Samsung goes all out with Galaxy S7 Edge: 5.5" curved phone with Edge superpowers and massive battery
The Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge has finally gone official!
And yes, all the leaks and rumors were true: the Galaxy S7 Edge indeed comes with a 5.5-inch Quad HD screen and a few 'edgy' tricks, Qualcomm's most powerful Snapdragon 820 system chip under the hood and a promising 12-megapixel camera. Expandable storage is back with a hybrid SIM card slot, where you can plug in a microSD card slot of up to 200GB along with your SIM card.
A massive, 3600mAh battery
Probably best of all, though, the Galaxy S7 Edge indeed has a massive, 3600mAh battery.The design of the S7 Edge has not changed much from the S6 Edge, though: the two look nearly identical, but when you look up close you will find some slight modifications that should make a difference in daily use. The phone now features slight curves towards its edges, for a more comfortable in-hand fit.
Then, there are the bonus features: IP68 water resistance is on board, meaning that the phone is water and dust resistant, so you don't need to worry if you spill some water on it.
With no further ado, here is a quick look at the most important specs of the Galaxy S7 Edge:
| Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge | |
| Platform | Android 6 Marshmallow |
| Dimensions | 150.9 x 72.6 x 7.7mm, 157g weight |
| Display | 5.5” QHD Super AMOLED (1440 x 2560) |
| SoC | Snapdragon 820 |
| RAM | 4 GB LPDDR4 |
| Cameras | 12MP rear cam with Dual Pixel, OIS, f/1.7 lens 5MP front cam, f/1.7 |
| Storage | 32 GB with microSD support |
| Battery | 3600 mAh |
| Extra features | IP68 water resistance, Wireless charging |
Camera
New camera captures 95% more light, features first Dual Pixel sensor for faster auto-focusing
Going down from a 16-megapixel sensor, this new 12MP camera has less, but larger individual pixels, and larger pixels have the advantage of better capability to collect light. Then, there is the wider, f/1.7 lens (widest ever on a phone): a wide-aperture lens allows more light in, which again is key for better images in dim conditions. The two combined together allow the new camera in the S7 Edge to capture 95% more light than the S6. Thirdly, the camera features optical image stabilziation (OIS), which helps the camera shoot faster, resulting in less blurry images.Another curious detail is the added support for Dual Pixels. A first in the smartphone world, Dual Pixel is a technology borrowed from dedicated cameras that allows for faster focusing by combining information from two pixels on the camera sensor. Samsung claims the S7 Edge is faster than other leading phones when focusing.
Interestingly, the 5-megapixel front camera also features an f/1.7 wide-aperture lens.
More 'Edgy' functionality and Always-on Display
It's nice to see Samsung add more functionality to the Edge screen: the whole Tasks edge screen is now wider and offers one-tap access to applications, functions and news. You can quickly access your contacts, take a selfie or access the calendar, for instance.
Another great trick that Samsung has pulled with the display is called: Always-on Display. What this does is show you basic information like the time, calendar or notifications, without you having to wake up the phone. And since the S7 Edge has an AMOLED display, only a few pixels light up to show this information, so the battery drain from having Always-on Display is minimal. Additionally, the feature will turn off when you put the phone in your pocket.
Snapdragon 820
30% faster CPU, 60% better graphics
The S7 Edge model sold in the United States runs on the Snapdragon 820 system chip, Qualcomm's latest and most powerful chip. The processor brings a 30% improvement in CPU performance and up to 60% boost in GPU performance.Price and release date (limited time bonus: Gear VR!)
Just as expected, the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge will go on pre-order at 8am EST on February 23rd, while the official release date is set for March 11th.
If you pre-order between February 23rd and March 18th, Samsung is also throwing in a bonus Gear VR headset ($100 value) and a 6-game bundle for VR worth $50.
The S7 Edge will be available on all major US carriers: AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint, T-Mobile and US Cellular, and it will also be sold in Samsung Experience Shops in Best Buy, Car Toys, Sam's Club, Target and Walmart.
Lastly, Samsung Experience Shops in Best Buy will have the phone for users to take a first look on February 24th, while carriers will have the phone for users to experience starting February 26th.
source: Samsung
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