New Samsung s7. Samsung Galaxy smartphones

Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge are the most popular new Android products of 2016. The manufacturer did not make any breakthroughs in terms of design when developing these models, but made many noticeable changes that helped them rise above previous Galaxy phones.

Samsung Galaxy S7 - Reviews

If you're at all familiar with 2015 Samsung Galaxy devices, then you know exactly what to expect from the Galaxy S7. This year, everything is even more sophisticated.

The S7 features a sleek, sporty design with a brushed metal frame and 3D glass back and front. The design improvements also include the camera on the back, which still protrudes but is about twice as large as last year's model.

The Samsung Galaxy S7 has a 5.1-inch flat AMOLED display that is the envy of any other smartphone. Thanks to the soft curve of the back, the S7 is very comfortable to hold in the palm of your hand. It's almost identical in size to last year's Galaxy S6 (and Galaxy S5). Overall, this model is a comfortable size, unless you're a fan of small phones like the old iPhone 5S.

Always On and Android Marshmallow

Following in the footsteps of innovation, Samsung and LG this year added an “Always On” mode to the screens of their flagship devices. So, Galaxy S7 always shows the clock when the phone is in sleep mode. This function should be disabled as soon as the smartphone is in your pocket. You can also replace the clock display with a calendar.

The manufacturer has not added many innovations in terms of software to the Samsung Galaxy S7. Samsung made this phone model on Android 6.0 Marshmallow (Marshmallow), but at the same time retained the beady, colorful TouchWiz interface and the old menu from the S6. The interface is fairly easy to use, but is a bit resistant to change. For example, Samsung smartphones still do not have a navigation button on the screen; instead, there are tactile buttons on either side of the “Home” button under the screen, the location of which can also be called an outdated option, unless you are an iPhone user. Competitors like the Xperia Z5, LG G5 and Nexus 6P have found better places to place the Home button.

Battery, video camera, and more

The Galaxy S7's battery capacity has been improved to 3,000 mAh this year, several hundred mAh more than the S6, but battery life still doesn't last longer than a day.

Samsung provides its own battery holder for the Samsung Galaxy S7, which can increase battery life by approximately 3,100 mAh. Since the battery is non-removable, this portable charger is the best option for those days when you need an extra charge.

In addition to the battery, Samsung has improved the main camera lens housing by integrating an amplifier (Olloclip type) and updated the wireless charging pad, thanks to which the Galaxy S7 can charge at a fast speed.

This is a powerful and enjoyable smartphone

The Samsung Galaxy S7 smartphone runs on a new quad-core 2.15GHz + 1.6GHz processor, but the manufacturer will vary depending on the sales region and the type of chip. In the United States, it uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, while in the rest of the world, Samsung uses the Exynos chip, which is its own design. Samsung claims the new processors are about 30 percent faster than those in the Galaxy S6, and the integrated GPU is 64 percent faster.

One of the features of the Samsung Galaxy S7 is that it is noticeably warm in most cases, despite the new cooling system.

In addition to the processor, the Galaxy S7 is equipped with 4 GB of RAM, 32 GB of internal memory and a tray for Nano SIM; there is also a slot for Micro SD cards, into which you can install a card of any capacity (up to 200 GB). Samsung even struck a deal where the S7 and S7 Edge are the first phones to work with the Vulkan API to help drive high-end gaming.

Improved Samsung Galaxy S7 camera

The Samsung S7 has a 12-megapixel rear camera that's faster thanks to its F1.7 lens (compared to last year's F1.9), and focuses faster thanks to its "dual-pixel" hardware. Samsung says each pixel in the lens also acts as a focal point, a first for a smartphone.

In direct sunlight, low light and dark conditions, the S7 outperformed the iPhone 6S in photo quality. The Samsung camera was able to take clearer images in the dark, illuminating areas that the iPhone couldn't. The focusing speed also helps it capture great shots of moving scenes.

However, the Galaxy S7's camera isn't perfect. Photos taken with the new Samsung smartphone often come out warmer (more yellow and orange) than in reality and than on the iPhone.

Selfies on the S7 are no worse or better than those of competing phones.

Guarantee

The Samsung Galaxy S7 comes with a standard one-year limited warranty that covers the device and battery unless damaged. Samsung, at its discretion, may replace the device or repair it if factory defects are detected.

Bottom line

The Galaxy S7 looks fantastic and is more comfortable to hold than last year's Galaxy S6. The main advantages of this model are a new camera from Samsung, increased battery capacity, accessories and a waterproof case, add to this an AMOLED screen and a more powerful processor.

The biggest concern is its fragility. The Samsung Galaxy S7 has more curved glass than any other model, so if it gets damaged, replacing the glass can be very expensive. Therefore, when purchasing this smartphone, do not forget about a case, which will also protect against annoying fingerprints, and will also block some of the heat generated by the smartphone.

If you're concerned about its fragility, you can buy the Galaxy S7 Active instead. It has all the same features, but in a more durable design that can survive a fall without breaking. In addition, the Active is equipped with a larger battery. However, the Active's exterior design doesn't compare to the stylish Galaxy S7.

Part 1: general introduction and comparison of performance with iPhone 6s Plus and Moto X Force

The announcement of the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge at the Mobile World Congress 2016 expectedly became one of the main IT events in recent weeks. And although in general there is nothing revolutionary in these smartphones - it is, rather, an evolution in relation to the S6 Edge, and not a revolution, nevertheless, from first impressions and from the totality of the information voiced about the new products, I got the impression that this is really almost the best flagships of the first half of 2016. Now that we have received the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge for testing, it's time to check whether this is true or not.

We talked about our first impressions of the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge in a report from the presentation. Here we emphasize that although Samsung, like a year ago, releases two smartphones at the same time and maintains its positioning, there are still more hardware differences between them than between the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. Firstly, the display of the two new products differs not only in the presence or absence of curvature, but also in diagonal - 5.1 inches in the case of the Galaxy S7 and 5.5 inches in the case of the S7 Edge. Secondly, the battery capacity, which was almost the same in the S6 and S6 Edge, now differs quite significantly: in the S7 this figure is 3000 mAh, and in the S7 Edge it is already 3600 mAh.

Apparently, the manufacturer decided to more thoroughly justify the price difference between the S7 and S7 Edge. On pre-order in Russia, smartphones cost 49,990 and 59,990 rubles, respectively. 10,000 rubles difference just for the spectacular curve of the screen is a bit much, but if you add to this a more capacious battery and a larger screen area, it turns out much more interesting.

We especially note that when pre-ordering, the user receives a second-generation Samsung Gear VR helmet as a gift, which individually costs almost 8,000 rubles. Nice bonus!

Let's take a look at the specifications of the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge.

Specifications Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge

• SoC Samsung Exynos 8890 Octa
• CPU Mongoose @2.6 GHz (4 cores) + Cortex-A53 @1.6 GHz (4 cores)
• GPU Mali-T880
• Operating system Android 6.0.1
• Touch display 5.5″ SuperAMOLED, curved on both sides, 2560×1440, 534 ppi
• Random access memory (RAM) 4 GB
• Permanent memory: 32 GB
• Supports microSD memory cards up to 200 GB
• SIM cards: 2 × Micro-SIM
• Communication GSM/GPRS/EDGE/3G/LTE Cat.9
• Bluetooth 4.2 LE, NFC, ANT+
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n/ac 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz
• GPS with A-GPS, Glonass
• Sensors: accelerometer, geomagnetic sensor, gyroscope, light sensor, proximity sensor, barometer, Hall sensor, fingerprint scanner, heart rate sensor
• Cameras: 5 MP (front) and 12 MP (rear) Dual Pixel, with LED flash, optical stabilization system and autofocus, f/1.7, 4K video shooting
• Battery: lithium polymer 3600 mAh, non-removable
• Dimensions 150.9×72.6×7.7 mm
• Weight 157 g

For clarity, we decided to make a table with the characteristics of the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and its immediate predecessor Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+, and also added to the table Moto X Force and iPhone 6S Plus - the most obvious competitors of the new product.

	Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge	Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+	Moto X Force	Apple iPhone 6s Plus
Screen	5.5″ Super AMOLED, curved on both sides, 2560×1440, 534 ppi	5.7″ Super AMOLED, curved on both sides, 2560×1440, 515 ppi	5.4″ AMOLED, 2560×1440, 540 ppi	5.5″ IPS, 1920×1080, 401 ppi
SoC (processor)	Samsung Exynos 8890 Octa (4 Mongoose cores @2.6 GHz + 4 Cortex-A53 cores @1.6)	Samsung Exynos 7420 (4 Cortex-A57 @2.1 GHz + 4 Cortex-A53 @1.5 GHz)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 (4x Cortex-A57 @2.0 GHz + 4x Cortex-A53 @1.5 GHz)	Apple A9 (2 cores @1.8 GHz, 64-bit ARMv8-A architecture)
GPU	Mali-T880	Mali-T760	Adreno 430	Apple A9
Flash memory	32 GB	32 GB	32 GB	16/64/128 GB
Connectors		Micro-USB (with OTG support), 3.5mm headset jack	Micro-USB (with OTG support), 3.5mm headset jack	Lightning dock connector, 3.5mm headset jack
Memory card support	microSD (up to 200 GB)	No	microSD (up to 2 TB)	No
RAM	4 GB	4 GB	3 GB	2 GB
Cameras		rear (16 MP; 4K video), front (5 MP)	rear (21 MP; 4K video), front (5 MP)	rear (12 MP; 4K video), front (5 MP)
LTE support	There is	There is	There is	There is
Battery capacity (mAh)	3600	2600	3760	2750
operating system	Google Android 6.0.1	Google Android 5.1 (updated to 6.0.1)	Google Android 6.0.1	Apple iOS 9.0 (updated to 9.2.1)
Dimensions (mm)*	151×73×7.7	154×76×6.9	150×78×9.2	158×78×7.3
Weight (g)	157	153	170	190

*according to official data from manufacturers

The table clearly shows what major changes have occurred in the new product compared to the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+. First of all, there is support for microSD memory cards. In addition, the smartphone is now equipped with a new SoC and a significantly more capacious battery. True, two parameters may confuse those who are choosing between the Galaxy S7 Edge and S6 Edge+. Firstly, the new product has become a little thicker, and secondly, the rear camera now has a resolution of 12 megapixels instead of the previous 16 megapixels. However, both of them are justified by some technological features, which we will discuss later, so you shouldn’t immediately write them down as disadvantages.

As for comparison with the Moto X Force, the smaller amount of RAM is noteworthy here. And, of course, the screen has no curve (although, according to Lenovo, which owns the Moto brand, it is also plastic). As for the remaining differences (SoC and camera parameters), this needs to be tested. The same is true for the iPhone 6s Plus, where direct comparison of characteristics is generally pointless due to different operating systems. But it’s worth noting that compared to the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and Moto X Force, the iPhone 6s Plus has a much less capacious battery, although the dimensions are no smaller (only thickness).

However, let's move on to direct testing and in the process we will answer a number of questions that arose when comparing the characteristics. Including the main one: which smartphone is the most productive at the moment.

Equipment

The smartphone arrived to us in a test box, different from those that will be on the counter. Alas, it was not a beautiful suitcase at all, like our colleagues from Poland, but just a white cardboard package. However, the packaging inside appears to be in line with what shoppers will get in store.

This is a charger with Quick Charge support, a Micro-USB - USB cable, a key for removing the SIM card and memory card cradle, an OTG adapter (for connecting external USB drives with a full-size plug), as well as headphones in a separate plastic box and with an additional a set of rubber ear pads.

The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ had the same headphones, and, admittedly, it was not for nothing that the manufacturer included them again. They have a tangle-free flat wire, a very comfortable ear pad shape, and most importantly, decent sound. We tested it on the FLAC version of Massive Attack's new EP "Ritual Spirit" (by the way, the smartphone plays FLAC tracks without any problems) and were pleasantly surprised by the deep bass in the songs Dead Editors and Take It There.

As for the charger, we will talk in more detail about all the issues related to the battery and recharging in the second part of the article, but for now we will report only one result: in 15 minutes, using the included charging unit, the smartphone was charged by 20%. Quite a good result!

Design

In terms of appearance, the differences between the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and the S6 Edge+ and 6S Edge are minimal - first of all, they relate to slightly changed dimensions. And yet, the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge can without any doubt be called one of the most beautiful modern smartphones.

Almost the entire front panel is occupied by a screen that effectively wraps around both edges along the long sides. And this is not only admirable in itself, but also creates the illusion of a complete absence of frameworks. In fact, of course, there are frames, but they are already quite thin, and thanks to the rounding of the screen they seem quite insignificant.

Both the front and rear panels are completely covered with glass. They are quite easily soiled, especially if we are talking about the black version of the smartphone (silver and platinum versions will also be on sale), but they still look great. Very narrow zones below and above the screen are also a plus. Thanks to this, with the same screen sizes, the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge is significantly more compact than the iPhone 6s Plus. True, the iPhone is just a little thinner, but this is completely unnoticeable. And thanks to the narrowing of the side edges, the Samsung smartphone seems even thinner than the Apple device.

In general, the size of the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge is optimal. The S6 Edge+ was still a bit big and didn’t feel as comfortable in the hand. But the S7 Edge is just right! Of course, because of the glass in front and behind, it is slippery, you are afraid to drop it, but it is still pleasant to hold in your hand.

All edges, like its predecessor, are made of metal, as are the buttons. They press with pleasant elasticity. The layout of buttons and connectors is similar to the previous model. On the right is the power button, on the left are separate volume buttons.

On the bottom edge there is a speaker, a Micro-USB connector with OTG support (it’s strange that Samsung is not switching to USB Type C, unlike many other manufacturers), a 3.5 mm headset jack and a built-in microphone hole. Interestingly, the location of this hole has changed, meaning that the internal layout of the components appears to have undergone significant changes. As for the speaker, its maximum volume is quite sufficient not to miss a call/alarm clock, and for watching movies or videos, but, of course, it should not be used for listening to music due to unnecessary overtones and the not very pleasant nature of the sound in in general. However, it would be strange to expect something different from a device of such a form factor.

On the top edge we see another microphone hole and a combined slot for a SIM card and a microSD memory card. Yes, as we already said, Samsung has fixed one of the main shortcomings of the Galaxy S6 Edge and S6 Edge+ by adding memory card support to the Galaxy S7 Edge. And considering that the manufacturer is especially proud of the smartphone’s camera, this is especially relevant, since 32 GB of internal memory for a camera phone that shoots video in 4K is frankly not enough.

At the top of the front panel, next to the eyes of the front camera and sensors, there is an LED event indicator. The large round dot lights up in different colors depending on the battery charging status or incoming messages. This element was there before, but I’m glad that Samsung didn’t sacrifice it.

The rear camera lens still protrudes quite a bit above the glass of the rear panel, but this can hardly be considered a serious drawback.

The Home button on the front panel also protrudes. But this is even a plus, since it is easier to find it by touch. And you will have to do this every time you turn on the smartphone, since this button contains a fingerprint sensor. It works very quickly, the recognition rate is very good, so there are no complaints here.

Despite the fact that the external design has changed minimally, the new smartphone has one very important quality: water resistance according to the IP68 standard. At the same time, there are no plugs on the ports here. That is, moisture protection is ensured thanks to the design and materials. This is, of course, a wonderful and unexpected gift, a real feat of engineers!

Overall, the design deserves the highest marks. Of course, its subjective perception depends primarily on how much you, in principle, like the screen that bends on the edge. There are people who don't like it. But even they are unlikely to argue with the fact that the design of the Galaxy S7 Edge is certainly original (except, of course, for its predecessors), and thanks to the excellent ratio of dimensions and display size, the smartphone is also very practical. It will fit into any pocket without any problems and will fit comfortably even in a small hand. As a huge plus, we note the appearance of a slot for memory cards, and among the minuses is the absence of a green option. For the Galaxy S6 Edge, it was the green (“emerald”) version that was one of the most attractive, original and stylish.

The color options for the new member of the Edge family are also quite good. But here is a strange situation: only black, gold and silver options are available for pre-order in Russia. But white - no. Although we saw it at the exhibition and, to be honest, it was the one we liked the most. It has a very interesting pearl shade. The black device that we are currently testing seems a little less advantageous and practical (due to fingerprints), although the color is still interesting, deep, and not banal.

Performance

The smartphone runs on the new Exynos 8890 Octa SoC, made using a 14 nm process technology, improved with FinFET LPP (Low-Power Plus) technology. It uses new Mongoose CPU cores (four cores with a frequency of 2.6 GHz) and the already familiar four Cortex-A53 cores with a frequency of 1.6 GHz.

The Mali-T880 acts as a graphics accelerator.

Samsung has not used this SoC before, meaning this is our first look at it. Therefore, it is necessary to compare it with the main competing solutions: Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 and Apple A9. Of course, it would be even more interesting if the comparison involved the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820, but we have not yet had devices with this SoC. So we’ll be content with what we have, and at the same time we’ll try to answer the burning question that worries the Internet community so much: who is more powerful – the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge or the Apple iPhone S6 Plus?

Let's start with browser tests: SunSpider 1.0.2, Octane Benchmark, Kraken Benchmark and . We used the Chrome browser on all Android devices and Safari on iOS. If there is a dash in the table field, it means that the corresponding smartphone was not tested in this benchmark (or in this version of this benchmark).

As you can see, the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge is confidently ahead of its Android competitor and its own predecessor, but the iPhone is still ahead in the overall standings.

Now let's see how the gadget performs in complex benchmarks - AnTuTu 6 and Geekbench 3.

Unfortunately, we do not have AnTuTu 6 results for the previous Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+, since we tested it in the fifth version of the benchmark, and it was radically different in the principles of scoring, so it is incorrect to compare the results. But AnTuTu finally worked fine on iOS. So we added the iPhone to the table too.

And again the picture repeats itself, although the superiority of the iPhone is already less, and in the multi-core Geekbench 3 mode, the Apple smartphone is completely inferior to the new Samsung product.

In addition to our ongoing testing methodology, we decided to compare the Galaxy S7 Edge and iPhone 6s Plus in the cross-platform Basemark OS II benchmark. The results are in front of you. The screenshot on the left is Samsung, on the right is Apple.

As we can see, Samsung lost here. Although not in all subtests (see Memory).

The last group of benchmarks is dedicated to testing GPU performance. We used 3DMark, GFXBench and Bonsai Benchmark. All of them show real 3D scenes and allow you to clearly see how the devices cope with them.

Let's start with GFXBench. Let us remind you that Offscreen tests involve displaying images in 1080p, regardless of the actual screen resolution. And Onscreen tests mean displaying a picture in the resolution that matches the device screen resolution. That is, Offscreen tests are indicative from the point of view of the abstract performance of the SoC, and Onscreen tests are indicative from the point of view of the comfort of the game on a specific device. Additionally, this year's Android devices featured a new Car Chase scene using OpenGL ES 3.1. This standard is not supported on iPhone, so this scene is not available there, nor is the Manhattan version of the scene with ES 3.1. However, there is enough data to draw conclusions.

	Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge (Samsung Exynos 8890 Octa)	Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ (Samsung Exynos 7420 Octa)	Moto X Force (Qualcomm Snapdragon 810)	Apple iPhone 6s Plus (Apple A9)
GFXBenchmark Car Chase ES 3.1 (Onscreen)	7.9 fps	—	3.2 fps	—
GFXBenchmark Car Chase ES 3.1 (1080p Offscreen)	15 fps	—	5.1 fps	—
GFXBenchmark Manhattan ES 3.1 (Onscreen)	24 fps	—	10 fps	—
GFXBenchmark Manhattan ES 3.1 (1080p Offscreen)	26 fps	—	18 fps	—
GFXBenchmark Manhattan ES 3.0 (Onscreen)	25 fps	—	—	39 fps
GFXBenchmark Manhattan ES 3.0 (1080p Offscreen)	38 fps	—	—	40 fps
GFXBenchmark T-Rex (Onscreen)	52 fps	37 fps	40 fps	59 fps
GFXBenchmark T-Rex (1080p Offscreen)	84 fps	57 fps	53 fps	80 fps

As we can see, the Galaxy S7 Edge and iPhone 6s Plus performed approximately equally. The difference in Onscreen mode is naturally explained by the higher screen resolution of the Galaxy S7 Edge. As for comparison with other Android smartphones, the picture here is clear and requires no comment.

The next tests are 3DMark and Bonsai Benchmark. In 3DMark, the Sling Shot scene ran in OpenGL ES 3.1 on Android devices, and in OpenGL 3.0 on iPhones.

One can immediately say about Bonsai Benchmark that it is no longer indicative for such productive SoCs - in particular, this is evidenced by the results of two Samsung smartphones. But with 3DMark it’s more interesting. And here the iPhone is still in the lead.

In general, the benchmarks allow us to draw the following conclusions. Undoubtedly, this is a powerful device that has no equal among Android smartphones. At least until the appearance of devices powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820. However, Samsung’s new product failed to surpass the iPhone 6s Plus - Apple’s flagship is the leader in most tests. Although the gap is minimal and is rather of theoretical interest. The practical result (performance in games) will depend primarily on how well the game is optimized for a specific SoC.

In the second part of the article you will find detailed testing of the screen, a story about battery life, a description of the software, as well as a test drive of the camera in field conditions - on the Kola Peninsula, including during underwater shooting! Do not miss!

Galaxy is a line of smartphones from Samsung, which includes a wide selection of devices with different screen diagonals, memory capacity and functionality. They are distinguished by high quality and performance.

The models run on the Android operating system and support the installation of modern applications from the official Google Play store. You need to choose a suitable smartphone from the series taking into account the following parameters:

• screen diagonal. Compact 4-inch ones are suitable for working with standard programs, and large 6-inch ones are suitable for watching videos;
• built-in memory capacity - from 8 to 64 gigabytes;
• camera resolution. The maximum - 20 megapixels - will allow you to take high-quality pictures;
• battery capacity, which determines how long the smartphone will work without recharging;
• the presence of additional functions, for example, a fingerprint scanner.

Samsung Galaxy in Eldorado

The Eldorado catalog presents the full range of the Samsung Galaxy line. Placing an order will take no more than a few minutes, and the store’s consultants will answer all your questions. Buy flagship Samsung smartphones in installments without overpayment and get back part of the purchase price with bonuses! All items come with a manufacturer's warranty and will be replaced or refunded if damaged.

The mid-size flagship of the Japanese company came out controversial. The display resolution was left old-fashioned, the proprietary moisture protection only implies “exposure to light rain” and no underwater photography, as in Sony advertising, and the Snapdragon 810 processor, although it began to overheat less, still does not work ideally in this model.

But in terms of the quality of the body materials, the convenience of the operating system and the sophisticated camera, the Sony flagship remains an attractive model to this day. The Z5's automatic shooting modes aren't perfect, but in manual mode you can squeeze some amazingly high-quality images out of the Z5's camera. The autonomy of the smartphone is seriously inferior to the results demonstrated by the top Samsung, but the iPhone 6s will soon retire (like the quickly outdated HTC One M9 Plus), the LG Nexus 5X, already on sale, is much less powerful and not so prestigious, and beyond these models there are thoroughbred flagships of moderate the dimensions just run out.

conclusions

Attitudes towards the Galaxy S7 change as you use the smartphone. The first impression is a “restyling” of last year’s flagship with a new sauce, but then you add up the number of innovations and realize that improvements of this magnitude in the iPhone would be considered a revolution, and every Apple fan would be delighted. Only Samsung did not release the S6 Super/Ultra/Neo, but released the S7, which divided brand connoisseurs into two camps.

Current owners of the Galaxy S6 admit that the smartphone has become “better in everything,” but they see no point in replacing existing models with new flagships. Those who are watching the price drop for the “morally outdated” S6 series are also in no hurry to take an extra 15 thousand rubles out of their pockets. There remains an audience that acquires a “new cool Samsung” with each new generation of the model, and those who are disappointed in other flagships / do not want to wait for manufacturers to release more breakthrough superphones.

However, what other “breakthroughs”? In the class of “less than 5.5 inches” of truly sophisticated smartphones, the cat cried. If it weren’t for the example of the iPhone 6/6s, the rest of the manufacturers would rush to produce “shovels” without options for the buyer. In this sense, the Galaxy S7 (just don't laugh) is a living exotic, because the class of 5-inch flagships is slowly dying out.

But the release cycle according to the principle “modernized version - revolutionary version” is already quite Apple’s way, comrades. And even though we are unfamiliar with the conventional two-year cycle from the evolutionary to the revolutionary Galaxy S, such changes will benefit both those who like to “wait until cool models”, and everyone who sells an old smartphone to buy a new one, “with changes and additions.” We can only hope that such tactics will not “sink” Samsung and that the Koreans know what they are doing.

Despite the deservedly high ratings from critics and the status of the main Android smartphone in the visible Universe, the Samsung Galaxy S6 could not boast of record sales, not only in Russia, which could be explained by the financial crisis, but in the rest of the world too. Lack of memory card slot? Weak battery? Lack of moisture protection? It seems that the engineers were going through the reasons for the lack of success of the S6 in the same way, simply “adding” what was missing into the new Galaxy, without touching its very essence.

Samsung also got rid of the strange abundance of smartphone variations, throwing out the version with a curved display of the same diagonal as the “regular” one. There is now a Samsung Galaxy S7 with a 5.1-inch display and a Samsung Galaxy S7 edge with a 5.5-inch display; edge+ version is not planned. We got to test “just” the S7, which differs from the edge, in addition to the price, only in dimensions, a less capacious battery, and the size and design of the display. And, of course, design: many people love edge for its uniqueness and elegance; I, in turn, just prefer the regular version with the ideal size display for me. However, all this is a matter of taste, let’s move on to a more substantive conversation.

⇡ Specifications

	Samsung GALAXY S7	Samsung GALAXY S6	Sony Xperia Z5	Google Nexus 6P	LG V10
Display		5.1 inches, AMOLED, 2560 × 1440 pixels, 575.9 ppi, capacitive multi-touch	5.2 inches, AMOLED, 1920 × 1080 pixels, 424 ppi, capacitive multi-touch	5.7 inches, AMOLED, 2560 × 1440 pixels, 515 ppi, capacitive multi-touch	5.7 inches, 2560 × 1440, IPS, 515 ppi, capacitive multi-touch
Air gap	No	No	No	No	No
Protective glass	Corning Gorilla Glass (version not specified) on both sides	Corning Gorilla Glass 4 on both sides	no information	Corning Gorilla Glass 4	Corning Gorilla Glass 3
CPU	Exynos 8890 Octa (four ARM Cortex-A57 cores, 2.6 GHz; four ARM Cortex-A53 cores, 1.6 GHz)	Samsung Exynos 7420 (four ARM Cortex-A57 cores, 2.1 GHz; four ARM Cortex-A53 cores, 1.5 GHz)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 (four ARM Cortex-A57 cores, frequency 2 GHz + four ARM Cortex-A53 cores, frequency 1.5 GHz)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 810	Qualcomm Snapdragon 808
				(four ARM Cortex-A53 cores, 1.55 GHz +	(four ARM Cortex-A53 cores, 1.4 GHz +
				two ARM Cortex-A57 cores, frequency 2 GHz)	two ARM Cortex-A57 cores, frequency 1.82 GHz)
Graphics controller	Mali-T880 MP12	Mali-T760 MP8	Adreno 430	Adreno 430	Adreno 418
RAM	4 GB	3 GB	3 GB	3 GB	4 GB
Flash memory	32/64 GB	32/64/128 GB	32 GB	32/64/128 GB	64 GB
Memory card support	yes, in the S7 Duos version - a combined slot for a memory card and SIM card	No	There is	No	There is
Connectors	microUSB, mini-jack 3.5 mm	microUSB, mini-jack 3.5 mm	microUSB, mini-jack 3.5 mm	USB-C, 3.5 mm mini-jack	microUSB, mini-jack 3.5 mm
SIM cards	one nanoSIM/two nanoSIM	one nanoSIM	one nanoSIM	one nanoSIM	two nanoSIM
Cellular connection 2G		GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1700 / 1900 MHz	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz
Cellular 3G	HSPA 850/900/1700/1900/2100 MHz	HSPA 850/900/1900/2100 MHz	WDCMA 850/900/1900/2100 MHz	HSDPA 850/900/1700/1800/1900/2100 MHz	HDSPA 850/900/1900/2100 MHz
Cellular 4G	LTE Cat support. 12 (up to 600/50 Mbit/s): bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 12, 13, 20	FDD LTE Cat. 6 (up to 300/50 Mbit/s): bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 20	FDD LTE Cat. 6 (up to 300 Mbit/s): bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 20, 28, 40	LTE Cat. 6 (up to 300 Mbit/s): bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 17, 19, 20, 28, 38, 39, 40, 41	LTE Cat. 4 (up to 150 Mbit/s), bands 1, 3, 7
WiFi	802.11a/b/g/n/ac	802.11a/b/g/n/ac	802.11a/b/g/n/ac	802.11a/b/g/n/ac	802.11a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth	4.2	4.1	4.1	4.2	4.1
NFC	There is	There is	There is	There is	There is
Navigation	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou
Sensors		Illumination, proximity, accelerometer/gyroscope, magnetometer (digital compass), barometer, heart rate	Illumination, proximity, accelerometer/gyroscope, magnetometer (digital compass), barometer	Illumination, proximity, accelerometer/gyroscope, magnetometer (digital compass), pedometer
					Light, proximity sensor, pressure sensor, accelerometer/gyroscope, magnetometer (digital compass), pedometer
Fingerprint's scanner	There is	There is	There is	There is	There is
Main camera	12 MP, ƒ/1.7, phase detection autofocus, LED flash, optical stabilization, 4K video recording	16 MP, ƒ/1.9, laser autofocus, LED flash, optical stabilization, 4K video recording	23 MP, ƒ/2.0, autofocus, LED flash, 4K video recording	12.3 MP, ƒ/2.0, laser autofocus, LED flash, 4K video recording	16 MP, ƒ/1.8, laser autofocus, LED flash, optical stabilization, Full HD video recording
Front-camera	5 MP, fixed focus	5 MP, fixed focus	5 MP, fixed focus	8 MP, fixed focus	5 MP, fixed focus, 80° viewing angle + 5 MP, fixed focus, 120° viewing angle
Nutrition	Non-removable battery 11.4 Wh (3000 mAh, 3.8 V), supports Quick Charge 2.0, supports wireless charging	Non-removable 9.7 Wh battery (2550 mAh, 3.8 V)	Non-removable battery 11.02 Wh (2900 mAh, 3.8 V)	Non-removable 13.11 Wh battery (3450 mAh, 3.8 V)	Removable 11.4 Wh battery (3000 mAh, 3.8 V)
Size	142.4 × 69.6 × 7.9 mm	143 × 70.5 × 6.8 mm	146 × 72 × 7.3 mm	159.3 × 77.8 × 7.3 mm	160 × 80 × 8.6 mm
Weight	152 grams	138 grams	154 grams	178 grams	192 grams
Protection housing	IP68	No	IP65, IP68 Up to half an hour at a depth of 1.5 m	No	No
operating room system	Android 6.0 Marshmallow, Samsung's own TouchWiz shell	Android 5.1 Lolliipop, Samsung's own TouchWiz shell	Android 5.1 Lolliipop, Sony Xperia's own shell	Android 6.0 Marshmallow	Android 5.1 Lolliipop
Current price, rub	from 49 990	40,000-54,000 (depending on memory size)	49 990	49,990-56,990 (depending on memory capacity)	50 990

⇡ Appearance and ergonomics

Externally, the Samsung Galaxy S7 is very similar to the Galaxy S6. Similar, but not identical - due to the beveled and slightly rounded edges, it looks a little lighter and weightless than its predecessor, despite the fact that it is thicker and heavier. This is also helped by the 2.5D glass on the front panel, slightly beveled at the edges. But the essence itself has not changed - tempered Gorilla Glass on the front and back, a metal edge, tiny frames around the screen, a mechanical Home key with a built-in fingerprint scanner.

Samsung Galaxy S7, front panel. Above the screen: earpiece, front camera, light and proximity sensors, and status indicator. Below the screen: the “Home” button with a fingerprint scanner and touch keys for “Back” and calling up a list of open applications

This is one of the most pleasant modern smartphones to use - it just looks slippery, which makes it a little scary (will it slip out? Will it fall?), but in reality it’s okay, the metal frame around the edges allows you to grip it tenaciously. A slightly more than five-inch screen is optimal in terms of the combination of diagonal and ease of use with one hand; you don’t have to reach for the corners with your finger, as well as grab the gadget with your second hand. There are complaints about the volume control keys located too high - but this, firstly, is completely trivial, and secondly, they lie exactly under my index and middle fingers, no problems.

Tempered glass theoretically allows you to carry a smartphone in your pocket along with keys and change - but in practice this is not worth doing, scratches are still inevitable. One of the most important differences between the S7 and the S6 is the camera lens that barely protrudes above the body. This is due both to the new smaller camera module and the thicker body - the new flagship is more than a millimeter thicker than the old one (7.9 mm versus 6.8 mm) - it was possible to pack the camera almost completely into such a body. But, by the way, a slightly protruding camera is good, I am an apologist for this solution: due to the fact that it is easy to feel it blindly, you are less likely to run your finger over the lens and, accordingly, there is less chance of getting it dirty.

But nothing can save you from the back panel getting stuck - the glass looks good, but it also collects fingerprints very well. This is a noticeable drawback of the light colors of the Galaxy S7 (“dazzling platinum”, “titanium silver”). The version that I got to know closely, “black diamond,” looks good even without constant wiping with a cloth.

Samsung Galaxy S7, bottom edge: microUSB port, 3.5 mm mini-jack for headphones and main speaker

The most important feature of the Samsung Galaxy S7 is that the case is waterproof according to the IP68 standard (up to half an hour at a depth of one and a half meters). This, along with an increased capacity battery, led to a thicker body. In my opinion, a more than appropriate fee.

Despite the fact that software support for the fingerprint scanner is built into Android 6.0 Marshmallow by default, it did not work well in the test Samsung Galaxy S7, almost never recognizing the fingerprint on the first try. I attribute this to a feature of the pre-production copy - the idea that Samsung “didn’t finish such a small thing” is simply disgusting when talking about the S7. Using the scanner is the simplest. In practice - to unlock the device with one touch, in theory - also for payment, including through the Samsung Pay application (which will someday appear in Russia, we believe).

The Samsung Galaxy S7, like its predecessor, sports only one mono speaker located on the bottom edge. It is not too loud, but in order to “finish” the call to the next room, it is enough; The call can also be clearly heard when the smartphone is lying on the table. The problem is different - it is easily blocked by a finger with a horizontal grip, and it is often simply impossible to hear its soundtrack and voice acting during the game. The only way out is to use headphones - the sound path here is quite good.

⇡ Software

Samsung Galaxy S7 runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow with the proprietary TouchWiz shell. Starting last year, this is no longer an advantage or disadvantage of Samsung smartphones, but only their feature - the shell has become very close in appearance and logic to pure Android. But at the same time with a lot of additions and a large set of pre-installed software.