The best Samsung Galaxy S smartphone, I have ever tried
This year’s MWC event revealed many interesting products to consumers, where Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge were the latest flagship smartphones Samsung introduced and attracted the appreciations from around the world. Most importantly, Samsung launched Galaxy S7 and S7 edge in the Pakistan within a month having partnered with Telenor Pakistan. In fact, following the global trend, the pre-orders also brought free Gear VR as well.
On my first experience with the most anticipated smartphones this year, I liked them both – well actually second time; as what you call radical design, those were the last year’s Galaxy S6 and S6 edge which I actually liked and found something new from Samsung, specially the build quality for the price they cost which the Korean smartphone maker could never impress me with their plastic Galaxy toys for heavy prices prior to S6.
Recalling the predecessors, Galaxy S7 is much similar in size with last year’s S6 but the Galaxy S7 edge has larger screen this time. Previously Samsung chose to launch a larger version later along with the launch of Galaxy Note 5 – it was called Galaxy S6 edge+. Also note that the S7 edge screen lies between last year’s S6 edge and S6 edge+. Most of the other things are pretty similar when you look at outfits but there indeed are some important additions, upgrades and improvements in this year’s Galaxy S7 and S7 edge.
While Samsung had done a lot over the years to improve their Galaxy lineup and made up the Galaxy S6, still it wasn’t perfect for many as it lacked on the features like expandable storage, low battery capacity, stepping back from water resistance as it was available in Galaxy S5. Some people even didn’t like a little protruded camera and more. So with the launch of Galaxy S7 and the S7 edge, we can say it positively that Samsung actually heard and reacted to consumer’s feedback having over come the issues in their latest flagship Galaxy siblings.
Well, definitely the Galaxy S7 and the S7 edge aren’t different from the predecessors in design but indeed they have a lot changed from within. One major thing is that both the new smartphones have different chipsets based on regions. US and China will get the variant powered by Snapdragon 820 with Quad-core processor, the rest of the world will get Samsung’s own Exynos 8890 with Octa-core processor. Both the Galaxy S7 devices have also gained 34% RAM push from 3GB to 4GB which of course will help a lot the new flagship devices run apps and the system smoother.
Galaxy S7 devices come in Single and Dual-SIM models and what’s more than good is that both the devices bring back the microSD slot for memory expansion in addition to on-board 32GB or 64GB memory. But to avail the microSD slot, you have to give up a SIM slot in the Dual SIM handset as the second SIM slot is used for expandable memory card. On other hand Single-SIM handset will provide a dedicated microSD slot for the purpose.
The fingerprint scanner maintains its place in the home button on the front in Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge. It’s just one of the features, Galaxy S6 users reported their concerns about as it wasn’t fast enough comparatively with competitors like Apple and Huawei. Samsung had issued software updates for fixes on Galaxy S6 but it still looks like the S7 has only a fraction of improvement – not sure if they are hardware or software limits.
Power department is also improved in terms of capacity with 18% increase in Galaxy S7 (3000mAh) and 38% increase in S7 edge (3600mAh).
Battery and Power – Galaxy S7 / S7 edge
Although the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge have increased battery capacity and both have US variant powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 820, they don’t feature Quick Charge 3.0. As the global variant is powered by Samsung’s own Exynos 8890 (which features Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging and allows to charge from 0-50% in 25 minutes), it could be a much probable reason to match two variants in power consumption and fast recharge capability.
If used Quick Charge 3.0 in US variant with Qualcomm chipset, it would have the phone charged form 0-80% in 35 minutes as rated by the chip maker. However it could have been an issue with consumer base in the regions where it wasn’t offered – that’s purely my opinion.
Water Resistance
Oh, Samsung also has brought back the water resistance with IP68 certification to Galaxy S7 and S7 edge.
That’s dust proof too and can be submerged in up to 5 feet of water for up to 30 minutes – well not exactly, don’t try it with yours. However it’s good enough to resist sudden water contact or when it’s raining or may be sometimes when your phone dives into flush unexpectedly – not a good thing to get it back but there’s a good money involved – so it would survive such incidents easily. What’s impressive is that the USB port and the audio jack on the phones are not covered.
Ok before moving on to the outfits of both phones, let’s have a quick overview of what Samsung has upgraded in Galaxy S7 and S7 edge.
Comparison by Specifications – Successors vs Predecessors
| Galaxy S7 | Galaxy S7 edge | Galaxy S6 | Galaxy S6 edge | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OS / Software | Android 6 Marshmallow TouchWiz UI |
Android 5 Lollipop TouchWiz UI (upgradeable to Android 6) |
||
| Variant 1 Global |
Exynos 8890 Quad-core Cortex-A53 1.58GHz Quad-core Exynos M1 (Mongoose) 2.28GHz Mali T880MP12 – 650MHz |
Exynos 7420 4x Cortex-A57 – 2.1GHz 4x Cortex-A53 – 1.5GHz Mali T760MP8 |
||
| Variant 2 US/China |
Snapdragon 820 (MSM8996) Dual-core Kryo – 2.15GHz Dual-core Kryo – 1.6GHz Adreno 530 |
No Other Variant | ||
| RAM | 4GB LPDDR4 1800MHz | 3GB LPDDR4 1552MHz | ||
| Storage | 32/64GB UFS | 32/64/128GB UFS | ||
| microSD | Support up to 200GB Dual-SIM model (uses SIM 2 slot) Single-SIM model (dedicated microSD slot) |
No Support at all | ||
| Display | 5.1” QHD 1440p Super AMOLED Always-on Display |
5.5″ QHD 1440p Super AMOLED Dual Edge Always-on Display |
5.1” QHD 1440p Super AMOLED |
5.1” QHD 1440p Super AMOLED Dual Edge |
| Network | 2G / 3G / 4G LTE (Category 12/13) | 2G / 3G / 4G LTE (Category 6) | ||
| Dimensions (mm) | 142.4 x 69.6 x 7.9 | 150.9 x 72.6 x 7.7 | 143.4 x 70.5 x 6.8 | 142.1 x 70.1 x 7.0 |
| Weight | 152 grams | 157 grams | 138 grams | 132 grams |
| Rear Camera | 12MP (4032 x 3024), Sony IMX260, PDAF, 1/2.6″ sensor size, 1.4 µm pixel size, f/1.7, OIS, LED flash. 4k/2160p@30fps, 1080p@60fps, 720p@240fps |
16MP (5132 x 2988), Sony IMX240, 1/2.6″ sensor size, 1.12 µm pixel size, f/1.9, OIS, LED flash. 4k/2160p@30fps, 1080p@60fps, 720p@120fps |
||
| Front Camera | 5MP, f/1.7 | 5MP , f/1.9 | ||
| Connectivity | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, BT 4.2, USB2.0, GPS/GNSS, NFC |
2×2 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, BT 4.1, USB2.0, GPS/GNSS, NFC |
||
| Sensors | Accelerometer, Proximity, Compass, Barometer, Gyro, Heart Rate, SpO2 | Accelerometer, Proximity, Compass, Barometer, Gyro, Heart Rate, SpO2 | ||
| Preferable Features | Fingerprint Scanner, Samsung Pay, Dust & Water Resistance IP68 certified |
Fingerprint Scanner, Samsung Pay. | ||
| Battery | 3000mAh | 3600mAh | 2550mAh | 2600mAh |
| Wireless Charging (WPC Qi/PMA) Quick Charge 2.0 – 60% in 30 min |
Wireless Charging (WPC Qi/PMA) | |||
| SIM Size | Nano SIM (Dual-SIM/Single-SIM) | Nano SIM (Single-SIM only) | ||
Samsung Galaxy S7
As said above Galaxy S7 mostly borrows from its predecessor on the first look. It won’t be bad idea if you call it the version two of the Galaxy S6. However it comes with upgrades and improved features within, it’s better to stay with the name it’s given by its makers.
Looking from front, Samsung has now covered the Galaxy S7 screen fully with the 2.5D curved glass including its 5.1 inch display which of course is protected by Gorilla Glass 4. As a successor, the handset adopts 3D dual-edge glass from the Note 5 on its rear side. It actually helps picking the phone up from the desk when lying straight as well as it gives a good look.
On the other hand, the camera module on the back is not so protruded as it’s almost into rear surface of the Galaxy S7. That, in turn, makes the Galaxy S7 1.1mm thicker than S6 – another reason could be bigger battery inside.
Camera in the new smartphone is supposed to work far better than predecessor as claimed with the features like larger pixels and phase detection autofocus at 100% pixel-level – detail after the break. Along side there is an LED flash and a multifunction input sensor.
Left side of the phone hosts volume up/down buttons – in the picture (above-right), you can also note the almost flat-to-surface camera module on the back. Power button is on the right side.
Up there at the top, we got a combined slot for SIM card and/or microSD card – in dual-SIM model, microSD card will use the second-SIM compartment in the slot which means you can use “2 SIM cards” or “1 SIM card + 1 microSD card.” The single-SIM model will serve the dedicated slot for microSD card. One little hole is available on the slot for eject-tool while another hole can be seen along side which is the secondary mic for noise cancellation – much common in today’s smartphones.
Bottom side of the phone brings all the daily use components such as 3.5mm audio jack, loud speaker grill and the micro USB port. In between the micro USB port and the speaker grill, there is the primary mic (mouth piece).
What else you can see are the plastic antenna strips at the both ends. The same can be seen on top side of the phone – see picture above.
Due to the dual-edge rear glass, the Galaxy S7 is definitely comfortable when holding in hands. Although the phone weighs 10% more than its predecessor but seriously it doesn’t feel that bad – in fact I didn’t notice it.
Right down below you can see black screen with day, date, time and the remaining battery capacity. It’s the always-on display Samsung has just introduced in the Galaxy S7. The Korean smartphone maker has been using the AMOLED displays for years, however this could be a late introduction to the feature we have seen years ago with Nokia’s Sleeping Screen first in Symbian smartphones with AMOLED displays, later in Lumia’s Glance Screen. In fact some other Android smartphones have got it up.
The “always-on display” feature can be turned on by simply going into the settings. In addition to a simple digital clock as above, there are 6 more choices of clocks, one can choose a background image (a select dark images with sharply lit information), a full calender and a few more things. Unread notifications can be enabled on the always-on display.
On a technical note, if you are wondering about how much battery it will consume, just don’t. Thanks to the AMOLED display technology that it won’t take too much battery to waste. Since AMOLED displays light up only select pixels when needed, in above example view – only the bright pixels are using the battery instead of the whole display. So it’s worth turning the feature on if available, to avoid picking the phone up frequently and pressing the home button to take a glimpse of such a useful information.
Galaxy S7 edge
Unlike the same display size of last year’s Galaxy S6 edge matching to the S6, this year’s S7 edge brings a larger display of 5.5 inch. That remains a bit smaller than last year’s S6 edge+, while the resolution of the screen stays same as QHD 2560 x 1440 pixels that leads to serve lower pixel density than Galaxy S7. It’s approximately 534 PPI compared to the 577 PPI in S7. What attracts on the edge model is its dual-edge glass on the front screen (aka 3D glass.)
Galaxy S7 edge with its dual-edge screen comes with an exclusive feature that allows you to swipe-in from the side of the edge to quickly access the shortcuts to frequent contacts, weather info, sports info, news and more. This quick list covers more than 1/3rd of the display horizontally
It’s worth mentioning here that even with the large display the Galaxy S7 edge feels much compact when handling due to having almost no unused place on the phone where screen-to-body ratio is approximately 76%. Software wise Samsung has added much similar features such as the always-on display in Galaxy S7 edge too. The S7 edge also has a feature called Edge lighting – it’s useful when the device is lying on the desk upside down and delivers notification via its edges with a glowing light. The glowing light can be of different colors as configured with specific events so that you can get idea what’s the notification for while the device is faced down. In fact, the multifunction sensor on the back can be used to respond to an event without picking up the phone – such as rejecting an incoming call.
Talking about the input controls on the S7 edge, it’s also similar to how they are arranged on the phone – volume control keys on the left side of the handset and a power button on the right. The top hosts a secondary mic for noise cancellation and a SIM/microSD card slot. The bottom side of the phone provides access to the audio jack, micro USB port and a speaker grill along with a mouth piece (main mic).
The rear side of the S7 edge features also has the same components as does the Galaxy S7, with a 12MP camera module that too embedded into the surface with almost no protruded part along with the LED flash. With all that, Galaxy S7 edge is 0.7mm thicker than the S6 edge and weighs 25 grams more than the predecessor.
While we have seen a big change on the rear side of Galaxy S7 with the 3D glass curved at the edges as adopted from the Note 5 or more similar to what Galaxy S7 edge has on its front. The back side of the S7 edge has only changed a little from its predecessor as it’s not just flat but has slight curves on the sides – enough helpful to grip the phone while picking it up.
The large size display also comes with a large battery as it brings 38% more battery capacity than its predecessor, however it’s 20% more than the battery in Galaxy S7. They would probably perform equal in their up-time with respect to the difference in their display size – S7 edge might perform behind due to some of its extra features running on the background like quick access panels; I haven’t tested it by the way.
We can say that Samsung has no plans to bring another edge+ variant with any bigger screen this year along side the upcoming Galaxy Note 6.
12MP Camera, Larger Pixel, PDAF
This is actually where Samsung has stepped back from Galaxy S6’s 16MP camera while claiming to produce better camera results by Galaxy S7 siblings. That’s true according to the technical aspects. In the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, Samsung has put the brand new custom image sensor (which according to reports is Sony IMX260) that is exactly the same sized sensor (1/2.6″) as found in last year’s Galaxy S6. But the new sensor is made up with much larger pixels (the reason of dropped resolution) to gain more light. The pixel size in this sensor is 1.4μ while the sensor used in Galaxy S6 contained pixels of size only 1.12μ microns, which of course technically gives more light to record.
Well, that’s not it. The most promising feature of the sensor is its capability to focus and track objects faster. Dual-Pixel Auto Focus is what we are talking about. It’s the Phase Detection Auto Focus (PDAF) that each pixel in the sensor serves with two photodiodes – one on the left half and the other one on the right half of the pixel. One photodiode of each, converts light particles into measurable photocurrent making all the active pixels capable of detecting phase differences of perceived light which in turn makes it able to detect change and focus faster than usual.
Other major elements of the camera in Galaxy S7 include a larger lens aperture f/1.7 which, if I guess, is the brightest in smartphones yet. Optical Image Stabilization is also a part of it. Larger pixels + Wider aperture + OIS; with this package Galaxy S7 is supposed to deliver more than competitive results in low-light conditions.
While I couldn’t try the camera very well but only could take some indoor photos with some reasonable lightning condition during the event. Taken automatically, these images actually didn’t impress me with their quality but very low noise level was good as well as the camera performance in operating from cold start – it was really fast in gaining focus. I won’t suggest to take these shots as good examples of images that Galaxy S7 could take as I am pretty sure these images are no way near to what it can deliver when not used in hurry – we’ll post a full review if get a chance.
BTW, I am not very keen on taking selfies – but this time I think I had to try the 5MP camera on the front with its as wide aperture as on the back – f/1.7. It’s assisted with a screen fill flash to brighten up the face in very dark conditions. It helps pretty well when the distance is not very far.
If you didn’t know, Galaxy S7 edge has already been labeled as best camera smartphone.
Side by Side with Huawei Mate 8
If you are wondering about any hint about the size and design, it would be easy for those to differ who have used Huawei Mate 8 as you can see below the phablet with 6 inch display is right besides the Galaxy S7 edge. One can easily tell that the difference in the phone size seems to be much more with only half an inch bigger display on Mate 8. Personally, at that moment it was much cooler to hold Galaxy S7 edge as compared to Mate 8 – sure Mate 8 has its own feeling when handled.
I just put them both along to take a hint about the size, however both have their targeted consumers as well as have different price range. Mate 8 is currently priced at Rs. 64,000/- ($610) with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage while the Galaxy S7 edge costs you a good mount of Rs. 90,000/- ($860). So it’s better to keep them at distance rather than comparing for choices.
Quick Remarks
One thing I’d sure want to tell that Galaxy S7 – specially the S7 edge, is the most impressive smartphone from Samsung I’ve ever experienced. Take another thing from my side, that I never liked the Galaxy S series before the company introduced the first non-plastic Galaxy S6 last year – this year’s S7 is much better one.
I couldn’t have spent some time with the S7’s camera but in a few tries, the performance of the camera was appreciable for its focusing capability and the bright images – it indeed is fast out there. Wonder if I could test it in detail.
I’ll reserve my remarks for its overall performance as I couldn’t have them more than 20 minutes. But as far as those minutes are concerned, Galaxy S7 edge would be my recommendation to go for if you have a budget of buying a smartphone worth 80,000/- sure you could buy the one that cost 10,000/- more. Absolutely get Galaxy S7 edge, if you plan to buy the Galaxy S7.
