smartphone, Android 6.0, monoblock body, 5.1" screen, 2560x1440, nano-SIM SIM card, GPS/AGPS/Glonass, Wi-Fi / 3G / LTE / NFC, dimensions 69.6 x 142 x 7.9 mm, weight 152 g
5 Benefits of Samsung SM-G930F Galaxy S7 Smartphone
Robust case
Samsung SM-G930F Galaxy S7 is made in dimensions of 69.6x142x7.9 mm and weighs only 152 grams. It fits comfortably in the palm of your hand and is suitable for use in any environment thanks to its shockproof design with additional protection against dust and moisture.
Work with two SIM-cards
A smartphone makes it easy to optimize communication costs. It has slots for two nano-SIM cards at once. This allows you to combine the tariffs of different cellular operators, choosing the most advantageous offers for communication in your home region and trips abroad, calls and web surfing.
Impressive display
The Super AMOLED screen of the smartphone is 5.1 inches. It surprises with rich and natural color reproduction, impresses with the clarity and detail of images reproduced at a resolution of 2560x1440 pixels. The 16:9 aspect ratio makes the display ideal for viewing photos and videos in widescreen mode, while durable Gorilla Glass 4 ensures protection against accidental impacts.
Memorable photos
The main camera with a resolution of 12 megapixels works in conjunction with a fast autofocus system, a powerful flash and an optical stabilization function. It is able to take bright and colorful pictures regardless of external conditions: even at night and in the process of movement.
Effective work
A powerful eight-core processor with a frequency of 1800 MHz and 4 GB of RAM are responsible for quickly solving work tasks, loading resource-intensive files and applications, instant response to commands and no freezes in games. If necessary, you can increase the internal memory of your smartphone using the microSD card slot.
Samsung took into account all the mistakes of previous models and in its new flagship smartphone embodied successful technical ideas that were warmly welcomed by the public, who could hardly wait for the release date of the novelty. The new gadget differs from previous versions with increased performance, RAM and a new high-quality camera. And this is not all innovations. The output turned out to be impressive, and the new Samsung Galaxy phone is really excellent and can safely claim the title of “best smartphone of 2016”. The price of the Samsung Galaxy S7 in online stores starts at $620 and varies depending on the modifications. Let's study the review on Galaxy and analyze in detail the characteristics and description of the smartphone to prove whether the declared price is worth the money.
In what modifications is it sold in the CIS?
The review should start with the fact that the new smartphone is available in several versions depending on the sales regions. So, for example, the processors used will be different for owners from America or Europe. In our market there are 3 main models of the following description, which can be found on sale from their release date:
- Galaxy S7 SM-G930F. Standard version with slot for 1 SIM and microSD;
- Galaxy S7 Duos SM-G930FD. Dual-SIM version, which has an additional slot for a second SIM;
- Galaxy S7 Edge. Improved DS-model with a larger screen size of 5 inches and a battery capacity of 3600 mAh. It costs $100 more.
Body colors are available in white, silver and black. The complete set of all modifications of the Galaxy S7 in the box is the same:
- power unit;
- micro-USD cable;
- USB-OTG adapter;
- earplugs;
- user manual
Your phone has the ability to insert additional internal memory on 32GB or 64 GB.
Separately, I would like to note the USB adapter, which will allow you to connect your smartphone to external drives, batteries and other peripheral devices. The thing is insignificant, however, for many owners it becomes one of the most useful.
Appearance
Samsung Galaxy S7 combines pleasant ergonomics and a strict stylish look, both in white and in other colors. There are no unnecessary details, and all available ones are thought out to the last detail. The front and back panels on the phone are made of glass.
The waterproof case is made according to IP68 technology without the use of removable plugs. The device is able to withstand a fall into the water to a depth of 2 meters with open ports and connectors, and then calmly continue to work.
There is a metal frame around the perimeter to protect the case. The edges on the back panel have a slightly beveled look. This is done in order to improve ergonomics and ease of use with one hand. The main camera lens looks good and does not stick out even on the model in white. On the right side of it is an LED flash, pulse sensors and blood oxygen saturation SpO2.
The speaker is located just above the display and has a high sound quality. Next to it is the front camera and proximity sensor. Below the display on the edges are two touch buttons "Back" and "Application Manager". Between them is a mechanical home button with a fingerprint scanner.
Screen sizes with diagonal 5.1 inch reveal the full potential of the device, but do not affect the dimensions and ease of use. The streamlined body allows you to always comfortably place the phone in your hand and easily reach your thumb in the upper left corner. In this case, the phone does not crash into the palm.
For those to whom the display will seem large and cause inconvenience when working with one hand, there are two control modes. One of them shifts the button interface and the keyboard to the bottom corner for more convenient dialing and working with text. The second mode provides for a complete transfer of the interface to the bottom (activation occurs by triple pressing the Home button).
Brilliant display screen
The Samsung Galaxy S7 uses a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED Quad HD display with QHD 2560x1440 resolution. Pixel density parameters are 577 ppi. Additionally, the screen is covered with anti-glare protective glass Gorilla Glass 4. The size of the display provides perfect detail and color reproduction. Any picture and video look truly realistic.
Samsung really managed to refine their technologies to the ideal and invest them in the characteristics of a flagship smartphone. With all the desire to find shortcomings in the description - it is impossible. Each element and display parameter deserves applause. Brightness, contrast, hue and color reproduction are all top notch.
The AMOLED display has advanced options for adjusting the brightness of the image. The matrix is able to demonstrate both maximum saturation and reduce it to a minimum for those who are used to IPS displays. The new adaptive brightness control technology takes into account the light level using sensors and selects the optimal settings for comfortable work. At the same time, the Galaxy S7 remembers the manual brightness settings and automatically offers them to the owner under the same conditions.
MHL (Mobile High Definition Link) technology will allow you to connect your smartphone to a TV or monitor to broadcast video in FullHD resolution via HDMI and MicroUSB ports.
The new Always ON feature allowed the display to show the necessary information in a locked state. At the same time, energy consumption for the battery is minimal. The autonomous power of each pixel in the AMOLED display allows you to highlight only the working areas when the rest of the screen remains black.
The best smartphone camera
And here I want to stand up and applaud the creators. Samsung has made a first-class camera for smartphones of the seventh generation. The company did not participate in the senseless race of competitors for megapixels, but thoroughly improved the quality and functionality of shooting, having worked through each element.
The main camera uses a Sony IMX260 module on 12 MP. This sensor is exclusive to the Galaxy S7 and does not apply to other devices. Compared to previous versions of Samsung smartphones, the resolution of the camera has dropped slightly, but this has allowed for better photos and videos at night by increasing the physical size of the pixels. The new sensor uses enhanced phase detection autofocus with Dual Pixel technology, which uses both photodiodes for each of the sensor's pixels. Due to this, the camera is able to instantly focus under any shooting conditions. After launch, the smartphone is ready to take high-quality pictures in less than 1 second. Additionally, I would like to note the "Panorama" mode, which makes it possible to stitch together photos and get full-size images in a resolution of 38 megapixels.
Front camera on 5 MP takes great selfies. The phone's interface has many functions for processing and enhancing the received photos: color correction, skin texture improvement or background detailing. You can always download additional processing modes and functions from the Samsung Store.
The video is recorded in Ultra HD resolution. In the standard video recording mode, the frame rate is 60 FPS. Slow motion mode allows you to increase the rate to 240 FPS, but the video resolution will be reduced to HD. All videos are clear and smooth. The optical stabilization function removes any interference, and the included HDR mode always ensures true-to-life color reproduction even in bright sunlight.
All this allows us to safely call the Galaxy S7 camera one of the best in new generation phones. It is able to capture any scene, even in low light levels.
Specifications
The Samsung Galaxy S7 smartphone for sales in Russia and Europe is equipped with a 64-bit Samsung Exynos 8890 Octa processor with ARM BIG.LITTLE architecture (similar to Snapdragon) based on Android OS. The chipset is made according to the 14 NM process technology with 8 cores: 4 Mongoose 2.3 GHz cores (Samsung's own development) and 4 Cortex-A53 1.6 GHz cores. LPDDR4 RAM is 4 GB. Additionally, the Galaxy S7 provides the ability to install internal memory on 32GB or 64 GB. It uses the UHS 2.0 standard - the fastest for the internal memory of mobile devices. There are no analogues to him in terms of quality and speed at the moment.
The gadget has a full range of modern wireless interfaces and functions: Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2, NFC, ANT+. The possibilities of data transmission over LTE are limited only by the cellular operator. The sound in the headphones is capable of transmitting a rich range of low and high frequencies.
Samsung has returned the ability to use the microSD slot, so if you wish, you can install memory cards with capacities up to 200 GB. As mentioned earlier, the Galaxy S7 comes with a USB OTG adapter to work with external drives.
The top-end processor, along with the MALI-T880 MP12 graphics module based on Android Nougat 7.0, will launch any application and the latest gaming novelties. With the Galaxy S7 in games, you can safely forget what "medium" or "low" graphics settings are. The Anututu Benchmark test proved that the smartphone can easily cope with any load.
Accumulator battery
The Galaxy S7 uses a non-removable battery with a capacity 3000 mAh. Fast charging function Quick Charge 2.0 allows you to charge your smartphone up to 65% in 30 minutes. The developers have optimized the power consumption of the phone, which made it possible to work with applications and the active screen by 30% more. With continuous loads and games in applications on the maximum schedule, the operating time will be more than 10 hours. Watch full HD video at maximum brightness in flight mode for over 14 hours before needing an extra charge.
Outcome
And, finally, let's finish the review with the conclusions on the characteristics, according to which, we can safely say that the mobile phone turned out to be of high quality and multifunctional, so many were waiting for the release date for good reason. With the Galaxy S7, Samsung has reaffirmed its leadership position and launched a truly worthy and versatile phone that demonstrates all the achievements in the world of mobile technology. Stylish design, nice ergonomics, high performance, lightning-fast performance and an amazing camera are just the “tip of the iceberg” that Samsung's flagship phone boasts. Galaxy S7 worth 620$ , but the price is fully justified. The smartphone is suitable for those who want to receive only the best and are not ready to use second-rate devices.
Part 1: Introduction and performance comparison with iPhone 6s Plus and Moto X Force
The announcement of Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge at Mobile World Congress 2016 has become one of the main IT events of recent weeks. And although in general there is nothing revolutionary in these smartphones - it is rather an evolution in relation to and S6 Edge, and not a revolution, nevertheless, from the first impressions and from the totality of the voiced information about the new products, the impression was that it really was almost the best flagships of the first half of 2016. Now that we've received the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge for testing, it's time to check if it's true or not.
We talked about our first impressions of the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge in a report from the presentation. Here we emphasize that although Samsung, like a year ago, releases two smartphones at the same time and maintains its positioning, there are still more hardware differences between them than between the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. Firstly, the display of the two new products differs not only in the presence or absence of curvature, but also in diagonal - 5.1 inches in the case of the Galaxy S7 and 5.5 inches in the case of the S7 Edge. Secondly, the battery capacity, which was almost the same in the S6 and S6 Edge, now differs quite significantly: in the S7 this figure is 3000 mAh, and in the S7 Edge it is already 3600 mAh.
Apparently, the manufacturer decided to more thoroughly argue the difference in price between the S7 and S7 Edge. According to pre-order in Russia, smartphones cost 49,990 and 59,990 rubles, respectively. 10,000 rubles difference just for the spectacular curve of the screen is a bit much, but if you add to this a more capacious battery and a larger screen area, it turns out to be much more interesting.
We especially note that when pre-ordering, the user receives a second-generation Samsung Gear VR helmet as a gift, which separately costs almost 8,000 rubles. Nice bonus!
Let's take a look at the specifications of the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge.
Specifications Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
- SoC Samsung Exynos 8890 Octa
- CPU Mongoose @2.6GHz (4 cores) + Cortex-A53 @1.6GHz (4 cores)
- GPU Mali-T880
- Operating system Android 6.0.1
- Touch display 5.5″ SuperAMOLED, curved on both sides, 2560 × 1440, 534 ppi
- Random access memory (RAM) 4 GB
- Permanent memory: 32 GB
- Support for microSD memory cards up to 200 GB
- SIM cards: 2 × Micro-SIM
- Communication GSM/GPRS/EDGE/3G/LTE Cat.9
- Bluetooth 4.2 LE, NFC, ANT+
- Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n/ac 2.4GHz and 5GHz
- GPS with A-GPS, Glonass
- Sensors: accelerometer, geomagnetic sensor, gyroscope, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, barometer, hall sensor, fingerprint scanner, heart rate sensor
- Cameras: 5 MP (front) and 12 MP (rear) Dual Pixel, with LED flash, optical stabilization system and autofocus, f/1.7, 4K video shooting
- Battery: lithium polymer 3600 mAh, non-removable
- Dimensions 150.9×72.6×7.7 mm
- Weight 157 g
For clarity, we decided to make a table with the characteristics of the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and its immediate predecessor Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge +, and also added Moto X Force and iPhone 6S Plus to the table - the most obvious competitors of the new product.
| Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge | Samsung Galaxy S6+ | Moto X Force | Apple iPhone 6s Plus | |
| Screen | 5.5″ Super AMOLED, curved on both sides, 2560×1440, 534 ppi | 5.7″ Super AMOLED, curved on both sides, 2560×1440, 515 ppi | 5.4″ AMOLED, 2560×1440, 540ppi | 5.5″ IPS, 1920×1080, 401ppi |
| SoC (processor) | Samsung Exynos 8890 Octa (4x Mongoose @2.6GHz + 4x Cortex-A53 @1.6) | Samsung Exynos 7420 (4x Cortex-A57 @2.1GHz + 4x Cortex-A53 @1.5GHz) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 (4x Cortex-A57 @2.0GHz + 4x Cortex-A53 @1.5GHz) | Apple A9 (2 cores @1.8 GHz, 64-bit ARMv8-A architecture) |
| GPU | Mali-T880 | Mali-T760 | Adreno 430 | Apple A9 |
| Flash memory | 32 GB | 32 GB | 32 GB | 16/64/128 GB |
| Connectors | Micro-USB (OTG capable), 3.5mm headset jack | Micro-USB (OTG capable), 3.5mm headset jack | Lightning dock connector, 3.5mm headset jack | |
| Memory card support | microSD (up to 200 GB) | No | microSD (up to 2TB) | No |
| RAM | 4 GB | 4 GB | 3 GB | 2 GB |
| cameras | rear (16 MP; video 4K), front (5 MP) | rear (21 MP; video 4K), front (5 MP) | rear (12 MP; video 4K), front (5 MP) | |
| LTE support | there is | there is | there is | there is |
| Battery capacity (mAh) | 3600 | 2600 | 3760 | 2750 |
| Operating system | Google Android 6.0.1 | Google Android 5.1 (upgradable to 6.0.1) | Google Android 6.0.1 | Apple iOS 9.0 (upgradable to 9.2.1) |
| Dimensions (mm)* | 151×73×7.7 | 154×76×6.9 | 150×78×9.2 | 158×78×7.3 |
| Weight (g) | 157 | 153 | 170 | 190 |
*according to manufacturer's official data
The table clearly shows what major changes have occurred in the novelty compared to the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+. First of all, there is support for microSD memory cards. In addition, the smartphone is now equipped with a new SoC and a significantly more capacious battery. True, two parameters can confuse those who choose between the Galaxy S7 Edge and S6 Edge+. Firstly, the novelty has become a little thicker, and secondly, the rear camera now has a resolution of 12 megapixels instead of the previous 16 megapixels. However, both are justified by some technological features, which we will discuss later, so you should not immediately write it down as a minus.
As for the comparison with the Moto X Force, the smaller amount of RAM is noteworthy here. And, of course, the screen does not have a curve (although, according to Lenovo, which owns the Moto brand, it is also plastic). As for the rest of the differences (SoC and camera parameters), here you need to test. The same is true for the iPhone 6s Plus, where a direct comparison of characteristics is generally pointless due to different operating systems. But it is worth noting that compared to the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and Moto X Force, the iPhone 6s Plus has a much less capacious battery, although the dimensions are not smaller (only thickness).
However, let's move on to direct testing and in the process we will already answer a number of questions that arose when comparing characteristics. Including, on the main one: which smartphone is the most productive at the moment.
Equipment
The smartphone came to us in a test box, different from those that will be on the counter. Alas, it was not at all a beautiful suitcase, like our colleagues from Poland, but just a white cardboard box. However, the package inside appears to match what shoppers will get in the store.
This is a Quick Charge-enabled charger, a Micro-USB to USB cable, a key to remove the SIM card and memory card cradle, an OTG adapter (for connecting external USB drives with a full-size plug), and headphones in a separate plastic box with an additional set of rubber ear pads.
The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge + had the same headphones, and, admittedly, it was not in vain that the manufacturer put them back. They have a tangle-free flat wire, a very comfortable shape of the ear pads, and most importantly, a decent sound. We tested it on the FLAC version of the new Massive Attack EP "Ritual Spirit" (by the way, the smartphone plays FLAC tracks without any problems) and were pleasantly surprised by the deep bass transfer in the songs Dead Editors and Take It There.
As for the charger, we will tell you in more detail about all issues related to the battery and recharging in the second part of the article, but for now we will report only one result: in 15 minutes with the help of the supplied charging unit, the smartphone was charged by 20%. A very good result!
Design
In terms of appearance, the differences between the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and the S6 Edge + and 6S Edge are minimal - first of all, they concern slightly changed sizes. And yet, the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge can without any doubt be called one of the most beautiful modern smartphones.
Almost the entire front panel is occupied by a screen that wraps effectively on both sides along the long sides. And this is not only delightful in itself, but also creates the illusion of a complete lack of frames. In fact, of course, there are frames, but they are already quite thin, and thanks to the rounding of the screen, they seem quite insignificant.
Both the front and rear panels are completely covered with glass. They are quite easily soiled, especially if we are talking about the black version of the smartphone (there will also be silver and platinum versions on sale), but they still look great. Very narrow zones above and below the screen is also a plus. Due to this, with the same screen size, the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge is significantly more compact than the iPhone 6s Plus. True, the iPhone is quite a bit thinner, but it's completely unnoticeable. And thanks to the narrowing of the side edges, the Samsung smartphone seems even thinner than the Apple device.
In general, the size of the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge is optimal. S6 Edge + was still too big and in the hand was not so comfortable. But S7 Edge - just right! Of course, because of the glass in front and behind it is slippery, you are afraid to drop it, but still it is pleasant to hold it in your hand.
All faces, like its predecessor, are made of metal, buttons too. They are pressed with a pleasant elasticity. The layout of buttons and connectors is similar to the previous model. On the right is the power button, on the left are separate volume buttons.
On the bottom edge there is a speaker, a Micro-USB connector with OTG support (it is strange that Samsung does not switch to USB Type C, unlike many other manufacturers), a 3.5 mm headset jack and a hole for the built-in microphone. It is curious that the location of this hole has changed, that is, inside, apparently, the internal layout of the components has undergone significant changes. As for the speaker, its maximum volume is quite sufficient not to miss a call / alarm clock, and to watch movies or videos, but, of course, you should not use it to listen to music due to unnecessary overtones and the not very pleasant nature of the sound in in general. However, it would be strange to expect something different from a device of this form factor.
On the top side we see another microphone hole and a combined slot for a SIM card and a microSD memory card. Yes, as we said, Samsung has fixed one of the main shortcomings of the Galaxy S6 Edge and S6 Edge + by adding memory card support to the Galaxy S7 Edge. And given that the manufacturer is especially proud of the smartphone’s camera, this is especially true, since 32 GB of its own memory for a camera phone that shoots video in 4K is frankly not enough.
At the top of the front panel, next to the eyes of the front camera and sensors, there is an LED event indicator. The large round dot lights up in different colors depending on the battery charging status or incoming messages. This element was before, but I'm glad that Samsung did not sacrifice it.
The rear camera lens still protrudes quite a bit above the level of the rear panel glass, but this can hardly be considered a serious drawback.
There is also a home button on the front panel. But this is even a plus, because it is easier to find it by touch. And you will have to do this every time you turn on the smartphone, since this button has a fingerprint sensor. It works very quickly, the recognition rate is very good, so there are no complaints here.
Despite the fact that outwardly the design has changed minimally, the new smartphone has one very important quality: waterproofness according to the IP68 standard. At the same time, there are no plugs on the ports here. That is, moisture protection is provided due to the design and materials. This, of course, is a wonderful and unexpected gift, a real feat of engineers!
In general, the design deserves the highest marks. Of course, its subjective perception depends primarily on how much you basically like the screen, bending on the edge. There are people who don't like it. But even they are unlikely to argue with the fact that the design of the Galaxy S7 Edge is certainly original (except, of course, its predecessors), and thanks to the excellent ratio of dimensions and display size, the smartphone is also very practical. It will easily fit into any pocket and will fit comfortably even in a small hand. As a huge plus, we note the appearance of a slot for memory cards, and the absence of a green option should be noted among the minuses. In Galaxy S6 Edge, it was the green ("emerald") version that was one of the most attractive, original and stylish.
The color options for the new member of the Edge family are also quite good. But here is a strange situation: only black, gold and silver options are available for pre-order in Russia. But white is not. Although we saw him at the exhibition and, to be honest, we liked him the most. It has a very interesting pearl shade. The black device that we currently have for testing seems a little less winning and practical (due to fingerprints), although the color is still interesting, deep, and not banal.
Performance
The smartphone runs on the new Exynos 8890 Octa SoC, made using the 14 nm process technology, improved with FinFET LPP (Low-Power Plus) technology. It uses the new Mongoose CPU cores (four cores with a frequency of 2.6 GHz) and the already familiar four Cortex-A53 cores with a frequency of 1.6 GHz.
The Mali-T880 acts as a graphics accelerator.
Before Samsung did not use this SoC, that is, now we have the first acquaintance with it. And therefore, it is necessary to compare it with the main competing solutions: Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 and Apple A9. Of course, it would be even more interesting if Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 participated in the comparison, but we have not yet had devices with this SoC. So let's be content with what we have, and at the same time try to answer the burning question that worries the Internet community: who is more powerful - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge or Apple iPhone S6 Plus?
Let's start with browser benchmarks: SunSpider 1.0.2, Octane Benchmark, Kraken Benchmark and . On all Android devices, we used the Chrome browser, on iOS - Safari. If there is a dash in the table field, it means that the corresponding smartphone was not tested in this benchmark (or in this version of this benchmark).
As you can see, the Android competitor and its own predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, outperforms confidently, but in the overall standings, the iPhone is still ahead.
Now let's see how the gadget performs in complex benchmarks - AnTuTu 6 and Geekbench 3.
Unfortunately, we don't have AnTuTu 6 results for the previous Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+, as we tested it in the fifth version of the benchmark, which was radically different in terms of scoring principles, so it's not fair to compare the results. But AnTuTu finally worked fine on iOS. So we added the iPhone to the table too.
And again, the picture repeats itself, although the superiority of the iPhone is already less, and in the multi-core mode of Geekbench 3, the Apple smartphone loses to the new Samsung.
In addition to our ongoing testing methodology, we decided to compare the Galaxy S7 Edge and iPhone 6s Plus in the Basemark OS II cross-platform benchmark. The results are in front of you. The screenshot on the left is Samsung, on the right is Apple.
As you can see, here Samsung lost. Although not in all subtests (see Memory).
The last group of benchmarks is dedicated to testing GPU performance. We used 3DMark, GFXBench and Bonsai Benchmark. All of them demonstrate real 3D scenes and allow you to visually see how devices cope with them.
Let's start with GFXBench. Recall that Offscreen tests are a display of a 1080p image on the screen, regardless of the actual screen resolution. And Onscreen tests are the output of a picture in the resolution that corresponds to the screen resolution of the device. That is, Offscreen tests are indicative in terms of the abstract performance of the SoC, and Onscreen tests are indicative of the comfort of the game on a specific device. In addition, this year's Android devices used the new Car Chase scene, which uses OpenGL ES 3.1. This standard is not supported by the iPhone, so this scene is not available there, nor is the ES 3.1 version of the Manhattan scene. However, there is enough data to draw conclusions.
| Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge (Samsung Exynos 8890 Octa) |
Samsung Galaxy S6+ (Samsung Exynos 7420 Octa) |
Moto X Force (Qualcomm Snapdragon 810) |
Apple iPhone 6s Plus (Apple A9) |
|
| GFXBenchmark Car Chase ES 3.1 (Onscreen) | 7.9 fps | — | 3.2 fps | — |
| GFXBenchmark Car Chase ES 3.1 (1080p Offscreen) | 15 fps | — | 5.1 fps | — |
| GFXBenchmark Manhattan ES 3.1 (Onscreen) | 24 fps | — | 10 fps | — |
| GFXBenchmark Manhattan ES 3.1 (1080p Offscreen) | 26 fps | — | 18 fps | — |
| GFXBenchmark Manhattan ES 3.0 (Onscreen) | 25 fps | — | — | 39 fps |
| GFXBenchmark Manhattan ES 3.0 (1080p Offscreen) | 38 fps | — | — | 40 fps |
| GFXBenchmark T-Rex (Onscreen) | 52 fps | 37 fps | 40 fps | 59 fps |
| GFXBenchmark T-Rex (1080p Offscreen) | 84 fps | 57 fps | 53 fps | 80 fps |
As we can see, the Galaxy S7 Edge and iPhone 6s Plus were about equal. The difference in Onscreen mode is naturally explained by the higher screen resolution of the Galaxy S7 Edge. As for the comparison with other Android-smartphones, here the picture is unambiguous and does not require comments.
The next tests are 3DMark and Bonsai Benchmark. In 3DMark, the Sling Shot scene ran in OpenGL ES 3.1 on Android devices and OpenGL 3.0 on iPhone.
About Bonsai Benchmark, we can say right away that it is no longer indicative for such productive SoCs - in particular, the results of two Samsung smartphones testify to this. But with 3DMark - more interesting. And so far, the iPhone is in the lead.
In general, benchmarks allow us to draw the following conclusions. Undoubtedly, we have before us the most powerful device, which has no equal among Android smartphones. At least, until the advent of devices based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820. However, Samsung's new product failed to outdo the iPhone 6s Plus - Apple's flagship is in the lead in most tests. Although the gap is minimal and is rather of theoretical interest. The practical result (performance in games) will depend primarily on how well the game will be optimized for a specific SoC.
In the second part of the article, you will find detailed testing of the screen, a story about battery life, a description of the software, as well as a test drive of the camera in field conditions - on the Kola Peninsula, including underwater shooting! Do not miss!
In principle, everything is as usual. Galaxy S7 has got the largest 3000 mAh battery in the history of the line, while hardly increasing its dimensions. However, the extra charge went to ensure the operation of a faster processor - so the autonomy of the novelty is no better than that of its predecessor. In general, it can be rated as very good, and if you take into account the resolution and brightness of the screen, high performance, it will turn out to be almost a record.
As always, most of the energy is spent on screen-on tasks, and especially on 3D games. A lot more is spent on surfing over the cellular network. The Galaxy S7 is no surprise in this regard.
There is also an extreme power saving mode, when the interface is simplified and becomes as black as possible - again, a feature of OLED technology is used.
In total, the Galaxy S7 proved to be the fastest smartphone at the time of release, along with excellent autonomy.
Games on Galaxy S7
It is not difficult to guess that problems with games on the Galaxy S7 are not expected.
- Riptide GP2: excellent, the game does not slow down;
- Asphalt 7: excellent, the game does not slow down;
- Asphalt 8: noticeable delays are visible;
- Modern Combat 5: excellent, the game does not slow down;
- N.O.V.A. 3: some delays are visible;
- Dead Trigger: excellent, the game does not slow down;
- Dead Trigger 2: excellent, the game does not slow down;
- Real Racing 3: some delays are visible;
- Need for Speed: No Limits: excellent, the game does not slow down;
- Shadowgun: Dead Zone: excellent, the game does not slow down;
- Frontline Commando: Normandy: excellent, the game does not slow down;
- Frontline Commando 2: noticeable delays are visible;
- Eternity Warriors 2: excellent, the game does not slow down;
- Eternity Warriors 3: not in the Play Market;
- Eternity Warriors 4: some delays are visible;
- Trial Xtreme 3: excellent, the game does not slow down;
- Trial Xtreme 4: excellent, the game does not slow down;
- dead effect: not in the Play Market;
- Dead Effect 2: excellent, the game does not slow down;
- Plants vs Zombies 2: excellent, the game does not slow down;
- Iron Man 3: excellent, the game does not slow down;
- dead target: excellent, the game does not slow down.
Actually, what was required to be proved - nothing slows down on the Galaxy S7 and should not, by definition. And the memory is enough to record a decent number of games.
ON
As usual, the flagship Samsung Galaxy S7 gets the latest software. Of course, the company used Android 6.0. Someone began to resent that the unexpectedly early presentation of Android N, which will be renamed in the summer of 2016, is not on the top smartphone. But waiting for it is completely stupid due to the fact that at the beginning of 2016 this is nothing more than a beta version for developers. And over time, Android 7.0 for the Galaxy S7 will undoubtedly be released, and possibly even Android 8.0 - the Korean manufacturer updates its flagships for a long time.
Time goes by, but Samsung's TouchWIZ never disappears. And should it? This shell is well thought out and familiar to the owners of South Korean pipes. But, of course, in the edition for the Galaxy S7, she received a couple of new features. Including Always On - theoretically, this can be done on previous flagships, but why compete with the new product?
So in the theme settings, the ability to select a 5x5 grid is now available, while 4x4 is active by default. That is, you can turn on the mode, as on large phablets with a screen of 5.5".
From here, the theme store is also called. There are both paid and free themes.
The notification bar was repainted white, which did her good. You can still pull it down and see a lot of quick settings icons.
Task Manager hasn't changed much. Here, tabs display all open applications, there is a button to clear the list, and some tabs have the option to display in half the screen.
Now let's go through the settings - here are the very "chips". For example, in the section about the screen there is a Smart shutdown item. Activating the mode keeps the display on while you look at it.
There was a whole section “Additional Features”, where everything that is small and does not deserve its own section is grouped. For example, take a screenshot with the palm of your hand.
They also hid "One-handed control" here. For a 5.1-inch smartphone, this may not be very relevant, but the number of possibilities is impressive. This is not just “for show”, everything is grown-up.
Pressing the Home button three times will activate this mode. And then you have an on-screen keyboard optimized for one-handed operation, and the entire screen can be reduced.
NFC is no surprise today, especially Samsung with its Samsung Pay.
Smart Manager, a utility for monitoring memory consumption, battery and device security, is no longer a separate application, but has become part of the settings.
It was the first time I saw something called Game Tools. They write that these are gaming features that improve the gaming experience by turning off all notifications (how they got it!), Blocking the touch buttons under the screen. From here you can simply minimize the game while saving its state, take a screenshot and even record a video. True, a small nameplate on top of the game is annoying - what to do with it, huh, Samsung?
Now let's go through the applications. But first, I note that in addition to the installed ones, there is also a Galaxy Essentials section in the Galaxy Apps store - the corresponding link is placed on one of the desktops. Here are collected programs that can be useful, but do not clutter up the smartphone's memory if they are not needed.
And so among these applications you can find the Kids mode, text recognition, S Note note taking program, S Translator translator, music synthesizer, video editor, OneDrive client with a 100 GB subscription for 2 years, and so on.
Thanks to the competent organization, all programs were able to fit on one screen. Some of them are sorted into folders, including proprietary utilities from Samsung, Google and Microsoft.
This is my first time seeing the Galaxy Care app. It provides help on the smartphone, and at the same time provides a link to the support service. It can be a useful device, but it cannot be called something new - I have seen it for a long time on the same Lenovo handsets.
Samsung has finally thought about transferring data from other devices to their smartphones. The Smart Switch Mobile utility is designed for this.
The S Health activity diary is also in place. Here, among other things, you can measure your pulse.
Other utilities are typical and do not provide interest: a clock, a calendar, a file manager, and so on - all this has been seen before, but there is nothing new here.
In general, the Galaxy S7 in terms of software is a good balance between useful features and applications. There are a lot of things that come in handy, and some of this is taken out to the cloud, from where you can download what you need specifically to your smartphone for free.
Conclusion
Once again, Samsung has not blundered - its new flagship Galaxy S7 resembles old, well-worn slippers that were recently returned from repairs. Everything seems to be the same convenient and comfortable, but it has become better. The Galaxy S6 was a good smartphone, but there were certain flaws in it, the main one being the lack of a memory card slot.
Galaxy S7 not only got support for microSD cards, but got a more comfortable body shape, while maintaining a stylish look and the same materials: metal and glass. It is still impossible to disassemble the phone, but is it necessary so often? But Samsung managed to fit a more capacious battery and moisture protection into the case, only increasing the thickness by only 1 mm.
And the changes don't end there. The Korean company was able to come up with something else useful and unique that can be added to its next top product. In particular, this is the Always-On function. It seems that the idea is not unique, and it could have been done much earlier, but I haven’t seen it on other smartphones for a long time, but here it’s simply impossible to refuse it!
It is the combination of these little things that makes the Galaxy S7 one of the best devices on the market in early 2016. It de facto has no competitors, although in any case, let's see what other companies have to oppose to the Samsung flagship.
Galaxy S7 price
You can buy Galaxy S7 for 50 thousand rubles. The price is exactly the same as that was set on the Galaxy S6 in 2015, although the dollar has grown somewhat since then. Of course, not cheap, but believe me, it's worth it.
LG G5 in April 2016 we did not sell, but it should appear on sale. Moreover, LG managed to do something interesting and unique, namely all these interchangeable modules that are inserted along with the battery. The smartphone has an unusual design and has its own interesting feature. It makes no sense to compare the characteristics with the Galaxy S7 - they are extremely close, even if the handset from Samsung is better in some moments.
The HTC 10 is another belated flagship that came out a month after the Galaxy S7. Also an interesting tube in many respects, with a good design, made of metal, finally with a decent camera. Can it compete with the Galaxy S7? In frontal definitely not, but the phone is not devoid of its own charm and at least deserves attention.
Huawei P9 is positioned as an alternative to the Galaxy S7, including the price. As it turned out, there is a separate class of consumers who want to buy a flagship, but that it was not Samsung or Apple. And the P9 model is quite interesting from this point of view: stylish, with a fast processor and a good camera.
And, of course, the 16 GB iPhone 6s. This costs 53 thousand rubles, that is, more expensive than the Galaxy S7. Instead, it offers a 4.7-inch screen with a resolution of 1334x750 pixels, a dual-core A9 processor and a full set of Apple's rake: iTunes, no memory card slot, noticeably less capacious battery, worse camera, and so on. Objectively, this smartphone is worse than the Samsung flagship and only plays on the strength of the brand.
Pros:
- metal case;
- excellent build quality;
- improved case shape compared to the Galaxy S6;
- moisture protection according to the IP68 standard;
- Super AMOLED screen with excellent color reproduction and high WQHD resolution;
- always-on function;
- the best characteristics at the beginning of 2016;
- very high performance;
- excellent rear camera with support for 4K video recording;
- good 5-megapixel front camera with support for WQHD-video;
- fingerprint scanner and heart rate monitor;
- lightweight TouchWIZ shell on top of Android 6;
- good autonomy;
- many branded accessories;
- built-in support for wireless charging;
- fast battery charging;
- small weight and dimensions for a 5.1-inch smartphone;
- brought back support for memory cards;
- USB adapter included.
Minuses:
- non-separable body;
- black versions may peel off the paint from the speaker;
- a lot of weight for its size.
Are you often on business trips and do not want to overpay for communication? No need to buy a new SIM card with unknown colleagues and native number, now you can make/receive calls over Wi-Fi at the price of calls in Russia for both you and the caller.
Introducing the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) SM-A720F/DS (SM-A720FZKDSER) in Black with 32GB internal memory.
The updated A-series from Samsung received a premium design, similar to the flagship S7, a body made of glass on both sides, framed by a metal frame at the ends. For the first time, all smartphones in this series are dustproof and waterproof. Protection standard IP68 (Protection against water when immersed in fresh water to a depth of 1.5m for up to 30 minutes). What else is new in the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017)?
Updates Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) SM-A720F/DS
The oldest smartphone in the line has undergone the most changes. As noted above, the 2017 A7 received a more technological design. The front of the case is formed by a panel of 2.5D glass, the rear panel is made of 3D glass, the edges are protected by a metal frame. Now the smartphone is protected from dust and moisture. It will especially appeal to fans of smartphones with large screens, now the screen has become even larger. In addition to the design and enlarged display, the gadget received a modern technical stuffing: a new, more efficient processor, improved main and selfie cameras, changed wired and wireless connection parameters, the possibility of expanding memory and increasing the maximum possible amount of a memory card. The device itself has slightly increased in size - 156.8 x 77.6 x 7.9 mm versus 151.5 x 74.1 x 7.3 mm for the 2016 A7, while the battery capacity has been increased and the power consumption of the device has been reduced. The manufacturer also promises a lot of software intuitive "chips" that will take the use of the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) to a new level.
Display
Perhaps the main thing that catches the eye in addition to the new design is its display. The screen of the smartphone has increased in size from 5.5 to 5.7 inches. The screen is made using Super AMOLED technology, which gives a juicy, contrasting picture. Also, do not forget about the deep black color, excellent viewing angles and several preset profiles, with which everyone can customize the image for themselves. The resolution is 1920 x 1080 pixels (FullHD). So, nothing prevents you from enjoying a high-quality picture, under any conditions. And all this is protected by 2.5D Gorilla Glass 4 with an oleophobic coating that will protect the display not only from scratches, but also from dirt and fingerprints. By the way, you will have to touch the smartphone screen less, because. it has an Always-on Display feature, thanks to which all the necessary information is always on the screen.
Cameras
The main and front cameras have a resolution of 16 megapixels. The rear camera is equipped with phase detection autofocus and a Light + sensor, as well as a built-in flash. Both cameras support HDR technology, which allows you to get high-quality images with vivid colors, even in difficult conditions. It is possible to record video in Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) at 30 frames per second and stereo sound. For the most successful shots, you can apply one of the 16 built-in filters or use the "Food" mode. Camera setup is completely simple and intuitive. Selfie lovers will appreciate the updated 16 megapixel front camera with the ability to install the shutter button anywhere on the display. The display itself acts as a flash.
Processor and Memory
The new version of the smartphone has an eight-core Samsung Exynos 7880 processor with a core frequency of 1.9 GHz (in the 2016 version there was an Exynos 7580 - 1.6 GHz). The RAM of the device remained the same - 3 GB. The built-in memory can be expanded with a memory card up to a maximum of 256 GB. Separate memory card slot.
Connection
Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) SM-A720F/DS has two separate Nano-sim slots that can work simultaneously. The maximum possible Internet speed is up to 300 Mbps, thanks to LTE cat. 6. In the absence of a network, it is possible to connect via Wi-Fi. Communication of the smartphone with other devices and with wearable electronics (smart watches, headphones, fitness bracelets, etc.) is provided by Bluetooth 4.2. The following Bluetooth profiles are supported: A2DP, AVRCP, DI, HFP, HID, HOGP, HSP, MAP, OPP, PAN, PBAP. Built-in GPS and GLONASS modules will help you find a fast and accurate route. The wired connection in the A series of 2017 is carried out via USB Type C. The manufacturer took care of users with accessories with a microUSB connector by including a USB Type C to microUSB adapter with the phone.
Food
Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) has an increased 3600 mAh battery compared to its predecessor, against 3300 mAh before. Compared to the SM-A710F/DS, 3G Internet browsing time has decreased by 1 hour to 13 hours, while 4G Internet browsing time has increased by 2 hours from 14 hours to 16 hours. Video playback time has grown significantly from 15:00 to 20:00 and talk time in 3G networks - from 17:00 to 23:00. Wi-Fi networking time has not changed - up to 17:00, while listening to music has increased from 78 to 94 hours with the screen off . At the same time, the battery has the ability to quickly charge.
The new Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) has retained all the charms of its predecessor, while receiving modern technical stuffing, new cameras, protection against water and dust, and has become more autonomous when working in 4G networks and when using multimedia. Now to communicate, receive impressions and share them with friends, enjoy content has become even easier and more comfortable in any conditions.