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Galaxy S6
Samsung and Android fans: wait no longer. The details of the new Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge have leaked, with the smartphones due to be launched in just a few short weeks, packed with exciting features. Samsung appear to be moving in a different direction to their Apple counterparts – opting for battery power, extendable memory, and water resistance as opposed to power upgrades and software extensions.
So what’s new in the rumours about latest flagship phones from Samsung?
According to Mashable, Samsung are headed back the way of the S5. Here are the main differences between the S7 and S7 Edge and their most recent predecessors, the S6 and S6 Edge. You can view the History Of Samsung Galaxy S phones here.
Memory
Samsung must have had a lot of hate thrown at them for doing away with the MicroSD slot on the Samsung Galaxy S6. The S6 was the first Galaxy model to do away with the MicroSD slot, leaving consumers only on-device and cloud memory for storing all their apps, files and content. On-device memory is expensive. The S6 had 32GB, 64GB and 128GB versions, but this meant significant jumps in handset cost for each memory band. MicroSD cards are often a lot less expensive to purchase.
The S7 and S7 Edge appear to have reintroduced the MicroSD slot – so that people won’t have to worry about running out of memory any time soon, or having to buy a more expensive device at the outset. The MicroSD slot will support cards up to 200GB.
Battery
The main problem with all powerful smartphones is that they chew through a lot of battery – meaning that most users will need to recharge at least once a day. Samsung is tackling the battery problem head-on. The batteries are looking to be bumped up from 2550mAh to 3000mAh for the S6 and 2600mAh to 3600mAh for the S6 Edge. It looks to be that the batteries won’t be removable though, unlike previous models.
Water resistance
If you have managed to get through your life without having one of your phones go for a swim with you, then you’re doing better than most people. Ever since the Sony Xperia Z introduced superior water resistance in phones, consumers have been waiting for both Samsung and Apple to introduce the technology for their flagship models.
The Galaxy S5 had the IP67 rating, against both dust and water, that was conspicuously absent from the Galaxy S6. This rating means that the device may be submerged in up to 1 metre of water for up to 30 minutes at a time, and is protected against dust getting in the phone.
The S7 is set to bring this feature back, a welcome re-addition for those of us that like to take our phones anywhere and everywhere.
Camera
It looks like Samsung are taking a step back with their camera on the S6 – reducing the rear facing camera from 16MP down to 12MP. It is fair to note, though, that the camera will feature advanced low light mode capabilities and an f/1.7 lens. The camera is set to sit flush with the back panel of the phone, unlike previous versions, where the camera jutted out from the backing.
It looks like the phones will be the same size as the S6 and the S6 Edge respectively, and there is some speculation that they will include technology that mimics Apple’s 3D touch capabilities. 3D touch allows users to complete different actions on the phone depending on the amount of pressure applied to the screen with each touch.
The phones may even include the relatively new USB Type-C technology, which makes for faster data transfer speeds and much quicker charging times.
It appears that Samsung have listened to their customers – bringing back features available in the S5 but suspiciously missing in the S6. It bodes well for fans of Samsung, knowing that the company are prepared to listen to what their customers are asking for. Although the S7 doesn’t appear to be a ground-breaker, from the looks of things it is a very solid smartphone, with all the features that users demand in 2016.
It’s likely that the S7 and S7 Edge will be launched at the Mobile World Congress next month in Barcelona, Spain, if we’re to follow Samsung’s previous track record of releases. Price points are likely to be very similar to the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge.
In the mean time check out our Samsung Galaxy Accessories
