Samsung ups the game with S7
dubai — Samsung Electronics has unveiled its latest Galaxy S7 flagship smartphones with a refined design, more advanced camera and streamlined software functionality.
The new Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge Android devices build on the design of the previous Galaxy S6 versions but include IP68 waterproofing and a microSD card slot.
Both devices will be available in most markets globally from next month and phone lovers in select markets will get the Samsung Gear VR for free.
There was also a surprise appearance of Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg at the Samsung launch. He talked about the potential of virtual reality in social media such as Facebook.
“We believe in a world that is brighter, sharper, more convenient and more fun. We strive to deliver on that vision with the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge by marrying elegant design with functionality and providing a seamless mobile experience,” said D.J. Koh, president of mobile communications business, Samsung Electronics.
“We empower consumers with technology to help them get more out of life and will continue to push the frontier of what’s possible,” Koh added.
The Galaxy S7 has a flat 5.1-inch screen but a curved glass back. The larger Galaxy S7 Edge has a 5.5-inch screen that is curved at the left and right edges and has minimal bezels on either side of the screen, making it one of the most narrow phablets available in the market.
Both the devices run the latest version of Android 6.0 Marshmallow and have 4GB of Ram for improved multitasking and 30 per cent more powerful processors with “thermal spreader” water-cooling technology to avoid the phones overheating.
Both smartphones also have larger batteries. The Korean company has also put in tools to help save battery power while gaming, which also allows users to capture footage of their gaming sessions similar to the way console gamers can.
The smartphones manufacturer is also pushing an always-on display setting that uses the screen’s Amoled display to light a minimal graphic showing the time, date or other user-configurable information.
The phones also have a new, slimmer 12-megapixel camera designed with lowlight photography in mind. It uses larger 1.4um pixels and a lens with an f-stop of 1.7 to let 25 per cent more light into the sensor, as well as a very fast autofocus system, to help prevent grainy or blurred photos.
“The UK smartphone market has matured. Those under 25 now choose a smartphone with emphasis on its interaction with other services and devices. We have to do more than just produce a smartphone, we have to redefine what a phone can do,” Rory O’Neill, head of brand and product marketing for Samsung, said at the launch.
The company president said it intended to bring Samsung Pay, its mobile phone contactless payments system currently available in the US and South Korea, to six more markets in 2016, including the UK, Spain, Australia, Brazil, China and Singapore.
The Korean company also launched a 360-degree camera, the Gear 360, which resembles a small ball, only slightly bigger than a golf ball. It has two 180-degree fish-eye lenses, can be remotely controlled by a Samsung phone and can stream video or 30-megapixel photos in real time.