Galaxy S7 duo may be the devices you’re looking for
Samsung’s latest smartphones offer greatest hits package, albeit with some minor annoyances
The smartphone arms race is being decided by the smallest factors these days, particularly at the top end. Premium phones are all getting to be quite excellent and the majority of improvements are incremental.
First out of the gate in 2016 are Samsung’s latest: the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, which take a number of features from previous devices, and deliver a sort of “greatest hits package,” although a few niggling issues remain.
That said, Samsung’s latest has set the bar high for the rest of the Android pack. Name: Samsung Galaxy S7, S7 Edge Price (unlocked/2-year contract): $899.99/$999.99; 2-year contract: $399/ $499 Operating system: Android Marshmallow Screen (size/type): 5.5-inch, 1440 x 2560 resolution with an always-on display (S7 Edge); 5.1 inch (S7) Features: Fingerprint scanner, fast charging, heart rate monitor, water and dust resistant. New Game Manager tool centralizes games. Side launcher on Edge. Expandable micro-SD storage slot. Camera: Rear camera: 12 MP with Optical Image stabilization. Front camera: 5 MP with Auto HDR Weight: 157 g (5.54 oz.) Battery life: S7 Edge has 3600 mAH — I got about a day and a half of use Competition: LG G5, iPhone 6S/plus, other premium flagships. What’s good: A super sleek device that, particularly in the Edge edition, screams premium phone. Off the top, the three most important features sing: an amazing Super Amoled screen, incredibly good lowlight photos and a larger battery. Similar to last year’s model, the phone is water and dust resistant — seriously, put it in water and give it a call, it works — but because of the way it is sealed, it does not have a removable battery. A micro-SD slot for expandable storage makes a return. The new curved edge makes it very comfortable to hold. The new thing is an always-on display that shows the time even when the phone is locked. What’s bad: The curved glass still feels like something that took quite a bit of engineering know-how to do and gives the phone a slick look, but they haven’t found a real way to make good use of it. Samsung has added more functionality in the apps and widgets that launch from the edge, but it still feels limited and just not implemented well. That slick appearance is not worth the $100 premium over the regular S7. Samsung’s additional Touchwiz layer can still be an acquired taste. It only comes in a 32 GB version, so be ready to shell out for extra SD card storage. What’s interesting: After years of being tagged with feeling cheap and plasticky, Samsung has gone almost ultra premium, particularly with the Edge, which unlocked goes for a $1,000. What is almost as impressive as the phone are the accessories. Samsung is really treating the phone as your computer, and some of the accessories are interesting and robust, and show how the company is serious about building out an ecosystem of products. The bottom line: This is an impressive iteration of Samsung’s flagship devices, and relies less on gimmicks than some of the company’s previous phones. It is a slick and smooth Android device, but one that you will pay for, as even on a two-year contract, the prices have now crept up into $400 and $500 — and $900 or $1,000 unlocked. An unlocked iPhone 6s Plus starts at $1,029 for 16 GB.