A brief look at the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge

by Volker Weber

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Last weekend I was at a Samsung event and had the opportunity to look at the two new devices. I have not used one, and I don't really have to, because the differences to the "old" S6 generation are immediately noticeable.

First of all, the S7 Edge now has the right size. Not as small as the S6 Edge and not as large as the S6 Edge Plus. With its curved back it is now both easier to pick up and easier to hold. It is by far the prettier of the two devices, but it feels too light, where the regular S7 feels right. I have this theory that heavier things feel more substantial. When the volume or size go up, but the weight doesn't, things feel cheaper to me. In that respect, the S7 Edge looks nicer, but the S7 feels better.

The S7 family may look very similar to the S6 family of last year, but they improve substantially where it counts. Storage expansion via microSD, water-proofing, a faster finger print reader, a nicer design and an even better camera. I was already impressed with the S6 Edge camera, but the S7 takes it even further. I like the fact that Samsung went back from 16 to 12 megapixel. It renders smaller but better photos, especially in low light conditions. This used to be a Nokia domain, but I think Samsung has passed Microsoft's camera performance in every way.

The S7 devices keep all of the strong points that played so well for the S6: support for KNOX in the enterprise, a brilliant screen, fast charing, even wireless charging. They both work well with the same Gear VR headset you could use with the previous generation, because Samsung keeps using the now ubiquitous MicroUSB port and not the newer USB 3.1 port.

I have not experienced this myself, but I hear that the software keeps improving. And with that I mean it has less software. It is somewhat ironic that what Samsung regards as a value add is actually just an added nuisance. Any step towards a pure Android experience is welcome.

Comments

I'm looking forward to ordering the S7 Edge in the next couple of weeks!

Ray Bilyk, 2016-03-09

I pre-ordered it yesterday (should get it in a day or two), you get a free VD headset when you do that. We are also switching from AT&T to T-Mobile, so I have to give up my S6 Edge+ that i actually really liked. Just had it since before Christmas. But the S7 Edge seems very nice and hopefully the slightly smaller screen will be okay for me.

Karl-Henry Martinsson, 2016-03-09

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