger magnesium alloy and also feature high-res audio support. It’s also likely to feature the brand new Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, at least in China and the US. European, Asian and African markets will purportedly get the Exynos-powered version.

WSJ notes, as we’ve heard previously, that the S7 will be announced at MWC at the end of February and be launched in the US in mid-March.

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