Samsung Galaxy S7 review: Specification and price
5.1in Super AMOLED display, Quad HD resolution
Octa-core Samsung Exynos 8890 processor, running at 2.3GHz and 1.6GHz
32GB storage
Android 6.01 Marshmallow
microSD slot supporting cards up to 200GB
IP68 dust- and water-resistant
microSD slot
12-megapixel rear camera with f/1.7 aperture, dual-pixel phase-detect autofocus
3,000mAh battery
Always-on screen
Curved glass at rear
Smaller camera “hump” protrudes only 0.46mm
Price: £567 inc VAT – more details can be found on our pricing page
Samsung has been at the top of the smartphone tree for some time now, but in 2015 it dropped the ball. Not in terms of the quality of its flagship phones - that remained typically brilliant - but in the way it attempted to market two top-end handsets with the same screen size at vastly different prices. This year, in 2016, with the Samsung Galaxy S7 it's changing that, with clear air between the 5.2in Samsung Galaxy S7 and its 5.5in sibling not only on price but also on screen size.
In short, Samsung - just like Apple does with the
iPhone 6s and
6s Plus - is giving its customers a clear choice. If you like your smartphones big, choose the 5.5in Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and pay a bit more; if you don't like having to stitch up holes in your pockets every few months, the smaller, slightly cheaper 5.1in Samsung Galaxy S7 I'm reviewing here is the way to go. Either way, you're getting the best smartphone on the market.
But you’re not going to do that because you’re here to find out more. You want to know exactly why it’s so fantastic. Why the design is better, the features more feature-y and the camera more capable than the compact you spent hundreds of pound on ten years ago.
So, without further ado, here’s my review of the Samsung Galaxy S7. I’ll start with a closer look at the major changes, most of which are impossible to spot from a cursory physical inspection.
The first feature of note is storage expansion. Galaxy fans were in uproar about the lack of a microSD slot in last year’s models, so Samsung has brought back the feature here. It’s the sensible thing to do, and Samsung hasn’t compromised on the design of the phone to do it either. The microSD card is neatly hidden away next to the nano-SIM card in an elongated SIM drawer on the top edge, meaning there’s no unsightly second slot to muddy the phone’s clean lines.
The dust and water resistance is another nice feature making a comeback here that doesn’t impact on the look and feel of the phone. It’s an upgrade on the IP67 protection of the Samsung Galaxy S5, too, which was the last Samsung flagship to have the feature.
Technically, this means it’s possible to completely submerge the phone in up to 1.5 metres of water for up to 30 minutes, so you could use it to take pictures of hermit crabs in rock pools – if that’s what floats your boat.
I prefer to think of it as extra peace of mind. With the Galaxy S7, you don’t have to worry about getting your phone out when it’s raining, or putting it down on a beer-soaked table in the pub. From that perspective, it’s something that’s well worth having.
