The Galaxy S7 from Samsung will be the major smartphone release of the early months of 2016. With this handset just a few weeks away, certainly in terms of unveiling, it is only natural that the rumors circulating about the device are intensifying. The Korean corporation is yet to confirm the existence of the Galaxy S7, but this is certainly not a secret mobile. There is no doubt that Samsung will be updating the Galaxy S series in Q1 of 2016, and the Korean company will be hoping to snatch a significant tranche of the post-Christmas market; traditionally a source of rich pickings for Apple.
And with analysts expecting the Galaxy S7 to launch in March, with an unveiling even before that in February, the key information about this smartphone is beginning to seep out. The next offering in the Galaxy S range has already been leaked in AnTutu benchmarks, and there has now been a further exposing of this smartphone by Geekbench.
Galaxy S7 – Geekbench leak
This is a particularly significant leak, as the latest information provides a virually complete picture of the smartphone that Samsung will release imminently. And we should certainly pay heed to this information, as Geekbench has previously revealed credible data about the forthcoming Galaxy S7. But previous listings from the publication have showed possible specifications for the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 version of the handset.
By contrast this latest benchmark information instead relates to the Exynos 8890 model of the mobile. It is generally expected that this particular handset may not ultimately end up in the North American market, and possibly not even in the Western marketplace as a whole. But it is still interesting and valuable to assess this latest information, which was apparently discovered by the Hungarian language tech site NapiDroid initially.
According to images provided by these sources, the Galaxy S7 will feature 4GB of RAM memory, and run off Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. There is nothing hugely surprising about this information, as it has long been expected that we would see the updated version of Android powering this smartphone. And 4GB of RAM would certainly make sense for the Galaxy S7, meaning that this new rumor can certainly be taken seriously.
Display
The leaks also suggest that the Galaxy S7 will feature a 5.1-inch display with 2,560 x 1,440 quad HD resolution. This might be viewed as something of a disappointment by Samsung fans, even though it can be considered an unsurprising development. Over the last few months, suggestions that Samsung might embrace 4K resolution with this mobile have died down considerably, and it seems a certainty that this will indeed be a quad HD handset.
Cameras
The benchmark rumors also suggest that the Galaxy S7 will feature a 12-megapixel main camera, with a 5-megapixel front-facing unit for the committed selfie-capturer. As reported previously by ValueWalk, Samsung is likely to arm the Galaxy S7 with its revolutionary BRITECELL technology, and this explains the fact that the megapixel rating has declined from previous releases.
Far from this being a recession in the photographic capabilities of the Galaxy S range, this new snapper will enable a quality of low-light shooting that has hitherto been unwitnessed in mobile photography. Well, at least according to Samsung!
Battery
Benchmarking data also indicates that the Galaxy S7 will feature a larger battery than its predecessor. This would seem to be a sensible move, as there has been some criticism of Samsung for cutting battery sizes in its previous smartphone releases.
Perhaps the Korean corporation felt that it could afford to do this, as Samsung has reigned supreme to some extent in the battery life department, certainly having supremacy over its great Apple rival. But it seems that the Galaxy S7 will be a return to form, with Samsung ensuring that this smartphone possesses outstanding battery capabilities.
Design
Aside from the information provided from benchmarking, it is suggested by numerous reliable sources, such as the Korean Times, Wall Street Journal and Reuters that the Galaxy S7 will have an almost identical appearance to last year’s Galaxy S6. This implies that the smartphone will be primarily constructive from aluminum and glass, with the acclaimed design of 2015 seemingly largely be retained.
One notable aspect of the design, though, is that the camera bulge which has been criticized in some quarters in previous releases, will be eliminated completely. This would be a welcome design innovation if indeed it comes to fruition.
Storage and Micro SD
It seems increasingly possible that Samsung will reintroduce micro SD technology with the Galaxy S7, producing a smartphone that is capable of delivering 128GB storage. This would bring the flagship smartphone of Samsung in line with the existing iPhone series, and this would seem to be essential considering the memory demands of media in the contemporary mobile marketplace.
Charging
Wireless charging is likely to be retained from the Galaxy S6, but it is also suggested that Samsung will implement its Quick Charge 3.0 technology when the Galaxy S7 is released. The emphasis will be on producing a smartphone that is particularly convenient for users.
Touch Sensitive
With Apple having released its 3D Touch system in the iPhone last year, it is suggested that Samsung will follow suit in 2016 by including pressure-sensitive technology in the Galaxy S7. Samsung has reportedly recruited Synaptics in order to use its ClearForce technology, and it is widely anticipated that this will be a trumpeted aspect of the Galaxy S7 when it is released.
Release date and pricing
It is expected that the Galaxy S7 will be unveiled in February, possibly at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. This year this event takes place between the dates of February 22 and February 25. In terms of pricing, Samsung has confirmed absolutely nothing about this at the time of writing, and therefore any assessment is really based on analysing the market. Considering the pasting that the Korean company took in the marketplace last year from Apple, it would certainly be advisable for the company to now freeze the price of the Galaxy S7 when it is released.
