A couple of days ago, I went over a few things the Galaxy S7 (SM-G9300) & Edge (SM-G9350) may have, along with a couple of leaked hands-on images of the device. As the leaks start to ramp up for both of these devices leading up to the launch on the 21st February – the best thing to do would be to keep you all up to speed on the latest leak information, and what to fully expect from both of these devices.
This is the story so far of the Galaxy S7 & S7 Edge.
UPDATE – 17/02 – Leaked Hands-On Video with the S7
The rumour mill has been running rampant in the lead up to Samsung’s event this Sunday, and there’s no sign of it stopping.
Android Authority got their hands on some leaked images, as well as a video showing the Galaxy S7 in the flesh. This video proves the devices will have Micro-SD card expansion, as well as the aforementioned build quality changes to the back of both devices.
The 14 second video unveils and confirms a lot of speculation over the last few weeks as to what Samsung may have in store, confirming a rounded contour back as well as the previously mentioned SD-card expansion slot. This ‘hybrid’ SIM slot has been used in a foray of aluminium/glass unibody devices over the past year, meaning the SIM tray also doubles as an SD-card expansion slot.
One thing that hadn’t been noticed during the press images and multiple hands-on videos before is the fact that the home button is now recessed, as opposed to the Galaxy S6’s which protruded. Samsung decided to go with a similar home button design that the Galaxy S2 had, with a thin protruding border along the button to keep up with the ‘ease of use’ factor.
We also get a glance at what the software has to hold, which reveals more of the same – with slight tweaks to the iconography and showing off the ultra-vibrant AMOLED display.
Check out the video and the images below.
Tweaks to the Build Quality
The biggest rumour to come out of the blogisphere is the fact that the Galaxy S7 & Edge is going to be more of the same in terms of its look coming from the S6, but with a minor tweak that could certainly increase the comfortability of the device tenfold.
The leaks first started with a ‘teaser’ image from Evan Blass (better known as @evleaks), stating in the tweet that ‘#whenitrainsitpours’. The image itself didn’t reveal much other than a name of the device, and what appeared to be a plain black image with a slight contour around the edges
Soon after, Evan released press images (or renders) of both the devices side by side. This of course gave us a much better idea as to what Samsung had in store for the next itiration of their flagship ’S’ line. From the images posted by Evan, you can clearly see that Samsung went with a more ‘Note 5 inspired’ look and feel to the device, explained by the rounded contours along the left and right edges of both devices.
Leaks thereafter that were quite sporadic. Some being cited by unknown sources, or just plain fabrication for the lack of a better term.
About a week later, SamMobiles got a leak from an anonymous source, revealing the best hands-on we’ll have of both devices until the official launch on the 21st February. The hands-on images confirmed what evleaks had leaked just a week before this. Both the Galaxy S7 & Edge will have a rounded contour back, with a flush camera in tow.
In terms of official dimensions for the device, another leakster by the name of @ShaiMizrachi supposedly has an image of the official dimensions for the S7 & Edge. You can see the image (and the dimensions) below.
Battery
SamMobiles reported 3 days ago that FCC filings confirm that the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge will sport a 3600mAh battery; compared to last years mere 2600mAh. Giving the S7 a 1000mAh edge (pardon the pun) over last years device.
This means that the one major gripe with the previous years Galaxy S6 may indeed be fixed – and although there’s no word on the Galaxy S7 battery, you’d like to think it would be in the same ballpark figure of the Edge. A 3600mAh battery, accompanied with Android Marshmallow’s ‘Doze’ feature will be a recipe for greatness.
Display
Samsung are known for their displays. There’s no two ways about it. They have been known as one of the best companies in the world at making and advancing display technologies over the years. From innovating the AMOLED technology, to releasing mainstream devices that have a curved display. So it’s no mystery that a lot of people are curious to see what Samsung have up their sleeve next for the next batch of ’S’ and ‘Note’ devices.
As reported by SamMobiles, the Samsung Galaxy S7 may come with a 5.7 inch AMOLED display option, with a 2560 x 1440 resolution to accompany it. SamMobiles also report that Samsung may in fact offer 3 different screen size options, which will also have a 5.1 & 5.5 inch option along with the aforementioned 5.7 inch display option.
As shown in the image above, a few more specs have come to fruititon along with the display and resolution leak, which Samsung may possiblity announce just before MWC at their ‘Unpacked’ event:
- Adreno 530 GPU
- Snapdragon 820 CPU
- Fingerprint Sensor
- 4GB RAM
- 12.2 Megapixel Camera
Upgraded Camera
Mashable reported that the Samsung Galaxy S7 & Edge will most likely tout a 12.2 Megapixel camera. While this may seem like a downgrade from the outside looking in, it could actually be a great move from the Korean smartphone manufacturer. Both the Nexus 5X and 6P have 12 Megapixel cameras, and that is more than enough for a smartphone – pipping out the iPhone 6s by a slight margin.
SamMobile also elaborated on the 12MP camera rumour, confirming that the S7 & Edge will indeed sport a 12.2MP BRITECELL camera sensor, with a f1.7 aperture, and OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation).
In my personal opinion, this could be a bad move in the eyes of a consumer. It’s common knowledge that the average consumer care more about the numbers than they do in terms of the performance. HTC made this mistake on 2 seperate occasions with the M7 and also the M8, implementing a 4MP camera in each of the devices – and while the reviews state that the camera on these devices were more than acceptable in adequate lighting conditions, the consumer will only really look at the number when it comes down to it.
Fingerprint Scanner
Both the Galaxy S7 & Edge will have a fingerprint sensor much like the one used in the Galaxy S6. While rumours haven’t surfaced about how much quicker the sensor itself will be – I’d be willing to wage a bet on it being improved in some capacity at the launch in Barcelona on the 21st.
Samsung introduced the fingerprint sensor in the Galaxy S5, and have been continuously improving on this technology ever since. While the sensor wasn’t a huge hit in the S5 due to reported issues and overall usability of it, there’s no denying that the Galaxy S6 made leaps and bounds of a difference from its predecessor.
Software
Both the S7 & S7 Edge will launch with Android Marshmallow (6.0), with Samsung’s manufacturer skin ‘TouchWiz’.
While it isn’t clear if both devices will have the most up to date version of Marshmallow (6.0.1), it’s safe to assume that it will.
No further details on the software has leaked for this device yet, but if one does arise – I will update the article accordingly.
Water-Resistance is Back
The smartphone world let out an audible sign when the Galaxy S6 didn’t have water-resistance manufactured into the device. Reports from SamMobile confirm that Samsung have had a change of heart and decided to reverse their plans of no more water-resistance. Import leaks show that multiple waterproof components such as a waterproof mic and SIM tray were mentioned for the Samsung Galaxy S7.
As long as there isn’t an obtrusive flap covering the MicroUSB port, this will be a nice added bonus.
No USB Type-C
This may come as a surprise to a lot of people as USB Type-C has been an industry standard for a few months now, with devices like the Nexus 5X, 6P, OnePlus Two and Lumia 950 sporting it.
USB Type-C has had a rocky start in terms of endorsement and overall execution. From some third-party cables reportedly overheating devices, to only having USB 2.0 data transfer speeds in some devices – the overall execution and compliancy for this new standard has yet to really step off the mark.
I understand why Samsung went with the safer MicroUSB option, as this is a tried and tested method with established standards put in place with less hassle.
USB Type-C is in its infancy, and has a lot of bugs to be ironed out first before a technology giant such as Samsung would even consider implementing this new standard.
Two Types of Processors
As reported by SamMobiles, and multiple other sources – the S7 & Edge may have a different processor depending on your location of purchase. Details have surfaced that a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor (with the Adreno 530 GPU) will accompany the Exynos 8890 chipset.
Samsung have experimented with the idea of 2 processor models in the past, with the Galaxy S5 sporting a Snapdragon 801 version for Europe, and an Exynos option for the US and other countries. The Galaxy S4 also had a Snapdragon 600 option for the Asian market.
A source close to SamMobiles confirmed that testing has been performed on both of the chips, and the Exynos 8890 outperforms the Snapdragon 820 by 15%, with battery efficiency also being hailed by the Exynos Chipset manufactured by Samsung.
Benchmark scores of both chipsets are pictured above. The Qualcomm model scored 1873 and 5946 in single and multi-core testing respectively. The Exynos version scored 2282 and 4979.
Pricing
A reporting coming from SamMobiles today confirmed that the Samsung Galaxy S7 & Edge will cost 700 & 800 Euros respectively.
In terms of the Edge, this is a marginal decrease in price from the whopping 849 Euro price tag on last year’s S6 Edge. The Galaxy S7 ‘s price is effectively the same from its predecessor, which had a 699 Euro price tag in mainland Europe.
It has been confirmed that Samsung are following the trend from last year by not including a 16GB option for the base model, and sticking with 32GB as the base. It is believed that a 64GB option will be offered, but this idea is up in the air due to the SD card slot being re-implemented accompanied with Android Marshmallow’s new SD card functions.
More Colour Options
It’s no mystery that Samsung have been sticking to the same standard colours on their devices for the better part of a year or two now. It’s not up until recently that they have delved deeper into their colour palettes to provide the consumers with more options. The Samsung Galaxy S6 & Edge brought in the Gold colour, which was a little too garish for a lot of people – comparing it to Apple’s muted ‘champagne gold’. The Galaxy Note 5 is where Samsung really started to take the look and aesthetics seriously in terms of the colour of the device, defining the overall look. The Titanium Grey colour was launched alongside the Note 5, and it’s Samsung’s best colour implementation to date. It really solidified the device as a ‘classy’ looking phone, while not being too over the top with in your face colours. The main bonus to the Titanium Grey colour is of course the fact that the ‘mirroring’ effect on the glass back of the device is pretty much diminished, making the device look a lot more premium than it already is.
More reports coming from SamMobile confirms the full colour spectrum of the S7 & Edge, with render images proving this. Samsung have decided to remove the white option completely from existence, leaving just a Black and Gold option for the S7, whereas the S7 Edge will have the beautiful looking Titanium Grey option to go alongside the Black and Gold options.
From the looks of the render images below, it also confirms that the designs of both devices will have a curved back in tow, which we went over in the ‘Build Quality’ section of the article.
The Run-Down
Here’s a recap of what’s reportedly on offer from the S7/Edge:
- Improved ‘Note 5-like’ build quality with rounded contoured back edges
- Both an Exynos and Snapdragon chipset option
- Improved 12.2 Megapixel BRITECELL back camera
- Android 6.0 Marshmallow
- MicroUSB
- Fingerprint Sensor
- 2560 x 1440 AMOLED display
- 5.7 inch, 5.1 inch and 5.5 inch screen size options
- 4GB RAM
- Adreno 530 GPU
- Water-resistance
- 3600mAh battery in the Edge
- Possible Titanium Grey colour option
That about does it so far for the abundance of leaks out there for these two devices.
I will be proactively updating this article if any newer leaks arise, as well as covering the launch event come the 21st of this month.
