Steve Kovach February 21, 2016 at 10:00AM
Samsung's next major phone, the Galaxy S7, is here.
On the surface, you won't notice much different with the Galaxy S7 compared to last year's Galaxy S6. It comes in two versions: one with a standard flat screen and another version called the Edge with a screen that curves around the sides.
It has a better camera. It has a bigger battery. It's now water resistant. And it has improved internal specs like more memory and a faster processor.
But like Apple's "s" models of the iPhone, the Galaxy S7 is an iteration of the previous generation, refining what people loved about the original and adding a handful of other improvements to the key features people care most about.
That's not a bad thing. The Galaxy S6 was a great phone, and the Galaxy S7 will likely be another winner.
The Galaxy S7 launches on March 11 and pricing will vary depending on your wireless carrier. Expect to pay at least $650 for the entry model.
Here's a quick look at the most important things you need to know about the Galaxy S7.
Water resistance
Samsung angered a lot of its fans last year when it announced the Galaxy S6 wouldn't be water resistant like the Galaxy S5 was. That's because the company made the switch from a plastic body to a metal and glass body.
But Samsung pulled off an amazing bit of engineering with the Galaxy S7. It's water resistant for up to 30 minutes in a few feet of water, even with the same premium construction as the Galaxy S6. (I tested it the other day. It works perfectly.) That's more than good enough to keep the phone safe in the rain or if you accidentally drop it in a puddle or toilet.
Memory card slot
Samsung also ditched the memory card slot in the Galaxy S6, but it's back with the Galaxy S7. You can now add a MicroSD card with up to 200 GB of storage. This is a feature Android fans love, so there's likely going to be a lot of excitement around it.
Camera
The Galaxy S7's camera 12 megapixel camera is a big improvement too. It has a wider aperture, meaning it can take photos in darker settings. In fact, I saw a demo where it was able to take photos in darker environments than the iPhone 6s Plus.
The camera also has an auto-focus technology that's really impressive. Samsung figured out how to get the camera to automatically focus on objects nearly instantaneously, which means you can take photos a lot faster after launching the camera app without waiting for the camera to focus first. It works noticeably faster than the auto-focusing feature on the iPhone too.
Design
Samsung has surpassed Apple in terms of design.
The Galaxy S7, especially the Galaxy S7 Edge, looks better and feels nicer than the iPhone 6s. The S7 is nearly identical to the S6, with some minor enhancements like a curved back that feels nicer to hold. After years of pumping out cheap-feeling plastic phones, it's refreshing to see Samsung hit its stride with beautiful phones year after year.
Software
It's an Android phone, so there's not much to brag about in terms of unique software features. However, the Edge model does have a swipe-over panel that stores widgets and other tools, like a news ticker and shortcuts to your favorite apps and other common actions. That said, the Edge screen is mostly there for looks. It doesn't add an killer functionality.
Is it enough?
After a spectacular rise in 2012 and 2013, Samsung has had a rough few years thanks to increased competition from Android phone manufacturers that made really nice devices that were only a fraction of the cost of Samsung's Galaxy phones.
The Galaxy S6 failed to reverse that trend, and there aren't enough killer features in the Galaxy S7 to change things and justify spending such a hefty price for an Android phone.
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