Well ahead of its official March 11th launch date, the Samsung Galaxy S7 has already begun landing on some people’s doorsteps (the ones that pre-ordered it anyway). But apparently YouTubers like SuperSaf have gotten their hands on the device even earlier than that and are wasting no time in pitting the S7 up against the latest crop of iPhones. Given its size, the new Galaxy S7 directly competes with the smaller sized iPhone 6S but because the camera hardware is actually the same as the larger-sized Galaxy S7 Edge, Safwan also pits the regular S7 against the iPhone 6S Plus. This should give us a better idea of what an S7 Edge match up would look like and help address complaints that the phones weren’t evenly matched (the iPhone 6S Plus features OIS and boasts slightly better image quality over the regular sized 6S). You know, just to cover all the bases.
While we don’t want to spoil anything, the end result is, like most Android flagships these days, the Galaxy S7 mops the floor with Apple’s latest and greatest. Check out the video for yourself and let us know what you think.
No company is going to say their smartphone isn’t the best thing to hit the planet since it was discovered bacon was edible, so it comes as no surprise that LG is sending out material to show why their phone — the LG G5 (hands-on) — is better than the Samsung Galaxy S7 / S7 Edge (both of which were announced this past Sunday). The graphic you see above goes over some of the features the LG G5 has and compares them to the Samsung Galaxy S7 (check out our hands-on look). Anyone taking a quick look at the photo will immediately peg LG the winner, but we should always look to our own judgment to decide which phone is best.
Just for funsies, let’s run down the list and see if there’s merit to any of it: Modular Design: Fair point. The LG G5 can do some very cool stuff. Modular accessories like the camera grip and hi-fidelity audio do add additional important features. Win. Removable Battery: Another fair point, though this will be up to the user to decide whether it’s important. For yours truly, it isn’t. 16MP rear camera: This is where things get iffy. Megapixels alone don’t count. Yes, the LG G5’s 16 megapixels are more than Samsung, but there are many other important factors to camera quality. Always-on display: Both devices have them, and LG wasn’t afraid to point it out. Good on them. 5.3-inch display: LG gave themselves the win on this one, but some people (again, yours truly) actually prefer small displays. Toss-up. Daylight mode: A fancy way to say “auto-brightness.” LG’s display can go a fair bit brighter than most others’, though, so we’ll let them slide with this one. IP68 and Water Resistance: LG had to throw Samsung a freebie to give off the illusion that they’re being fair. MicroSD slot: Again, can’t knock Samsung for the lack of expandable storage this year.
Of course, LG left many other things out like wireless charging, Samsung Pay and a heart-rate sensor, all things which they can’t hold a candle to. They did also leave out the fact that the LG G5 has USB Type-C while the Galaxy S7 is still stuck on microUSB 2.0, so we’ll give them that.
At the end of the day, the “best” smartphone is whichever smartphone works best for you. We could make as many comparisons, lists and reviews as we want, but if there’s one aspect of an otherwise “perfect” phone breaking the experience for you, you should try to find the one that fits you best regardless of what anyone thinks. That in mind, would you agree with LG or do you think they’re stretching a bit here? Sound off in the comments below!
While some could argue that there isn’t a huge difference between the newly announced Samsung Galaxy S7 and its older sibling — last year’s Galaxy S6 — it’s hard to argue that the latest iteration in Samsung’s Galaxy S lineup didn’t receive a significant upgrade in the camera department. Tackling the 2 biggest challenges modern smartphone cameras face, Samsung was able to build a camera that, not only takes a better photo in low light, but can focus faster in these normally challenging situations as well.
They did this by using a larger f1.7 aperture lens and something they’re calling a “Dual Pixel” system. With a new Sony IMX260 camera sensor that captures more light by using larger 1.4μm pixels (at the cost of less megapixels), Samsung says the Galaxy S7 is capable of capturing 95% more light than the IMX240 sensor found in the Galaxy S6. The Galaxy S7 camera also uses all of the 12 million pixels to act as focus pixels, a feature you typically only find in full-sized DSLRs (phase detection auto focus). The end result is faster, more accurate auto-focus — 3 times faster than on the Galaxy S6 — and exceptional low light picture quality.
Still don’t believe the hype? Located in Samsung’s huge MWC 2016 booth, the Korean manufacturer showcased the new low light capabilities of the Galaxy S7 by allowing us to see it for ourselves. They did this in a dark room that was so dimly lit, we had trouble seeing anything in there with our own eyes. See what happens when the Samsung Galaxy S7 goes up against last year’s Galaxy S6, and the Apple iPhone 6S in a lighting situation you’d have to be crazy to even attempt to shoot with a smartphone. We think the results speak for themselves.
The Samsung Galaxy S7 is official, and you’re probably wondering about the raw specs under the hood. Here’s a full look at what makes the new 2016 smartphone from Samsung tick.
Samsung Galaxy S7 Specs
Software: Android 6.0 (Marshmallow)
Dimensions: 142.4 x 69.6 x 7.9mm, 152g
Processor: Quad-core 2.15GHz + 1.6GHz processor
Memory: 4GB RAM (LPDDR4), 32GB internal storage, External microSD card (up to 200GB) support (sold separately)
Display: 5.1” Quad HD Super AMOLED 2560×1440 (577ppi)
The Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge graduates from the 2015 option of being a normal-sized phone to a new phablet option for those who want something bigger. Beyond that, it’s the same phone as the Samsung Galaxy S7 under-the-hood and enjoys all the same specs and features. Here’s a full rundown of everything that was put inside.
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Specs
Software: Android 6.0 (Marshmallow)
Dimensions: 150.9 x 72.6 x 7.7mm, 157g
Processor: Quad-core 2.15GHz + 1.6GHz processor
Memory: 4GB RAM (LPDDR4), 32GB internal storage, External microSD card (up to 200GB) support (sold separately)
Display: 5.5” Quad HD Super AMOLED 2560×1440 (534ppi)
When Samsung announced the date for their big Galaxy Unpacked 2016 event, we had a good feeling they’d be doing something with virtual reality (their teaser video had someone “unpacking” the event with a Gear VR strapped to his head). Today, the company is finally making their plans known,announcing that, not only will they be streaming their event live for all to see, but they’ll be doing so in 360-degrees. Called it.
But it’s not only for Samsung Gear VR owners. Samsung will be allowing anyone watching the live stream from their computers to switch between 4 different camera views. If you’d rather watch it on your phone, Samsung has launched a free Unpacked 360 View app on Google Play and the Apple App Store that also features 4 different camera angles in 360-degrees. Of course, Samsung Gear VR owners can get in on the fun using the Unpacked 360 View app in the Oculus Store.
This is a lot like what OnePlus did with the OnePlus 2 launch last year, only on a much larger scale. Samsung isn’t the first and something tells us they definitely wont be the last. The Galaxy Unpacked event is set to begin streaming on February 21st at 7PM (CET). Of course we’ll be on hand for the event, bringing you the latest as it happens.
Samsung’s ad campaigns are forces to be reckoned with and like every year, we can no doubt expect they’ll be spending big bucks to make sure the world knows all about their latest flagship smartphone: this year’s Samsung Galaxy S7.
Hyped on social media using the #TheNextGalaxy, they wont tell us exactly what it is, but we’ve seen enough from leaks and rumors that we’re pretty damn sure they’ll be unveiling 2 devices come Sunday, February 21st: a regular, smaller-sized Galaxy S7, and a larger-sized Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge. Again, if leaks and rumors have shown us anything, it’s that both of these devices will look largely similar to last year’s model, albeit with a few small changes.
To get the hype train rolling, Samsung Sweden is introducing a new ad campaign dubbed “Seven Days of Unboxing.” Kicking things off was their first video — which was uploaded yesterday — showing a child drawing an image of what he unboxed after spending a few seconds with the device. Check it out below.
In their next video (Day #2), we get to see a common household llama unboxing #TheNextGalaxy, only to later paint a picture of what it thinks it saw. The resulting image was little more than a jumbled mess of colors and whatnot. Then again, llama’s don’t know much about smartphones, so whether it attempted draw a portrait of an ex-lover or spell out the words “f*ck you,” we’ll never know. It’s a fun video and you can check it out below. Hopefully for Day #3 we can get someone more capable to throw us a bone.
[Update]: Samsung’s description for the video notes that the water scene was just a dramatization and that the device being shown isn’t water resistant, which makes it odd that they’d show it being used in those conditions as if nothing can happen. There could be a few possibilities here: The device in the teaser is a Galaxy S6 Edge, and is only being used for visuals to tease the upcoming sequel. That’s a Galaxy S7 Edge and it isn’t water resistant. That’s a Galaxy S7 Edge and it is water resistant, Samsung just doesn’t want you to know it. Maybe this isn’t even a Galaxy S7 teaser despite it being for “The Next Galaxy.” The world is flat.
That’s pretty much where we’re at with it, folks. Make no mistake about one thing, though: Samsung is preparing a global blitz of marketing for this thing and they’re loading up the barrels for a big bang come February 21st.
It’s no longer a leaking faucet, folks. Not even a free-flowing one. This is a dam bursting wide open. The latest Samsung Galaxy S7 leak doesn’t come from Twitter stars and Indian import databases — this one comes straight from Samsung.
The Indonesian arm of the company posted an unlisted video to YouTube, and sure enough someone was crafty enough to find the link. The video shows what appears to be the upcoming Galaxy S7 Edge — it could totally be a Galaxy S6 Edge Plus, as well, with how similar they look — being wirelessly charged and used in the rain.
That last point seems to confirm rumors that the device is water resistant (though they were still cautious enough to say the scene was just a dramatization).
Samsung wasn’t overly informative in this video, with its main purpose being to parade local archery champion Dellie Threesyadinda for promotion. Still, it’s nice to get an inkling of what to expect before their big announcement taking place February 21st.
The box it appears in looks quite uninspiring, to be honest, but it does appear to be a Galaxy S7 Edge. The other contents of the box — charging and adapter equipment — aren’t quite as exciting.
We’d probably pass on the opportunity to score a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge early. Not only is it going to be a lot more expensive, but you’d be risking making a purchase for something that might not even be legit. The device is said to be launching nearly 3 weeks after its announcement, too, so the wait wouldn’t even be too long. If you have the cash, the means and the desire anyway, you can find the listing right here.
Well, how’s this for a rumor. A leakster from Weibo is suggesting Samsung is planning to toss 6GB of RAM inside the Samsung Galaxy Note 6. It’s such an absurd number that we won’t blame you for completely disregarding the rumor (Samsung did tease the possibility of 6GB DRAM modules for mobile devices in a recent breakthrough, for what it’s worth). But let’s talk it out real quick: does a phone even need that much? Well, that depends. Most phones don’t, but let’s be real — this is Samsung. This is the same company whose 3GB of RAM phones from 201 were having issues because their software is incredibly bloated and they couldn’t settle an ongoing memory management issue.
Granted, that issue seems to have been addressed as of their Android 6.0 Marshmallow firmware, but the point remains: Samsung phones are memory hungry. That said, they shouldn’t be so hungry that anything more than 4GB of RAM is necessary. The only exception we’d make is if Samsung is planning to do something radically different with their software for the Note lineup, but considering most actual computers don’t need more than 8GB of RAM for heavy-lifting we can’t begin to imagine what Samsung could want to do to need that much.
Here are some other details (which are a lot more believable) from the leakster: 5.8-inch 2560 x Super AMOLED display 12MP Super OIS camera S-Pen 64GB / 128GB of storage
We wouldn’t put it past Samsung to try and stretch the bar everywhere they can for the Note 6 as it’s something they’ve historically done, but we aren’t so ready to believe they’ll go as crazy as putting 6GB of RAM inside the thing just yet. Let’s wait to see how this story unfolds as the year goes on.
Following that big leak is yet another, this time of the device’s bigger, more curvy sibling: the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge. The phone was photographed, showing off its AnTuTu benchmark score (a whopping 134704 points) on its beautiful curved AMOLED display. Leaked photos like this rarely paint smartphones in a positive light, so if you’re thinking it looks pretty terrible now, we urge you to hold off judgement until the official renders and press photos go out. Really, it looks pretty damn close to last year’s Galaxy S line, so by now you should already know exactly what to expect.
Current rumors point to Samsung launching 2 models of the Galaxy S7 off the bat — a smaller “standard” model and a larger curved display variant. This should help Samsung compete directly with the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, without having to wait later in the year for the Samsung Galaxy Note 6 to launch. On the hardware front, the S7 Edge will likely feature a 5.5-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED curveddisplay, Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, 32/64GB storage with micro SD card slot, 4GB RAM, 12MP camera, and a 3,600mAh battery.
If size isn’t a factor, it’s looking like the larger S7 Edge could be the way to go, especially if battery life is a huge concern for you.
Hearing that the Samsung Galaxy S7 was somehow managed to stay alive 17 straight hours while playing video at full brightness was as bit hard to believe, but the latest report from Eldar Murtazin (who delivered the aforementioned expectations) brings things back in line with reality. According to him, the Samsung Galaxy S7 — which has a 3,000mAh battery — is able to go a full 2 days with regular usage at 75% of brightness. It appears his screen-on time during the usage was about 4 and a half hours, which may or may not be in line with your idea of “regular.”
Still, it should be a nice improvement over the Samsung Galaxy S6 thanks to its increased battery and optimized hardware. And if Samsung has correctly implemented Android 6.0 Marshmallow’s doze mode, it’ll be even better.
It was back in July that accessory maker ZeroLemon — known for the extended battery cases for popular Android devices — released a 3,500mAh battery case for the Samsung Galaxy S6. It’s been a long time since then, but it seems the manufacturer is finally ready to bring their extremely hefty 8,500mAh model (the one that made the LG G4 look like a giant brick) to the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus and Samsung Galaxy Note 5. Sure these phones have been out since last August, but better late than never.
They’re retailing for about $60 each and don’t look half bad considering they’ll more than triple the thickness of your device. We don’t imagine anyone would use something like these every day, but for those cases where you know you’ll be away from the charger all day (or weekend), these ZeroLemon cases could be a godsend. Links provided below.
The Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are on the way, and Samsung is just about ready to confirm plans to announce those 2 phones in Barcelona. The company has set a February 21st date for their Unpacked event in Barcelona.
They even had a nice teaser video to accompany the announcement. The video obviously doesn’t give us much, but we do see a man attempting to handle a box through the view of the Samsung Gear VR. We’re not sure if this was done for dramatic effect or if Samsung is hinting toward something more. Could Samsung be looking to announce a motion controller for the Gear VR alongside the main course? That would be sweet for sure.
But let’s not jump too far ahead — this event will be all about the Samsung Galaxy S7. We’ve seenrenders of the device in recent times, and more and more information continues to leak.
Still, Samsung is usually good at hiding the best parts of their phone until they make their announcement so we’re going to be tuned in for potential surprises. You can tune in with us as Samsung will be live streaming the event on their YouTube channel.
We’ve seen the front of the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, and things are looking quite neat there. But what about the rear? Thanks to @evleaks, we have our answer. The first thing you’ll notice is that it looks like a Samsung device. We’d be worried if it didn’t, obviously. But there are subtle changes over last year’s models. These photos make the rear appear to be more curved, though it’s hard to tell. Something else hard to tell is the camera module appears to protrude less than yesteryear’s devices. It might even be flush. It’s hard to tell from this angle, though, so we’ll have to wait to see if Samsung has found a way to shave that thing down.
We can also see the return of a heart rate sensor sitting beneath the flash. Finally, the device seems to be a bit more round at the corners than the Galaxy S6, a trait that Samsung can’t bring themselves to ditch. Between this render and the one we saw late last week, how are you feeling about this device’s looks? We should know all the details February 21st, so be sure to set your calendar if your interest is piqued.
After getting a very tiny taste of the Samsung Galaxy S7 in a leaked render earlier this week, @evleaks is back again and this time he’s done with the teasing. Exposed in an update to his post onVentureBeat, we finally get a full look at a few alleged Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge renders. The images line up perfectly with the 3D images we saw previously, so there’s no real surprises there. But in case you wanted to see the final color, finish, and size comparison of the phone, these leaked renders should suffice.
Samsung’s unpopular decision to get rid of the user-removable battery on the Samsung Galaxy S6would have been fine if battery life on their phones truly lasted all day. In truth, it’s just average, and only becomes slightly above so when you’re actively trying to mind your usage. But things could be drastically different with the Samsung Galaxy S7. Eldar Murtazin — a known name in the leaksphere — claims that a Galaxy S7 was able to play 17+ hours of video at full brightness. Consider the fact that it’s hard to even reach 5 hours of screen-on time for regular usage on the Samsung Galaxy S6 and other current devices, and you can imagine how insane that is.
So, what miracle elixir has Samsung come up with for something like this to be possible? One might point to the 3,000mAh battery in the Galaxy S7 (and a 3,600mAh pack in the Galaxy S7 Edge), but a 450mAh bump over yesteryear’s model — while somewhat significant — shouldn’t be enough to provide such longevity.
Is it software optimization? New battery tech? Are the 2nd-gen 14nm FinFET process in the chipsets they’ll use really that much more efficient than what was used in the Exynos 7420? It’s tough to say, but knowing Samsung they’ll have at least 1 groundbreaking innovation to introduce with the next round of flagships and we wouldn’t be surprised if they were the first to market with the next big battery breakthrough. Keep your fingers crossed that these claims are accurate.
Don’t you just love it when two big companies start taking jabs at each other? That’s what LG did when Samsung started touting their devices’ fast charging capabilities on Twitter. Samsung talked up the ability to go from 0% to 100% in just 90 minutes.
LG’s rebuttal?
And that says it all. As fun as a quick ribbing like this is, though, we’re hoping that LG’s bold banter is a sign to us that they’re not going to waver on their commitment to deliver flexibility in their smartphones. We’d be absolutely shocked if the LG G5 were to launch without a removable battery after this stunt. Then again, there’s solid evidence that LG is looking to stick with removable batteries for future smartphones, so there shouldn’t be much to worry about.
The Samsung Galaxy S7 is now less than a month away, with a rumored announcement due for February 21. And right on schedule, after we're almost entirely familiar with the specs and looks of the upcoming flagship, we're now being treated to a couple of photos straight from its production line. One shows an array of front camera modules, with the SM-G930F model name (which we already know is the Galaxy S7's internal designation, plus the F at the end for regional version) clearly stamped on the board. If that means anything, it's probably revision number 5 of the module, judging by the R05 marking.
Compared to the one inside the existing Galaxy S6, this new camera has its connector offset to one side, while the old one was centered, teardowns revealed.
The second photo depicts the entire smartphone, though in developer attire, making its design nearly recognizable. You're getting the purpose of the rig - to have a functioning device for testing, without revealing the looks.
Despite the sticker on top of the brand name though, the home button and capacitive key markings clearly state Samsung. Which makes it all the more ironic that the shot is taken with what is almost certainly an HTC One, the first one.
Already been the subject of several rumors and leaks, Samsung's upcoming flagship smartphones - the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge - have now been spotted on Zauba, a website which tracks India's import and export.
As you might already know, the SM-G930R4 and SM-G935R4 are rumored model numbers of the S7 and S7 edge, respectively. And their Zauba listing reveals that the former sports a 5.1-inch screen, while the curved screen variant has a 5.5-inch display.
If you recall, this is inline with the information we exclusively reported last month. Also, just days ago, the Galaxy S7 (the Exynos variant) was spotted on Antutu, revealing a 5.1" QHD display.
We are only a few days into 2016, but it never seems to be too early for a new batch of Samsung Galaxy S7 rumors. Last we heard, there will, be a total of four S7 handsets – a basic one with a 5.1" screen, S7 edge at 5.5" and a couple of 6.0-inchers – the S7+ and S7 edge+ respectively. Now, if that wasn't confusing enough, there is also the question of specs with some big points still open for discussion, like chipset options, memory and camera setups.
A new leaked photo now claims to shed some light on the latter issues. It depicts a hardware info app, running on a Samsung SM G93, said to be the Galaxy S7 edge+. For a single shot, it does seem to reveal quite a lot of hardware details. For starters, the display is listed as being 5.7-inches in diagonal with a QHD resolution, just like the current generation of Samsung flagships. This does contradict with our previous information of a 6.0-inch display on the two bigger S7 models, but hardware info tools aren't famous for providing spot on size numbers either.
Another interesting observation to be made concerns the chipset. The photo specifically lists the phone GPU as the Adreno 530, which definitely can't be the new Samsung-made Exynos 8 Octa 8890, said to power the Galaxy S7, as it uses the Mali-T880MP12. Instead, it seems to be Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 820 chip, which proves that Samsung will indeed return to its tradition of offering an Exynos and Snapdragon variant of its flagship, which was skipped with the current S6 generation.
Memory is listed at 4GB, so there appears to be no change from the current gen in this department. The camera setup, on the other hand, looks entirely new. The main shooter has a 12.2MP sensor, which would have definitely raised a red flag considering the 16MP of the Galaxy S6, were it not for our previous knowledge of Samsung's new camera tech. Codenamed BRITECELL, it is an ambitious endeavor that aims to improve low-light photography by cutting down on the resolution and employing a large 1/2" sensor size, which results in much larger pixels.
This all sounds very exciting, but, sadly, we can't really vouch for the source's authenticity in any way. Hopefully, more information will be unearthed as the Galaxy S7 draws closer to a release, which will hopefully be as early as February 21.
Watch the video below and tell us: would you have guessed that was a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge if you weren’t told what it was? We don’t blame you if you would, because concept artist Jermaine Smit made sure he stuck to realism for his latest work. This concept video doesn’t showcase some wild and whacky design from a dream. Instead, Smit decided to make it based on all the rumors and leaks we’ve heard so far. That’s why it looks almost exactly like a Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, and we even had to double check to make sure the B-Roll footage in this video wasn’t lifted from Samsung themselves.
But you’ll notice things like a tweaked home button and the inclusion of a USB Type-C port as differentiating factors compared to Samsung’s 2015 phones. Otherwise, he did a remarkable job putting the render together, and we wouldn’t be surprised if Samsung gave him a call to join their marketing team because this is some very slick work. Interested in more? Be sure to check out his Behance profile right here for concepts about all sorts of smartphones and tablets.
