Update: New rumors suggest the Galaxy S7 will look mostly like the Galaxy S6, with only a few tweaks to the design and a new 3D Touch-like screen technology. It’s looking ever more likely that the Galaxy S7 will arrive earlier than expected, and may come with microSD support and water resistance. Samsung has also announced a new camera sensor, which could be used in the phone. And we’ve seen both the rumoured Exynos 8890 and Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipsets benchmarked.
Samsung’s Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge reinvigorated the flailing smartphone brand, giving it a new lease of life with a fresh design and some brand new features.
Samsung is going to have to do a lot of work to be able to repeat the trick – but there’s much more that can be improved on in the new phone, so there’s plenty of scope.
We don’t expect for a little while yet though – usually Samsung takes time out in late February or early March to announce its flagships at MWC in Barcelona, and we expect it to be the same again this year.
However, dozens of rumors about the new phone have already rolled in, so here’s everything we’ve picked up so far.
Cut to the chase
What is it? The next flagship phone from Samsung’s Galaxy S line.
When is it out? Probably Mobile World Congress at the end of February.
What will it cost? Expect expensive – it’s bound to be one of the more costly phones to buy this year.
Samsung Galaxy S7: The techradar concept
When it comes to the new Samsung Galaxy S7, we want to see Samsung departing from the standard, blocky smartphone design. What we want this time is something innovative, something that pushes the boundaries and takes into account all the awesome technology Samsung keeps promising.
So here’s how we think it should shake down: TechRadar’s Galaxy S7, complete with all the technology Samsung has talked about, with a few of our own flourishes thrown in…
The main difference is, again, the screen. If Samsung is going to make a success of the Gear VR, it needs a better screen, and leaping forward to 8K will make looking at the display a pin-sharp experience.
The other big thing we’re hoping to finally see is the iris scanning technology that will supersede the fingerprint scanners we’re seeing in more and more phones. With dual hi-res scanning cameras on the front, with enhanced apertures, simply turning the phone screen on will confirm your identity.
The edges of the super-sharp screen are now properly pushed to the side of the phone, with the notifications now showing properly either side – the S6 Edge has the curves as decoration, but now they’re actually going to be used.
Of course, TouchWiz still remains… but hey, there’s only so much we can hope for…
Samsung Galaxy S7 release date
China Mobile put a post up on social media showing all the big phone launches it expects to see in the coming months and the Samsung Galaxy S7 was included under MWC 2016. It suggests the network knows a little bit more than it should be telling us.
Samsung has recently been unveiling its Galaxy S flagships at MWC and releasing them shortly after. This year MWC is held between February 22-25, but it would likely be launched in the few days leading up to the event opening.
A previous rumor suggested the Galaxy S7 could be announced on January 19, but that date is so close now and there’s still no word from Samsung.
Even analysts at SK Securities thought the Galaxy S7 could be unveiled as soon as January for an early February launch, while other sources claimed Samsung had started developing the firmware a month early.
But we’d still put our money on a Mobile World Congress announcement, now just to wait for an official press conference invite.
Samsung Galaxy S7 design
Given that Samsung has only just overhauled its flagship design for the Galaxy S6 we’re not expecting massive changes in the Samsung Galaxy S7. Any changes on the Galaxy S7 are expected to be small with a largely similar look to the Galaxy S6.
A source close to Samsung told The Korea Times, “As the S6 and S6 Edge represented progress, the S7 will have improvements both in picture quality, performance and other some new features. The key point is can consumers enjoy content with enhanced viewing quality and boosted processing speed.”
There may be a few tweaks to the look of both the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge, but it seems Samsung wants to keep a largely similar design language across the board. However, while the look is likely to be similar, it’s possible that the S7 will be IP67 certified dust and water resistant, just like the Galaxy S5.
One rumor has suggested Samsung will be dropping the Galaxy S7 Edge from its range and instead releasing a new phablet called the Galaxy S7 Edge+. It’s expected to feature a 5.7-inch display with a 2K resolution as well as being a generally bigger handset. However, according to a more recent rumor Samsung will offer both the Edge and the Edge+.
On top of that the Galaxy S7 may be built of a different type of metal. Sources claim the company is experimenting with a magnesium based alloy that will make the phone stronger whilst keeping it light and allow the heat out when the processor is working hard. This rumor has popped up again recently, so it could be accurate.
A slim metal and glass build seems likely and whatever we get it’s likely to be premium, especially as there’s a rumor that the battery won’t be removable specifically because making it so would compromise the design.
Samsung Galaxy S7 renders
One of our best potential looks yet at the Galaxy S7 isn’t actually from the phone itself, but from a render built based on leaks.
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