In 2016, Samsung made more of a refresh to its Galaxy S lineup than an overhaul. The fact is that consumers wouldn’t be able to see any changes from the outside. But once you dive into the details, there’s quite a bit of worthy improvements.
It’s especially evident with the S7 Edge which boasts an ultra-thin display and larger batteries. Is it now the perfect Android phone? Let’s find out in our Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review.
You may also read the Samsung Galaxy S7 review and make a comparison before investing in any of these devices.
Overview
Price: $792 on Verizon
Available: Now
Model: Galaxy S7 Edge
WHY IT’S A TOP PICK: Leading hardware components and unique curved glass design.
What We Liked:
- Bright and vibrant S-AMOLED curved display is a sight to behold
- Dual Pixel camera auto-focus is lightning fast and impressive even in low-light
- Samsung reintroduced microSD expansion and IP68 water/dust-proofing into the Galaxy S line
What We Didn’t:
- The glass construction makes the Galaxy S7 Edge one of the more fragile smartphones out there
- Samsung’s TouchWiz user interface still bogs down the software experience
Samsung–Galaxy-s7-edge-specs”>Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Specs
| Display | 5.5″ Super-AMOLED QHD (2560×1440) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 (quad-core, 2.15 GHz) |
| Memory | 4GB of RAM |
| Storage | 32GB/64GB internal and up to 200GB microSD expansion |
| Rear Camera | 12MP Dual Pixel, f/1.7 aperture, 1.4µm pixels |
| Front Camera | 5MP, f/1.7 aperture |
| Battery | 3,600 mAh (non-removeable) |
| Software | Android 6.0.1 with TouchWiz user interface |
| Colors | Black, White, Silver, Gold (depending the market) |
| Price | $792 |
| Buy Now |
Design
Samsung debuted its fancy dual-edge curved screen concept last year on the Galaxy S6 Edge, and it seems to have been a worthwhile investment, because this year we’re back with the familiar-looking S7 Edge. Design-wise, little has changed, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Samsung’s combination of glass panels and a metal frame still makes for one of the sexiest smartphones out there.
However, this time, the Edge got a sizable display increase, to 5.5″ (compared to its predecessor’s 5.1″ screen). For some reason Samsung thought this move was fitting on the S7 Edge but not on its sibling, the non-curved Galaxy S7, which still remains at 5.1″.
Read: Samsung Galaxy S7 Review
The front and back panels are still Gorilla Glass 4 protected. The Silver Titanium unit we have is new this year and has a mirror-like glow that makes it a great eye-candy.
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge” width=”1200″ height=”800″ title=”Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Review 2″/>That said, Samsung’s design still leaves fingerprints like no tomorrow. Also, you’ll have to be extra careful on the surface you set it down. Gorilla Glass 4 can be scratched, but they are still possible. The glass also makes the phone slippery in-hand (and you certainly don’t want to drop a device made from glass). The sloped edges don’t help this fact, as they decrease the grip on the sides. It is strongly recommended that you use the phone with a protective case.
Two subtle but notable design changes from last year are a curved back (on the sides, like on the Galaxy Note 5) and a more-flush camera module.
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge” width=”1200″ height=”800″ title=”Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Review 3″/>The gentle curves allow the phone to rest nicely in the hand, and the infamous camera hump is now a thing of the past. The physical buttons are the same. There are metal volume and power buttons left, as well as the button to turn off the screen. For better fingerprint recognition and easier use, the size of the home button was slightly larger. Capacitive Back and Recent App buttons continue to light up around the Home button (and stay hidden while not in use).
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge” width=”1200″ height=”800″ title=”Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Review 4″/>It is still the same phone’s bottom. There is still a bottom with mono speaker, 3.5mm headphone Jack and a mono-speaker. A notable mention is that Samsung forewent the newest USB Type-C standard for charging/data and keeps on with the tried and true microUSB port. This may not be an issue for those looking to stay ahead of the competition.
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge” width=”1200″ height=”800″ aria-describedby=”gallery-1-226081″ title=”Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Review 5″/>
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge” width=”1200″ height=”800″ aria-describedby=”gallery-1-226077″ title=”Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Review 6″/>With the exception of antenna lines and a SIM tray at its top, most other features are absent. Thankfully, Samsung listened to customers and reintroduced microSD expansion (added as a slot on the SIM tray). Not only that, but water/dust resistance is also back (debuted on the Galaxy S5 but taken away on the S6). The entire phone is sealed up tightly with an IP68 rating (can theoretically survive up to 5 feet of water for up to 30 minutes).
Performance
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge” width=”250″ height=”444″ title=”Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Review 7″/>Simply said, the Galaxy S7 Edge is a powerhouse. The quad-core Snapdragon820 is the heart of the S7 Edge. The quad-core Snapdragon 820 is combined with the Adreno 530 graphics processor and 4GB of RAM. The software responds quickly and seems eager to get more.
The app launch is fast and easy, while the user interface is incredibly smooth. It’s not 100% fluid, though. Occasionally, a hiccup/stutter shows up, but it’s very minimal. And we would attribute that to Samsung’s heavy UI rather than the chipset.
The S6 Edge had an internal storage capacity of up to 128GB last year. However, this time you’ll only see U.S. carriers carry the lower memory 32GB variant (a 64GB version of the S7 Edge exists in other markets). This is due to the fact that you can add a microSD card up to 200GB.
Display
Samsung’s Super-AMOLED displays are a sight to behold. It can be said (arguably) that these panels substantially surpass competitor’s displays, and I believe it. These panels are bright and vivid. The panel is very visible outdoors.
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge” width=”1200″ height=”800″ title=”Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Review 8″/>The curved screen on the sides amplifies the screen’s eye-candy. It’s certainly subtle, and many should question if it’s worth it (the Edge variant runs about $100 more), but it does add an extra dimension to images. This effect looks almost like content falling off the edges. It’s similar to an infinite pool.
However, this neat feature still bears the same ergonomic issue from last year. You can touch the screen with your fingertips, which is quite common when handling the phone.
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge” width=”1200″ height=”800″ title=”Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Review 9″/>The Always-On display has been added to the product line this year. Several phone manufacturers now offer this feature, so we’re glad that Samsung has joined the club. Always-On displays information on the screen while the phone is on standby (the time, date, battery level, missed calls/messages).
Camera
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge” width=”1200″ height=”800″ title=”Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Review 10″/>The S7 Edge’s camera is another standout feature. Samsung didn’t have to, but made substantial improvements (at a slight cost of megapixels, now at 12MP). The sensor is brand new, and is thinner, has larger pixels, and even faster auto-focus (AF). The lens’ aperture is larger, at f/1.7, and the pixel size is 1.4µm. Low-light performance is excellent. Additionally, Samsung introduced a focusing system dubbed Dual Pixel. In short, each of the sensor’s pixels are split in half and can assist in focusing. You can see AF happening so fast you almost cannot believe it.
Check out our camera samples:
Samsung’s camera interface remains largely unchanged. You’ll get Auto HDR, camera effects/filters, and a bunch of shooting modes. One change is that the native aspect ratio is now 4:3.
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge” width=”2560″ height=”1440″ title=”Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Review 20″/>Battery
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge” width=”250″ height=”444″ title=”Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Review 21″/>Battery life was a common complaint with the Galaxy S6 line last year. Because the S7 Edge is now larger, there’s more room for more capacity. But I don’t think anyone was expecting this much: 3,600mAh. Even for the most avid users, this should provide enough power. A moderate to heavy user, I get at least a day’s worth of work every day.
My usage consists of common apps, like Chrome, Maps, Camera, Google+, Twitter, YouTube, Google Play Music, and Feedly, and panel brightness averaging about 75%. Idle battery drain is about what I’d expect, you’ll lose a few percentages overnight.
If you’re in a bind, Samsung includes two tiers of power saving modes. It’s also worth mentioning that the S7 Edge is wireless-charging capable. Many flagships have given this feature up (even Google’s Nexus 6P), because of the move to metal builds.
Software
Samsung’s UI, TouchWiz, is aesthetically unchanged from last year. You’ll still see bubbly icons and colorful accents all throughout. But with a new phone of course comes the newest version of Android. In this case, it’s Android 6.0.1 (aka “Marshmallow”). This means that you’ll get some of Google’s latest features, like a new permissions system and Now on Tap.
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge” width=”250″ height=”444″ title=”Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Review 25″/>TouchWiz gives you an enhanced experience. UI navigation is fluid, and stuttering is very minimal compared to last year’s experience. Scrolling in the Recent Apps carousel or within an app is a touch smoother on the pure Android Nexus 6P, but the S7 Edge is not far off.
Read: Best Smartphone 2016
TouchWiz does offer several benefits to the Android experience. One glaring feature is Multi Window support – something stock Android has yet to incorporate. You can also modify the appearance of the UI with the theming engine.
Additionally, because this is an Edge variant, Samsung created a quick shortcut panel that you access from swiping on the edge. These options are now more extensive than ever. Other than your favorite apps/contacts you can add news, stocks and sports scores to the panel. You also have access to calendar events, weather information, and stock data. However, if you didn’t like any, or all the features reviewed, you may consider reading our Samsung Galaxy S7 review.
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge” width=”1200″ height=”800″ title=”Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Review 26″/>Galaxy-s7-edge-review-final-thoughts”>Galaxy S7 Edge Review Final Thoughts
At first glance, it may not seem like the S7 Edge is a worthy upgrade, but we found a different story in our experience. Although small phone owners may not appreciate the larger size, we found it to be a positive. The phone’s handling is improved (more material to grip onto) and we now have a considerable battery. You have a winner when you combine this with the brilliant S-AMOLED display, a fast and high quality camera.
While some may not like the TouchWiz UI I understand that. But fortunately, it’s not as bad as before. Also, the curved edges and slippery glass back don’t make for the most ergonomic phone design. Our recommendation is to slap on a case and you’re set.
