Samsung Galaxy S7 VS Galaxy S6 Hands On

March 27, 2016 Android New Launch Reviews Samsung

Galaxy recently unveiled the newest flagship for its Galaxy S series at MWC 2016. Unlike last year, there isn’t much to be seen in terms of innovative features in the new model. However, that does not mean that there is nothing to be excited about the Galaxy S7. In order to see how much upgrade is available with the newest flagship, we have decided to pair it with the Galaxy S6.

Design

With the design of the Galaxy S6, we see that Samsung has really done well. Consequently, the Galaxy S7 has much in common with the previous model in terms of build quality. The Galaxy S7 comes with the same metal and glass unibody construction, the same with the Galaxy S6. However, Samsung didn’t make any change to remove the slipperiness of the smartphone. However, the design is great, it feels good.

The Galaxy S7 smartphone comes with a few refinements and addition to what we have seen with the Galaxy S6. Like Galaxy Note 5, this flagship has curved sides along the back so that when you hold it, it stays snugly in your palm. Although it comes with the protruding camera at the rear, it is not as pronounced as that in the S6. Moreover, it has rounded sides and corners that will help to improve the user experience.

The S7 is thicker, but is lesser in height and width than the S6. This is a nice feature for those with small hands. Overall, there is a lot of similarity in the design of both smartphones. However, the Galaxy S7 is available in true black color so that it not only feels good but well distinguished from the older version when put side by side. 

Display 

Just like the Galaxy S6, the Galaxy S7 has a Quad HD resolution and a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display, which results in a pixel density of 577 ppi. With both phones having signature elements for Super AMOLED screens, you can expect to see deep blacks, great viewing angles and brightness, among other things. Samsung, being well known for the great display quality has not disappointed with the display of the Galaxy S7. The display is once more a winner on the S7 flagship. 

The addition to the display is the Always on feature on the Galaxy S7. With this feature, you can view the time, calendar, weather information, notifications, and other phone related matters at a glance, without having to wake the device. Now, this feature is limited – this is the first device in the Galaxy S series to use it. At this point, it is unclear whether Samsung will make this feature available to Galaxy S6 users or if it is exclusive to S7 and upcoming flagships. 

Hardware and Performance 

Last year, when Samsung released the Galaxy S6, it was not with the popular Qualcomm processor. The company decided to favor its in-house developed processing package, the octa-core Exynos 7420 processor for the S6 as well as other high-end devices after it. Each of them has 3GB of RAM. However, the Galaxy S7 is a comeback for the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor with Adreno 530 GPU and 4GB of RAM. However, the newest device will also be available in Exynos 8 octa processor with the same RAM capacity, for some selected markets. 

The Galaxy S7 is expected to be one of the best smartphones from Samsung that you will ever experience. With the Snapdragon 820 and Exynos 8 Octa, you will be able to enjoy smooth operation of the new flagship. Compared to the Galaxy S6, the S7 is going to be far more operative as it has expanded RAM capability. And the upgrade in the processing department is going to make the successor to the Galaxy S6 to be even more efficient. 

In the hardware department, Samsung has returned some features that were lacking in the Galaxy S6 and addition of a whole others. With the Galaxy S6, Samsung decided to leave out the capability to expand the storage capacity, which didn’t go well with fans. The company has decided to return the feature with the S7. Another interesting feature in this department is the protection from elements. The Galaxy S7 has IP68 rating for dust protection. It is water resistant – it can be submerged in water up to 1.5m for as long as 30 minutes without any drag in performance. 

The concern of most fans is with the battery capacity. Like the Galaxy S6, the battery on the S7 is also non-removable. Moreover, the Galaxy S7 is coming with a better battery capacity than its predecessor. In Galaxy S7, you will find 3,000 mAh non-removable battery as opposed to the 2,500 mAh capacity in the Galaxy S6. Like its predecessor, the new flagship will come with wireless charging as well as fast charging capabilities. 

Camera 

The Samsung Galaxy S7 sports a 12MP rear camera, compared to the 16MP rear camera in the Galaxy S6. Although this is downgrade, the S7 makes for the deficiency in its aperture lens, which is f/1.7 compared to the f/1.7 aperture lens in the Galaxy S6. The camera sensor on the Galaxy S7 is also larger, so that it is capable of taking in more light and perform better in low light situations. If the camera performance in the Galaxy S6 is spectacular, you should expect to see the same or better performance with this model. 

Software 

There is not much improvement in the software side of things. However, a new experimental feature has been included in the Galaxy S7. Under the Lab section in the Settings menu of your Galaxy S7, you can easily turn off the app drawer, which is a feature that is already seen in the LG G5. The Galaxy S7 will come with the latest TouchWiz with the latest Android OS: Marshmallow. The update to this upgrade will later be made available for the Galaxy S6. 

Conclusion 

There you have it, a quick look at the differences and similarities between the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S6. Although both seem to be similar in terms of build quality and design, a number of features have been added in the S7. There is water resistance, higher battery capacity and other key features.