Samsung Galaxy S7 Release Date, Specs & Price

If you'd like to be surprised at the Samsung Galaxy S7 launch, I suggest that you hit the back button now or go and read something else on the site, as the recent burst of leaks have just confirmed everything that we thought we knew - including the phone's release date.

Announced this morning on Samsung's own website, the Galaxy S7 will be unveiled on the 21st February at this year's MWC conference in Barcelona. Samsung promises that this "next step is bigger than any we've taken so far", implying we might see a lot more than just a new phone launch. If its teaser video is anything to go by, we might see a new Gear VR headset for the S7 as well, as the video shows someone reaching out for a cube (lit on the sides to show the number seven) while wearing the headset. We'll know more when we get to MWC in just three weeks time, but for now, here's everything we know about the S7 so far.
All you need to know, quickly

What is it? Samsung's latest smartphone, and the update to the existing Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge

When is it out? It will be announced at MWC on 21st February 2016, with the phone likely hitting the shops in March or April

What's new? Don't expect a lot of differences from the outside, but we may see 4K displays (not that likely), a return to Qualcomm processors (more likely) and Android Marshmallow (very likely)

Release date

The phone might be being unveiled on 21st February, but that doesn't mean you'll necessarily be able to buy that day. Instead, Samsung normally releases its phones a month or so after MWC has taken place, and at the moment, it's looking like a March release is definitely on the cards.

According to Evan Blass, @evleaks on Twitter, it's, "Starting to look like a Friday, March 11th Galaxy release in the U.S." Blass has an excellent track record with this kind of information, so I'm inclined to believe him and think that this release date is genuine.

Note that this is only the US release date for the phone. There's no information about a UK launch just yet, but we typically get the new phones at the same time as the US, so I'd expect to see the Galaxy S7 on sale here on the 11th as well. As always, I'll bring you more information as it comes in.
Return of the SD card, bigger battery and 12-megapixel camera

The Galaxy S6 was one of the best phones of 2015, but Samsung's decision to drop the microSD card slot upset a surprisingly large number of fans, as it made the phone's storage capabilities less flexible than its competitors. It also meant you had a shell out a lot more money to get one of the higher capacity models (much like Apple's iPhones), but this could all be a thing of the past, as a new report from VentureBeat claims that both the Galaxy S7 and its curved companion the Galaxy S7 Edge will in fact come with microSD card slots.

According to "a person briefed on the company's plans", both of Samsung's top end 2016 smartphones will be compatible with cards up to 200GB. They will also be rated as IP67 dust and water resistant, meaning that Sony's Xperia Z5 might not be the one of the only waterproof smartphones on the market any more. Of course, without concrete confirmation from Samsung itself, it's difficult to say for certain whether these details are actually correct. Still, microSD card support would certainly go a long way to appease fans who felt slightly put out by the Galaxy S6, and the added protection against water and dust would be an excellent bonus in terms of everyday practicality.

While two rumours don't make a fact, yet another leak points at the return of the SD card slot, plus a couple of surprises. According to a spec sheet posted on Weibo (see below), and discovered by PhoneArena, the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge will indeed have a microSD card slot. In addition, the leaked sheet suggests that the S7 Edge will have a 5.5in screen, but considering the Antutu benchmark information above, this seems less likely now.

Interestingly, the camera resolution is being predicted to drop from 16-megapixels to 12-megapixels. However, while the resolution may be lower, f/1.7 lens will let in more light (the current S6 has an f/1.9 lens). Rumours abound that the new sensor will be comparatively large at 1/2". A larger sensor means that each pixel gets more light, so noise is reduced and quality is improved. Finally, the leak suggests that the battery size will be increased. Combined with the new, more efficient processor, it should mean that the S7 will last longer than its predecessor, which is great news if true.

Digsby
IM, Email, and Social Networks in one easy to use application!
http://kvors.com/click/?s=88377&c=89569&subid=21039


Design to remain largely the same as S6

The Samsung Galaxy S6 was a huge departure from the Galaxy S5. Not only did Samsung completely change the materials it was made from, but it also revamped the design, giving it a more modern look and feel than its somewhat cheap-looking predecessor.

However, it looks like the upcoming Galaxy S7 will be continuing the S6's design legacy, as the latest rumours suggest it will look very similar to Samsung's existing crop of flagships rather than try something a bit more radical. Indeed, phone accessory retailer Mobile Fun has just got hold of some new case renders for the Galaxy S7, giving us our very first glimpse of the phone in the flesh.

The cases come from Olixar, and show that the overall shape of the phone is still largely the same as the S6. However, we can see that the front-facing camera has a new position in the top right corner of the phone, and that the physical home button has a slimmer, more overt rectangle shape.

It also looks as though Samsung might have shaved a couple of millimetres off above and below the screen, potentially reducing the phone's overall height. It's hard to tell without exact measurements, but it certainly looks as though the screen takes up a bigger proportion of the phone's front than the S6. The SIM card slot has also moved further down the bottom edge of the phone, but the rear-facing camera still looks like it will protrude out the back.

We've also had a glimpse of what the S7 Edge might look like, as we've had another batch of case renders come through from Mobile Fun. These cases, made by Rearth, show a slightly different home button to the Olixar cases above, as it looks much more in keeping with the fatter, rounder home button of the S6. The placement of the power and volume buttons is the same, though, and also reveals that the headphone jack will be on the bottom of the handset next to what looks like a standard Micro USB port.

The Galaxy S7 could also have a newer, stronger glass panel. Korean site KBench has allegedly spotted a trademark request from Samsung filling for a new type of glass cover called Turtle Glass, which is meant to be even more sturdy than Corning's Gorilla Glass, which is currently used on the S6 and many other top-end smartphones. inews24.com has also reported that the S7 might be in line to use a new magnesium-based alloy chassis to strengthen it further, potentially leading to better heat dissipation and a lighter phone overall.

Either way, it sounds like durability will be one of Samsung's key focus areas for the S7 next year, no doubt in an effort to one-up Apple's iPhone 6S which uses the same type of aluminium that you'll find in planes. On the whole, though, the S6's build quality was already excellent, although various review samples I've had in have nearly all come with cracked rear panels, so there's definitely room for improvement. A stronger type of glass would certainly be welcome, but we probably won't know for sure until early next year.
Display

Samsung uses a 5.1in 2,560x1,440 Super AMOLED screen in the S6 and S6 Edge, and it’s likely that this screen size and resolution will continue for the next-generation S7. It's possible the S7 Edge might have a bigger 5.5in screen, but it now seems like this screen size will appear on the rumoured Galaxy S7 Edge+ instead, leaving the regular S7 Edge as the same size as its flat sibling.

It's therefore unlikely that Samsung will now go for a 4K (3,840x2,160) resolution. It certainly has the technology to do so, but the Antutu benchmarks leaked above describe yet another 2,560x1,440 resolution. I've also yet to be convinced of the benefits of having a 4K resolution on such a small screen, as Sony's Xperia Z5 Premium showed when it launched last year. Not only did it not render in 4K most of the time anyway, it only did so in Sony's Photo and Video apps.

Another handset Samsung will no doubt be watching is the iPhone 6S, as it's recently been reported on Chinese social media site Weibo that it may be developing press-sensitive displays similar to Apple's 3D Touch panels. The report says it might use Synaptics' new ClearForce technology to let users bring up extra options on the screen.

ClearForce uses a similar kind of force-sensitive touch interface to 3D Touch, and Synaptics has said that it will provide manufacturers with "new dimensions in user interfaces such as speed scrolling, zoom, gaming, and text or photo editing by applying variable force with a finger or stylus." The company's also confirmed that it's already working closely with leading manufacturers to deliver ClearForce-enabled smartphones by early 2016, making the Galaxy S7 a definite possibility if the Weibo report turns out to be true.

- ExpertReviews