Samsung Galaxy S7 is one of the most anticipated smartphones of the first half of 2016 with many useful features and. But Samsung is not the only one that regularly pleases users with interesting innovations and developments. Hence the question: is it worth buying the Galaxy S7 or is there something better? Due to the fact that the concept of “better” is individual for each buyer, we will not criticize any devices, but will only consider worthy alternatives to the new flagship from Samsung.

iPhone

The closest competitors of the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge smartphones are the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus, respectively. In terms of functionality and performance, the devices are not inferior to each other - everything is at the highest level, in accordance with current trends and user requests. We won’t dwell on design – this is everyone’s personal matter.

Let's go over the significant differences.

Firstly, representatives of the seventh Galaxy line have acquired a slot for microSD flash cards, while the built-in memory capacity of the basic version is 32 GB. Apple gadgets do not support replacement cards and limit the buyer’s choice to a few standard solutions. The principle is simple: if you want more memory, you pay more. In this regard, the Samsung smartphone definitely wins.

The camera deserves no less attention - it works much better and of higher quality on Galaxy than on Apple. Plus, such a very useful option as moisture protection definitely adds points to the Galaxy S7’s score!

Along with this, according to the test results, all other things being equal, the iPhone lasts longer on a single battery charge than the new Galaxy. But is it worth overpaying for an extra hour and a half of battery life? You decide.

About younger brothers

They still keep their brand and do not lose their relevance, for which they deserve special attention. The key differences between S6 and S7 are as follows:

• S6 does not support flash cards;
• the sevens have the Always On function - in standby mode the phone screen turns off to save energy, while the status bar in the Edge modification can be made always active;
• the seventh series is equipped with high-quality moisture protection;
• S7 smartphones run on the latest Android out of the box;
• in the seven, the camera was radically redesigned, which made it possible to increase focusing speed, improve color rendition and detail, and also obtain many other advantages;
• Series 7 batteries have a higher capacity;
• "Sevens" are characterized by much better ergonomics.

Along with this, the Galaxy S6 can be bought without any problems for 30-50% cheaper than the S7. What to choose - everyone decides for themselves. these two devices!

For lovers of the unusual

There is a class of buyers whose representatives do not experience any particular financial difficulties and, at the same time, want to stand out from other users. We can suggest to such citizens to pay attention to the Blackberry PRIV model: the slider is traditionally equipped with a QWERTY keyboard, equipped with a high-quality AMOLED display with curved edges, as well as many interesting features.

Disadvantages: high cost, lack of official sales and warranty service.

Other Alternatives

Among other devices whose declared technical characteristics allow us to classify them as competitors of the Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 Edge, we can note, for example, the following models:

• Nexus 6P;
• Vivo XPlay 5;
• Meizu Pro 5;
• Sony X Performance.

Thus, if you wish, you can either choose a worthy alternative to the Samsung Galaxy S7 or give preference to the flagship from the South Korean manufacturer - the final decision is always yours!

P.S. In our opinion, Samsung S7 is still the best and uncompromising solution in 2016. Like if you agree with us!

Undoubtedly, Samsung is one of the best smartphone manufacturers in the world today. And although the devices of the South Korean giant are very popular, a number of the company’s products have their pros and cons. Unfortunately, the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge flagships announced at MWC 2016 have some drawbacks. Now, after the start of sales, I think many have already thought about purchasing one (or two at once?) of the top devices. To prevent the purchase from playing a cruel joke on the potential buyer, you need to immediately warn him about the various problems that new products have. Actually, that’s what we’ll get to now.

Firstly, the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge have a “legacy” Micro USB connector instead of USB Type-C. In addition, it is made according to the USB 2.0 standard. Of course, at the beginning of 2016, most accessories and cables (emphasis on the first syllable) are still intended for the old port. However, many manufacturers have already begun to equip their devices with a symmetrical connector, and the day is not far off when it will become more difficult to find charging for Micro USB. First of all, using USB Type-C makes it easier to connect wires and flash drives to a smartphone: no matter which way you turn it, you can’t go wrong. And the abandonment of the USB 3.0 interface is generally a mystery, because the speed on this bus is several times higher than that of USB 2.0. This in turn means that transferring many files from PC to smartphone and vice versa will take a long time.

Secondly, the non-removable battery may put you off buying the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge. Many frequently traveling users prefer to take an extra battery with them in order to extend the overall operating time of the device. When traveling, it is not always possible to connect a gadget to an outlet or carry a portable charger (Power Bank). In addition, instead of the “native” battery, you can easily install a more capacious battery in your smartphone.

Next, third, the drawback somewhat overlaps with the previous one and is a refusal to support Quick Charge 3.0. Instead of a new development from Qualcomm, the outdated QC 2.0 is used. Testing has shown that the technology of the third version is 38 percent more efficient than the previous one and allows you to charge the device twice as fast. By the way, the charging process from 0% to 80% takes approximately 35 minutes.

Fourth a possible reason for failure is an old fingerprint scanner, exactly the same as that installed in the previous Galaxy S6. This means that the sensor in the new smartphone has not become faster or “smarter”: the reading speed and the number of failures remain at the same level.

Inability to use an external memory card as a continuation of the internal one - fifth This is one of the disadvantages of the Galaxy S7. This feature first appeared in Android 6.0 Marshmallow, which is what this smartphone runs on. It allows, as already mentioned, to install a microSD card as additional internal memory space, and not as a separate one. Thus, the user would not have to think about placing his favorite movies, photos and music on the device.

Glass body - sixth a reason to think about some other smartphone. At one time, Samsung decided to abandon plastic and this step was positively received by the public. But time has shown that using glass is not a practical choice: it scratches easily and also breaks easily. It is much better to look at devices enclosed in metal or, if everything suits you, plastic cases; they will serve faithfully much longer.

Inflated cost at the start of sales - final, seventh, a reason not to get the Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 Edge. Of course, you need to pay for a premium smartphone with top specifications and an excellent camera, but not the same amount. For example, the Chinese company Xiaomi, which has already established itself well in the market, asks for the flagship Mi5 from 300 to 400 dollars, depending on the modification. Samsung, meanwhile, sells its new products starting at $700. At the same time, the only thing in which the South Korean devices are head and shoulders above is the camera. Another unique feature of the Galaxy S7 Edge is the curved display at the edges. Naturally, you will also have to pay extra for this, but not as much.

In conclusion, I would like to say that despite the listed shortcomings, which you can easily turn a blind eye to, the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge are excellent smartphones, close to ideal. No one here, of course, will dissuade you from buying new products, but I think that the purpose of this article has been fulfilled - to report on the problems that were found in these devices. So, if you have enough money in your stash and these “cons” do not matter, go ahead to the store to buy. Good luck!

They weren't that fundamental. The Galaxy S7 line of smartphones, especially the curved variant, was the culmination of several years of work by Samsung on design, internals and software. Naturally, these devices became one of the best smartphones of 2016.

Now they have gone on sale, so someone has a choice: buy them instead of the existing Galaxy S7 and or leave everything as is. We will try to compare these smartphones in all possible aspects, focusing on more, although many arguments apply to both versions.

What has changed in two years

The Galaxy S7 Edge was not Samsung's first attempt to release a screen with curved edges, but it showed the company's desire to separate the two flagship models. was more of a demonstration of technological capabilities, then was in moderate demand, after which it was released in the same year. Next, Samsung understood what users wanted and began to offer a combination of aesthetics and functionality.

The Galaxy S7 line reintroduced many user-favorite features, such as water protection, memory card support, and large batteries. At the same time, the development of software continued, which became more and more tolerant.

When you look at the Galaxy S7 Edge now, it starts to look dated, thanks in large part to the large bezels at the top and bottom of the 16:9 AMOLED screen, as well as the physical Home button. The body is still masterful and many don't like the decision in modern smartphones to move the fingerprint scanner to the back to get more screen space. The Galaxy S7 Edge forces the user to adopt Samsung's traditional navigation button layout, with the back button on the right and the recent apps button on the left, whereas the opposite is true on all other Android devices.

The Galaxy S7 Edge was Samsung's last with a microUSB connector. Although it existed in 2016, when the Galaxy S7 line was released, then accessories for it were not so common, so the owners of these smartphones lost little.

The 2016 flagship is significantly smaller than its current year equivalent. The screen diagonal is 5.5 inches versus 6.2 inches on the Galaxy S9 Plus. The whole difference is in length, while the width is almost the same. The new smartphone is much longer, which makes it more difficult to operate with one hand. You can try to fix this with a case, but then the smartphone will become thicker and heavier.

The Galaxy S9 Plus is more monolithic, it has a more symmetrical body and curves at the edges not only in the front but also in the back, but in general the engineering principles when developing these two devices were the same. Overall, the Galaxy S7 Edge is also a beautiful and capable device, even by today's standards.

The more changes, the more commonalities

Considering the difference of two years, the Galaxy S9+ is much better in terms of hardware specifications. significantly exceeds the Snapdragon 820 in speed and energy efficiency. RAM 4 GB versus 6 GB, storage 32 GB versus 64 GB. In both cases there is wireless charging, a headphone jack, and support for microSD memory cards. The Galaxy S7 Edge lacks facial recognition, although its usefulness is still questionable.

There is also no Bixby assistant and a button on the body to launch it, which is unlikely to upset anyone. At the same time, the battery of the old smartphone is larger and is 3600 mAh versus 3500 mAh, but a more efficient modern processor should provide longer battery life for the Galaxy S9+. The new device also has stereo speakers, which don't hurt, but you can live without.

The main difference between these smartphones is the rear cameras. While the Galaxy S7 Edge uses Samsung's 12MP f/1.7 aperture sensor like the Galaxy S8, the new model gets a secondary telephoto rear camera and a brighter f/1.5 aperture on the 12MP main camera. This aperture helps when shooting in low light, but the Galaxy S9+ performs better in all conditions thanks to the variable aperture.

In ideal conditions, both indoors and outdoors, both smartphones produce excellent images that are not similar except in white balance and HDR. For a two-year-old smartphone, this is very good.

In terms of software, the Galaxy S7 Edge runs on Samsung Experience. The difference between the two neighboring versions of Android is minimal, but it is always better to have a more modern version. Moreover, Samsung has promised to update the Galaxy S7 line to , although it will probably have to wait until the summer.

Should you update? Maybe

The answer is yes if you need a new smartphone. If you are quite happy with the Galaxy S7 Edge, there is no point in rushing to get rid of it.

Despite its not the most modern appearance, the device has many advantages. For example, this is a front Home button with a fingerprint scanner inside, the software and camera do not lose face. There is no Bixby here, which is a good thing for many, there is no facial recognition and stereo speakers, but for most users these are minor things. If you're not in a hurry, you can wait until the second half of the year or next year's Galaxy S.

The fact that the Galaxy S7 Edge remains a relevant smartphone today gives Samsung credit for its achievements in design, manufacturing, software and camera. If you want to change your smartphone right now, the Galaxy S8 will give you almost everything the same as the Galaxy S9, much cheaper.

On sale next week. Although Samsung is confident in the success of its new products, some analysts do not agree with this due to the fact that, despite all its novelty and a number of advantages over the iPhone 6s, the South Korean flagship has a number of serious shortcomings.

1. Micro-USB connector instead of USB-C

Contrary to rumors, the new Samsung smartphone does not have a USB-C connector. The advanced interface, similar to the Lightning connector, allows the plug to be inserted on either side and is characterized by high-speed data transfer. For unknown reasons, the Koreans did not switch their gadgets to USB-C, although the owners of some flagship Android devices are already using the new interface with all their might. The same LG G5, presented a few hours apart, supports USB-C version 3.0 with fast charging and fast data transfer.

2. Non-removable battery

Android fans consider the non-removable battery to be one of the main disadvantages of the Galaxy S7. The debate over which is better, a built-in or replaceable battery, has been going on for years. A replaceable battery is vital for travelers who go for weeks without access to electricity. In addition, it can be used for an emergency reboot of the gadget. If necessary, a removable battery allows you to install a more capacious battery into your smartphone.

3. Slow fingerprint scanner

Unlike Apple, which improves the Touch ID fingerprint scanner in each generation of iPhone, Samsung decided to use last year's module in the new Galaxy S7. Thus, unlocking smartphones will occur at the same speed and with the same number of errors as the Galaxy S6. According to initial user reviews, the smartphone takes a lot of time to process biometric information.

4. Lack of support for Quick Charge 3.0

Galaxy S6 supported Qualcomm's Quick Charge 2.0 fast charging feature. After the release of Quick Charge 3.0, it was logical to assume that Samsung would implement this technology in the Galaxy S7, but this did not happen. Quick Charge 3.0 technology was introduced last year and allows you to charge your smartphone up to 80% in just 35 minutes.

5.Android

The operating system is decisive when choosing a mobile device. And here, Galaxy S7 owners will have to put up with Android version 6.0. No one will argue with the statement that the iOS interface is more convenient and friendly, and the applications from the App Store are of higher quality and more reliable than those of its competitor. However, iOS does not suffer from malware, it does not have pre-installed carrier programs that fill the Galaxy S7 home screen.

This time we will talk about how to distinguish the original Samsung Galaxy S7 from a fake. First of all, this material is addressed to those who want to buy a “seven” cheaper on the Internet or in person. However, sometimes counterfeits are found even in reputable (at first glance) retail outlets.

Note that the question of how to check the authenticity of the Galaxy S7 will not worry you at all if you buy a smartphone in Samsung branded stores, or from the company’s official trading partners, which include large chains of consumer electronics stores and cellular phone stores. There is also minimal risk when buying a Samsung Galaxy S7 from mobile operators, unless, of course, we are talking about small regional companies that sometimes “sin” by selling “gray” handsets.

However, taking into account the current difficult economic situation in Russia and many countries of the former USSR, many will be pushed to buy the Samsung Galaxy S7 as cheaply as possible, and here the question of how to distinguish the original Galaxy S7 from a fake “rises to its full extent.”

Ideally, if you can feel the device in your hands, for example, during delivery by courier. The original Galaxy S7 measures 142.5 x 69.5 x 7.9 mm, and with the camera lens, which protrudes slightly above the back cover, the thickness will be 8.7 mm. Many fakes are made in violation of the dimensions of the original, although to evaluate it you need to have a ruler.

Don't worry - take the original!

Where are fake Galaxy S7s sold?

On the Internet in small online stores with a dubious reputation, on large online trading platforms (eBay, AliExpress, AliBaba, etc.), on social networks, in markets, small shops and kiosks that are not related to networks, from hand to hand various online auctions or advertisements.

Of course, this is where you can buy a real Samsung Galaxy S7 at a lower price than from official representatives. However, the risk of purchasing a counterfeit increases, as well as colliding with unlocked carrier models, for which the software update process is very difficult (occurs through the operator’s services, not Samsung). You can also purchase a regional version that does not have normal Russification or does not have it at all, and also does not support local frequencies of 4G operators.

In the last two cases, although you purchase the original Galaxy S7, you automatically lose any warranty: operator models, as a rule, are serviced only through the operator's service, and regional models, at best, will be sent for repairs to the country of original destination.

Note that the lower the price of the Samsung Galaxy S7, the higher the likelihood that this is a fake. No one will sell the original for 1/3 of the cost, even used, unless we are talking about a partially broken or not working device at all.

What shouldn't the original Galaxy S7 have?

One of the easiest ways to distinguish the original Samsung Galaxy S7 from a fake is by checking the functionality and characteristics. First of all, what should not happen:

1. Built-in TV and special antenna. This is a sure sign of a purely Chinese smartphone (a feature of the local market), but even the Chinese Galaxy S7 SM-G9300 does not have one.
2. Processors other than Exynos 8890 (8 cores) and Snapdragon 820 (4 cores). The latter is used only for Chinese and American versions. If there is, say, a chipset from Mediatek or an older Snapdragon 810 inside, you are guaranteed to see a fake. Samsung does not use such solutions.
3. No stylus. In original Samsung smartphones - only in the Galaxy Note line.
4. Older Android 5.x and especially Android 4.x.
5. Color different from the original set. The exception is special limited editions, which usually cost much more than the standard version.
6. Lack of MicroSD slot.
7. The built-in memory capacity is 16 Gb and even less.
8. Modified firmware on “pure” Android or with any other shell other than Samsung TouchWiz Nature UX (aka Samsung Vibrant UX).
9. Activated root mode.

The last two points, however, are possible when purchasing used and unlocked models, but the seller must warn in advance about such modifications.

Check by IMEI

This check is not a complete guarantee against counterfeiting, as representatives of Samsung itself say, but it is worth carrying out. For Galaxy S7 there are two verification options:

1. Open the Phone application and dial *#06# on the keyboard. The IMEI value should appear on the screen.
2. On the box under the barcode (there is also a serial number).

Service code

Another way to check the authenticity of the Samsung Galaxy S7 is to have a special proprietary service code *#7353#. Called in the same way through the “Phone” application. It may, however, be absent on the “left” firmware.

Benchmarks and other utilities

If you have the opportunity to touch the device “live”, then you can distinguish the original Samsung Galaxy S7 from a fake by installing benchmarks (AnTuTu, Geekbench) and utilities (CPU-Z) that provide information about the hardware. Firstly, you can find out the characteristics of the hardware, and secondly, check the performance and compare with