At MWC, Samsung wasn’t the only company to announce its flagship smartphones for 2016 in the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge. Samsung has come out of the melee pretty well, though, and with the two new devices in question, that shouldn’t be a surprise.
More iterations rather than revolutions when compared to last year’s Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, the newer and updated models are exactly that – updated versions of two smartphones that were already pretty good for the most part and downright excellent in some specific ways, especially when compared to some of Samsung’s previous offerings. Industrial design, we’re looking at you!
So with the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge now official, how does the new hotness stack up against the device that is perhaps sat in your pocket while you read this? If you own a Samsung Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S6 Edge, what reasons should you consider to upgrade to the latest and greatest that Samsung has to offer? Should you even consider it?
The answers to those questions are not easy to come by and will always depend greatly on your own personal circumstances. All we can do is highlight the differences between the two generations of Samsung smartphones and leave you to weigh up the pros and cons, so that’s exactly what we are going to do.
Below, you will find tables comparing this year’s Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge versus last year’s Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge. There is quite a bit of detail for you to chew through, so grab a coffee and take your time. You’re going to need it.
Big new additions to the lineup for the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge that might make an upgrade worth your while include:
IP68 water and dust resistance without the need for any rubber flaps.
Expandable storage.
The Galaxy S7 Edge comes with a larger 5.5-inch screen compared to the 5.1-inch Galaxy S6 Edge.
Considerably faster CPU depending on which version is available in your territory.
Larger batteries across the board.
Always-on display for clock time and notifications.
Those are just some of the specification and feature improvements of this year’s flagship Samsung smartphones when compared to the devices they are replacing. They may not all be of great importance to everyone, but if even a couple of them catch your eye, an upgrade may be worth it.
Samsung has finally taken the wraps off the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge flagship devices that it will be hoping are capable of taking the fight to not only the likes of HTC and LG, but also Apple when the iPhone 7 is released towards the end of this year.
The new devices, which were announced at the Unpacked 2016 event in Barcelona, are both upgraded versions of last year’s Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge and still feature the premium glass and metal construction that made those devices popular amongst those looking for an Android smartphone with a little more class than most.
Unfortunately that wasn’t quite enough for Samsung to sweep the market last year, but some steps have been taken to rectify that situation this time around.
Features / Specs:
Chief amongst those steps is the inclusion of a microSD card, with the two phones able to take advantage of cards up to 200GB in size, giving those with such mobile storage needs the ability to fit more data on their smartphones than the vast majority of notebook computers. The new devices also sport IP68 certification, meaning neither water nor dust should should be a problem no matter which of the two you opt for.
Making that decision is slightly easier than last year too, because while both the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge were essentially the same device but with different screen types, the difference this time around extends to the size of that screen, with the Galaxy S7 featuring a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display and the curvier Galaxy S7 Edge packing a 5.5-inch glass panel up front. Both feature the same 2560 x 1440 resolution, and always-on display tech.
Around the back there is a “Dual-Pixel” 12-megapixel camera with F1.7 instead of 16MP with F1.9 found in last year’s Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. There’s also the usual OIS and 4K recording support along with Apple’s Live Photos-like feature called Motion Panorama and Motion Photo.On the front, there’s a 5MP with F1.7 camera for taking selfies.
As for battery, the S7 comes pack with 3000mAh battery capacity while the larger S7 Edge comes with even bigger 3,600mAh battery capacity. Like the Galaxy S6, there’s built-in support for both wireless and fast charging.
Depending on where you are located you will get one of two variants of Galaxy S7, with the US, Japan and China getting the 2.15GHz quad-core, Snapdragon 820-powered CPU. Those elsewhere will get the 2.3GHz octa-core Exynos 8890 chip. There will be 32GB and 64GB versions when it comes to storage capacity, but again you can expand this with microSD card. Both phones feature 4GB of RAM.
What appears to be missing though is the rumored Apple’s 3D Touch-like pressure sensitive display. Also, Samsung for some reason has gone with micro-USB for charging instead of USB Type-C.
Here are the full specs of both S7 and S7 Edge.
Accessories:
Samsung has also announced a ton of accessories for both S7 and S7 Edge, with Samsung Lens Cover accessory getting most of the attention. One of the more interesting first-party accessories we’ve seen in a while, the Lens Cover allows for professional level zooming capabilities on S7 and S7 Edge.
Apart from Lens Cover, Samsung also unveiled the usual LED View Cover, Clear View Cover, S View Cover, Leather Cover, Flip Wallet, Clear Cover, Keyboard Cover, Wireless Charger, Battery Pack and Backpack (battery case) accessories for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge.
Release Date:
Both the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge will be available in Black Onyx, Gold Platinum, Silver Titanium and White Pearl colors when they hit stores on March 11th with pre-orders getting underway on February 23rd. Samsung has also announced that every pre-order of S7 and S7 Edge in Asia, Europe, North America and South America will get $99-worth Gear VR headset for free.
Price:
The unlocked version of 32GB Galaxy S7 in Europe will cost Euro 699 while the 32GB Galaxy S7 Edge will set you back Euro 799.
In United States, Galaxy S7 on 24-month installment plan will cost $23.17 per month on AT&T, $27.91 per month on T-Mobile, and $27.09 per month on Sprint. The Galaxy S7 Edge on the other hand on 24-month installment plan will cost $26.50 per month on AT&T, $32.50 per month on T-Mobile, and $31.25 per month on Sprint.
The Galaxy S6 Edge was something of a gamble for Samsung, because it employed a unique and unproven design. But it paid off – speculation at the time even suggested that Samsung couldn’t fulfill demand for the new device. Now its successor, the Galaxy S7 Edge, has been unveiled. But is it a credible improvement? Find out in our Galaxy S6 Edge vs Galaxy S7 Edge comparison.
Galaxy S6 Edge vs Galaxy S7 Edge: design
The Galaxy S6 Edge was a revolutionary device. Its dual-sided display had an aesthetic purpose – some people just prefer the look of this handset over the simultaneously released Galaxy S6 – but it also offered unique functionality.
The Galaxy S7 Edge doesn’t look radically differ from the S6 Edge. Given the success of the original, Samsung likely decided to keep the S7 Edge design similar to its predecessor, only refining it slightly.
The S7 Edge looks to be bigger than S6 Edge with a 5.5-inch AMOLED display. This distinguishes it from the S6 Edge, which is 142 mm tall, 70 mm wide and has a 5.1-inch display, although it does have a larger counterpart in the form of the Galaxy S6 Edge+. The S7 Edge is noticeably bigger, which makes it better for watching videos but worse for carrying in your pocket.
Unlike the S6 Edge, the Galaxy S7 Edge is waterproof and dustproof with IP68 certification. That means it can survive 30 minutes in up to 1.5 m water. This is one of the details that was missing from the S6, despite having been present in the S5.
On the S7 Edge there is a slot for a microSD and nano SIM; the phone’s memory is expandable up to 200 GB via microSD. At the top of the phone is an infrared port which has taken on a more discreet design than on the S6 Edge.
Galaxy S6 Edge vs Galaxy S7 Edge: display
The Galaxy S7 Edge features a dual-sided display (meaning that it slopes on the right and left hand sides). The S7 Edge has not improved on the S6 Edge display, at least not from a resolution standpoint. Just as we suspected, the Galaxy S series didn’t get the 4K treatment; the S7 Edge display has the same QHD resolution as its predecessor.
The screen edge software, though, offers a more discernible difference between the handsets.
Galaxy S6 Edge vs Galaxy S7 Edge: software
The Galaxy S6 Edge arrived with its own set of software features (which you can read about in the Galaxy S6 Edge review) which were afforded by the curved display. Some argued that these were merely novelty additions, so we were not surprised that Samsung updated them for the S7 Edge (as it has done each year with the Galaxy Note’s Air Command software). Some of the less-used features have been chopped, others improved, and there are some new additions.
For example, the Galaxy S7 Edge display can make use of two side columns rather than one, meaning even more information can be displayed on the edge of the screen. What's more, the API has been made available to third-party developers to create their own unique functions for Samsung's edge panels.
TouchWiz has not changed in a significant way since the S6 Edge+ or the Note 5. The phone comes with about seven Samsung apps, five from Microsoft, plus some from Google, as well as Facebook and WhatsApp. In total, the Galaxy S7 Edge has 25 pre-installed applications. Aside from the new edge display features, the user-experience is much the same as before.
The S7 Edge is running Android Marshmallow. The S6 Edge is expected to be upgraded to Marshmallow in the first quarter of 2016.
Galaxy S6 Edge vs Galaxy S7 Edge: performance
The European version Galaxy S7 Edge we tested did not contain the Snapdragon 820, but the Exynos 8890, which has four cores with a maximum speed of 2.4 GHz and four with 1.6 GHz. According to Samsung, the CPU and GPU are 30 percent more powerful than the ones in the S6, which gives an idea of the power that this phone can produce.
Galaxy S6 Edge vs Galaxy S7 Edge: camera
The S6 Edge camera technology is the same used on the Galaxy S6 and it is impressive. The S7 camera has a lower resolution but its low light capabilities, dynamic range and color representation represent an overall improvement.
Dual pixel technology means that for every pixel, there are two light-sensitive photodiodes working together. This results in 24 million photodiodes working simultaneously. The focus speed is four times faster in low-light conditions than on the S6.
It seems that Samsung aimed for something more like Apple’s camera tech, which traditionally favors balance and contrast above high resolution. And this time it doesn't stick out of the back of the handset like a goth at a pep rally.
Galaxy S6 Edge vs Galaxy S7 Edge: battery
Battery life was generally pretty good on the S6 Edge and it should be even better on the S7 Edge. The S7 Edge is able to take advantage of the battery saving features that Android Marshmallow offers, which gives it an advantage over the S6 Edge until the latter phone gets updated.
The Galaxy S7 Edge battery has a decent capacity of 3,600 mAh, which is 600 mAh larger than the S6 Edge+ battery, despite the S7 Edge being a smaller phone.
Galaxy S6 Edge vs Galaxy S7 Edge: price and conclusion
The price of the S7 Edge is still unknown but if we could speculate it will probably be more expensive than the S6 Edge. Though its possible the S7 Edge could be around US$799, we are yet uncertain of what the price will be. The device is expected to go on sale around mid-march, although that has not been confirmed yet as well.
The differences between these phones lie in the software. The Galaxy S6 Edge was interesting, but it could be argued that it lacked a killer feature to really sell the benefit of the curved display. Features such as Edge Lighting were ultimately nonessential and provided only minor aesthetic value.
The S7 Edge already has made some improvements since the Galaxy S6 Edge, such as the inclusion of MicroSD card support and water-resistance, but until we learn more about the Galaxy S7 Edge's software features, we don't know how big a leap it has taken.
Read more about the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge at the link and let us know in the comments why you are or aren't interested in getting the Galaxy S7 Edge when it's released.
LG has officially announced the new G5 smartphone at an event that took place at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
The new smartphone, which aims to take attention away from Samsung’s Galaxy S7, features all the bells and whistles that you might expect from a modern, flagship Android device as well as one very particular game-changing addition that you might not.
Features & Specs:
Getting to the most interesting of the features first, LG’s G5 is basically a modular smartphone featuring a slide-out expansion slot that makes it possible to attach all kinds of things to the device, with LG calling these additional pieces of hardware ‘LG Friends.’ Awful name aside, these things range from B&O module for adding Hi-Fi music, a camera module for adding DSLR-like capabilities to the phone, swappable batteries, shooting 360-degree videos, VR, to accessories carrying the Parrot name – that’s right, the people behind the super popular drones.
Right now there are a handful of LG Friends that have been shown off, but LG promises that more are on the way.
Juno Cho, CEO of LG, took to the stage to announce just why LG Friends exist in the first place.
Today’s consumers are just looking elsewhere – such as at action cameras or drones… But here at LG we believe phones are way too powerful to just take pictures and post them on social media.
The arguably more mundane details that you will need to know about the LG G5 are that it features Snapdragon 820 CPU with Adreno 530 GPU, a 5.3-inch screen with a 2560×1440 resolution, 4GB RAM, and comes with 32GB of internal storage which can be increased thanks to the built-in microSD card slot. Charging the 2,800mAh battery is taken care of by a USB Type-C connector, and battery use has been thought of on the software-side too. The LG G5 features an always-on display for clock and notification system that uses almost no battery life, similar to those offered by other manufactures such as Motorola. Apart from all this, there’s an onboard 16MP wide-angle rear shooter while on the front we have 8MP sensor for selfies.
Release Date:
The LG G5 and its LG Friends will be available in a range of colors (Silver, Titan, Gold, Pink) globally at some point in April this year, we’re told.
Price:
LG hasn’t announced any pricing for G5 yet but we expect it to be same as G4, coming in at $599 for the entry level unlocked model.
We’ll update you guys on the price and release date info as soon as we hear more from LG on this. Stay tuned.
Microsoft has officially released its first major Xbox One software update of 2016. The software giant clearly doesn’t want to find itself in a position where it looks to be outshone yet again by rival Sony and its PlayStation 4 after the Japanese giant announced the introduction of a notable PS4 firmware beta test recently.
Microsoft’s update to the firmware will not only see some fairly big improvements introduced, but will also bring back a number of popular features that had previously been removed.
The new update introduces some changes that allow users to instantly see who is in a Party before joining. A simple tap on a friend via the friend tab of a Party will expand some additional granularity to show exactly who that friend is playing and interacting with, Additional information such as all of the gamertag of each individual will also be displayed.
Gamers can also see where they stand on a particular leaderboard in comparison to friends by comparing a total Gamerscore. There’s also the ability to drill down for additional granularity to see the information for all of their friends.
Microsoft has also reinstated an importance around community and being able to socially engage more efficiency across the Xbox One platform. Friend suggestions have been greatly improved by introducing a lot more information for the gamer to see prior to adding as a friend. One of the most important features, well, arguably anyway, is the introduced ability to modify Pins on the home screen in order to rearrange them and make some content accessible from an offline state. This should hopefully solve the problem that a lot of users were facing with an overly cluttered dashboard.
Microsoft’s push isn’t all about overly game changing improvements either. The whole platform is littered with smaller tweaks and improvement throughout. There are changes to how trending titles and events are displayed, and there’s also clearer Xbox News updates available through the console.
Microsoft has shown willing in the past to bring smaller, incremental updates on an almost monthly basis. However, this one is extremely important as it’s probably the most significant update since the NXOE update released in November 2015.
For a full list of changes in February 2016 update, check out the official changelog below:
To download the update, head to Settings > System > Console info &updates on your Xbox One console right now to grab the update.
Apple today has released a new version of iOS 9.2.1 with build 13D20 compared to the original build 13D15 which was initially released as final public build of iOS 9.2.1 when it launched last month.
This version of iOS 9.2.1 is released specifically for the newer Touch ID-enabled iPhone and iPad models, which includes the iPhone 6/6 Plus, iPhone 6s/6s Plus, iPad Pro, iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 4 & 3, to fix “Error 53” which bricks devices when a third-party Touch ID repair is performed on one of these devices.
Alongside releasing this patched version of iOS 9.2.1, Apple has also posted a dedicated support page on its website with details on error 53 and how to go about fixing the problem.
Make sure that you have the latest version of iTunes.
Force restart your device.
Try to restore your device again.
If you still see error 53 when you try to restore your device, contact Apple Support.
It is important to note that Apple is not issuing this newer build as an OTA or iTunes update for all devices. Only those Touch ID devices affected by error 53 are required to download and install the newer 13D20 build of iOS 9.2.1 as a fresh manual restore from iTunes. The rest of you don’t need to do anything and should stay on iOS 9.2.1 build 13D15.
What caused this issue in the first place, is that Apple being extremely cautious with the privacy of its customers, has some checks in place when booting up newer Touch ID-enabled iPhones and iPads. Put simply, Apple uses a coprocessor which houses the Touch ID keys and are totally independent of the rest of the device. When booting up an iOS device, iOS 9 runs a couple of checks to make sure that the integrity of the Touch ID and Secure Enclave is intact, which definitely isn’t after a repair work is performed on Touch ID from an unauthorized shop. Before today, when iOS was updated on a device which has had a third-party repair done on its Touch ID button, it resulted in device throwing error 53 and deliberately getting bricked to protect user’s fingerprint data. Updating such a device to iOS 9.2.1 build 13D20 will now bring the device back to life and in working condition, but will still have its Touch ID button disabled to protect fingerprint information unless and until it goes in for service either at Apple or one of its authorized repair centers.
You can download iOS 9.2.1 build 13D20 from the links below:
Sometimes we come across an idea that is so simple that it’s nothing short of genius. We’re going to put the Tethercell AA Smart Battery Adapter very much squarely into that category, and we’re absolutely certain that you will agree.
When it comes to controlling devices within the home from an iOS device, HomeKit is where it’s at. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, HomeKit devices and accessories haven’t yet taken off in the way that many of us expected given the way Apple originally seemed to be very excited about it, and that shows no sign of changing any time soon. Thankfully, some companies are working to create hardware to fill in the gaps, with the Tethercell AA Smart Battery Adapter a prime example.
What the device does is allow users to turn any AA battery-powered device on and off from an iPhone or iPad that’s within Bluetooth range. The way it does that is clever indeed, with the adapter replacing one of the batteries in the device that is to be controlled, with a smaller AAA battery then sitting inside it. When the command to turn a device off is given, the Tethercell adapter cuts the power and the device shuts down. Want to turn it back on? No problem, the adapter allows the juice to flow once more.
As far as downsides go, the only one that we can see is that the Tethercell AA Smart Battery Adapter doesn’t support WiFi so users need to be within Bluetooth range for it to work, which the manufacturer says will amount to around 60 feet. Anyone with an iPhone 4s or newer are good to go, and anyone wanting to give this a try can pick a pack of two adapters up for just $19.99 right now. A bargain, of that there is no doubt. The original price of the pair is marked at $39.99.
There’s no mention of how long Tethercell’s offering is going to remain discounted, so if you think you’d find use for such a thing, now’s the time to get it.
Internet rights advocacy group Fight for the Future has taken to the streets to protest against the FBI’s demand that Apple provide a tool to allow it to access data on a locked iPhone, with Apple’s San Francisco store being the focus of that protest.
FFTF co-founder Holmes Wilson helped to organize the protest at which people held aloft iPhones with Electronic Frontier Foundation stickers on that read “I do not consent to the search of this device.” Unfortunately, it’s going to take more than a sticker to stop the FBI.
Thankfully, Apple is refusing to help out with a ruling that ordered it to assist the FBI in its quest to gather intelligence from an iPhone 5c belonging to one of the San Bernardino shooters. Apple CEO Tim Cook penned an open letter explaining why he and his company would not be complying, stating that to do so would set a precedent for backdoor access to future devices – something that Apple does not want to do, and it seems a vast majority of thought leaders from the world of tech, including Google CEO Sundar Pichai, are siding with Apple’s decision.
The FFTF’s Holmes Wilson was quick to point out that while the FBI is indeed trying to gather information from the aforementioned iPhone 5c, this is likely the thin edge of the wedge, with the agency using a high profile terror case as a means to bend Apple to its will.
Wilson said it’s possible that the FBI is leveraging the high-profile terrorist case to push its own agenda forward. The law enforcement body, as well as other U.S. government agencies, have for months argued in favor of prioritized access to encrypted consumer data, and a federal court blessing to procure a first-party workaround is a major step towards that goal.
With that in mind, the most important thing to remember about Tim Cook’s open letter is one small, simple quote that puts all of this into perspective while perhaps showing why the next steps in this saga are so important. That quote?
They have asked us to build a backdoor to the iPhone.
That, simply, cannot happen, no matter what Donald Trump might say!
Galaxy S7 Vs Galaxy S6
Galaxy S7 Edge Vs Galaxy S6 Edge
