The S7 Edge has a 5.5-inch Super AMOLED panel and its Quad HD (2560 x 1440) resolution gives them a pixel density of 535 PPI. The US, Japan and China will be getting the 2.2GHz quad-core, Snapdragon 820-powered chips with other markets due to get the 2.4GHz octa-core Exynos-equipped versions. 32GB and 64GB models are being launched. The S7 features a 3600mAh. battery. Samsung decided not to go with Type C, instead opting for Micro USB.
Yesterday, a report suggested we might see noticeably different performance from the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) between the Exynos and Snapdragon-equipped Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge models. Now it seems we might see a slight difference in camera performance too. A thread on XDA Developers shows that some S7/S7 Edge models ship with a Sony-made sensor, while others use Samsung’s own camera sensors.
Among the numerous changes made by Samsung with last year’s pair of Galaxy S6 flagships, the decision to stick with the Exynos 7420 everywhere the device was shipped stood out particularly. Common practice for the South Korean giant was to manufacture its high-end handsets with Snapdragon chips in the mainstream markets of Europe and the United States, while delivering an Exynos-powered experience in Asia.
Given the Snapdragon 810’s notorious over-heating problems, however, it was probably a good decision; but Qualcomm set to come back in full swing this year, obtaining a deal that sees US-bound Galaxy S7s equipped with their SoC. This, however, seems to have created major discrepancies between the two models’ performances; according to AnTuTu tests, a negligible 5% difference sets the two models apart as far as CPU power goes, while up to a massive 32% gap separates the greatly superior Snapdragon 820 from the seemingly under-performing Exynos 8890 in GPU-related benchmarks…
We were present when Samsung unveiled its newest Galaxy S-series smartphones at the Unpacked event in Barcelona. Now, just a couple of weeks later, we have the phone in our hands and are ready to share our second first impressions.
You’ve perhaps heard of the JerryRigEverything YouTube by now. Normally, the channel’s videos are made viral because of the host’s tendency to subject brand new expensive smartphones to in-depth and brutal durability tests. Normally that involves scratching the screen, bending the device and burning the display.
In his latest video however, Jerry took time out to show some genuinely useful information. Peeling back the layers, we get a look at exactly what Samsung has done to make the Galaxy S7 water resistant…
Among the features people came to love about the Galaxy S5 that were removed in the big design overhaul brought by last year’s S6, water resistance was possibly the most noticeable. The plastic ruggedness of the S5 was replaced in favor of a sleeker, more elegant design. But with the Galaxy S7, Samsung managed to bring back the best of both worlds, delivering a gorgeous-looking device with all the functional utility provided by IP68 certification.
In order to protect the phone, it looks like Samsung has built an internal safeguard which is triggered any time remains of water are spotted in the proximity of the microUSB hole. The phone shows a message “moisture detected in the charging port,” which could potentially prevent both the handset and the cable to malfunction or fry altogether. It sounds like a handy feature to have…
It is no secret that Samsung has stepped up its camera game significantly in the past few years. Particularly, starting with the Galaxy Note 4 at the end of 2014, the high-end devices of the South Korean giant have started to truly impress reviewers and customers alike, further cementing this perception with the strong performances delivered by the Galaxy S6 family as well as the latest iteration of the Notes.
Before the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge was launched last month, rumors suggested Samsung was looking at launching its own upgrade/lease program so that customers could upgrade their phone every 12 months. Over the past day or so, there appears to be a gathering rumor online suggesting that it will launch on March 11th, or that it’s only just launched in the UK. I can report with certainty that the upgrade program is live, and has been since pre-orders began.
How do I know? Because I used it to pre-order my very own S7 Edge. Here’s how it works…
So, you’ve managed to get early delivery of a shiny new Samsung Galaxy S7 edge, what’s the first thing you do with it? Try your best to destroy it is the answer from a couple of YouTubers out there.
JerryRigEverything put the device through scratch, burn and bend tests, while EverythingApplePro pitched the smartphone against Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus to see how it fared when submerged in water and dropped on the ground …
Battery life is undoubtedly one of the major pain points most consumers have with their smartphones. Because of technological limitations, OEMs often have to find workarounds for squeezing out as much screen on (and off) time as possible, often working on software optimizations or simply trying to fit a larger unit inside the body of the device – at times making it removable.
Another way of circumventing such limitation took form in the way of making batteries recharge much faster, thanks to technologies such as Qualcomm‘s ‘Quick Charge’, which has now arrived at its v3.0. Expected to hit the majority of 2016 flagships, – like the LG G5, which does indeed support it – the latest iteration didn’t however make it to the Samsung Galaxy S7 (and S7 edge), which stuck with last year’s 2.0…
For some people, having a regular model of a gadget isn’t enough. They have to get that one extra special model. In recent years, that has often meant coating a smartphone in previous metals or jewels (or both). This year, that could mean a 24K gold Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge from London-based Truly Exquisite…
TouchWiz was once a complete mess, believe it or not, but the Android skin got much better with the release of the Galaxy S6 and Samsung’s move to using Android Lollipop. Now, most agree that the skin has gotten even better with the Galaxy S7. Thanks to some screenshots (via XDA) shared by one Daniel Marchena (who was lucky enough to already have his S7 delivered), we now have a detailed look at the modified version of the OS we saw running on the Galaxy S7 last week…
On the night Leonardo DiCaprio finally won an OSCAR (for his work in The Revenant), Samsung launched a celebrity-studded Galaxy S7 ad campaign featuring William H Macy and Lil Wayne among others. Titled ‘Why?’ the Galaxy ad highlights the features that make the new S-series smartphones special.
The ability to pay almost anywhere with Samsung Pay, take great low-light shots with the new camera as well as its waterproof nature, long battery life and VR support, all seemingly add up to a perfect smartphone for the featured celebrities’ wish lists.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfCubGgMkms]
Compared to Samsung’s historically cringeworthy attacks on Apple’s smartphones, this one seems a lot more subtle and is — dare I say it — actually funny and entertaining. Not only does it portray Samsung not taking itself as seriously as in previous years, it also shows the well-known stars doing the same.
The just announced Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge will launch with a host of new emoji. Emojipedia has full details on the 159 new emoji and countless changes to the current ones. Users of older Samsung phones will get the refreshed emoji as part of the Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow update that is rolling out now.
As conferences go, MWC felt relatively subdued this year, at least from an Android perspective. Huawei decided to sit this year out and launch a Windows tablet, Sony had a quiet event and HTC just sent out a press release for its new Desire series. While press events weren’t jam-packed in to a crazy schedule, there was still some exciting and fun stuff happening in Barcelona this week.
It is not often that a smartphone is capable of genuinely surprising me anymore. I don’t think it’s just me, either, but anyone working in tech. It may be due to the fact that cycles have become incredibly short, at times as quick as a six-month period, or perhaps it’s that it’s been a while since a device has brought any meaningful innovation. Each new iteration of a flagship feels shinier, more polished and powerful than its predecessor, but ultimately has very little time to make a dent in people’s minds (and hearts) because ‘the next big thing’ is already around the corner.
Perhaps there’s no escaping from this kind of extreme consumerism, particularly in the smartphone business, which revolves around one of the most important objects in literally everyone’s life. On this basis, I know that I don’t want to fool myself, but I nonetheless believe that credit needs to be given where it’s due. Yesterday was just a regular day for me, but while taking a walk in central London, close to Oxford Circus’ station, I briefly entered a carrier’s flagship store and was greeted by a flashy new pair of Galaxy S7s…
Samsung only announced the Galaxy S7 a few days ago, but already a number of case manufacturers have been keen to get our attention. It’s no exaggeration to say there are hundreds of case options already available for the latest S-series flagships…
MobileFun has announced that the new Mophie Juice Pack for the Samsung Galaxy S7 is now available to pre-order at Mobile Fun for £89. It features a 3300mAh battery, so should roughly double the battery life of the new phone, and is the first Juice Pack to use Qi wireless charging.
It’s not yet showing up on the company’s U.S. site, but is likely to appear both there and in Mophie’s Amazon store shortly. A direct pound to dollar rate would price it at $124, but I’d expect it to be rather cheaper when it hits the USA …
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Android Marshmallow didn’t come with many obvious user interface changes when it launched last year, but it did come with several baked-in core features. One of them was the ability to adopt a MicroSD card as internal storage. This lets you use an external card to store apps and app data. In my opinion, it’s one of the best features of Marshmallow, especially if you have a low to mid-range phone with limited storage, like the Moto X Play.
Samsung and LG, however, have decided it’s in everyone’s best interests if it isn’t in their latest flagships, the Galaxy S7 and LG G5, which both launched this week at MWC 2016…
Earlier this evening, Samsung finally took the wraps off its next generation Galaxy S-series smartphones. The Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge take what was great about the previous year’s flagships, and improve areas which needed it. In some ways, even going back to features we’ve missed.
It goes without saying that the Samsung Galaxy S7 (and the S7 edge) and the LG G5 were the two big announcements today at Mobile World Congress 2016 press day, showcasing the best that these two Android OEMs have to offer. Both of these devices were horribly-kept secrets in their own ways, but now that they’re here, which one are you planning to get?
Let us know which one is your pick in the poll below, but first let’s take a look at a few of their differences…
Update: Samsung’s Galaxy S7 is now up for pre-order at Best Buy and through the carriers below.
The Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge were made official at long last today, with Samsung taking the wraps off of the two devices during its press event at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Now, all of the major carriers in the United States are announcing their respective pre-order information and details.
After months of rumors and speculation, Samsung finally announced its next flagship handsets at a crowded event here in Barcelona. Thousands of tech journalist watched on as Sammy took the wraps of the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge which, in many ways, are the upgraded models we needed from the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge launched in 2015.
With LG’s G5 event out of the way, Samsung’s will be the last major Android-related event of press day at Mobile World Congress 2016. The event begins at 10AM PST / 1PM EST and will be streamed by Samsung in a variety of ways…
Samsung is set to announce the Galaxy S7 Edge in just a couple hours, but the leaks (of which there have dozens) aren’t over yet. Now, we’re getting our first look at the retail box for the Galaxy S7 Edge, all but confirming several specs that have previously been speculated (via SamsungViet).
