Samsung is getting set to release its latest premium phones–the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge–later this month, on February 21.
According to new information and leaked images collected by Evan Blass of VentureBeat, the two new phones will look almost identical to their predecessors, the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. In fact, it’s very difficult to see even one detail in the leaked photos that diverges from the S6 and S6 Edge designs.
One big difference, Blass says (citing a source with knowledge of Samsung’s plans), is that while the S7 will retain the 5.1-inch diagonal screen size of its predecessor, the S7 Edge will have a larger 5.5-inch display.
If leaked data is correct (and Blass has a very good record in this regard) the new phones’ improvements will be largely under the hood.
The S6 line of the phones, including the larger S6+ and S6 Edge+, have been criticized for their battery life. In my experience, the S6 Edge+ battery lasts well more than a day, and takes far longer to charge than the iPhone (my other phone). So the S7 will get a new, larger battery that could improve battery life by as much as 20%.
The S7 phones will also get full waterproofing (a feature that’s also expected in the new iPhone 7 that will be announced later this year).
One of the annoying design elements of the S6 line is the camera housing that protrudes a couple of millimeters from the back of the phone. Samsung is said to have reduced the megapixel count of the phone’s camera from 16 megapixels down to 12 megapixels to allow the camera to fit completely inside the body of the phone.
The S7 camera, however, will feature an f/1.7 lens aperture, improved from the f/1.9 aperture of the S6 camera, Blass reports. This may help with the great downfall of the S6 camera (and virtually all smartphone cameras)–the inability to shoot non-grainy photos in low-light situations.
Blass said that the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge will feature a microSD slot on the side of the phone for extra storage.
Finally, Samsung tweeted a teaser for an upcoming Galaxy device announcement, which will take place at an event in Barcelona one day before the start of Mobile World Congress. The announcement will almost certainly feature the S7 and S7 Edge.
Blass believes the new phones will go on sale in the U.S. March 11.
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