Yesterday (21st February, 2016) was the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge and the whole world was curious about how Samsung was going to turn around its earlier failure(?), the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. However, it looks like Samsung has launched a clear winner with its Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge that comes packed with features and design that is heavily borrowed from the S6 series, and yet different.
Design
As mentioned earlier the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge have borrowed heavily from the S6, but it’s not all the same. The S7 looks more polished, feels better to hold, and is easier to lift from a table than the S6. The S7 Edge however, has a 5.5 inch display, more comfortable to use than the S6 Edge and can be slipped into a pocket easily when compared to other 5.5 inch display phones. There is a slight curve behind the S7 Edge, thereby giving it a more polished look. Both the phones are not as awkward as its counterparts. They look better, richer, and are more comfortable to use.
Features
While there have been minor tweaks in the design of both the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, these phones come packed with features that make us wonder why they did not think of all this sooner, specifically with the S6 models. But Samsung seems to be determined to see the success of its S7 devices. The Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge come powered with Android 6.0 Marshmallow and a 32GB internal memory, which is expandable up to a whopping 200GB (according to Samsung’s website). The battery also seems to have gotten an upgrade to 3000mAh and 3600mAh to the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge respectively. We can only hope that this advanced battery upgrade holds up and gives the smartphone the battery life that we all deserve. Samsung also offers wireless charging on these devices and of course they are sold separately and don’t come in the box.
A significant change, however, is the camera that is 12MP with a 5MP front camera. While that seems to be the norm for smartphones nowadays and a downgrade from the S6’s 16MP camera, Samsung has upgraded to a dual-pixel system that can focus up to 3 times faster and has around 12 million pixels, each of which will work on faster focus. And not to get too technical, the camera has been tweaked to work better in low-light conditions.
Both the Galaxy S7 and the S7 Edge are waterproof (IP68 water and dust-resistant), which means that it is water-resistant up to 5 feet of water for up to 30 minutes (according to their website). I wouldn’t want to test that, however, and restrict myself to protection from the accidental spill.
Samsung also has an Always-On Display feature meaning you don’t have to turn your phone on to see the date or time. While Samsung promises that it only takes up 1% battery life per hour, we’re hoping there’s a feature to turn it off because when the battery is at 10% and you have 2 hours to reach to a charger, every percentage counts. However, Samsung says that it will be shut off if the proximity sensor is covered, like in your pant pocket, but that is yet to be seen.
Samsung is wooing early, interested customers with a free Gear VR headset and a game bundle worth $150 for pre-orders through its website.
Samsung set itself as a luxury phone manufacturer with its sleek and updated design of the S6 and S6 Edge. While the earlier phone models looked good, it was all beauty with very less brains. With the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, however, Samsung is probably looking at one of its most successful models till date and has revived itself in the hands of unforgiving customers who just want a phone with beauty and brains.
*The Galaxy S7 is priced at $700 and the S7 Edge is priced at $800 approximately.
*Images Courtesy: Samsung’s Official Website and The Verge
