As expected, Samsung has announced the update to the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 right before the MWC event in Barcelona. Considering the massive resign refresh that happened to the line-up last year, the Galaxy S7 retains a very similar form factor to the Galaxy S6 but there are a few tweaks.
First of all, the Galaxy S7 now comes with a 5.1-inch screen while the Galaxy S7 Edge has a bigger 5.5-inch screen. Samsung has also brought back the MicroSD slot in a hybrid tray that can either support dual SIM cards or a SIM card with an SD card. The body is now IP68 certified meaning it’s dust and water-proof for 30 minutes in 1.5 meters water.
The back of the Galaxy S7 Edge receives a slight curve which makes the phone a bit nicer to hold. Samsung has also reduced the camera bump to just 46mm. The camera itself has received the biggest update features a F.17 lens 1.4um pixels image sensor. Samsung is also calling the Galaxy S7 as the world’s first dual pixel 12MP sensor with 100% phase detection. We tested the camera and it is incredibly fast to focus.
Samsung claims the CPU is about 30% faster and the GPU is 60% faster on the Galaxy S7 compared to the previous model. Battery capacity has also been increased with the S7 featuring a 3000mAh battery and the S7 Edge a 3600mAh battery.
Also new is an always-on screen that can display time, calendar or some built-in images. Samsung claims that the battery drain is less than 1% per hour with the always-on screen.
On the software side, the Edge panel is now wider and supports third party integration so expect to see widgets for news and sports. Samsung also supports folders like the iPhone now so you can drag and drop icons to create folders. A Game launcher is also added that collects all your games in it’s section while game tools allow you to disable notifications and buttons without leaving a game. You can also record gameplay video along with an overlay of the front cam with voice recording for a running commentary.
By Abbas Jaffar Ali
