Information about the make, model, and alternative names of a particular device, if any.
Design
Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Used materials, suggested colors, certificates.
Width Width information refers to the horizontal side of the device in its standard orientation during use. | 72.6 mm (millimeters) 7.26 cm (centimeters) 0.24 ft 2.86in |
Height Height information refers to the vertical side of the device in its standard orientation during use. | 150.9 mm (millimeters) 15.09 cm (centimeters) 0.5 ft 5.94in |
Thickness Information about the thickness of the device in different units of measurement. | 7.7 mm (millimeters) 0.77 cm (centimeters) 0.03 ft 0.3in |
The weight Information about the weight of the device in different units of measurement. | 157 g (grams) 0.35 lbs 5.54oz |
Volume Approximate volume of the device, calculated from dimensions provided by the manufacturer. Refers to devices with the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped. | 84.36 cm³ (cubic centimeters) 5.12 in³ (cubic inches) |
Colors Information about the colors in which this device is offered for sale. | The black Golden Silver White |
Housing materials The materials used to make the body of the device. | Aluminium alloy Glass |
Certification Information about the standards to which this device is certified. | IP68 |
SIM card
The SIM card is used in mobile devices to store data that certifies the authenticity of mobile service subscribers.
Mobile networks
A mobile network is a radio system that allows multiple mobile devices to communicate with each other.
GSM GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) is designed to replace the analogue mobile network (1G). For this reason, GSM is often referred to as a 2G mobile network. It is enhanced by the addition of GPRS (General Packet Radio Services) and later EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) technologies. | GSM 850 MHz GSM 900 MHz GSM 1800 MHz GSM 1900 MHz |
UMTS UMTS is short for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System. It is based on the GSM standard and belongs to 3G mobile networks. Developed by 3GPP and its biggest advantage is to provide more speed and spectral efficiency with W-CDMA technology. | UMTS 850 MHz UMTS 900 MHz UMTS 1700/2100 MHz UMTS 1900 MHz UMTS 2100 MHz |
LTE LTE (Long Term Evolution) is defined as fourth generation (4G) technology. It is developed by 3GPP based on GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA to increase the capacity and speed of wireless mobile networks. The subsequent development of technologies is called LTE Advanced. | LTE 700 MHz Class 13 LTE 700 MHz Class 17 LTE 800 MHz LTE 850 MHz LTE 900 MHz LTE 1700/2100 MHz LTE 1800 MHz LTE 1900 MHz LTE 2100 MHz LTE 2600 MHz LTE-TDD 1900 MHz (B39) LTE-TDD 2300 MHz (B40) LTE-TDD 2500 MHz (B41) LTE-TDD 2600 MHz (B38) LTE 700 MHz (B12) |
Mobile technologies and data rates
Communication between devices in mobile networks is carried out through technologies that provide different data transfer rates.
Operating system
The operating system is the system software that manages and coordinates the operation of the hardware components in the device.
SoC (System on a Chip)
System on a chip (SoC) includes all the most important hardware components of a mobile device in one chip.
SoC (System on a Chip) A system on a chip (SoC) integrates various hardware components such as a processor, graphics processor, memory, peripherals, interfaces, etc., as well as the software necessary for their operation. | Samsung Exynos 8 Octa 8890 |
Technological process Information about the technological process by which the chip is made. The value in nanometers measures half the distance between the elements in the processor. | 14 nm (nanometers) |
Processor (CPU) The main function of the processor (CPU) of a mobile device is the interpretation and execution of instructions contained in software applications. | 4x 2.3 GHz Exynos M1 Mongoose, 4x 1.6 GHz ARM Cortex-A53 |
Processor bit depth The bit depth (bits) of a processor is determined by the size (in bits) of registers, address buses, and data buses. 64-bit processors have higher performance than 32-bit processors, which, in turn, are more productive than 16-bit processors. | 64 bit |
Instruction Set Architecture Instructions are commands by which the software sets/controls the operation of the processor. Information about the instruction set (ISA) that the processor can execute. | ARMv8-A |
Number of processor cores The processor core performs program instructions. There are processors with one, two or more cores. Having more cores increases performance by allowing many instructions to be executed in parallel. | 8 |
Processor clock speed The clock speed of a processor describes its speed in terms of cycles per second. It is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz). | 2300 MHz (megahertz) |
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) handles calculations for various 2D/3D graphic applications. AT mobile devices it is used most often by games, consumer interface, video applications, etc. | ARM Mali-T880 MP12 |
Number of GPU cores Like the CPU, the GPU is made up of several working parts called cores. They handle the graphical calculations of different applications. | 12 |
GPU clock speed Speed is the clock speed of the GPU and is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz). | 650 MHz (megahertz) |
Volume random access memory(RAM) Random access memory (RAM) is used by the operating system and all installed applications. Data stored in RAM is lost when the device is turned off or restarted. | 4 GB (gigabytes) |
Type of random access memory (RAM) Information about the type of random access memory (RAM) used by the device. | LPDDR4 |
Number of RAM channels Information about the number of RAM channels that are integrated into the SoC. More channels means higher data rates. | dual channel |
RAM frequency The frequency of RAM determines its speed, more specifically, the speed of reading / writing data. | 1794 MHz (megahertz) |
Built-in memory
Each mobile device has a built-in (non-removable) memory with a fixed amount.
Memory cards
Memory cards are used in mobile devices to increase the storage capacity for storing data.
Screen
The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.
Type/technology One of the main characteristics of the screen is the technology by which it is made and on which the image quality of information directly depends. | Super AMOLED |
Diagonal For mobile devices, the screen size is expressed in terms of its diagonal length, measured in inches. | 5.5in 139.7 mm (millimeters) 13.97 cm (centimeters) |
Width Approximate Screen Width | 2.7in 68.49 mm (millimeters) 6.85 cm (centimeters) |
Height Approximate Screen Height | 4.79in 121.76 mm (millimeters) 12.18 cm (centimeters) |
Aspect Ratio The ratio of the dimensions of the long side of the screen to its short side | 1.778:1 16:9 |
Permission Screen resolution indicates the number of pixels vertically and horizontally on the screen. Higher resolution means sharper image detail. | 1440 x 2560 pixels |
Pixel Density Information about the number of pixels per centimeter or inch of the screen. Higher density allows information to be shown on the screen in clearer detail. | 534 ppi (pixels per inch) 209 ppcm (pixels per centimeter) |
Color depth Screen color depth reflects the total number of bits used for the color components in a single pixel. Information about the maximum number of colors the screen can display. | 24 bit 16777216 flowers |
Screen area Approximate percentage of screen space on the front of the device. | 76.37% (percentage) |
Other characteristics Information about other functions and features of the screen. | capacitive Multitouch Scratch resistance |
Corning Gorilla Glass 4 dual edge display Always On Display |
Sensors
Different sensors perform different quantitative measurements and convert physical indicators into signals that are recognized by the mobile device.
rear camera
The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on its rear panel and can be combined with one or more additional cameras.
Sensor model | Sony IMX260 Exmor RS |
Sensor type | CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) |
Svetlosila | f/1.7 |
Focal length | 4.2 mm (millimeters) |
Flash type The rear (rear) cameras of mobile devices mainly use LED flashes. They can be configured with one, two or more light sources and vary in shape. | LED |
Image resolution | 4032 x 3024 pixels 12.19 MP (megapixels) |
Video Resolution | 3840 x 2160 pixels 8.29 MP (megapixels) |
30 fps (frames per second) | |
Characteristics Information about additional software and hardware features of the rear (rear) camera. | autofocus Burst shooting digital zoom Digital Image Stabilization Optical Image Stabilization geo tags panoramic shooting HDR shooting Touch focus Face recognition Adjusting the white balance ISO setting Exposure compensation Self-timer Scene Selection Mode Macro mode RAW Phase detection autofocus (PDAF) |
Available also with Samsung S5K2L1 (ISOCELL) Phase detection with Dual Pixel Object tracking AF Smart OIS 1080p@60fps 720p@120fps |
Front-camera
Smartphones have one or more front cameras of various designs - a pop-up camera, a PTZ camera, a cutout or hole in the display, a camera under the display.
Sensor model Information about the manufacturer and model of the sensor used by the camera. | Samsung S5K4E6 |
Sensor type Information about the type of camera sensor. Some of the most widely used sensor types in mobile device cameras are CMOS, BSI, ISOCELL, etc. | ISOCELL |
Sensor size Information about the size of the photosensor used in the device. Typically, cameras with a larger sensor and lower pixel density offer better image quality despite lower resolution. | 3.2 x 2.4 mm (millimeters) 0.16in |
Pixel size Pixels are usually measured in microns. Larger pixels are able to capture more light and therefore provide better low-light performance and a wider dynamic range than smaller pixels. On the other hand, smaller pixels allow higher resolution while maintaining the same sensor size. | 1.25 µm (micrometers) 0.001250 mm (millimeters) |
crop factor The crop factor is the ratio between the size of a full-frame sensor (36 x 24mm, equivalent to a frame of standard 35mm film) and the size of the device's photosensor. The number shown is the ratio of the diagonals of the full frame sensor (43.3 mm) and the photo sensor of the specific device. | 10.82 |
Svetlosila Luminosity (also known as f-stop, aperture, or f-number) is a measure of the size of a lens aperture that determines the amount of light that enters the sensor. The lower the f-number, the larger the aperture and the more light reaches the sensor. Usually, the number f is indicated, which corresponds to the maximum possible aperture of the aperture. | f/1.7 |
Focal length Focal length indicates the distance in millimeters from the sensor to the optical center of the lens. The equivalent focal length (35mm) is the focal length of a mobile device camera that is equal to the focal length of a 35mm full-frame sensor that would achieve the same angle of view. It is calculated by multiplying the actual focal length of the mobile device's camera by the crop factor of its sensor. The crop factor can be defined as the ratio between the 35mm diagonals of a full-frame sensor and a mobile device sensor. | 2.1 mm (millimeters) 22.71 mm (millimeters) *(35 mm / full frame) |
Image resolution One of the main characteristics of cameras is resolution. It represents the number of horizontal and vertical pixels in an image. For convenience, smartphone manufacturers often list resolution in megapixels, giving an approximate number of pixels in millions. | 2560 x 1440 pixels 3.69 MP (megapixels) |
Video Resolution Information about the maximum video resolution that the camera can record. | 1920 x 1080 pixels 2.07 MP (megapixels) |
Video recording speed (frame rate) Information about the maximum recording rate (frames per second, fps) supported by the camera at maximum resolution. Some of the most basic video recording speeds are 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, 60 fps. | 30 fps (frames per second) |
Auto HDR |
Audio
Information about the type of speakers and audio technologies supported by the device.
Radio
The radio of the mobile device is a built-in FM receiver.
Location determination
Information about navigation and location technologies supported by the device.
WiFi
Wi-Fi is a technology that provides wireless communication for short distance data transmission between different devices.
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless data transfer between different types of devices over short distances.
Version There are several versions of Bluetooth, with each subsequent one improving communication speed, coverage, making it easier to discover and connect devices. Information about the Bluetooth version of the device. | 4.2 |
Characteristics Bluetooth uses different profiles and protocols for faster data transfer, power savings, better device discovery, and more. Some of the profiles and protocols that the device supports are shown here. | A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile) AVRCP (Audio/Visual Remote Control Profile) DIP (Device ID Profile) HFP (Hands Free Profile) HID (Human Interface Profile) HSP (Headset Profile) LE (Low Energy) MAP (Message Access Profile) OPP (Object Push Profile) PAN (Personal Area Networking Profile) PBAP/PAB (Phone Book Access Profile) |
USB
USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that allows different electronic devices to communicate.
Headphone jack
This is an audio connector, which is also called an audio jack. The most widely used standard in mobile devices is the 3.5mm headphone jack.
Connecting devices
Information about other important connection technologies supported by the device.
Browser
A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.
Browser Information about some of the key features and standards supported by the device's browser. | HTML HTML5 CSS 3 |
Audio file formats/codecs
Mobile devices support various audio file formats and codecs that store and encode/decode digital audio data, respectively.
Video file formats/codecs
Mobile devices support various video file formats and codecs, which store and encode/decode digital video data, respectively.
Battery
Mobile device batteries differ from each other in their capacity and technology. They provide the electrical charge they need to function.
Capacity The capacity of a battery indicates the maximum charge it can store, measured in milliamp-hours. | 3600 mAh (milliamp-hours) |
Type of The type of battery is determined by its structure and, more specifically, by the chemicals used. There are different types of batteries, with lithium-ion and lithium-ion polymer batteries being the most commonly used in mobile devices. | Li-Ion (Li-Ion) |
Adapter output power Information about the strength of the electric current (measured in amperes) and electrical voltage(measured in volts) supplied by the charger (power output). Higher power output ensures faster battery charging. | 5 V (volts) / 2 A (amps) 9 V (volts) / 1.67 A (amps) |
Characteristics Information about some additional features of the device's battery. | Wireless charger fast charging Fixed |
Qi/PMA wireless charging |
Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)
SAR levels refer to the amount of electromagnetic radiation absorbed by the human body while using a mobile device.
Head SAR (EU) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation that the human body is exposed to when holding a mobile device near the ear in a conversation position. In Europe, the maximum allowable SAR value for mobile devices is limited to 2 W/kg per 10 grams of human tissue. This standard has been established by CENELEC in accordance with IEC standards following the 1998 ICNIRP guidelines. | 0.264 W/kg (watt per kilogram) |
Body SAR (EU) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation that the human body is exposed to when holding a mobile device at hip level. The maximum allowed SAR value for mobile devices in Europe is 2 W/kg per 10 grams of human tissue. This standard has been established by CENELEC following the 1998 ICNIRP guidelines and IEC standards. | 1.43 W/kg (watt per kilogram) |
Head SAR (US) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation that the human body is exposed to when holding a mobile device near the ear. The maximum value used in the US is 1.6 W/kg per gram of human tissue. Mobile devices in the US are controlled by the CTIA and the FCC conducts tests and sets their SAR values. | 0.56 W/kg (watt per kilogram) |
Body SAR (US) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation that the human body is exposed to when holding a mobile device at hip level. The highest acceptable SAR value in the US is 1.6 W/kg per gram of human tissue. This value is set by the FCC, and the CTIA controls whether mobile devices comply with this standard. | 0.66 W/kg (watt per kilogram) |
additional characteristics
Some devices have characteristics that do not fit into the above categories, but it is important to point them out.
additional characteristics Information about other characteristics of the device. | SM-G935F - SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) EU: head - 0.264 W/kg; body - 1.430 W/kg SM-G935F - SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) US: head - 0.560 W/kg; body - 0.660 W/kg SM-G935K - SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) US: head - 0.559 W/kg; body - 0.847 W/kg SM-G935L - SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) US: head - 0.559 W/kg; body - 0.847 W/kg SM-G935S - SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) US: head - 0.559 W/kg; body - 0.847 W/kg |
Samsung launched the Galaxy S6 and its curved version, the Galaxy S6 Edge, early last year. Everything was fine until the second half of the year there was confusion in the face samsung galaxy S6 Edge+, which was introduced with Note 5. And recently the clarity has come, now we have S7, S7 Edge with 5.5″ display, and in August-September we will see Note 6. Of course, these are guesses, but they seem to me obvious. Today we will look at the first wave of Galaxy flagships.
Samsung Galaxy S7 & S7 Edge video review
Design and ergonomics
The design of S7 clearly traces the features of last year's models. S7 is similar to S6, S7 Edge is similar to S6 Edge +, but in real life, at the first meeting, you notice quite serious differences. Firstly, in all models, the glass on the front and back is now 2.5D (except for places where it was 3D, it used to be 2D), which makes the smartphone feel more comfortable in the hand. This is especially true S7 Edge, the previous model had almost sharp edges and directly crashed into the palm. Although some people like it, the novelty wins in terms of convenience.
The materials remain the same: glass front and back, metal on the side. The arrangement of the elements has also not changed, except for a few points. The camera does not protrude so much, this moment bothered many, and the IR port disappeared from the upper edge. This is a pity, earlier it was possible to control household appliances. Although it was no longer in SGS6 Edge + and Note 5.
In terms of design and ergonomics, I liked the new items. The usual S7 turned out to be more convenient to use, it is more compact and there are no false clicks on the side faces. But the impression of the curved edges of the display in the Edge still remains, nevertheless, this is still rare to find anywhere. I didn’t like the fact that the glass is very easily soiled, prints and stains are constantly visible on it, you need to wipe it. Well, the logo on the front, how long, Samsung? I know which manufacturer’s smartphone I’m paying for, and if I forget, I can always look at the back side. In fairness, somewhere common sense still starts to get the better of ambition and, at least for the domestic market, the S7 should be available without a logo on the front. Hope it's not fake.
The fingerprint scanner is located in the home key, as before. I liked it in terms of response speed, but Touch ID is still inferior, errors happen more often. You can add up to four fingerprints in total.
Many are confused by the lack of USB Type-C in the new product, but, as for me, this is easily explained. Firstly, Samsung itself has re-released all sorts of things for MicroUSB, like power banks and Gear VR 2. The transition would mean the incompatibility of new flagships with other new devices within the company itself. Secondly, the market is not yet ready, such a sharp transition would have a rather detrimental effect on ordinary people. And so, LG, Huawei and other manufacturers will prepare the ground and S8 will solemnly acquire a new port next year. Or maybe Note 6 will be with him, we'll see.
But there are two things that come back to us straight from 2014, namely the Samsung Galaxy S5 - the Micro SD card slot and, THANK YOU SO MUCH, ip68 protection. And this means that you can take your smartphone with you to the bathroom, to the pool, to the beach, in the rain and generally anywhere. And instead of a memory card, if necessary, you can insert a second SIM card. Among A-brands, this is not often found, agree.
Display
Of course, the screens in the new products are Super AMOLED, which is getting better every year. Unlike the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, the new generation gets a diagonal split between the regular S7 and S7 Edge. The first display has a diagonal of 5.1″, the second - 5.5″. Resolution for both QHD, or 2560x1440 pixels.
There is no need to talk much about the quality, it is chic here, however, as in the case of the S6, in the usual S7 at maximum deflection angles, the glass shimmers with green and purple tones. There are no such jokes with Edge. I don't know why they didn't do this before, but now, finally, information can be displayed on the display even in the locked state. This feature is called Always On. Why has this been on Nokia since time immemorial, when no one has heard of Amoled displays yet, and Samsung has just introduced it to itself? After all, Super AMOLED is simply created for such features, when only individual pixels can be displayed on the display, without including the entire display. Naturally, energy is spent only on those pixels that are active. So, on a locked display, the time, calendar, alerts, and even some individual pictures can be displayed. Moreover, you can choose display styles, colors and even backgrounds. Yes, the picture does not have to be monochrome, because the amoled does not care how exactly a single pixel will work. If the phone is in your pocket, thanks to the proximity sensors, it redeems and extinguishes this information until you take out the smartphone again. In short, a trifle, but so comfortable, I'm very happy about it!
cameras
For an inexperienced user, it may seem that the camera has become worse, because in the previous generation it was 16 MP, and now it has been downgraded to 12. But even in our first one I made the assumption that if this happens, then the camera can wildly break away from everyone on white light. The white light of smartphones, of course. Why? Each individual pixel has become larger and now its size is 1.4 microns. Let me remind you that in SGS6 the size of an individual pixel is 1.2 microns. This means that each pixel can receive more light. Let's add here a faster aperture optics with f1.7 and really something uncompromising should turn out. Is it so? We have already made a preliminary one and the difference is not great, somewhere the Samsung is a little better, somewhere the iPhone. It's not bad, because we compare the strongest, but I expected a breakaway, as I said. By the way, the aspect ratio of the matrix has changed and is now 4:3, as in the iPhone.
As before, the camera has many modes, but I'm most interested in a few: pro mode with full manual settings, auto mode for most tasks, Youtube live mode and the ability to take pictures in RAW. All this is here. In RAW, photos can be pulled out quite strongly, TIFF and regular JPEG did not stand next to each other. In Snapseed, you can already work with uncompressed formats, and there you can extract information from completely illuminated areas, for example, the sky. In this generation, SloMo has finally become usable, you can shoot honest 240 fps in 720p. Thanks for that too!
The front camera has a resolution of 5 MP, the aspect ratio of the matrix is \u200b\u200blike the main one - 4: 3, but the angle is wide and now it fits a lot not only on the sides, but also on top and bottom. Profit! True, with the detailing of the front camera, not everything is rosy, it deliberately blurs everything a little to avoid the appearance of noise.
Sample photos and videos are available, soon we will make a separate comparison of top camera phones!
Performance
We already wrote a separate post on the part - they happen at maximum settings, but not critical, you can already play. But in GTA SA at maximum speed, everything is bad: there are artifacts, and constant 20 fps feels like. I hope this is just a game not designed for Exynos, we'll wait and see. In any case, there were no problems with everything else: the interface works quickly, applications and games too.
We have the latest eight-core Exynos 8890, Mali T880 M12 graphics and as many as 4 GB of RAM, of which 1.5 GB are permanently available to the user after closing all applications. User memory can be 32 or 64 GB, but the main thing is that it can be expanded using memory cards, up to 200 GB are supported. In Ukraine, a model with only 32 GB of internal memory will be available.
The battery capacity pleased me in both cases. In the regular Galaxy S7, it is 3000 mAh, in the Edge it is 3600 mAh. For comparison, the SGS6 Edge + with a 5.7″ display had a battery capacity of 3000 mAh! So you can count on two days of more or less active work.
Specifications Samsung Galaxy S7
- Dimensions: 142.4 x 69.6 x 7.9 mm.
- Weight: 152 g.
- Graphics: Mali-T880 M12.
- Display: Super AMOLED, 5.1″, 2560 × 1440 pixels, 577 ppi
- Memory: 32, 64 GB flash
- RAM: 4 GB.
- Battery: Li-Pol battery 3000 mAh.
Specifications Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
- Dimensions: 150.9 x 72.6 x 7.7 mm.
- Weight: 157 g.
- Operating system: Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow.
- Processor: Octa-core, Exynos Octa 8890
- Graphics: Mali-T880 M12.
- Display: Super AMOLED, 5.5″, 2560 × 1440 pixels, 534 ppi
- Memory: 32, 64 GB flash
- RAM: 4 GB.
- Camera: main - 12 MP OIS, video recording in 4K, front - 5 MP.
- Wireless technologies: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1
- Interface connectors: 3.5 mm headphone jack, Micro USB 2.0.
- Battery: Li-Pol battery 3600 mAh.
ON
Available to the user out of the box latest version Android - 6.0.1 Marshmallow. A proprietary TouchWiz interface is installed on top of Android, which has long since learned to be normal. It's cool that there is a minimum of third-party software, I remember with horror the years when a brand new device had several screens of no idea what and it could not be demolished. Well, the themes - they continue to develop, the theme store has been updated, beautiful and understandable categories have appeared, there are more and more themes and many really high-quality ones. If you want a naked Android - take it, do you want a hello kitty? Stop reading my articles.
While the mid-range line from the South Korean manufacturer is undergoing significant changes, its luxury counterpart continues to stubbornly hold the position of Samsung's leading flagship. The model under consideration today is one of the oldest representatives of the country of Morning Calm in the smartphone market. And it's not just for the beautiful design. Find out more in our review of the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge smartphone.
Specifications Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
It is quite logical that from a smartphone that proudly bears the title of the most expensive among its fellows, one should expect decent technological equipment. And in comparison with younger models, this is true. Even despite significant changes in the 2017 A-line smartphones, last year's Galaxy S7 Edge is in no way inferior, and in many ways surpasses the average class.
Frame
Like its S6 edge predecessors and the similar edge+ model, the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge has a curved display at the edges. However, this time the developers did not rush from one extreme to another and made the size of the flagship medium and quite acceptable. The case is 72.6mm wide, 150.9mm long and just 7.7mm thick. The weight of the phone is 157 g.
Three color options are available to the buyer to choose from: black diamond, dazzling platinum and silver titanium (black, gold and silver in the common people).
The case itself looks quite standard for most Samsumg models. Most of the front of the smartphone is occupied by the screen, below it there is a mechanical “Home” button with a built-in fingerprint scanner and touch “Return” and “Context menu”. Above, as you might guess, is a speaker, a front camera lens along with its built-in flash, a proximity sensor, and, of course, the logo of a South Korean company.
The samsung s7 ebge case is made of 3D glass and metal. The developers abandoned the border that cuts into the hand
In the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, the creators decided to abandon the metal edging around the edge of the most noticeable home button. Pretty good solution, which wins the device a few style points. However, at the same time, the aluminum frame around the entire perimeter of the phone remained in its place and, in general, it became a little thicker compared to its predecessor. No matter what, you don’t want to let your smartphone out of your hands at all. And the reason for this is the curved 3D glass that covers the flagship on both sides.
Glass Corning Gorilla Glass 4, in turn, has an oleophobic coating, which means that your gadget is now reliably protected from dust and scratches, and also does not glare in the sun like a polished basin. Many users, however, noted that the phone has a small minus, namely, strong soiling. In other words, any fingerprint remains a very noticeable stain on the case.
Technical filling
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge rightfully takes the leading place among its fellows. The phone is equipped with the most advanced technological developments, and you will not see such a powerful and advanced "stuffing" in any of the younger models of the company. This flagship is equipped with an eight-core Exynos 8890 Octa processor with a clock speed of 2.3 GHz. The device copes well with a lot of resource-intensive costs due to the competent distribution of tasks between the 2.3 GHz and 1.6 GHz Cortex-A53 cores. The graphics accelerator Mali-T880 MP12 is responsible for a decent picture, which, in comparison with the Mali-T780 in the S6 Edge model, produces an 80% (!) Better result.
Operating system installed on S7 Edge Google Android 6.0.1 as well as the TouchWiz shell. The latter adds some lightness and simplicity to the general appearance of the system. At the same time, its traditional “sticking” has not disappeared. True, they are not very noticeable.
Photo: smartphone technical capabilities based on tests
In Samsung s7 edge, you can even customize the color schemes of the included display
Protection against moisture and dust
The S7 Edge also boasts that its body, among other things, is made according to the IP68 standard. You can safely take your smartphone with you to the bathroom, pool, get it out of your pocket in heavy rain or a sandstorm. After all, the IP68 standard guarantees your favorite device protection from moisture and dust ingress. It is important to note that not only the monolithic design protects the "organs" of the flagship. The components of its board are carefully impregnated with a special water-repellent solution. By the way, you will not find any stubs. All vulnerable points (for example, speakers, microphones and USD connector) are reliably protected by special waterproof membranes.
Fast and wireless charging
The convenience of the phone adds the possibility of both accelerated wired and wireless charging. As the developers promise, your device will be half charged in half an hour, and it will take another 60 minutes to fully restore the battery. However, for such a fast charge, there are conditions: the screen must be in sleep mode all this time. Otherwise, the current strength drops noticeably and the battery replenishment rate is greatly reduced. The same effect is observed with wireless charging (Qi and PMA standard) - 100% in 1 hour 40 minutes.
Working with games
The phone also has one interesting application called Game Tools. As you might guess, it allows the user to optimize the game process as much as possible. You can temporarily block the touch buttons at the bottom of the panel, minimize the game, take screenshots. And now the most amazing thing. The power of the phone is enough not only for resource-intensive games. Enough to write game process and even stream.
Front camera is good but not perfect
Other "goodies"
The quality of the recorded video is truly varied. Here you have GA, and HD, and 1: 1, and Full HD, and Full HD with 60 fps. The available resolution does not end there. The phone can record in both QHD and even UHD, better known as 4K resolution.
Extensive video camera settings will appeal not only to amateurs, but also to professionals
Add to this several recording modes (slow-motion and time-lapse shooting), as well as the ability to create a video collage and conduct live broadcasts. And do not forget that all this without loss of quality can be done in low light conditions.
Video: time lapse example
Video: An example of slow motion on the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
In general, the camera in the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge gives its owner simply incredible opportunities. Despite the fact that the resolution of the lenses has decreased, the quality of the shooting has not suffered at all. A big plus is the ability to separately configure each parameter, the choice of blank modes, as well as their variety. It should also be noted how clear and detailed pictures are obtained even in low light conditions. Undoubtedly, the phone stands out from most of its peers. And it is thanks to the excellent camera that he can claim the leading place among the flagships.
Live photos
Specifications
- Android 6.0.1, TouchWiz 2016
- Display 5.5 inch, QHD-resolution, SuperAMOLED, automatic backlight adjustment, Always On function, different operating modes, Corning Gorilla Glass 4,
- 4 GB RAM, 32/64 GB built-in, memory card up to 200 GB
- nanoSIM (there will be options for 2 SIM cards, then the memory card in the combo slot will not be available)
- Exynos 8890 chipset, 8 cores up to 1.8 GHz per core, MALI T880 MP12 GPU (Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 variant in some countries)
- support for LTE cat12/13 with software update, operator support is also required
- Front camera 5 megapixels, flash (screen), BRITECELL main camera, 12 megapixels, time lapse, slow motion, video effects, 4K video
- Wi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz), HT80 MIMO(2x2) 620Mbps, Dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, Mobile hotspot, Bluetooth®: v4.2, A2DP, LE, apt-X, ANT+, USB 2.0, NFC
- In-body wireless charging (WPC1.1(4.6W Output) & PMA 1.0(4.2W)
- Li-Ion 3600 mAh battery, extreme power saving mode, fast charging in one hour up to 70 percent
Contents of delivery
- Telephone
- Charger(Fast Adaptive Charge) with USB cable
- Instruction
- Wired stereo headset
- Clip for SIM tray
Positioning
In 2015, there was a reshuffle inside Samsung that affected the positioning of devices, the schedule for their release, and what the company does. In particular, they went on an experiment for flagships when they abandoned memory cards (Apple doesn’t have it, and no one complains!), They made the cases monolithic, and this scared many consumers away. The fact that two models appeared on the market at once - S6 and S6 EDGE, in the same case size, but one with a side edge, and the second without, confused the situation even more.
The very first sales showed that the fashion EDGE is in overwhelming demand, while the simple S6 is not so popular. The difference in demand did not affect the total sales volume, but rather their distribution in the S6/S6 EDGE pair. The shortage of EDGE was noticeable during the first three months, the company did not have time to produce matrices for them and was forced to start additional production.
In autumn, Samsung released another pair of flagships - Note 5/S6 EDGE Plus. If Samsung traditionally considered the Note line as flagships, then in 2015 they moved away from this rule and made the fashion device the main one, it was promoted in all markets, while the Note 5 was initially released in small numbers in Asia, South Korea and the USA. Then they began to sell it everywhere, but this caused confusion in the perception of what is considered a real flagship, what is their difference and what to look at.
In 2016, EDGE actually comes out simultaneously with the S7, this is the same device, only with a larger diagonal. They abandoned the small EDGE, because they don’t see much point in it, the choice will now be between the usual flat S7 and the large S7 EDGE. As for me, this approach looks more logical than two devices of the same size.
I am often asked what will happen to the Note line. Rumor has it that she was abandoned and will no longer be. I will repeat the words of Mark Twain, paraphrasing them: rumors about the death of Note are greatly exaggerated. Moreover, this device, namely Note 6, once again becomes the flagship in the full sense of the word and will be the key novelty of the fall of 2016. It implements a number of innovations that the S7 did not get, and it will be the most powerful device possible at the time of release, and for the next year at least. That is, the good old Note line is returning to us again.
And S7/S7 EDGE are destined to become the key models of the next six months and one of the most interesting flagships in which there are no compromises. For these devices, apparently, the history of S6/S6 EDGE is repeated, but at a new round of market development. Pre-orders in Europe and Russia showed that the main demand falls on the S7 EDGE, buyers perceived this particular model as a key one. In Russia, there is one S7 for two S7 EDGEs, despite the difference in cost in favor of the latter. This means that the big screen and the unusual shape of the screen prevail, people also choose a large battery. Perhaps it is the S7 EDGE that becomes the most interesting and uncompromising flagship in 2016, this device has all the technologies that you can imagine.
Design, body materials
I have already got used to the eternal groan of the dissatisfied for any reason and without them. For example, when any flagship comes out, there is always a bunch of those who do not like the design, case materials, and so on. As a rule, they do not belong to the category of potential buyers, but simply like to chat online. Perhaps the only exceptions are products from Sony and HTC, which almost do not change from year to year, which creates complaints. For Samsung in 2015, the redesign of the flagships was successful, now they are all built on a metal frame, have a back surface of Corning Gorilla Glass 4. In 2016, nothing changes, except that the glass on the front and back becomes 2.5D ( this is fashion and only, now all companies make such rounded glasses). Samsung, in order to position itself differently from competitors, calls 3D glass, for this they have a reason, no one uses such bends for Gorilla Glass 4 in their products.
Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge
Galaxy S7 Edge and Galaxy S6 Edge Plus
Galaxy S7 Edge and Galaxy Note 5
As you can see, outwardly these smartphones completely repeat the flagships of 2015, it will be difficult to see the differences. Moreover, the same A-series of 2016 looks similar to these devices, only the colors will differ, due to them they will try to emphasize older models. But it is difficult in life to distinguish the saturation of the color of the case, to notice what kind of apparatus a person uses. A successful design, which is reproduced in a dozen models, quickly becomes boring. And, perhaps, it is this moment that will stop many, people will find that it will be difficult to stand out with the help of such an apparatus. As I see the situation, Samsung switched to a two-year design cycle, like Apple, but decided to play the opposite, that is, change the look of handsets not in the same year as Apple. This year, the iPhone 7 will get a different look, but the Galaxy S7 will resemble its predecessor.
From the point of view of color schemes, the black (Black Onyx) phone looks more interesting, the gold color is somewhat boring in the previous model. And most people order a black phone.
In total, these colors are still available, but they will not appear in all markets at the same time.
Now a few words about dreams about a collapsible case. It is not and will not be in this model, the design itself does not involve replacing the battery yourself. But it can be done in any service center. The second point is water protection. Just like in the Galaxy S5, it returns to Samsung devices, and to all flagships. The protection standard is IP68, phones can be drowned, and nothing will come of it. There is impregnation of the components on the board with a special solution that repels water (it is often used in Motorola phones), but the design itself does not allow water to get inside, there are special membranes on the speakers and microphones.
And this is how they protected the microUSB connector so that water does not get inside, and if this still happens from a blow, then there is a special controller that prevents a short circuit.
All metal surfaces have undergone additional anti-corrosion treatment. In the picture you see the painted parts, which are additionally protected from water.
We did an IP68 test and the phone passed it with ease. There are no problems with it, watch the video. I want to note right away that in order for the speakers to not sound muffled after water, it is necessary that the device is dry, this is a simple logic, which for some reason is not clear to certain people.
Pay attention to how the tray for the SIM card and memory card is arranged, it has a rubberized insert, which is lower than the top edge. As a result, dust from pockets quickly accumulates here, but it does not penetrate inside the phone. The peculiarity of its protection is affected. Someone may not like it from an aesthetic point of view, but this is not a problem, since dust does not penetrate into the case and cannot get there.
The case has grown slightly in size, both as a result of the larger battery in the S7 and a different frame design, made stronger to withstand serious drops (6013 aluminum alloy). I have absolutely no complaints about the resistance to drops for the latest generations of Galaxy. Immediately, the location of the components and parts of the phone was completely recalculated to ensure even greater survival and safety of the glasses that cover the screen and the back surface. There are no miracles in the world, and you can break any device, but users of the Galaxy / Note line know that they have very reliable devices that are difficult to break.
Due to the fact that now the back panel of the phone also has a bevel, it is much more pleasant to hold the S7 EDGE in hands than its predecessor, no crashing parts, nothing even remotely interfering. Excellent tactile devices. The glass gets dirty, you have to put up with it, another thing is that the marks from the hands are not so noticeable and are easily erased.
Of the minuses of the black version, I note the speaker grille, which is also painted black. The paint wears off in a few weeks in the pocket, white metal appears. In the golden color of the case, this is simply imperceptible, it seems that everything is correct, but here it is clearly visible. In my opinion, this is a clear drawback, but it cannot be called critical.
In order for the device not to heat up, a special cooling system was created inside. Look at her description.
Type of memory, RAM, memory cards
When Samsung started refusing to manufacture its flagships with memory cards, the company reasoned that the memory capacity of 32, 64 and 128 GB is enough in theory for any person. In practice, the company got confused in logistics, and 32 GB devices appeared first, then 64 GB, but 128 GB models turned out to be difficult to find, and few were produced. This is a fundamental difference from Apple, where you can buy a device with any amount of memory and they are always in stock. Therefore, the experiment inside Samsung was considered unsuccessful, and the groan of consumers turned out to be so loud that all Samsung top managers felt it.
Apparently, in order to please people, you must first take something away from them. This happened with memory cards, they were removed in 2015 and they realized what a mistake it was in 2016. Now memory cards are back in all flagships, you can use them in almost any size. The 200 GB card is recognized and works. Later, support for 2 TB memory cards may appear, there are no reasons not to do this, there are no technical restrictions.
The main models will be those that offer 32 GB of internal memory, while devices with 64 GB will not be very common. I think that there is nothing wrong with this and users will choose just such solutions.
Since in Samsung smartphones fast memory of the UFS 2.0 standard is used, the company had to abandon the proprietary function of Android 6 - combining memory cards and internal memory into a single array. This is necessary for those who are not going to use their memory card somewhere else, but only in one phone. The risks of this are quite large, if the memory card fails, you will lose most of your data, if not all, except for what is stored in the cloud.
As a result, Samsung decided to make an intermediate solution. You get 24 GB of space out of 32 GB, while 8 GB contains the system and space to work with external memory, for example, it is used as a buffer for video recording, cache, and other system functions. But, as before, you can transfer most of the applications to a memory card without storing them in the internal memory of the smartphone. As a result, there are no de facto restrictions, you can use your smartphone as you please.
RAM has not changed in type, these are chips built on 20 nm technology, we first saw them a year ago. The peak data transfer rate is 3.2 Gb / s, which can be considered the maximum speed in mobile devices in the next year, or even a year and a half. The amount of RAM has grown to 4 GB.
The memory manager that appeared in the previous generation and caused complaints from many users that it unloaded from the application memory remained. But we added an operating mode in which the latest applications are kept in RAM, unloading them only when necessary. That is, a sort of mixed mode has turned out: while memory is not required, applications hang in it, and as soon as it is needed, they go into the buffer.
But due to the speed of the processor, the load time for applications from the cache has been reduced by at least half, it seems that they are hanging in memory. Visually, and on sensations, this is a big increase in the speed of work in this aspect.
Chipset and performance
In 2015, Samsung abandoned the use of Qualcomm in their flagships, the processors were very hot and had many flaws. In particular, it was the Snapdragon 810, which Qualcomm was able to finalize only a year after the first samples. This processor, and Samsung's abandonment of it, crashed Qualcomm's stock and even caused a wave of layoffs and a reorganization of the chipset maker.
Until 2015, the prevailing stereotype said that the Exynos versions of the flagships were noticeably worse than their counterparts on Qualcomm. Often this was not the case, they were equivalent from the point of view of the average consumer. Qualcomm has traditionally had stronger LTE modems than in Samsung's own solutions. In 2016, the difference is leveled even more, as modems on Exynos also received an update and began to work better. Are they inferior to Qualcomm? I think yes. Do you notice this difference in real life? I think no.
The vast majority of countries will receive flagships from Samsung on the Exynos version, and not on the Qualcomm 820. Operators who, for some reason, want to get the Qualcomm version, do so consciously and for their own reasons. Of the minuses of the Qualcomm version, I note about 10 percent less time in various modes, which, with the same performance, looks like a huge difference. Also, less integration of the Qualcomm chipset with the Samsung camera may affect the speed of the autofocus (but you probably won't notice it). The predominant version of the flagships will be the one that uses the Exynos 8890 inside.
Depending on the operator and / or the chipset used, the letters in the model markings will differ, the standard name is SM-G935. Let's dwell a little on this processor. So, it is made according to the 14 nm FinFET process technology, it has eight cores, as well as a new MALI T880 MP12 graphics coprocessor. In the graphics area, the processor is claimed to be 80 percent faster than the MALI-T760 and energy efficient by 40 percent at maximum load.
Among the interesting features of the chipset, I would like to note support for LTE cat.12/13, which ensures data download at speeds up to 600 Mbps (a 1 GB movie can be downloaded in one minute if your operator supports these categories). Check out the infographic dedicated to this processor.
In synthetic benchmarks, the Exynos version shows better performance.
In tests, S7 EDGE wins, it is the fastest device at the moment (my phones are on Exynos). Look at the test results.
I want to separately note that the new processor is very fast. In every sense, this is one of the best processors on the market, and at the same time it has good energy efficiency, reduced power consumption, which, together with other technical solutions, makes these models very interesting.
The phone also has an additional Exynos M1 processor, which is responsible for calculating movements. Devoting a separate, dedicated processor to this is justified. At the moment, S Health has an erroneous step count when moving in a car, shaking is perceived as walking. This oversight will be corrected in the coming months.
Display
The phone has a SuperAMOLED screen, 5.5 inches, QHD resolution. There is simply nothing better on the market, and the fact that all companies are trying to switch to AMOLED and are ready to buy screens outdated by several generations from Samsung only speaks of how good this technology is. The same Apple is preparing to use AMOLED in the iPhone, as it has seen its benefits with its own eyes. But users of flagships and not only Samsung flagships have been getting this technology for years and are using it with might and main.
DisplayMate traditionally conducted a study of screens in S7 / S7 EDGE, and the result is quite interesting, the previous leader in the face of S6 EDGE Plus lost the crown, the latest generation displays were named the best screens in mobile devices, nothing better simply exists in the world. , it is quite detailed and thorough.
Let's focus on a few technologies, each of which is not obvious, but improves the use of these devices in everyday life. So, let's start with how the screens behave in the sun, in the bright sun. S7 EDGE has no problems with this, no glare, no reflections, the brightness in automatic mode can be set to such a level that you will see bright and colorful colors, all screen content will be readable. But it depends on your preferences, however, more on that later.
Now let's imagine the unimaginable. Many people use sunglasses in the summer, many of them have polarized lenses. The problem with most screens in portable electronics is that they are hard to see, especially in normal, vertical orientation - the screen of the same iPhone 6/6s becomes darker than it actually is. Flip the screen to landscape orientation and it will appear lighter. Miracle? Just the arrangement of the elements.
The screen for the Galaxy S7 EDGE took care of this "little thing" and placed the polarizing filter at an angle of 45 degrees so that no matter how you look at the screen with glasses, the picture remains bright. This is the first device on the market in which even such trifles for the screen have been thought out.
Another thing that has changed for the screens and appears for the first time in the S7/S7 EDGE is the personal auto-brightness setting. What does it mean? How can setup be personal and automatic at the same time? The answer lies in the fact that we are all different and perceive the brightness of screens, their colors and other parameters differently. Samsung has implemented an intelligent system that evaluates the level of ambient light and what lighting options we choose, which we consider a comfortable level for ourselves. And this data is used in order to subsequently adjust the backlight in a way that is convenient for you. It is enough to use both manual backlight adjustment and automatic for about one week, so that the phone understands what you like and works in automatic mode. I absolutely love this feature as it predicts what I want to see, what the brightness of the screen should be in different conditions.
The screen also has an Always On mode, when the time is constantly shown, as an option, a picture or a calendar, and you can choose topics in which these images will differ.
This is just a wonderful feature, because, unlike competitors, the picture is displayed in color, it is always visible, both at night and during the day, and is quite bright. For those who are afraid that this will affect the operating time of the device, S7 EDGE consumes 1 to 2% of the battery for 12 hours of display operation in this mode (depending on external lighting conditions, the picture changes in brightness automatically). This is nothing, but you always have a clock in front of your eyes, and this sharply distinguishes this phone from all others.
Cameras - front and back
The front camera has a resolution of 5 megapixels, light sensitivity has been slightly increased. The screen itself can act as a flash. It is possible to improve complexion, remove artifacts on the skin, and at the same time correct the geometry of the face. Face enhancers will definitely appeal to girls.
But there is no intrigue here, everything is clear and familiar. The intrigue lies in what happened to the main camera, because in S6 its resolution was 16 megapixels, and in S7/S7 EDGE the camera suddenly became 12 megapixels.
The Galaxy S7/S7 EDGE uses a module Sony cameras IMX260 (a year earlier IMX240), which was created specifically for Samsung. On the Sony website, such products usually do not receive descriptions, moreover, they cannot be bought by other manufacturers.
I did not manage to find a sane description of the IMX260, and this is not so important, since the main innovations were explained during the presentation of the Galaxy S7. So, the company increased the lens aperture f/1.7 (f/1.9 a year earlier), while also increasing the pixel size to 1.4 microns, which makes it possible to get more information on the matrix. In Britecell, the pixel size is one micron, and it immediately turns out that this technology is not used in the IMX260, judging by the information that we had before. But everything is not so clear, let's try to figure it out.
To begin with, the S7 is the first device on the market that has focusing over the entire area of \u200b\u200bthe matrix, that is, one hundred percent of the pixels are involved in phase detection autofocus.
But, perhaps, the most important thing is the increased clarity and brightness of the picture (although, to be honest, I don’t know which is better, the current flagships shoot very well). Here increased the possibility of shooting in the evening and in the dark. There are new scenes and plots, camera settings. Samsung was able to improve the camera, although it seemed that it was impossible to do so.
Photo examples
Comparison with S6 Edge+
S7 edge | S6 Edge+ |
For example, the “Food” mode has appeared, this is a kind of filter in which the background is blurred, note that on the left there is a picture without a filter, on the right - with it.
Ordinary | Food mode |
For video recording, a slow-motion mode has appeared, as well as a time-lapse, examples of which you can see in the video below.
And here is an example of a regular video on this camera.
Year after year I say that Samsung flagships they shoot better and better, they are very high quality. And I'm tired of constantly answering the question on social networks, what this or that picture was taken for. In S7/S7 EDGE, the camera has become even better, which makes these devices the undisputed leaders. Now the time has expanded when you can be guaranteed to get a high-quality picture, this is not only a day, but also twilight, evening. In short, the camera is, as before, one of the strengths of these devices.
Battery
Slightly increased dimensions are associated, among other things, with the battery capacity - 3600 mAh. The operating time of the device is always a combination of factors, in particular, the stability and optimization of software, the quality of components, and the power consumption of the screen. It is difficult, and sometimes impossible, to consider the operating time in isolation from these parameters.
A typical scenario for using a modern smartphone involves running various programs in the background, not only browsing pages, but connecting a wireless headset, and so on. Everyone has their own use case, for example, I use phones to the fullest - take pictures, listen to podcasts on a wireless headset, watch social networks, movies, web pages, every fifteen minutes I receive mail from different mailboxes. My EDGE Plus lives with three to three and a half hours of screen operation from morning to late evening with about 70 percent backlight. And this is a good indicator. For many, the operating time of this device is an average of two days. Some manage to make it work for up to three days, and say that this is enough for them for active use. It should be noted here that the word “active” is different for everyone, everyone puts their own worldview into it.
On average - two days of confident work (3.5-4 hours of screen at 60%), data transfer to 4G without restrictions (4 GB downloaded). As for me, this is an excellent result, there is progress compared to the previous year, and the Chinese are far behind even in cases where they put in batteries twice the capacity. The video playback time at maximum brightness is from 13 to 14 hours on average (the radio module is not disabled).
The phone has two built-in wireless charging standards, you can use any. There is support for fast wireless charging. There is also fast wired charging - in 110 minutes you will charge the device to 100 percent. It takes less than half an hour to get half a charge. Many flagships from other companies can only dream of such a fast charging technology that saves you, even if you forgot to charge the device in the morning, it only takes a few minutes in the morning.
The most important improvement of the current flagships, and indeed of all 2016 models from Samsung, is the increased battery life. A gigantic work has been done here, and it should be noted. On average, they will work 1.5-2 times longer than previous devices of the same segment. The reason is the increase in battery capacity, but also the optimization of software and hardware. On average, on S7 EDGE in Spain, I got two days of work with 4-4.5 hours of screen time and always on LTE, which is noticeably higher than for EDGE Plus, the gain is those same 1.5-2 times.
A few words about the microUSB connector, which the progressive part of humanity has already decided to send to the scrap and is waiting for USB Type C. Personally, I am tired of carrying a second cable, I constantly forget it, and therefore some phones I only charge at home, where there are such cables. The value of Type C is still greatly overestimated, such a connector is needed by a small audience that considers itself technology enthusiasts. Therefore, it was not used in mass products. A gradual transition to it will begin in the fall of 2016, and even then, this is an issue that has not been fully resolved. Samsung has now considered that the compatibility of all accessories is much more important than supporting a fashion trend.
Speaking of AMOLED, Exynos and battery life. Meizu Pro 5 used this combination of components from Samsung to achieve maximum battery life in its flagship. Other companies are starting to learn from Samsung, it's becoming a trend.
USB, Bluetooth, communication capabilities
Bluetooth version 4.2, it was created for the Internet of things and works great with various sensors. Otherwise, there are no special changes, new profiles have appeared, energy consumption has improved. Let me remind you that there is something interesting in the new standard.
Firstly, this is an extended range, which can reach several tens of meters, depending on the settings of the devices and how the manufacturer configured this option. Secondly, the IP protocol is used for addressing, that is, devices now have their own unique addresses and communication with many such devices is supported.
From the technical points, the interaction between Bluetooth and LTE has been improved, now within the same device the operation of these technologies is synchronized, mutual interference is not created (for our LTE frequencies it is irrelevant). Plus, Bluetooth devices can now access the cloud and transfer their results directly, bypassing the companion device, as was necessary before.
USB connection. USB 2.0 is used here, that is, the data transfer rate is about 20 Mb / s. These are not theoretical, but real results on devices. They may differ depending on operating system and the computer to which you connect your phone. Both up and down.
WiFi. 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac is supported, the wizard is similar to that for Bluetooth. You can remember the selected networks, automatically connect to them. It is possible to set up a connection to the router with one touch, for this you need to press a key on the router, and also activate a similar button in the device's menu (WPA SecureEasySetup). Of the additional options, it is worth noting the setup wizard, it appears when the signal is weak or disappears. You can also set Wi-Fi to work on a schedule.
For 802.11n, HT40 mode of operation is supported, allowing you to double the Wi-Fi throughput (requires support from another device).
WiFi Direct. A protocol that aims to replace Bluetooth or compete with its third version (it also uses Wi-Fi version n to transfer large files). In the Wi-Fi settings menu, select the Wi-Fi Direct section, the phone starts searching for devices around. Select the desired device, activate the connection on it, and voila. Now in file manager You can view files on another device and also transfer them. Another option is to simply find the devices connected to your router and transfer to them necessary files, this can be done from the gallery or other sections of the phone. The main thing is that the device supports Wi-Fi Direct.
WiFi repeater.
It is impossible to write a review when you use the phone for a few minutes at the company's booth and this device is not your main one. Then there are materials that lack many "chips" that the manufacturer himself did not talk about, just as others did not find them. I am constantly working with the Galaxy S7, I have already discovered many “little things” that distinguish Samsung flagships from other Android smartphones and will later become part of Android itself. I want to talk about one of these chips.
Usually, when you turn on the hotspot on your phone, it instantly turns off Wi-Fi, you can’t use both at the same time.
On the Galaxy S7/S7 EDGE, I suddenly found that when Wi-Fi is turned on, it connects to the wireless network, but your hotspot does not turn off. There are two icons in the status bar.
Further - more and even more interesting. All phones connected to the Galaxy S7 start using its Wi-Fi connection instead of mobile transmission data from it. Up to this point, the Wi-Fi router scenario has never been mobile phones not used as widely.
Who might need it and why? For example, when traveling, I very often encounter a limit on the number of connected devices in hotels. With the help of the Galaxy S7 features, these restrictions on the number of devices are a thing of the past, now I am writing a text, and a dozen of my phones are hanging on one connection through the Galaxy S7 EDGE. And most importantly, I don’t need to waste time at all and enter my last name, room number and postal address on each one. Same story in restaurants, cafes, and other places where I can share my connection without having to enter Wi-Fi settings on each device. Cool? Undoubtedly.
Another question is that this function is not so necessary for the vast majority of people. At home, this is an opportunity to distribute your Internet to those corners of the apartment where your router does not finish off. At the same time, check whether it is worth buying a regular Wi-Fi repeater and whether it will work.
As always, I believe that it is better to have additional features in the device that are not required so often, but when they are needed, you will be grateful for them than not to have such features. Do you need a Wi-Fi repeater function?
NFC. The device has NFC technology, it can be used with various additional applications.
S Beam. A technology that allows you to transfer a file of several gigabytes to another phone in a few minutes. In fact, we see in S Beam a combination of two technologies - NFC and Wi-Fi Direct. The first technology is used to bring and authorize phones, but the second is used to transfer the files themselves. The creatively redesigned way to use Wi-Fi Direct is much easier than using the connection on two devices, selecting files, and so on.
Software - Android 6, TouchWiz and more
Inside Android 6.0.1, current flagships and two-year-old models will receive the same software, at the same time or a little later than the S7/S7 EDGE will go on sale. As before, this device has TouchWiz, but it has been heavily redesigned for the style of Android, and now the whole system is perceived as very airy and light, everything looks organic together. The speed of the UI is excellent, it flies, there are simply no brakes. Again, it all depends on personal perception, someone sees the brakes in what other people consider instantaneous.
There are a lot of features in the software, you will need to talk about them separately, which I did, read the full review and watch a video about this software.
Additional accessories
For these models, a new wireless charger will be available, it differs from the old one in that it has a 50-degree tilt and you can put your phone on it. There will be leather bumpers (leather back) as well as a case with two interchangeable lenses.
From what I managed to try, I will note standard book cases, including those with an LED screen. Look at the pictures of these accessories and then you can watch the video where I explain and show you how they work.
Samsung has prepared an infographic showing how the new device is better than the S6 EDGE Plus, everything is very clear in it.
Impression
There are no complaints about the quality of speech reproduction, call volume, these devices are excellent, perhaps, their radio path quality is one of the best on the market. And this has long become a kind of mania, Samsung is finishing off what is already so good. However, as we saw in the review, they do this for many components of their flagships.
It is a thankless task to evaluate new devices by pictures or even photographs. In the case of the S7/S7 EDGE, it is doubly ungrateful. It seems to be the same materials, the same design, but they need to be taken in hand to realize the difference. And it is not in favor of the previous generation. These devices need to be touched live and see how they work, how responsive the menu is, how the camera shoots, and it is advisable to do this at dusk in order to realize the differences.
We are accustomed to the fact that each new generation of Samsung flagships provides new technologies and sets the bar for performance, as well as what can be built into devices. Today these are the most functional solutions of all, but last year the refusal of memory cards upset many. Now this shortcoming has been corrected, and everything is back to normal. But they also added enhanced shock protection, IP68 protection against drowning. Plus, they increased the battery and optimized the system in such a way that the operating time increased by 1.5-2 times. All this together suggests that the models turned out not just successful, but super-successful.
The new camera module gives a great result, it's a breakthrough in a direction where no one expected major improvements. I did not expect that the difference would be visible in real life. And this is a serious claim to maintain its advantage in this area, other devices are approaching Samsung in terms of the photo part, but they still cannot catch up.
From an engineering point of view, these devices are small masterpieces, stuffed with the latest technology and made them work. What are the improvements in the display, which are not visible, but make our life better and easier. It is not superfluous to note that other companies, and primarily Apple, reach the use of such technologies only years later, they simply do not have the opportunity to do something similar. They are too far behind in development, and this can be seen in almost every piece of hardware. I have a very positive perception of the new flagships, and the fact that the previous generation dispersed well in Russia says a lot about the changed orientations of people during the crisis. The same S6, thanks to its affordable price, has become the most popular flagship, followed by the iPhone 5s 16 GB. The choice of a three-year-old model remains a mystery to me, but people see some sense in this. But everything is gradually changing, slowly and confidently, ordinary people are realizing what fast charging is in real life, what high-quality screens look like, and why Android gives freedom of use. I have no doubt that the seventh generation of Galaxy will be very successful, there are all the prerequisites for this, the devices turned out to be interesting. Considering that the S7 EDGE comes out at a price of 59,990 rubles, that is, it does not differ from its predecessor at the start, this is a good bid for success. It is possible and necessary to change S6 EDGE Plus to S7 EDGE only if you have a lot of money and really want a new device. You will not notice much difference between them, especially since the “old” EDGE comes with the same software that is on the new one, with the exception of working with the side face. These are equivalent models, and the S6 EDGE Plus price of 49,990 rubles makes it even more interesting, many will look intently in its direction. It will remain on the market for the foreseeable future.
The choice between S7 and S7 EDGE is obvious, I like the older model more, it looks more interesting. Another thing is that, perhaps, you are an adherent of more compact sizes. A little comparison in the video will help you.
But as a final word, I can say that Samsung has turned out models that are head and shoulders above the competition, and they are not just solid, they are the best on the market today. And without compromise.
So it's time to get acquainted with the new generation of the company's flagship smartphones. Let me remind you that last year we considered the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge + as the most interesting representative of the Galaxy S6 family.
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Thanks to store First-Store, we got the opportunity to review the latest Samsung product.In the current generation, we are waiting for a slight rethinking of the top-level line, as well as a fundamentally new hardware component, so there is no need to talk about a light facelift, but first things first.
In the past generation, the manufacturer created as many as three devices within the same line: the familiar flagship Galaxy S6, which is the same, but with a curved screen Galaxy S6 Edge and a “tablet phone” with a rounded screen Galaxy S6 Edge plus.
Now the approach is somewhat different: the Galaxy S7 remains the same size, and the Galaxy S7 Edge gets a 5.5-inch diagonal screen, right between the flagships of the past. And this is quite logical, since Samsung Galaxy hardly fit into this collection recently Note 5 with its 5.7" screen. Now everything has fallen into place.
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Specifications Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
Model | Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge | Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge | Samsung Galaxy S6 Plus |
Device type | Smartphone | Smartphone | Smartphone |
CPU* | Samsung Exynos 8890, 4 x 2300 MHz + 4 x 1600 MHz, Mongoose + Cortex-A53 | Samsung Exynos 7420, | Samsung Exynos 7420, 4 x 2100 MHz + 4 x 1500 MHz; Cortex A57 + Cortex A53 |
Video processor* | Mali-T880 MP12 | Mali-T760 MP8 | Mali-T760 MP8 |
Operating system | Android 6.0 | Android 5.1.1 + Touchwiz | Android 5.1.1 + Touchwiz |
RAM, GB | 4 | 3 | ~4 |
Internal memory, GB | 32/64 | 32/64/128 | 32/64 |
Screen | 5.5" SuperAMOLED, WQHD (2560 x 1440) | 5.1" SuperAMOLED, WQHD (2560 x 1440) | 5.7" SuperAMOLED, WQHD (2560 x 1440) |
Cameras, Mpix | 12.0 + 5.0 | 16.0 + 5.0 | 16.0 + 5.0 |
Net | GSM 850/900/1800/1900 | GSM 850/900/1800/1900 | GSM 850/900/1800/1900 |
Number of SIM cards, pcs. | 1/2 | 1 | 1/2 |
Micro SD support | Yes (combined**) | Not | Not |
Data transfer | Wi-Fi, WAP, GPRS, EDGE, NFC, HSDPA, 3G, LTE | Wi-Fi (b/g/n/ac), WAP, GPRS, EDGE, NFC, HSDPA, 3G, LTE | |
aGPS/GPS/GLONASS/Beidou | Yes/Yes/Yes/Yes | Yes/Yes/Yes/Yes | Yes/Yes/Yes/Yes |
Battery, mAh | 3 600 | 2 600 | 3 000 |
Dimensions, mm | 150.9 x 72.6 x 7.7 | 142.1 x 70.1 x 7.0 | 154.0 x 76.0 x 7.0 |
Weight, g | 157 | 132 | 153 |
price, rub. | 50 000 – ? | 37 000 – 45 000 | 41 000 - 60 000 |
**The combined slot is only for the dual-sim version, otherwise the slots for the SIM card and memory card are separate.
Looking at the table, you can see that almost everything has changed. Now the sales market is divided into two segments, one of them will be supplied with devices with Snapdragon 820, the other with Exynos 8890. By the way, the latter is intended for the Russian Federation.
The manufacturer responded to user complaints and returned the memory card slot, and also removed the “compromise” version with 3 GB of RAM. The high-capacity battery looks especially attractive, which, by the way, has become even “thicker” than the one that was installed in the 5.7 "Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge plus. In addition to all this, there was an "official" moisture resistance, although the devices of the previous generation resisted splashes and dust quite well .
Of the oddities, it is worth noting the lack of a 128 GB version of the smartphone. On this, in general, everything.
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Packaging and Contents
The packaging design is slightly different in terms of color scheme, but the typography has remained almost intact.
On the reverse side, it is clearly indicated for which region the smartphone is intended.
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The design has also changed, now it is a lid that is attracted to the box with a magnet and opens to the side.
Inside we are waiting for the following package:
- Charger;
- MicroUSB cable;
- stereo headset;
- Nozzle for data transfer;
- Documentation.
Yes, yes, the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge is equipped with a MicroUSB port, and not the usual USB Type-C in 2016. On the one hand, this is good, because it does not require the replacement of all accessories, if any, and on the other hand, the new format is more convenient, more reliable and has a longer resource. So the situation is twofold.
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The charger is exactly the same as what we saw earlier. Even the charge current has not changed.And here is the same device for quickly transferring data from an old smartphone to a new one. In order to use it, you need to connect it to the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, and insert a MicroUSB cable into the “mother” port, which at the other end directly connects to the old gadget. This algorithm works with the help of proprietary software.
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The stereo headset is packed in an individual plastic box.
Its sound quality is quite decent, and the kit includes an additional pair of rubber tips.