Review flagship Samsung Galaxy S7 / Galaxy S7 EDGE (SM-G930 / G935)
In 2015, happened inside Samsung reshuffle which affected the positioning devices, schedule their release and that the company makes. In particular, for the champions went to the experiment, when the abandoned Memory Card (Apple has not, and no one complains!) Made monolithic body, and it scared off many consumers. What appeared on the market two models – the S6 and S6 EDGE, in the same size housing, but with one side edge and the other without, confuse the situation even more.
The first sale showed that fashion EDGE enjoys overwhelming demand, while simple S6 is not as popular. The difference in demand affected than total sales, namely their allocation in the pair S6 / S6 EDGE. The deficit on EDGE was noticeable during the first three months, the company did not have time to produce a template for them and was forced to run the additional production.
In the fall, Samsung has another couple of champions – Note 5 / S6 EDGE Plus. If Samsung is traditionally considered the flagship of the line Note, that in 2015, departed from this rule and do fashion phone mostly, it promoted in all markets, while Note 5 was released originally in small editions in Asia, South Korea and the United States. Then it has started to sell everywhere, but it has brought confusion in the perception of what is considered the flagship of this, how do they differ and what to look for.
In 2016, EDGE Plus actually goes together with the Galaxy S7, the same apparatus, but with larger diagonal. From the smallest EDGE refused because they do not see it as much sense, the choice is now between a regular Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 EDGE. As for me, this approach seems more logical than the two equal-sized apparatus.
I am often asked what happens to the line Note. Rumor has it that it was abandoned and it will be no more. I repeat the words of Mark Twain, paraphrasing them, rumors of the death of Note exaggerated. Moreover, this apparatus, namely, Note 6, once again becoming a leader in every sense of the word, and will be a key new product autumn 2016. It implemented a number of innovations that have not got the Galaxy S7, and it is the most powerful machine possible at the time, and the next year at least. That is, the good old ruler Note returns to us.
A Galaxy S7 / Galaxy S7 EDGE models are designed to be key next six months and one of the flagships of the most interesting, in which there are no compromises.
Design, body materials Galaxy S7
I’m used to the eternal moan dissatisfied for any reason, and without them. For example, when the output of any flagship is always a handful of those who do not like the design, housing materials and so on. As a rule, they do not belong to the category of potential buyers, but just like to communicate on the network. Perhaps the exception is products from Sony and HTC, which from year to year almost unchanged externally, which creates criticism. For Samsung in 2015 redesign of the flagship became successful, and now they are all built on a metal frame, have the rear surface of Corning Gorilla Glass 4. Glass in 2016 nothing changed, except that the glass on the front and back panel becomes 2.5D ( this fashion, and only now do all of those pieces of glass with rounded). In the Samsung, to position themselves differently from competitors, called 3D glass, for that they have grounds for such bends Gorilla Glass 4 no one is using in their products.
As you can see, these seemingly smart phones are the same flagships of 2015, the difference will be difficult to see. Moreover, the same series of A-2016 were as similar to these devices, the colors will differ only due to stress them try to older models. But it is difficult to distinguish between life color saturation, body, notice how it is man who uses the machine. A good design that is propagated in ten models quickly become boring. And perhaps this is the moment to stop many people feel that it would be difficult to stand out by using such a device. As I see the situation, the Samsung went on a two-year design cycle, like Apple, but decided to play in opposition, that is to change the shape of the tubes are not in the same year, and Apple. This year, the iPhone 7 will receive a different appearance, but the Galaxy S7 will resemble its predecessor.
Now a few words about dreams about the collapsible housing. Its in this model is not and never will be, the construction itself is not intended to replace the battery yourself. But it can be done in any service center. The second point – it is protection from water. Just as in the Galaxy S5, it returns to Samsung devices, and all flagships. Protection standard – IP68, phones can drown, and nothing from them will not. There impregnation of components on the board with a special solution, water repellent (like its use in Motorola phones), but also the design does not allow water to get inside, to the speaker and microphone special membrane.
The body slightly increased in size, it is a consequence of a larger battery in the Galaxy S7, and the other frame structure, it is made of durable to withstand severe fall apparatus (a composite of aluminum alloy 6013). I have a Galaxy last generation does not have any complaints about the resistance to the falls. Immediately completely recalculated location of the components and parts of the phone to provide even greater survival and safety glasses that cover the screen and the back surface. Miracles do not happen, and you can break any device, but Galaxy / Note line users know that they have a very reliable machines that are difficult to break. Suffice it to recall how easily beating screens on the iPhone and how much it costs to replace them on the 6 / 6s.
Due to the fact that now and back cover of the phone has a bevel, hold in their hands like the Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 EDGE and much nicer, no crashing parts, nothing even remotely disturbing. Excellent device for tactile sensations. The glass gets dirty, this should be accepted, another thing is that fingerprints are not so visible and easily erased.
Type of memory, memory, memory card Galaxy S7
When the Samsung started out the production of its flagship memory cards, the company argued that the amount of memory in 32, 64 and 128 GB will be enough in theory to anyone. In practice, the company has got confused in logistics, and first appeared on a 32 GB device, then to 64 GB, but the model 128 GB has been difficult to find, but they have made, and a bit. This fundamental difference from Apple, where you can buy a machine with any amount of memory, and they are always available. Therefore, an experiment in Samsung considered unsuccessful, and the groan of consumers was so loud that all the top managers of Samsung felt it.
Apparently, to please the people, we must first do something to take away from them. This happened with the memory cards, they were removed in 2015 and realized what a mistake in 2016. Now the memory card back into all flagships, you can use them almost any size. Map 200 GB is recognized and works. Later, support for memory cards is 2 TB may appear, this is no reason not to do not, no technical constraints.
The basic model will be those that offer 32 GB of internal memory, while the 64 GB devices become too common. I think that there’s anything wrong with that, and people will choose such solutions.
RAM of the type has not changed, it’s chips built on the first time we saw them a year ago, 20-nm technology. Peak data rate – 3.2 GB / c, which can be considered a top speed of mobile devices in the next year, or even a half. RAM up to 4 GB.
A year ago, the refusal of the card explained including the fact that the memory card may not work properly with fast RAM, prevent crashes with an array of recording information, then in 2016 it decided to artful way. The system always reserves a certain amount of memory for operations, and the buffer is used when recording video, photography and other operations. Which somewhat reduces the amount of memory available to you initially. But the changes are not critical and depend on what you use, and how the system evaluates your needs (this is not a static allocation, it is based on what you do with the phone).
memory manager, which appeared in the previous generation and caused complaints of many users that it is unloaded from memory applications, have stayed here. But added mode of operation, in which the last application kept in RAM, unload them only when necessary. That is, we got kind of mixed mode: until the memory is not required, it hangs the application, but as soon as it is needed, they go into the buffer.
But because of the speed of the processor while downloading applications from the cache was reduced at least twice, it seems that they hang in the memory. Visually, and feels it is a big increase in speed in this aspect.
Chipset and performance Galaxy S7
In 2015, Samsung refused to use Qualcomm in its flagship processors very hot and had a lot of flaws. In particular, it was the Snapdragon 810, which Qualcomm could modify only one year after the first samples. This processor and Samsung waived brought down shares of Qualcomm and even caused a wave of layoffs and reorganization of the chipset manufacturer.
By 2015, the stereotype saying that the Exynos-options flagships noticeably worse than analogues at Qualcomm. Often, it was not so, they were equivalent in terms of the average consumer. At Qualcomm is traditionally stronger than in their own solutions from Samsung, we are LTE-modems. In 2016, the difference is leveled even more as modems Exynos also received an upgrade, and began to work better. Whether they are inferior to Qualcomm? I think yes. Have you noticed the difference in real life? I think no.
The vast majority of countries will receive the flagship of Samsung Exynos version rather than Qualcomm 820. Operators who want to, for whatever reason, get on Qualcomm’s version, do it consciously. Of the minuses I note Qualcomm version is less than about 10 percent of the time in different modes that looks like a huge difference for the same performance. It is also less integrated chipset from Qualcomm with BRITECELL camera from Samsung can affect the speed of autofocus (but you do, most likely will not notice). Advantageously, the flagship version will be the one that uses the Exynos 8890 inside.
Depending on the operator and / or the chipset used will be different letter in the marking models, the standard name – SM-G930 / G935. Let’s dwell a little on this processor. It is made on the process technology of 14 nm FinFET, it has eight cores, as well as new graphics coprocessor MALI T880 MP12. In the graphics area alleged that the processor is 80 percent faster than MALI-T760, and energy efficiency above 40 percent at full load. Drawing has always been weak Exynos place in comparison with the Snapdragon, but now it is possible that the gap is reduced.
One of the interesting features of the chipset note support LTE cat.12 / 13, which provides data download speeds of up to 600 Mbit / c (film size of 1 GB can be downloaded in one minute, if your operator supports these categories). See infographic devoted to this processor.
In synthetic benchmarks with the Exynos version shows better performance.
In tests it wins Galaxy S7 EDGE, the fastest machine at the moment (my phone on Exynos). Look at test results.
And this is proved itself in the Galaxy S7 tests, the results of much smaller, since more aggressively reduces the frequency at peak loads.
I want to underline that the new processor is very fast. In every way it is one of the best processors on the market, and while it has good energy efficiency, reduced energy consumption, which, combined with other technical solutions make these models very interesting.
Display Galaxy S7
Regular Galaxy S7 has exactly the same specifications on the screen, as in the previous generation, – QHD-resolution at a diagonal 5.1 inches, increased brightness and contrast (although much more?), Type of screen – SuperAMOLED. Nothing better to just not on the market, and the fact that all the companies are trying to move to AMOLED and ready to buy the Samsung legacy for generations to screen only shows how good the technology is. The same Apple is preparing to apply to the AMOLED iPhone, because personally convinced of its benefits. But users champions and not only the flagship Samsung get this technology for years now and enjoy it in full.
The screen has Always On mode when the time is constantly displayed as an option, the picture or the calendar, and you can select the topics in which these images will be different.
In Galaxy S7 EDGE screen size of 5.5 inches, for curved faces we have added new applications and operating modes. About them in detail in the text about the software features of these devices.
Camera – Front and the main Galaxy S7
The front camera has a resolution of 5 megapixels, slightly increased sensitivity to light. As the flash can be a screen itself. It is possible to improve the complexion, clean up artifacts on the skin, and at the same time to correct the geometry of the face. Uluchshalki face exactly like the girls.
But here there is no intrigue, everything is clear and familiar. The intrigue is what happened to the main camera, because its solution S6 was 16 megapixels, and in the Galaxy S7 camera suddenly became a 12-megapixel.
In Galaxy S7, first used self-developed module BRITECELL (at Sony received a license for its release, it has already said that it is an interesting story). Physically, the matrix has a resolution of 24 megapixels, but the output image is formed as half that of neighboring points combine to enhance the sharpness of the image. Something similar happened on Symbian from Nokia, when the company presented its photo oriented flagship model.
In this technology, there is still another aspect, there is usually a green color filter, it reduces the sensitivity matrix. In BRITECELL of this filter is refused, which, coupled with the f / 1.7 leads to increased sensitivity camera, look at the picture of the presentation.
This is the first device with virtually instant autofocus (camera start takes more time – 0.5 seconds than the AF operation).
HDR technology has received the update, it has become possible due to a faster processor.
But perhaps the most important – is the increased clarity and brightness of the image (although I must confess, I do not know much better, the current flagship shoot very well). Here increased shooting opportunities in the evening and in the dark. There are new scenes and subjects, the camera settings. This will need to be discussed separately and in detail, to turn the camera in practice. While careful to say this: the difference between shooting as EDGE Plus and Galaxy S7 noticeable, but not on the phone screen. The Samsung have improved the camera, although it seems that this is not possible.
Unfortunately, I have not had a good opportunity to take pictures of the camera, however, with some shots compared to EDGE + you can see.
For example, there was a regime of “Food”, is a kind of filter that blurs the background, note that the left picture without the filter, to the right – with him.
To record a video appeared slow-motion mode and giperlaps of them want to talk alone, playing with these features in Barcelona.
Battery Galaxy S7
Slightly increase the size of linked including the battery capacity in the small machine he 3000 mAh, a large – 3600 mAh. the device operating time – it is always a combination of factors, in particular the stability and optimization software, quality of components, display power consumption. Consider the work in isolation from these parameters is difficult, and sometimes impossible.
A typical scenario involves the use of a modern smartphone work in the background of different programs, not only viewing pages, but to connect a wireless headset and so on. Everyone has a use case, for example, I use the phone to its fullest – take pictures, listen to podcasts on your wireless headset, watching social networking, movies, pages on the web, get the mail every fifteen minutes from different boxes. I have EDGE Plus lives with three or three and a half hours of screen work in the morning until late at night with lighted about 70 percent. And it’s a good indicator. Many operating time of the device – an average of two days. Some manage to make it work up to three days, and say that they have enough of it for active use. Here it should be noted that the word “active” for all of their own, everyone puts their world into it.
On average, two days work with confidence (3.5-4 hours at 60% of the screen), the data transmission in 4G without limitations (4 GB is loaded). As for me, so great results, progress compared to the previous year is available, and the Chinese are far behind even when the battery put in twice the capacity. Video playback time at maximum brightness – from 13 to 14 hours on average (the radio is not turned off).
The phone has two built-in wireless standard of chargers, you can use any. There is support for fast wireless charging. There is also a fast wired charging – for a hundred minutes you charge the unit by 100 percent (in the Galaxy S7 EDGE little longer, about 120 minutes). To obtain a half charge, less than half an hour is sufficient. Many of the flagships of other companies can only dream of such a fast-charging technology that saves, even if from the night you forget to charge the device, in the morning it will be enough a few minutes.
The most important improvement of the current champions, and all models in 2016 from Samsung, is increased during operation. Here it has done huge work, and this should be noted. On average, they will work in the 1.5-2 times longer than previous devices of the same segment. The reason – the increase in battery capacity, but also the optimization of software and hardware.
A few words about the connector microUSB, which is a progressive part of mankind already decided to send to the scrap and waits USB Type C. Personally, I’m worn out pull a second cable, constantly forgetting, and so some phones I have charged only at home, where there is such cables. Value Type C is highly overrated, this connector is needed a small audience, those who consider themselves to technology enthusiasts. Therefore, in its bulk product not used. The gradual transition to it will start in the autumn of 2016, and that this question is not settled until the end. Now Samsung felt that the compatibility of accessories is more important than support the fashion trend.
Speaking about the AMOLED, Exynos and time. The Meizu Pro 5 using such a combination of components from Samsung, to bring in his flagship, the maximum operating time. Other companies are starting to learn from Samsung, it is becoming a trend.
Software – Android 6, TouchWiz and other things
Inside Android 6.0.1, the same software will receive the current flagship model and the two-year, at the same time or a little later than that will be sold Galaxy S7 / Galaxy S7 EDGE. As before, this phone has the TouchWiz, but heavily reworked for Android style, and now the whole system is perceived as very air and light, all together looks natural. The speed of the UI is excellent, he is flying, no brakes is not there. Again, it all depends on personal perception, someone sees the brakes on what other people think instantly.
In software a lot of chips, they will be necessary to tell apart, I did read the full review and see a video about this software.
Price, sales start date Galaxy S7
Every year I have to write the same thing, time and cost for the new flagship will be different not all exactly the same. The average price of S5 and S6 year later in Europe at the start of sales was about 650 Euros (in Russia – about 600 euros based), in the US – about 650-700 dollars. Galaxy S7 cost will be exactly at the same level. The question of the Russian cost is still open, as predicted in the framework of the crisis, how to change the situation and the course is not possible. But at the moment the intended and expected price – 49 990 rubles (if the MTS will continue his crusade and the rejection of its margin). For comparison, the cost of the iPhone 6s 16 GB in the official shop – from 56 990 rubles.
Home sales also has not changed, it’s April in the first country, in Russia – the end of April and beginning of May, that is a repetition of the situation with the Galaxy S6.
Galaxy S7 EDGE cost will be higher, in Russia, this unit can cost about 60 thousand rubles, a lot depends on the amount of pre-orders and the perception of the market model. These figures are approximate and unofficial, they can be corrected in the fall of the ruble and are designed for current price levels on the first of February. Come out of these phones right now, and they were such a price was in Russia. It should be noted that the Russian price would be at a minimum this approach for all countries of the world.
Optional accessories Galaxy S7
For these models will be available for new wireless charging, it differs from the old in that it has a slope of 50 degrees and it is possible to put the phone. Will bumpers leather (leather back), as well as the case with two interchangeable lenses.
From what I was able to try the standard note-book covers, including the LED-screen. Look at the pictures of accessories, and you can then view the video in which I explain and show how they work.
Summary new flagship Galaxy S7
Ungrateful thing – to evaluate new devices on the pictures or even photos. In the case of Galaxy S7 / Galaxy S7 EDGE is doubly ungrateful. It seems to be the same materials, the same design, but it is necessary to take the device in hand to realize the difference. And it is not in favor of the previous generation. These devices need to feel alive and see how they work, how responsive the menu, it removes the camera, and it is desirable to do so in the twilight, to understand the differences.
We are accustomed to the fact that each new generation of Samsung’s flagship offers new technology and sets the bar for performance, and what can be built into cell phones. Today it is the most functional solutions of all, but in the past year, the rejection of a memory card has upset many. Now this deficiency is corrected, and everything returned to normal. But even added a reinforced shock resistance, IP68 protection from drowning. Plus the battery is increased, and so have optimized system that works time has increased by 1.5-2 times. This together suggests that the model turned out not only successful and sverhudachnym.
New BRITECELL camera module looks promising, it is necessary to turn and look, but overall, this is a breakthrough in the direction where no one was waiting for major improvements. Now I did not expect that the difference will be visible in life. And this is a serious bid for it to maintain its advantage in this area, other vehicles are approaching at Samsung photofraction, but to catch up and could not.
From an engineering standpoint, these devices – small masterpieces, stuffed them with the latest technologies and make them work. Do not be amiss to note that other company, and Apple’s first head comes to applying these technologies only years later, they have no opportunity to do something like that. They are too far behind in development, and this is evident in almost every piece of iron. I have a very positive perception of the new flagship, and that Russia is well dispersed in the previous generation, says a lot about the changing orientations of people in crisis. The same S6 due to affordable price has become the most popular flagship, should iPhone 5s 16GB him. Selection of the three-year model for me remains a mystery, but the people see this as some kind of sense. But everything is changing, slowly and surely ordinary people realize that such quick charge in real life look like high-quality screens and why Android gives you the freedom to use. I have no doubt that the seventh generation of Galaxy will be very successful, there are all preconditions, the device turned out interesting.
