7 reasons to get the Samsung Galaxy S7

Samsung just announced their latest flagship duo, the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, two smartphones we think come pretty darn close to being perfect. They have significantly improved performance, features and a whole bunch of other goodies. But the big question is: Would you get one?

Well, here are 7 big reasons why you definitely should and why the S7 is a worthwhile upgrade over the S6.

1. Better performance

The Galaxy S7 and S7 edge are smartphone powerhouses. Powered by either a next-generation Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 quad-core SoC or Samsung’s very own next-gen Exynos 8890 octa-core chip (Malaysia is likely to get the Exynos version), the S7 and S7 edge surely pack a punch. Paired with 4GB of RAM and 32 or 64GB internal memory (expandable via microSD up to 200GB), the Galaxy S7 duo sees a 30% bump in CPU as well as over 60% bump in GPU performance from the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge.

That’s a massive amount especially if you consider how powerful the previous Galaxy already are. What’s more, the S7 and S7 edge is optimised for serious mobile gaming with dedicated features to help you maximise your smartphone gaming experience.

The S7 and S7 edge has got a dedicated “Game Launcher” function that lets you decide how you want to game — maximum power and FPS or maximum battery life and lower FPS — on the fly. What’s more, the feature also lets you mute all notifications so you wont be distracted when you’re getting serious mobile game time.

2. Better camera

The Galaxy S6 and S6 edge has among the best, if not the best cameras you can get on a smartphone. The S7 and S7 edge looks o continue this tradition with a brand new 12-megapixel Dual Pixel sensor mated to a super-fast f/1.7 aperture lens.

The new sensor delivers lighting-fast focusing — even in low-light. It also takes 95% brighter pictures thanks to the use of the larger 1.4 micron pixels coupled with a fast f/1.7 lens.

3. Bigger battery

Samsung has also increased the battery capacity over last year’s flagship. The S7 has a much larger 3,000 mAh battery for the Galaxy S7 (compared to 2,550 mAh in the S6) and an event bigger 3,600 mAh battery for the Galaxy S7 edge (compared to just 2,600 mah in the S6 edge). In addition, you get fast-charging support not only for wired charging but for wireless charging as well.

4. MicroSD expansion

Ah, the one fans lamented about when they found out the Galaxy S6/S6 edge didn’t come with it. Well, it’s back and I’m sure many of you Samsung fans are already rejoicing. But, before you bust out the confetti, the supported slot that lets you put up to a 200GB microSD card in, is shared. Yup, it’s a hybrid SIM slot which means you will have to choose between either a single SIM plus microSD setup, or a dual SIM without microSD setup.

Dang it!

Hey, at least you have the choice?

5. IP68 water resistant

Weather hazards are a nightmare that we simply can’t avoid sometimes. Just the other day, I got caught in one of the heaviest rainstorms I’ve ever experienced in Sunway Pyramid and it didn’t matter how big my umbrella was, I was completely drenched which obviously had me worried about my smartphone. But, if you pick up the Galaxy S7/S7 edge you won’t have to worry about such trivial matters like rain damaging your smartphone because it has a water-resistant rating of IP68.

Although that doesn’t mean you can go swimming with it, it will survive the accident drop in the pool and/or rainstorm. What’s more, the open ports have been coated with a special water-repellent coating that does away with the need for inconvenient and ugly flaps that you worry could fall off. Take that Galaxy S5!

6. Always-on display

One of the things I liked the most about many Windows Phone devices was their always-on display, or Glance Screen, as the marketing people would call it. Its a convenient feature that makes available basic notifications and information without the need to wake the phone. It’s great that Samsung has caught up with this as well.

Samsung’s always-on display lets you choose one of three different screens to display — your calendar, the time and personalised notifications of your choosing. Pretty nifty when all you can do is glance at the screen. Since its running on the Galaxy S7/S7 edge’s SuperAMOLED panel, only the pixels that are required will be lit so this feature has minimal effect on battery life.

7. Extensive edge features

Much like the new update that the Galaxy S6 edge received with Android 6.0 Marshmallow, the Galaxy S7 edge which comes with Marshmallow out of the box, also has a bunch of new edge improvements. Among which is the increased screen real estate allowing more information to be displayed on the edge screen. This extra screen space lets you do more with the Apps edge, Task edge and People edge — you won’t only have one row of apps, you will have two rows. Plus, you will get access to several Quick tools like a ruler, a compass as well as a flashlight. For more information, you can head on over here.

UPDATE: The Galaxy S7 edge is officially priced at RM3,099. Pre-orders will start on 7th March with extra early bird perks.