The latest report on the Galaxy S7 suggests that Samsung has made a final decision regarding the models it will release of its flagship smartphone. There has certainly been more complexity in the Galaxy line-up than in the Apple iPhone series in recent years, and with Samsung hoping to close the gap on the market-leader, it seems that the Korean company is looking to simplify its product range.
Samsung Galaxy S7 to have two models
Samsung is purportedly planning to launch the Galaxy S7 in February, as has been predicted previously, and it will release two new models of this major mobile. It seems that the Korean electronics giant is planning to produce a Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge version, and that the size of these two units will be updated in accordance with the contemporary marketplace.
This rumor has emanated from a credible source, with the reports appearing in South Korea’s Electronic Times, and later being reported by Reuters. According to these murmurings, Samsung will release a flatscreen 5.2-inch Galaxy S7 handset, which will be accompanied by a 5.7-inch Galaxy S7 Edge model.
If this does indeed turn out to be correct, it will mean that Samsung has significantly increased the size of its flagship smartphone. The Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge both feature 5.1-inch displays, with Samsung having released a phablet-sized version of the Galaxy S6 Edge when the Galaxy Note 5 was unveiled. The Galaxy S6 Edge+ benefits from a 5.7-inch screen, but it seems that Samsung will attempt to simplify the way that its flagship mobile range is presented in 2016.
Central to this decision seems to be offering Galaxy consumers more size options, while also unifying the Galaxy S range under a single banner. With the Galaxy S and Galaxy Note series having become a little convoluted in the last couple of years, this has arguably posed problems for Samsung with consumers.
February release
With Samsung facing competition from Apple and more affordable Android variants, it will be essential for the company to time the release of the Galaxy S7 effectively. Thus, it has been suggested that the smartphone is earmarked for a February release, with the idea of stealing some of the vestiges of the post-Christmas market from its great rival Apple.
As the Korean corporation eyes a successful launch of the device, reports from Korea also suggest that the Galaxy S7 will be launched with an initial production run of 5 million devices. This will be divided at a ratio of 2:1, as it is suggested that Samsung will produce 3.3 million Galaxy S7 units alongside 1.6 million Galaxy S7 Edge units. This does somewhat contradict previous reports, which suggested that Samsung would split the production of the two devices roughly 50-50 this time round.
Samsung has declined to respond to any of these rumors, and it is not yet thus confirmed whether we will see the Galaxy S7 in February. But it seems increasingly likely that the Korean company is planning to release the Galaxy S7 ahead of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Usually this event is reserved for the unveiling of the device, but it seems probable that the Galaxy S7 will be commercially available by the time the trade show rolls around in 2016.
Display
With Samsung currently finalizing the design of the Galaxy S7 internally, there is now a huge amount of speculation, leaked information and reports available on the make-up of this major smartphone contender. The first area where Samsung could choose to improve the Galaxy S7 is with regard to the display of the device. Clearly an important area for all smartphones, it is perhaps especially critical for Samsung, owing to the fact that the Korean manufacturer has become particularly associated with screen technology.
But the consensus of opinion is that Samsung will not improve the resolution of the Galaxy S7, and will instead stick with the Quad HD resolution that was delivered last time out. This doesn’t seem to have been affected by an increase in screen size, but it is not inconceivable that the mooted phablet-sized version of the Galaxy S7 could be a 4K device.
Design
Samsung rejigged the entire appearance of its smartphone range in 2015, so it seems reasonable to assert that there will be a more conservative approach this year. This is particularly likely considering that the design of the Galaxy S6 was well received both critically and by consumers.
Specifications
The Galaxy S7 is likely to ship with different processors for different marketplaces. This will mean that the Western world will receive a Galaxy S7 featuring the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820. Other markets, likely Korea and other Asian countries, the Middle East and Africa, may get a Galaxy S7 with an Exynos 8890 chipset.
Samsung is also likely to boost the internal memory of the Galaxy S7, particularly as early reports on the iPhone 7 Plus suggest that Apple will improve its capacity to 3GB. This could mean that Samsung ensures that the Galaxy S7 is powered by 4GB of RAM memory, effectively matching the capacity of the existing Galaxy Note 5. Previously Samsung has used memory to differentiate between the two device ranges, but it will almost certainly upgrade the Galaxy Note in 2016 as well.
A must for Samsung with the Galaxy S7 is to improve the storage capacity of the smartphone. With the Galaxy S6 only having offered a maximum storage of 64GB, it would seem to be essential to significantly increase this quotient. Again, reports on the iPhone 7 suggest that the device will ultimately feature 256GB of storage, so surely a 128GB version of the Galaxy S7 is vital. This could well be achieved by the reintroduction of micro SD.
A 3,500-mAh battery has also been linked with the Galaxy S7, as Samsung attempts to ensure that the device offers a fantastic battery life, while pundits believe that a 20-megapixel snapper is also likely for the Galaxy S7.
There is no doubt that the Galaxy S7 and and Galaxy S7 Edge will be massive smartphone releases in 2016, and excitement will already be building for the release of these two handsets.
