Samsung today unveiled its smartphone flagships, the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge. Two devices that are coming excellent, but they only improve in small steps S6 and S6 Edge, to the point that we say that Samsung could have called the S6 Plus or Mk.II S6
The Galaxy S7 Edge and Galaxy Edge S7
To say that we were surprised by discovering the Galaxy S7 would be lying, since they were revealed by numerous leaks before the conference today. However, leaks do not allow to realize the details – or it is precisely in the details is the interests of Generation 7.
Of curved glass, and waterproof: Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge
The design, for example, looks identical to S6. It is not. Samsung is proud of the hot melt process that allows it to assemble the glass curve of the face of the edge or back S7 S7 to their metal frame. This new process actually reduces significantly the thickness of the junction between the materials, making the two smartphones much more pleasant to the touch.
Similarly, in this shell combining metal and glass, Samsung has added a series of joints. Invisible at first glance, they are essential, because thanks to them, the S7 are waterproof! They not only withstand the splashing water, as some competitors; no, they are actually waterproof and can be submerged in more than a meter of water (class IP68 ). This sealing is achieved without the use of plastic doors unsightly as the S5: everything is made in-house. Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge
The return of the microSD reader
The presence of a microSD memory card for the port is a third example of invisible detail that has a big influence. The disappearance of removable storage on the S6 had much gnashing of teeth and probably cost a lot of customers to Samsung. These disappointed fans will be able to return to the S7: the drawer of the SIM card also hosts a micro SD card!
Samsung has also thought of those who want a removable battery. Batteries for S7 and S7 Edge are always fixed, but they make a nice jump in capacity: 2600 mAh on the S6 to 3000 mAh on the S7 , and 3000 mAh on the Edge S6 + to 3600 mAh on the S7 Edge .
Chapter screen as one can find small discrete changes. S7 retain slabs SuperAMOLED , flat and 5.1 inches on the S7 , curve and 5.3 inches on the S7 Edge . But addressing them has been modified to create a “fashion Always On “: an upper portion of the screen is always on (even when the phone is in standby). We can see it now, the date, the number of calls or messages missed, etc.
The GPU is 63.9% stronger than the S6.The GPU is 63.9% stronger than the S6. Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge
Samsung signed ARM Cores
Fortunately these small alterations and improvements are not the only new S7. Inside, the Samsung has endowed a much faster heart. The Exynos 8890 replaces the 7420 It has 4 little hearts ARM Cortex A53 1.6 GHz and 4 big hearts Samsung M1 to 2.6 GHz. The CPU processing speed is improved by 30.4% according to Samsung. L ‘ 8890 Exynos also integrates a GPU ARM Mali T880 , which announced 63.9% more powerful than the Mali T760 Galaxy S6. The S6 long remained the fastest smartphone (Android), the S7 is poised to succeed him. Note that in the USA, the Galaxy S7 will feature a Snapdragon 820 from Qualcomm, but these versions were not on display at MWC.
And the CPU is 30.4% faster.And the CPU is 30.4% faster. Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge
During our brief hands, we could start Antutu 6.0.4 which finished on a first score of about 128000 , placing the S7 where it should be: at the top of the rankings. By performing a second just after the first test we obtained only 120,000, raising fears a fairly rapid heating and controlled by the voluntary slowing SoC. We will need of course expect comprehensive testing on serial copies to rule on this point.
Samsung has yet taken the trouble to specify in his presentation that the S7 were equipped with heat pipes to help distribute and dissipate the heat generated by the SoC.
Camera Sensor: focus light: Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge
Finish with the last big change brought by S7 and S7 Edge: the camera module. The focus remains similar, but the goal has a larger opening than f / 1.7. Behind, the sensor is brand new. The resolution is down to 12 Mpix , but the pixel size is beautiful up: they measure 1.4 microns aside, and occupy 30% more surface than the iPhone 6/6 Plus. Samsung promises so that its smartphones are better in low light images. This sensor 12 Mpix has another advantage: they are all involved in the development, phase detection (PDAF). This is, to our knowledge, the first sensor PDAF with 100% of its surface in smartphones. By comparison, only 0.78% of the surface of the sensor S6 was used to PDAF.
The launch is scheduled for March 11, but pre-orders are possible today. Each pre-order will be delivered with a virtual reality helmet Gear VR, free. No price is official yet, but rumors speak of an entrance fee 700 euros.