Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Review

With two-thirds (66%) of the American population now owning smartphones¹, it is more important now than ever to know what kind of phone you are buying.

The days of “just-call-and-text” phones are over

This is more notably true with the release of Samsung’s Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge. With 12 processing cores, 4GB RAM, and enough battery power to fuel your car, this is the fastest phone, ever! This review will give you a comprehensive look at the S7 with clarity so you can make the right choice.

First Impressions

Out of the box…

Out of the box the Galaxy S7 comes with the usual items;

• Fast-charge AC adapter
• Samsung earphones
• Micro-USB-to-USB adapter (The item is important for data migration from an older device to the Galaxy S7 (USB-OTG capable))
• Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge

The Galaxy S7 is designed for two things; form and function. The phone makes a phenomenal first impression; elegant, beautiful, and sleek. The phone is made out of aluminum and glass, and the screen measures a whopping 5.5 inches. It can come in three colors; gold, silver, and black. All are subdued and add to its mystique.

When it comes to function Samsung slightly curved the edges making it easier to pick up from a flat surface. It also has an IP68 rating which mean the phone is water resistant up to 1.5 meters (about 5 feet) for a time of 30 minutes.

[Fun Fact: If the Galaxy S7 goes for a swim and the charging pins aren’t dry, you will get notified and the charging circuits will be shut off to prevent damage]

Build

Layout…

The layout of the Galaxy S7 is almost identical to the S6 and S6 Edge.

The top of the display includes:

• The earpiece
• Notification LED
• Ambient light and proximity sensors
• 5-Megapixel camera

The back of the phone includes:

• 12-megapixel camera
• LED flash
• Heart-rate sensor

The bottom of the display includes:

• Physical home button
• Fingerprint reader (incorporated into the home button)
• Capacitive Back and Multi-tasking keys

The top of the device includes:

• SIM tray
• Noise-cancellation microphone

The bottom of the device includes:

• Multi-purpose microUSB port
• Main microphone
• Speaker grill
• 3.5mm audio jack

The right side of the device houses:

• The power button

The left side of the device houses:

• Volume keys

Some Commentary

The Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are simple yet meet the needs of the casual user and the high intensity user. The buttons provide a satisfying click and the ergonomic design allows for a comfortable fit. The layout is simple and will, no doubt, provide a relaxing user experience.

The multi-purpose microUSB port is a peculiar choice, mostly because the platform has come and gone quickly. At any rate, this phone will not render your older cords useless, which is an added plus.

The way the phone is designed allows for use of the dual-SIM capabilities or you can use one SIM card and one micro-SD card. You cannot have both dual-SIM and expandable storage at the same time. However, you can have up to 200G of storage with the expandable storage.

The phone is wrapped in Gorilla Glass 4 and while it is strong it is not unbreakable. Since the phone is dependent on the glass it is strongly recommended for the user to invest in a decent bumper case. You will definitely want to keep the phone from breaking and preventing it from being covered in unwanted fingerprints.

Distinct Features

Display

If there is one thing more faithful than the sunrise, it is Samsung’s display quality. This phone uses SuperAMOLED displays, which provide the user with incredible realistic clarity. The 5.5-inch screen boasts a 1,440 x 2,560 QHD resolution that is far and above its competitors.

The display also features an Always-On mode. This feature is automatic when the screen shuts off and includes; day, time, battery level, and notifications. While it drains the battery, this novelty is enjoyable, but can be turned off in the settings menu.

Split-Screen Multitasking

Samsung clearly had a moment of insight when choosing this feature. Under the Split-Screen mode, you can run two different apps at the same time. Giving the user a sense of “app-ception”, an app within an app.

The size of the apps running are customizable, giving you ultimate freedom. However, this feature is not supported with all apps, which can cause an annoyance. At any rate, this feature is well worth it.

Game Launcher

This feature is debuting with the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge. It automatically collects all your downloaded games into one location. However, there are more layers to this feature. This app comes with power saving modes, which allow you to maximize your battery life and app usage time.

Camera

The Samsung S7 and S7 Edge pack a 12-megapixel main camera with an aspect ratio of 4:3. By making this change from previous models Samsung increased the pixel size and provided the brightest aperture on any camera on the market. With the added Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) the Samsung S7 and S7 Edge are a clear competitor against other similar phones

Edge

Edge Panels are the real revolution when it comes to the S7 Edge. They are numerous and allow for more to be downloaded from the Samsung Store. They come in handy during every day activities or when needed on the fly (i.e. driving).

Pros-Cons

Overall, the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are obvious victors and great choices when it comes to buying a reliable smartphone. Just in case you skipped all of the above material here is a little cheat sheet for your reference!

Pros	Cons
Elegant and premium build	Fragile – Wrapped in Gorilla Glass 4
5.5 inch display	micro-USB instead of USB-C
12 processors	Prone to fingerprints
Best camera on the market	Expensive compared to other phones
Water resistant up to 5 feet for 30 minutes
4 K video recording
200GB expandable storage
Dual-SIM Connectivity
Wireless charging
Great battery – 3,600 mAh
Charges in 90 minutes