Samsung Galaxy S7 is the iconic smartphone of 2016. It sets the rules of the game and serves as a benchmark for all its competitors, including Apple. However, using this smartphone as an example, it is already becoming clear that we should not expect any breakthrough this year. A lot of positive changes, a lot of retouching, but it's all evolution. I already said in that the development of the market is moving towards services and accessories, and S7 is another confirmation of this.
Equipment
The Samsung Galaxy S7 came with the following:
- charger with Fast Adaptive Charge function
- Micro USB cable
- wired headset (in my case it was not)
- SIM eject tool
- USB to Micro interface adapter
The latter is designed to copy data from an old smartphone to a new one. The menu even found the corresponding software function. The only thing I didn’t understand is what kind of devices are we talking about: about any Android smartphone or only about “Samsung” solutions.
Immediately about the fact that Samsung decided not to equip their offspring with USB Type-C, but limited themselves to the version with Micro USB. From the point of view of the desire to get everything the very latest, this, of course, is a drawback. In practice, there is no real need for a new type of cable. Micro USB is like charging from Nokia at its best. Type-C is something new, tempting and incomprehensibly necessary. Well, it's true!
Design
The first thing that catches your eye is the design, or rather, the absence of cardinal changes in it. The novelty is retouched in the spirit of the time, but the designers have not brought anything new to the appearance of the device.
Is it good or bad? I don't think it's necessary to chase something new every year. This senseless race, which is already too much in our lives. Updating the appearance every two years, as they do at Apple, and now at Samsung, is a small island of stability that needs to be appreciated, not scolded. Yes, and our savings will be intact.
Samsung Galaxy S7 turned out to be puffy. It is thicker than its predecessor by as much as 1.1 mm.
It would seem that only one millimeter with a tenth of it - because of what the fuss is all about? In practice, this matters. I didn’t have the S6 handy, but after many months, when I last held the Es6 in my hands, I immediately determined that the novelty was noticeably thicker.
Length | Width | Thickness | The weight | |
Samsung Galaxy S7 (5.1'') | 142,4 | 69,6 | ||
Samsung Galaxy S6 (5.1'') | 143,4 | 70,5 | ||
iPhone 6S (4.7'') | 138,3 | 67,1 | ||
LG G5 (5.3'') | 149,4 | 73,9 |
Of course, this does not negatively affect the experience of using the device. Well, more than a millimeter. So what? Never mind! We use and enjoy the benefits of modern civilization, especially since the Galaxy S7, believe me, allows you to do this 100 percent.
However, if the thickness is critical for you and you experience something like ecstasy when you hold a thin smartphone in your hands (for example), then the S7 will seem awkward to you. Another thing is that I have never met such aesthetes in my lifetime, and I myself cannot classify myself in this category.
The developers sacrificed thickness in favor of installing a more capacious battery, as well as a rounded protective glass. The intentions are good, so at this point you can safely close your eyes.
Samsung broke down and installed a truly curved protective glass on the front panel. It's Corning Gorilla Glass 4, by the way.
I never tire of repeating that 2.5D glass is different. On the one hand, such a panel was already in Galaxy Note 4, but in comparison it is not the same at all. In S7, it has very steep edges, which makes the light play very beautifully on the front surface of the device.
The same glass is installed at the back, but a little more easily soiled than we would like, and more curved. There is a good oleophobic coating, however, prints and other traces of use will accompany the device all the time. Previously, many men carried only a shoe brush with them, now they will also have to carry microfiber in order to keep not only their shoes, but also their phone in proper shape. Such times.
Personally, I like it when both the front and back use glass instead of an all-metal body. This is practical simply because you are less likely to drop your device. The same iPhone 6 or 6S strives to slip out of your hands. It seems that the creators made the case so “soapy” on purpose so that we break the screens and change them for our own, rather big money.
Fingers cling to the glass more reliably, so the safety for the tube is higher here.
And besides, the glass provides the proper level of gloss. You won't be able to resist this new one for sure. In my opinion, it is so glamorous shimmering in different colors that it's even too much. Perhaps a more matte shade would look much more impressive and restrained. However, this is a matter of personal preference.
Above the screen are all the standard front elements. No additional flashes, second cameras and other nonsense sucked from the finger. However, when photographing self-portraits in the dark, the display briefly raises the brightness to illuminate the face. The technology is not new and for the first time we met it back in.
The ambient light sensor works strangely. More precisely, slowly and abruptly.
The screen changes the brightness level with a delay of about 3-4 seconds and one jump. There is no mention of fluency. Perhaps this is just the case that is associated with a non-final sample. I had just such a device.
There is evidence that over time, the device learns to determine the level of ambient light and display brightness, depending on the user's preferences. Unfortunately, I could not check this, since I did not test the device for so much time.
The metal bezel around the perimeter of the case is now completely rounded. Previously, there were partially flat edges, now they are not. No corners. Generally! The metal here (6013 aluminum alloy) is claimed to be drop-resistant and, well, very durable.
The SIM card slot here has a composite design. The outer part, which sticks out flush with the body, is metal, and the inner part is already plastic. The design, it must be admitted, is flimsy. I would like more reliability, although in principle it is not needed if you are not going to constantly change cards from one to another.
The multimedia speaker is located at the bottom and I did not like it.
Weak for a device of this level, both in terms of volume and quality. Medium and high frequencies go into a whistle, and you will definitely miss the volume on a noisy street. Missing a call is worthless.
But the vibration motor here works as it should. If the device will be in a trouser pocket, then I don't know what should distract you so much that you won't feel the vibration. I rarely see such a strong vibration response. It's great that in the settings its intensity can be adjusted to your needs.
The rear camera still sticks out above the body, but is much smaller now.
This fact even became an independent reason for pride on the part of the manufacturer. Look at the official picture below.
Cool, I guess. The most interesting thing is that with the release of the iPhone 7, the fact of a non-protruding camera will be actively exploited by Apple. Wow, there's going to be a fuss. I'm already looking forward to it.
One of the main features of the novelty is protection against moisture and dust according to the IP68 standard.
Previously, such protection was already present in the company and the company actively exploited this moment. Then, with the release of the six, they somehow delicately forgot about it, because the phrase “Can your smartphone do that?” suddenly became a joke towards its own, moreover, more advanced and modern device. It was funny, in my opinion.
Now the device can officially be heated for 30 minutes at a depth of 1.5 meters. Let me remind you that in relation there was no information that it was possible to do the same with him. The phone was splash-proof, but dunking it in water was highly discouraged, although it stood up to such a test just fine. Now everything is unlimited. Everything is grown-up.
First, here motherboard has a special, water-repellent impregnation. Secondly, the case does not allow moisture to pass inside, to its components.
The fingerprint scanner
Unfortunately, the scanner does not work when you just touch it. To unlock the smartphone, you need to press the button while holding your finger on it. This behavior is typical for, but not for an Android device. In the latter case, it is usually enough just to touch the scanner and the device will be unlocked.
You should not worry about the latter - out of 10 attempts, 10 will be successful. Reading speed, and as a result, unlocking, is maximum: no more than half a second per eye, but maybe faster.
Display
The device received a Super AMOLED screen, one of the best to date, in terms of its characteristics, of course:
- diagonal 5.1 inches
- resolution 2560 x 1440 pixels (QHD)
- dot density 576 ppi
Yes, the screen has a very good margin of brightness, it is very contrasty and perfectly conveys the richness of colors. Perhaps even too much. On the other hand, this moment is quite simply configured in the menu, where you can choose a color scheme that is comfortable for you. The only pity is that the choice of presets is not too large.
Traditionally, AMOLED screens tend to go greenish when tilted. Previously it was very noticeable, now it is not evident. There is also a small leapfrog with other colors, if you turn the device at different angles. High-quality IPS-matrices, in my opinion, bypass "Samsung" solutions on this point.
If you look at the screen at a right angle, then perhaps this is the best matrix that I have ever come across.
Extremely pressure sensitive. There is no “gloved” mode in the settings, so this moment cannot be configured. You will have to get used to the fact that the display will recognize pressing even if you have not yet touched the surface of the protective glass. This is normal for many Samsung devices. On the other hand, it's not the worst thing you can get used to. It would be much sadder if the situation was exactly the opposite.
Always On Display
This is a very fresh tweak that only new flagships have received. Surprisingly, along with Samsung, the fun also joined. The screen in it can also be always active and display service information. As if someone leaked something from someone else at the stage of device development.
The set of preset pictures that can be displayed on the display in sleep mode is strictly limited to a specific topic. You cannot add your own drawing. At least not yet.
Collections of these very pictures are not common. Put a third-party theme, activate it, and in addition to the standard pictures, third-party ones also appear in the menu. And if the usual shell is activated, then third-party pictures are not visible. Such is the pun.
In any case, this is a very useful feature that does not particularly waste the energy of the device. In , for example, they said that this feature consumes no more than 0.8% of energy per hour, which ultimately amounts to approximately 30 percent of the charge. Not a little, but on the side of the hero of our review, one strong advantage is the Super AMOLED display. Firstly, this screen consumes incomparably less energy. And secondly, it can only highlight individual pixels. If the picture is black and white, then energy is wasted from gulkin's nose.
Samsung Galaxy S7 Specifications (Model SM-G930F)
It is logical to compare the specifications of the device with last year's model. This will be much clearer and will help people on the S6 decide whether they need an update or not.
Samsung Galaxy S6 SM-G920x | Samsung Galaxy S7 SM-G930x | |
CPU | Samsung Exynos 7 Octa 7420 up to 2.1GHz (8 cores, 64-bit, Cortex-A57 and Cortex-A53) or Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 MSM8994 | Samsung Exynos 8 Octa 8890 @ 1.8 GHz (64-bit, 4 native cores and 4 Cortex-A53) or Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 MSM8996 |
video chip | Mali-T760 MP8 or Adreno 430 | Mali-T880 MP14 or Adreno 530 |
RAM | 3 GB LPDDR4 | 4 GB LPDDR4 speed up to 3.2 Gbps, free after reboot 1817 MB |
Built-in memory | 32, 64 or 128 GB | 32 (free on 23.91GB blank device) and 64GB UFS 2.0 |
Memory card support | Not | Micro SD up to 2 GB |
Display | Super AMOLED, 5.1 inches, 2560 x 1440 dots, dot density 577 ppi | Super AMOLED, 5.1 inches, 2560 x 1440 dots, dot density 576 ppi |
Main camera | 16 MP (F/1.9, matrix size 1/2.6'', pixel size 1.12 microns) | 12 MP (f/1.7, matrix size 1/2.5'', pixel size 1.4 µm) |
Front-camera | 5 MP | 5 MP |
Battery | 2550 mAh ( fast charging Quick Charge 2.0) | 3000 mAh (Quick Charge 2.0) |
OS at the time of release | Android 5.0 (5.1, 6.0) + TouchWiz shell | Android 6.0.1+ TouchWiz shell (updated) |
networks | LTE Cat. 6 | LTE Cat. 12/13 |
Wireless interfaces | Wi-Fi (802.11 ac), Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, Infrared | Wi-Fi (802.11 ac), Bluetooth 4.2, NFC, no infrared port |
SIM card format | Nano (1 or 2) | Nano (1 + Micro SD or 2) |
Geolocation | GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, BeiDou | GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, BeiDou |
Sensors | Light and proximity sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, digital compass, hall sensor, barometer, fingerprint scanner, heart rate sensor | |
Connectors | Micro USB 2.0 (OTG), 3.5 mm audio output | |
Case colors | Black, blue, white, gold | Black, Grey, White, Gold |
Water and dust protection | Not | IP68 |
A little more about the most important thing - about the processor. Exynos 8 Octa 8890 is installed in both brand new flagships - in S7 and S7 Edge. There are no differences between them here.
The "stone" is made using 14-nanometer technology at Samsung's own facilities. The processor architecture is based on the big.LITTLE configuration. For the first time, four cores of the South Korean giant's own design are included in it, and the other four are Cortex-A53, which we have long known. Of course, at peak load, all eight cores can be included in the work, and for other scenarios there are a number of different scenarios: 2:3, 1:2, 3:1, and so on. Very diverse work algorithms.
In terms of performance, the new "brains" overtake its predecessor by 80% (graphics), and energy consumption at peak loads is reduced by 40%. All this is great, but it does not mean at all that the Galaxy S6 and its peers are in a landfill. These are still very powerful devices that will be relevant for two years - absolutely.
The LTE Cat modem is also part of the system on a chip. 12/13 own, "Samsung" production. It provides data downloads at speeds up to 600 Mbps, and uploads up to 150 Mbps.
In addition, the new chip is capable of supporting 4K Ultra HD or 4096 x 2160 video playback. This is even higher than the resolution of 4K video recorded on the built-in camera.
This time, the system on a chip has got a separate Exynos M1 processor, which is the key point for collecting and analyzing all the data received from the sensors. Such solutions occur both in and in . And, for a couple of years now.
Performance
Do you think you can find something interesting here? No matter how! S7 works as expected reactive, period. Although no, a couple of times I still managed to detect barely noticeable animation brakes. It was in the deep Wi-Fi settings and then when switching to the browser. Something flashed, or rather, slightly thoughtful, but no more.
Naturally, all this is trifles and you should not pay attention to it. In addition, it is worth knowing that I did not have the final sample in my hands, therefore, most likely, updates will be released that will close these holes, if they can be called that.
The performance test results in the system benchmarks are again the highest available at the moment.
Many often argue that all this is synthetic and says little. I strongly disagree with this. A device that scores 35,000 points in AnTuTu cannot run Unkilled at maximum and not sag in difficult scenes. It's impossible.
The work of standard animation and the interface with peak performance is in no way connected, and, of course, benchmarks have nothing to do with it.
During the test, I managed to catch only one glitch - Google Play Store unexpectedly decided to self-destruct. Given that this problem is widespread and manifests itself on a large number of different devices, I think the error is on the side of Google, not Samsung.
Games and Game Tools
I tested only one toy - this is the 3D shooter Unkilled. And in my memory, only two devices that swallowed a toy on ultras and did not even hiccup: and now the Samsung Galaxy S7. Other devices in battles start to sag to 15-20 fps, but not these two monsters.
And now about a new bun - about Game Tools.
This is an end-to-end system function with which you can take screenshots of the game, record the game process directly, moreover, overlay the window from the front camera, adjust the sound and much more. The thing is really, really interesting.
Below is a video of what happened when I activated the game recording, video from the front camera.
Cameras and image quality
There is not much to say about the front module. It shoots well, there are different settings in the spirit of all the main competitors.
I would not say that the quality of the pictures somehow stands out from the competition. The manufacturer obviously did not pay any special attention to this moment.
The front sensor records good video at a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels at 30 frames per second. Here is an example.
The rear camera is a separate conversation. First of all, there are many innovations in theory. used Sony module IMX260 with rather specific characteristics:
- 12 megapixels
- maximum resolution 4032 x 3024 pixels
- aperture f / 1.7 (a kind of record)
- pixel size 1.4 µm
Unfortunately, during testing in Moscow, frankly crappy weather set in and it was impossible to get bright, beautiful shots. On the other hand, this is even a plus, because with sufficient lighting, many cameras shoot very well. And here you go and make a masterpiece in cloudy weather! Let me tell you, I got what I got.
The capabilities of cameras built into smartphones have long outgrown fairly budgetary soap dishes, and Samsung does not stand still and is trying to improve something else.
However, I didn't notice much of a difference. The fact is that you need to compare both generations head-on and, perhaps, only then it will be possible to isolate the difference. S6 shot excellently, S7 shoots just as well - that's for sure.
If you are chasing the quality of the camera built into your phone, then you definitely shouldn’t change your old S6 or Note 5 for a new one. There are very few differences, in my opinion.
Traditional for Samsung devices, the HDR mode works great. The system can independently enable this function when it sees fit. As a result, the photos are more saturated, without going into overexposure or vice versa, into blackness. Usually HDR is utterly jacked up contrast and photos are not realistic. Here, these nuances are more or less smoothed out, so the pictures are even pleasant.
Of course, the device can record 4K video (resolution 3840 x 2160 pixels) at 30 frames per second and at a speed of 50 Mbps. Pretty impressive settings.
Here are some video recordings on the street.
And this is a video filmed already indoors.
Chips
Samsung, as a rule, with the release of each new flagship adds a few new features. Some of them are useless, some on the contrary can be very useful in a given situation. In general, let's get acquainted with the most interesting features.
Galaxy S7 as a Wi-Fi repeater
Our hero can connect to wireless networks and transmit the same network to other devices. For example, there is a public network with Internet "A", our S7 connects to it and becomes an access point for transmitting the signal of network "A" further. So devices "B", "C", "D" and so on (up to 10 pieces) can connect to S7 and use the same Internet that point "A" distributes. Very cool and useful feature.
Where will it be useful? For example, in a hotel, when the Internet is paid and costs a lot of money, and there are a lot of hungry mouths around (see devices) that need access to Instagram. You buy a subscription for one device and connect the whole family to the same access point through your S7, and at the same time you can earn extra money on your neighbors by offering them to chip in a little bit. Thus, you can use paid Internet and recapture the same service. Such is the Jewish trick. Don't thank.
As a restrictive wall, you can set not only the traditional Wi-Fi password, but also create a list of allowed devices. They are labeled by the machine by MAC address. Thus, extra gadgets will not work.
Work tables and more
Many manufacturers are slowly giving up and transferring all installed applications to desktops, but not Koreans, more precisely, not Samsung. LG has failed to resist the trend.
On the S7, the home screen still has only the bare essentials, including the ad shells of apps (like Instagram, Facebook, and so on).
The matrix with the rest of the icons is in the menu item.
Topics
Yes, now it is possible to install third-party themes. You need a Samsung account to download and manage additional skins. The thing is generally useful if you have a device of the company of the same name. In general, I advise you to get it.
Of course, the system has new wallpapers and a background animation effect when the device is tilted to different angles. Everything is stylish and cool. The only downside is that there are not many officially sanctioned pictures that are uploaded to memory at the factory. They are beautiful, but I would like to have a more extensive collection.
Dictaphone
There are several modes of operation: normal, interview (two microphones are activated from the bottom and top), as well as "voice". What exactly is “voice” is unclear: the inscription goes beyond the screen and in landscape orientation it still cannot be read.
However, I liked the last mode the most. This is a voice dictation mode that automatically converts voice to text. Moreover, it does it quite well even in a noisy place. The main thing is to speak clearly, legibly and keep the smartphone close to your mouth.
Below is the result of my efforts on a small example:
samsung galaxy s7 review Today is Wednesday the second of March 2016
Below I propose to take a look at the screenshots of the rest of the updated TouchWiz 2016 shell.
Battery Life
Unfortunately, I used the smartphone for a rather short time: so that I could test the device in full (from 100 to 0 percent). Nevertheless, in terms of energy efficiency, the device pleased me. Well, how? Regarding the battery life in the modern sense, and this is 1-2 days for any smartphone (flagship or not).
Thus, the device will definitely live under load on all fronts for one day.
By this, I mean 4-5 hours of screen operation, background notifications via 4G / Wi-Fi, calls, shooting with built-in cameras, surfing the net for 2-3 hours, listening to music through headphones, and so on. This is a pretty cool result. Compared to the Motorola E398, nothing at all, but compared to modern competitors, everything looks more than decent.
Up to a full hundred percent, the device is charged in less than two hours. This is how fast charging works.
As always, Samsung pays special attention to the issue of energy saving. And this is despite all the other characteristics, which in themselves are very effective in saving battery (for example, the Super AMOLED display, smart and extreme saving modes, and so on).
So, in the settings, a menu item was found where you can manage installed applications. Some utilities hang in the system and periodically do something on their own. As a result, energy is wasted. The system evaluates that such programs have not been used for some time (set in days) and automatically switches them to power saving mode, that is, limits their work. This is convenient, since we install dozens of applications and use many of them from time to time, and at the same moment they continue to fumble and consume battery power.
Samsung could not resist and installed a cleaner in their product - SmartClean Master SDR, it's called. It is named differently on the menu. This is a kind of control center for the main components of the smartphone: power supply, memory, and so on.
In general, the thing is convenient and one could even make a separate shortcut on the desktop for it.
Wireless charging, of course, is supported and built into the back of the device. True, the accessory for this is sold separately.
Outcome
I remember what thoughts crossed my mind when I was preparing a large-scale comparison of the iPhone 6 and 6S. My conclusions regarding the flagship from the Koreans will be the same. And all thanks to the strategy that guides Samsung in the development of its products.
If you do not have a Samsung Galaxy S6 or S6 Edge, but have enough money for a new thing, then buy an S7 or its utterly bent brother. Don't guess. These are the maximum smartphones from all points of view that can be found today and, I think, nothing will change for sure in the next six months.
Yes, on the side of the iPhone 6S is a very cool 3D Touch - perhaps the only advantage in the direction of the brainchild of an American corporation. In terms of performance, both competitors are very close, as they offer unprecedented graphics and processor power. And in all other respects, the 6S loses to its competitor from Asia (camera, communication, OS and manufacturability in general).
If you have an S6 or S6 Edge, then you should not upgrade to the next generation. You will not notice anything fundamentally new. Your requirements must be very specific, or you play mobile toys at some geek level so that there is an objective need to upgrade to the “seven”. Of course, again, it is worth considering the absence of financial problems.
There is another category of users who read this review and think about the topic. This paragraph is for you. If you are tired of iOS and would like to try something new, then welcome to the real, diverse and very interesting world of Android and buying just like that right on the threshold of the Galaxy S7 is like suffering from an allergy to citrus fruits all your childhood, and then grow up, buy yourself 5 kilograms of oranges and eat them at a time. Interesting? Not that word!
In conclusion about reasonable in our life. New flagships are expensive (S7) and very expensive (S7 Edge). This is a fact and we will not discuss the reasons. I just want to remind you to know who you are, where you belong and what you can afford. There is absolutely nothing offensive about earning 20-30 thousand rubles a month. On the contrary, there is an excellent motivation to develop and achieve success, which will certainly be accompanied by financial returns. Throwing four of us to buy a BMW or buy an S7 on credit, provided that there are questions with employment, is the highest stupidity. And just for such behavior should be ashamed. However, this is just my opinion and the author may be wrong. This is the "disclaimer".
I am glad that after many years of testing smartphones, Samsung does not cease to please me and release excellent devices. One of them is the new flagship Samsung Galaxy S7, reviewed in this article.
A good display, a powerful processor, a lot of memory, high image quality - this is not a complete list of advantages. However, in practice, separate functions are not needed. The bottom line is that the manufacturer fit everything that is possible. In my opinion, Samsung has achieved true virtuosity here.
Case - comfortable and elegant
The body of the Galaxy S7 is impeccable. This is by far the most comfortable and slim design for a 5-inch smartphone that I have ever held in my hands.
A year earlier, the Korean manufacturer created the Galaxy S6 with a combination of glass and metal. Users liked this style and it is also used in S7. However, there are significant differences in appearance.
Gorilla Glass 4 on the back is rounded on the sides for a comfortable grip. The glass panel on the front also has a curved shape, like in the Galaxy S6. On the sides we see a metal frame made of high-quality 6013 aluminum.
Water resistant, large battery and microSD memory
Compared to its predecessor, the Galaxy S7 is thicker (7.9 vs. 6.8mm) and heavier (152 vs. 138 grams). Fortunately, there are reasons for this.
Firstly, the flagship has a waterproof case with the ability to dive to a depth of up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes. Rubberized important parts of the case are practically invisible. Secondly, there is a large 300 mAh battery versus 2550 mAh installed in the Samsung Galaxy S6. In addition, the user can install a microSD card up to 200 GB.
Display
The model is available in two versions: a standard 5.1-inch display and a 5.5-inch Edge version with curved sides. Regardless of the size, we can count on excellent image quality.
The screen has a resolution of 1440x2560 pixels. Even the smallest details of web browsing are clear and legible, while Super AMOLED technology delivers perfect colors and high contrast.
Samsung Galaxy S7 camera
The typical user often looks at the number of megapixels in the camera when choosing a smartphone, but the truth is that more does not always mean better quality. That's exactly what Samsung decided. Reducing the megapixels from 16 to 12 gave a good result - the smartphone began to take better pictures and received effective optical stabilization and focusing with Dual Pixel technology.
Performance
Samsung Galaxy S7 has one of the best processors: Exynos 8890 with eight cores (four Exynos M1 2.3 GHz and four Cortex-A53 1.6 GHz).
In addition to this, Mali T880 MP12 graphics and 4 GB LDDR4 RAM are added. This set allows you to run absolutely any game or application from PlayGoogle. Standard physical memory 32 GB, of which 24.8 GB is available to the user.
Galaxy S7 does not have modern USB Type C to maintain backwards compatibility with Samsung glasses Gear VR. This is obviously a disadvantage, as the newer USB runs at higher speeds.
Under the display there are traditionally three buttons: two touch and central hardware and has a built-in fingerprint scanner.
Samsung Galaxy S7 benchmarks
In the most popular AnTuTu benchmark, the smartphone scored 131867 points, which gives it an absolute lead.
During tests, the Galaxy S7 runs very quickly and smoothly, even with multiple apps and browser tabs open.
Photo quality
The 2016 flagship uses a completely different camera. The first glance at the characteristics is deceptive and in fact, despite the 12 megapixels, the pictures are excellent:
There are different paths to excellence. Apple, which has long produced the best smartphones in the world, did not have to try hard - it had a secret weapon in the form of the genius of Steve Jobs. But you can't stock up on geniuses for everyone. The rest of the manufacturers have to either more or less successfully copy each other's ideas, trying to improve something, or just work hard on themselves, improving products. Samsung went the last way. This text is about the visual result of such work, the result that from March 18 will be available in electronics stores throughout Russia. Pro Galaxy smartphone S7.
Appearance, comfort
It is difficult to distinguish the novelty from its predecessor at first glance. The metal edging of the case is now smoothly rounded around the entire perimeter of the device, devoid of sharp edges. The Samsung Galaxy S7 sent to us for review has become more rounded also due to the convex"3D glass" Gorilla Glass 4 on both sides. The smartphone is nice to just turn in your hands, like pebbles polished by the sea.
Having grown fat by a millimeter, the device reduced by a millimeter in length and width, while gaining 14 g (about 10%) of the weight. Due to this, it seems even more dense and monolithic. The "hump" of the rear camera, which annoyed many in the Galaxy S6, has disappeared - now it sticks out by less than a millimeter. The device with a 5.1-inch screen feels almost like a "small" smartphone in the hand - like the iPhone 6s. And the real difference in width is small. The "apple" device is already Galaxy S7 by only 2.5 mm, but in the diagonal of the display it loses more - 1 cm.
In general, I have never seen such convenient Android smartphones with 5-inch screens before. The fingerprint scanner is also convenient - the sensor built into the "Home" button works clearly and flawlessly, except when the finger is completely wet or dirty. The only (and even subjective) drawback of the Galaxy S7's ergonomics is the volume keys on the left side, which are located a bit high.
At the same time, the Samsung Galaxy S7 is a device that is not only convenient, but also practical. For example, you can safely take it out in the rain and even immerse it in fresh water to a depth of up to a meter. The smartphone is certified according to the IP68 standard, that is, it is waterproof - immersion in a bath or a puddle is not afraid of it. But after "bathing" it would be nice to turn it off and dry it, especially the ports.
You may not like how quickly the Galaxy S7, especially the black one, gets covered with fingerprints - in this case, it is better to look at lighter colors. In Russia, the smartphone goes on sale in three of the four colors mentioned at the presentation on February 21 - Black Onyx (transmuted in Russia from an ordinary ornamental stone into a “black diamond”), Silver Titanium (“silver titanium”) and Gold Platinum (“dazzling platinum "). White Pearl White is not yet available in Russia, as well as in many other markets. Either there were problems with the production of this particular color, or it was saved to be released later as an exclusive offer of individual retailers or mobile operators.
Screen
Galaxy S7 received a 5.1-inch screen with QuadHD resolution Super AMOLED matrix. Last year it seemed that there was no practical sense in such a high density of points. This year, a disclaimer appeared - "unless you use VR devices." In VR headsets such as the Gear VR, the smartphone is very close to the eyes and only Quad HD resolution screens provide a realistic, non-pixelated picture.
I rarely used smartphones with AMOLED screens for a long time, so one of their features slightly hurts my eyes - a slight change in hue that is noticeable in predominantly white images when changing the angle of view. But this, of course, is a trifle - how often do we look at the screen at an angle? The rest is nothing to complain about. The maximum brightness is excellent, in direct sunlight the screen turns on a kind of “turbo mode” that preserves readability, auto-adjustment of brightness depending on the illumination works accurately. It would also be nice to integrate a night mode at the system level, which changes the color rendering of the display to a warmer side at night - in this mode, the risk of insomnia caused by the blue screen is reduced. However, on Android there are many third party applications that implement this function.
The Samsung Galaxy S7 has another outstanding display-related feature - it can be on all the time. That is, even when the device is locked, the current time and notifications are displayed on the screen. In the settings, you can choose options with the display of the date and calendar, there are several different background images to choose from:
I did not notice a difference in the rate of battery consumption with the always-on screen function turned on and off. The whole thing is great, but I would like to be able to view the contents of notifications without unlocking the phone - as it is implemented, for example, on.
Filling, performance
In Russia, other European countries and many other regions will be sold Galaxy version S7 with an octa-core Exynos 8890 processor of its own production. The chip is curious - it uses the Exynos M1 cores for the first time, which the engineers of the Korean company developed independently, using the architecture of ARM's flagship solutions only as a starting point. It was possible to achieve an extremely high maximum frequency for a mobile processor - 2.6 GHz. There are four such cores in the system-on-a-chip, and 4 more are ordinary ARM Cortex A53 with a frequency of 1.586 GHz designed for tasks that do not require top-end performance.
Geekbench 3 results clearly show over 50% performance improvement over last year's Galaxy S6
Samsung Galaxy S7 specs allow it to score over 100,000 on AnTuTu test
The Mali-T880 MP12 is responsible for the graphics in the Exynos 8890. The limiting frequency of the accelerator is 650 MHz. The Exynos 8890 is produced according to the latest 14-nm process technology, but apparently it can get quite hot under maximum load. Otherwise, why then was it necessary to equip it with a special heat sink tube? It, however, guarantees that the heat from the chip will be distributed evenly and the surface of the smartphone will not heat up to an uncomfortable temperature. I've never encountered this in my testing.
Judging by the results of testing in Epic Citadel, Galaxy S7 owners will not have problems with games
Packed with 4GB of RAM and a fast (UFS 2.0 technology) 32GB built-in storage, the Galaxy S7 provides excellent performance in 3D games (50-60 fps even at maximum settings in the Epic Citadel test), applications (at least written growing from where it should be with hands) start instantly, and the interface does not think for a moment. We have not yet tested those presented on, so it's too early to give the palm to the Galaxy S7. In addition, on the test we had a non-final sample of the device. But it is clear already now that the Galaxy S7 is one of the fastest devices of 2016.
And finally, another trump card of the Galaxy S7 compared to the previous generation of Samsung flagships is support for microSD up to 2 TB. On the card, you can easily not only save videos and photos, but also move applications. The ability to use and change memory cards is a huge advantage of the Android platform over iOS, it's good that Samsung changed their minds and decided to return microSD to their smartphones. True, the owners of the two-SIM version will have to make a choice: either 2 SIM or microSD (the memory card occupies one of the SIM slots).
Battery, autonomy
Maximizing battery life is what the consumer demands from new smartphones in the first place. And Samsung succeeded in this in the Galaxy S7, the processor, software, and communication hardware were optimized in terms of power consumption, and the battery was purely physically made more (3000 mAh). Bottom line - there are quite a few ways to empty the battery from morning to evening. The main one is, of course, games: in modern 3D titles, the charge will last for 5 hours at most. But a two-hour movie will require only about 13-14% of the charge to watch.
The day that the graph in the screenshot illustrates was very busy for my test Galaxy S7: installing applications, benchmarks, games, working as an access point - and still more than 20% of the charge was left by the evening
The only mode other than gaming where the Galaxy S7's battery doesn't seem to be endless is Wi-Fi hotspot mode. An hour of journalistic work with a laptop (the Internet is used from time to time to download pages, watch short videos, and upload texts and images to the site's CMS) and a Galaxy S7 connected to a cellular network via LTE as an access point “costs” about 15 percent of the battery. It seems that the modem integrated into the Exynos 8890 chip has room for improvement in terms of energy efficiency.
Galaxy S7 charges quickly - especially if you use a standard charger that fills a completely discharged battery by 100% in an hour and a half, while 50% in less than half an hour. Even from a MacBook USB port Pro Galaxy The S7 fully charges in less than two hours - that is, one and a half times faster than the iPhone 6s Plus (which, by the way, has a less capacious battery).
Cameras, sound
How did Samsung take pity on megapixels?! In the past Generation Galaxy S the main camera had 16 of them, and now only 12? Yes, and this is good - each element of the matrix has become larger (by 56%), capturing more light due to this and making it possible to shoot even in very low light conditions. The new sensor (produced for Koreans on special order by Sony) Samsung calls Dual Pixel. In addition to high light sensitivity, its main plus is an improved phase autofocus, which uses not only part, but all the pixels of the matrix for focusing. A similar technology is used by some top-end DSLRs, but it is used in smartphones for the first time. The wide-angle lens (F1.7) not only helps to fit more objects into the frame, but also allows more light to enter the sensor.
The camera software has become more functional - new Hyperlapse modes have appeared (as in the application of the same name from Instagram) and Motion Panorama (animates objects moving in the frame when shooting a panorama), and selfies (they remained 5-megapixel) can now be highlighted by the screen like a flash. There are a lot of shooting modes left, additional ones can be downloaded, but the interface for choosing them has become much simpler and faster. Finally, one of the most convenient features of the Galaxy S6 has been preserved - the instant launch of the camera by double-clicking the Home button.
Compared to the vast majority of Android smartphones, the quality of the photos that the Galaxy S7 takes with the main camera is just perfect. The camera focuses instantly, including when shooting fast-moving objects in the frame on video, and perfectly captures night scenes - perhaps we have not yet tested devices with such sensitivity in low light conditions.
There are only two shortcomings (perhaps the non-final software of our test sample is to blame): the yellowish tone of the pictures taken in low light, and the overly aggressive use of the sharpening filter, which is noticeable at maximum zoom. But they do not spoil the overall picture - this is currently the best camera in an Android smartphone. The quality of most shots is not much different from last year's Samsung flagships, however, the speed and accuracy of focusing have increased markedly, as well as the ability to "see" in the twilight. Sample photos can be found below, even more photos, as well as a couple of videos, are available at this link (Google Photos). Click to open full size images.
Samsung store in Frankfurt, Germany
Colors in photographs are often brighter than in reality. I don't think this will upset anyone.
Galaxy S7 shoots better at night than during the day
Find a reason to be proud of Russia in a photo taken in Germany
With the Galaxy S7, you can fearlessly take pictures in the pouring rain
In close-ups, the Galaxy S7 diligently blurs the background while still providing excellent detail to the main subject.
This shot, in my opinion, is underexposed, but if you want to “pull out” the details in the shadows, you can use any editor
When testing, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the Galaxy S7's built-in speaker - the device sounds no worse than small flagship tablets like the iPad Mini or smartphones with front-facing stereo speakers, supposedly capable of competing in sound quality with compact Bluetooth speakers. Samsung does not specify the type and manufacturer of the digital-to-analog converter (DAC) in the Galaxy S7 in the specifications. Probably, in order not to increase the cost, a conventional 16-bit DAC was used. Nevertheless, the sound of the smartphone in tandem with the Harman/Kardon BT headphones connected by cable did not cause any complaints - no extraneous noise, clear and rich, well-detailed sound.
Interface, software
The Samsung Galaxy S7 runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow and will likely receive updates to the next couple of "numbered" versions of Android. The TouchWiz interface, if you apply a suitable theme to it, is not much different from stock Android, and in the default version it began to look much more decent than a couple of years ago:
The “live” photos in the review used the Material Dark theme, which is available for free in the theme store, which, in my opinion, suits a black smartphone better. I also immediately replaced the stock keyboard with Fleksy and changed the default theme to dark and minimalistic. Not because TouchWiz is bad - last year it got rid of most of the shortcomings for which only the lazy did not criticize it. I just wanted to make it pretty.
A lot of additional functions of varying degrees of usefulness are hidden in the settings - from automatically answering a call when you put the handset to your ear or taking a screenshot with a palm gesture to the option to delete the application menu. When the latter is activated, all installed programs are placed not in a separate menu, but on home screens - like on the iPhone or in the Android interfaces of most Chinese manufacturers.
As you can see in the screenshot above, software products (and another company, just very generous) cannot be removed from the Galaxy S7, even if you really want to. Lots of software pre-installed: Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint (to fully use the "office" you will need to purchase a subscription). Out of the box, the 32 GB version of the Samsung Galaxy S7 takes up just over 8 GB of system and software. At the same time, applications and games can be painlessly transferred to a memory card.
conclusions
The annual work on bugs and the desire to improve the product have done their job. The Samsung Galaxy S7 is by far the best Android phone I've tested in 2016. An elegant futuristic design, a body that fits comfortably in your hand, record performance, the best camera among Android smartphones, full water protection and high, of course, but, given financial realities, a very reasonable price - 49,990 rubles.
The closest rival in the Android camp, I would call Huawei Nexus 6P, but this device is still a different format, a “shovel” with a large screen. Also very good Sony Xperia Z5, the photo capabilities here are only slightly below the Galaxy S7, but in terms of autonomy, ergonomics and display quality, the Japanese device loses.
Standing apart is the iPhone 6s - a truly premium smartphone, which is not inferior to the Galaxy S7 in terms of convenience and beauty and has one of the fastest processors in single-threaded tasks. Against the "iPhone", however, in competition with the Galaxy S7, several factors work at once: an overpriced price (from 55,000 rubles for a version with a miserable non-expandable 16 GB of memory), a much less long-lasting battery, and less convincing low-light shooting results. So to all owners of older iPhone models who are thinking about buying a new device, I strongly recommend not to exclude the possibility of purchasing the Galaxy S7, but to take a closer look at it.
One more thing - I like the practical, rational approach that Samsung has recently taken in the development of flagship smartphones. If the design of the Galaxy S7 was carried out by a company that Samsung was 4 years ago, the smartphone could easily have an outdated USB-C port, an infrared transmitter used only by a few, and a screen diagonal larger than reasonable, and some kind of crazy dual camera system with prohibitive resolution, and a clumsy interface, more like a computer game. But the Galaxy S7 came out very balanced. Everything that is important for the user is here - an excellent camera, a long-lasting battery, a beautiful, comfortable and protected body from the elements - and there is nothing superfluous, with the exception of permanent "gifts" from Facebook and Microsoft.
The mid-size flagship of the Japanese company came out controversial. The display resolution was left old-fashioned, proprietary moisture protection means only “getting into light rain” and no underwater shooting, as in Sony advertising, and the Snapdragon 810 processor, although it began to overheat less, still does not work in this model in an ideal way.
But in terms of the quality of the body materials, convenience operating system and camera sophistication, Sony's flagship remains an attractive model to this day. The Z5's automatic shooting modes aren't perfect, but the Z5's manual mode can squeeze amazingly high-quality shots. The autonomy of the smartphone is seriously inferior to the results that the top Samsung demonstrates, but the iPhone 6s will soon retire (as well as the quickly outdated HTC One M9 Plus), the already sold LG Nexus 5X is much less powerful and not as prestigious, and outside of these models, purebred flagships of moderate dimensions just run out.
conclusions
Attitudes toward the Galaxy S7 change as you use your smartphone. The first impression is a "restyling" of last year's flagship with a new sauce, but then you sum up the number of innovations and you understand that improvements of this magnitude in the iPhone %something%S would pass for a revolution, and any Apple fan would be delighted. But Samsung did not release the S6 Super/Ultra/Neo, but released the S7, which divided the connoisseurs of the brand into two camps.
The current owners of the Galaxy S6 admit that the smartphone has become “better in everything”, but they see no reason to change existing models for new flagships. Those who are watching the price drop for the “obsolete” S6 series are also in no hurry to get the 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 until manufacturers release more breakthrough superphones.
However, what other "breakthrough"? In the class of "less than 5.5 inches" of truly fancy smartphones, the cat cried. If not for the example of the iPhone 6/6s, the rest of the manufacturers would have rushed to produce “shovels” with no 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 on the principle of "modernized version - revolutionary version" - this is already quite the path of Apple, comrades. And even if we are not used to the conditional two-year cycle from evolutionary to revolutionary Galaxy S, such changes will benefit both those who like to “sit out until cool models”, and everyone who sells an old smartphone in order to purchase a new one, “with changes and additions”. It remains only to hope that such tactics will not "sink" Samsung and the Koreans know what they are doing.
2016 promises to be an interesting year in terms of smartphones. Last year, big-name manufacturers were not very willing to innovate, but in 2016 everything should change - at least if we believe the promises at the just held MWC. Samsung has also been active. But the Korean manufacturer did not develop a new flagship from scratch, the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge can be considered a further evolution of previous models. However, as our review will show, there is nothing to worry about.
But first, let's talk about the options available. In both cases, you can choose a body of three colors (black, white and gold), but only with 32 GB of internal memory. In Europe, smartphones support only one SIM card, but models in Russia have support for two SIM cards, although in this case you will have to give up memory expansion via micro-SD.
In Europe Galaxy price Samsung's S7 is 699 euros, the Galaxy S7 edge can be purchased for 799 euros, 50 euros off previous flagships at the time of the announcement. In Russia, the price is 49.990 rubles. for Galaxy S7 and 59.990 rubles. for Galaxy S7 edge.
Excellent display
The new Galaxy S7 edge smartphone received a display with a diagonal of 5.5 inches, which is 0.4 "larger than the previous one. So far, Samsung has not commented on its move. But many users complained about the screen being too small last year, for this reason, in the fall In addition, the curvature of the display on both sides reduces the useful area of \u200b\u200bthe "normal" screen - because of this, in our test we complained about the lack of ergonomics.Finally, increasing the diagonal allows us to abandon the Galaxy S6 edge + successor, leaving a sufficient distance to the Galaxy Note 6 .
As for the Galaxy S7, here we get the previous 5.1". Samsung has not changed two other characteristics either: the Super AMOLED panel with a resolution of 2.560 x 1.440 pixels is again used. As in the case of its predecessors, the question remains whether density is really necessary pixels 576 and 534 ppi (Galaxy S7/Galaxy S7 edge)? Is it noticeable in practice the advantage over Full-HD (which provides quite a decent density of 432 and 401 ppi)? But, at least, we did not get UHD, unlike Sony.
With the exception of this issue, Samsung clearly demonstrates its competence. The maximum brightness of 827 and 803 cd/m² (Galaxy S7/Galaxy S7 edge) is just great, here the Korean manufacturer can give odds to competitors. The screen will remain readable even on a bright sunny day - which cannot be said about many other smartphones. But not everything is so simple: in manual mode, a similar level is unattainable, the maximum brightness is only 361 and 368 cd / m². The level is slightly above average, so we recommend leaving the Auto brightness setting, which is active by default. Moreover, both smartphones select the correct brightness very successfully.
However, according to the color rendering of the factory settings, it is better to avoid. As before, the default display is too cold - 7.500 and 7.600 K. In AMOLED Photo mode, we get an already more acceptable level of 6.700 K, which is closer to the optimal level (6.500 K). Otherwise, the colors are saturated, but at the same time they remain natural.
The new Diamond matrix is far superior to the previous Pentile. also emphasize that Samsung's innovations have made it possible to create one of the best displays in the smartphone market.
Of the innovations, we note the Always-On function. It allows you to display important information even in standby mode. The smartphone can display the time, the number of unread messages, missed calls and upcoming appointments. The design of the information panel can be adapted somewhat to your preferences, but the font color is always white. In order not to cause damage to the panel pixels, the text slowly floats across the screen. Therefore, you should not worry about burning pixels. The same applies to energy consumption. According to Samsung, this feature will consume 1-2% battery per hour. But so far, Always-On only displays the number of SMS, not messages from WhatsApp and other messengers.
In the case of the Galaxy S7 edge, you will have to choose between Always-On and Night Watch - both functions do not work at the same time.