Samsung Galaxy S7 firmware development reportedly begins, could signal early announcement

Samsung has begun development on the firmware for both versions of the upcoming Galaxy S7, according to reports (via SamMobile). Development on both G930FXXU0AOK6 and G935FXXU0AOK6 started this month, perhaps signaling the phone could arrive earlier than usual. Last year, the same development work didn’t start until December, and the phone was announced at the beginning of March, at MWC in Barcelona. If there’s a similar gap between development and release this time around, we could see a phone announced as early as January or early February…

This corroborates previous rumors suggesting Sammy might bring the launch forward from its usual cycle. If true, it wouldn’t be the most surprising development. The Korean tech giant did the same thing for the launch of its Galaxy Note 5, avoiding the noise of IFA in September by announcing the Note 5 in August. By all accounts, it worked pretty well, and could be a prudent move for the unveiling of the next, smaller flagship.

For months, it’s been rumored the Samsung Galaxy S7 will ship with the Snapdragon 820 processor in select markets. This chip was officially announced yesterday, and could help point to a few features we’ll see in the GS7. The powerful and efficient quad-core processor has support for category 12 LTE with downloads up to 600Mbps and 150Mbps uploads. What’s more, the new revamped ISP could enable Samsung to offer the best camera on the smartphone market, with faster, higher resolution imagery. Qualcomm says we can look forward to the following:

• Brand new speaker amplifier chip that enables hi-fi audio at previously unachievable loudness levels
• Improved low light video to capture high-quality video regardless of where you are
• Scene Detect for capturing, categorizing and organizing visual memories using the Zeroth neural processing platform
• Better signal quality to reduce dropped calls and extend battery life no matter how a phone is held with Qualcomm’s TruSignal Antenna Boost
•  Snapdragon Sense ID 3D fingerprint technology powers through contaminants, glass, plastic and multiple types of metal for more reliable fingerprint scans to unlock your phone
•  Advanced sights, sounds and feel to support next-gen VR experiences

As things stand, we shouldn’t have to wait too long until Sammy officially takes the wraps off its next smartphone. Although we can’t be sure exactly what it’ll look like or feature, it’d be surprising if the company moved away from the recent S6, and Note design language. It’ll almost certainly be a combination of metal, glass and top-of-the-line specifications.