With the Samsung Galaxy S7 and and Galaxy S7 Edge both expected later this month, the number of leaks regarding the flagship smartphones is increasing. And the latest information that has emerged regarding the handset gives us a very strong impression of what the final product will look like.
Galaxy S7 & S7 Edge – Leaked images
Both of the Galaxy units have been caught on camera, with shiny gold and silver finishes particularly noticeable. The Galaxy S7 is due to be unveiled in an Unpacked 2016 event on February 21, ahead of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Samsung has chosen to display its Galaxy S handset for the first time at the trade show in previous years, but is it ready to diverge from this practice this time round.
The Spanish language website Pisapapeles is responsible for the dummy images in question, and they do seem to be absolutely legitimate. It is particularly interesting to review the color options that consumers will have when the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge are released, and the gold finish has already been afforded praise from fans of the handset.
Previously the Galaxy S7 included a cool black color as one of the possible purchasing options for consumers, and it seems that this will be placed alongside silver and gold choices. In 2015, the Galaxy S6 was available in Black Sapphire, White Pearl, Silver Titanium and Gold Platinum, while Green Emerald was added as one of the options for the Galaxy S6 Edge alone and Blue Topaz for the Galaxy S6.
@evleaks on board
In addition to the gold option, the well-known Twitter user Evan Blass has tweeted an image of the forthcoming Galaxy S7 Edge featuring a silver finish. Although Blass did not make specific reference to the Galaxy S7 in in the post, it certainly seems clear that it references the Galaxy S7 Edge. It is notable that the image included in the leaked photograph sports a curved display, a less rounded home button, and a new wallpaper for the Galaxy S series.
Blass suggests that this new handset will run on Google’s Android 6.0 Marshmallow, but the analyst also made some slightly cryptic remarks. Blass made reference to an “Android Nonpareil”, which is expected to be a reference to the next major Android release. None of this information can be treated as official, but Blass is known to be an extremely credible source, and the information that he has posted should certainly be taken seriously.
These latest leaks follow on from previous photographs of the upcoming handsets which displayed both the back and front of the Galaxy S7 and and Galaxy S7 Edge. It was notable in these images that the design is somewhat similar to the existing Galaxy S6, but with the camera in the handset being significantly more flushed.
Specs leaked
We also by now have a very good idea regarding the specifications that will be included in the Galaxy S7, thanks to a late presentation slide which emerged some weeks ago. Thus, it is suggested that Samsung will freeze the screen resolution of the Galaxy S series when the Galaxy S7 is released, meaning that the handset will feature a quad HD screen. It had been hoped in some quarters that Samsung would upgrade the display to 4K resolution, but this seems increasingly unlikely, and instead an innovation that will be delayed for the Galaxy Note series later this year.
In addition, a rumor which has been linked with the Galaxy S7 for some weeks was seemingly confirmed by the leaked image. It has been suggested that Samsung would include the innovative BRITECELL technology in the Galaxy S7, and this is now appears to be the case. This new technology is particularly intended to improve the low-light shooting capabilities of the camera, addressing a problem that has been prominent in mobile photography for many years.
The inclusion of BRITECELL will result in the megapixel rating of the camera being downgraded to 12-megapixels, but clearly the Korean manufacturer hopes that the inclusion of BRITECELL will more than compensate.
Additionally, Samsung will arm the Galaxy S7 with 4GB of RAM, as it attempts to improve the processing of the device, and this will be backed up by an improved processor as well. In this regard, leaks suggest that Samsung will return into the policy of the past with the Galaxy S7, releasing devices with differing processors in different geographical regions. Thus, the East Asian marketplace will benefit from a Galaxy S7 unit featuring the Exynos 8890, while Qualcomm will be involved once more after a hiatus, with the Galaxy S7 model intended for the Western marketplace driven by the Snapdragon 820.
FCC clears the way
Ahead of the release of the Galaxy S7, the FCC has even paved the way for the smartphone. The FCC recently cleared the S7 and S7 Edge for Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile. The Galaxy S7 carries the model number SM-G930 and the S7 Edge is called the SM-935. The AT&T version will carry the model number SM-G930A, the Verizon version will be SM-G930V, the Sprint version will be SM-G930S and SM-G930T for T-mobile.
There is also a US Cellular version carrying the model number SM-G930R4. The same prefixes are applicable for the Galaxy S7 Edge SM-G935. The Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge also support LTE Advanced bands, as indicated in the FCC filings.
Samsung faces significant challenges with the Galaxy S7 in 2016, as it attempts to eat into the significant lead in the marketplace of Apple. This is indeed part of the motivation for the relatively early release of the Galaxy S7, with the smartphone earmarked to benefit from the post-Christmas market that is usually dominated by the iPhone. With more affordable Android variants also threatening the market position of Samsung, it is clear that the Korean electronics giant needs to deliver something outstanding later this month.
