The new S7 and S7 Edge by Samsung are perfect examples of this. One features a traditional screen while the other opts for a curved, bezel-less design, but make no mistake, both are killer phones. Here are five highlights.
1. They’re Waterproof (Again)
Though Samsung dropped its waterproof rating for the S5, the new S7 and S7 Edge once again offer this welcome bit of insurance. The Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge both offer waterproof protection, achieving an IP68 rating. Suffice to say, you won’t have to keep your phone in your pocket on a rainy day.
Standing for “Immersion Protection,” the IP rating indicates how resilient an electronic device is against dust and liquids — the first number is for dust protection while the second is for liquid protection. Samsung’s new flagships come with the highest possible rating, and can resist being immersed in 1.5 meters (or nearly five feet) of water for up to 30 minutes.
2. They’re Water-cooled
If you know anything about cars or computers, you know that water-cooling is the most efficient way to dissipate unwanted heat. Samsung has taken this concept to heart with its new S7 and S7 Edge smartphones, and incorporated a type of liquid cooling for improved performance.
With some of the most powerful processors found in a smartphone — in the United States, the S7 and S7 Edge ship with Qualcomm’s 820 quad-core processor — keeping the phone cool is vitally important. To accomplish this, Samsung has designed a system that utilizes a copper tube in order to evacuate heat. Liquid within this tube is heated up by the processor and vaporized – it then moves up the tube, away from the heat source, where it condenses back into liquid.
3. They Feature Quad-HD Displays
The 5-inch displays on the S7 and S7 Edge (as you would expect, the display on the S7 Edge is slightly larger than that found on the standard S7 – 16 percent bigger, in fact) offer superb color, clarity, and resolution. At 2560 x 1440 pixels in size, these quad-HD displays have four times the resolution of a standard 1080p high-definition screen. This yields a clearer picture for videos, mobile games, mobile apps, web browsing, and more.
4. They’re Always On (Sort of)
Anyone who uses a smartphone as their watch knows the routine when checking the time — they take the phone out of their pocket, bag, or purse and then press the Home or power button, check the time on the screen, and then quickly put the phone back. It’s hardly efficient for a task so simple (this is particularly true for watch-wearers!), but it’s a routine that many make. On the new Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, this information is always displayed. Simply look at the phone, and the time (along with battery life and pertinent notifications) is shown. You’ll never want to press the Home button again. Additionally, wireless carriers such as T-Mobile are offering a year of Netflix to customers who purchase the S7 or s7 Edge.
5. They Have Better Cameras Than Ever (with a catch)
Here’s the caveat, right up front: Samsung’s new flagships, the S7 and S7 Edge, have lower megapixel cameras than the phones they replace. While the Samsung Galaxy S5 and S6 came standard with a 16MP camera, the new S7 and S7 Edge offer a 12MP camera. You may be confused as to how this is better, but here’s the deal — the S7 includes a dual pixel sensor for greater clarity than ever, as well as an all-new f/1.7 aperture lens for improved low-light performance. Thus, even though the total number of pixels within the image is less than before, the picture quality — and the camera’s ability to pick up light in difficult conditions — is better. In the real world, this means your selfies at the bar won’t look like they were colored in by crayons.
