The Samsung Galaxy S series got back on track last year with the release of the Galaxy S6, but the Galaxy S7 will be even more important for Samsung. This smartphone will be released into a marketplace reeling from the release of the iPhone 6s, probably the most prolific smartphone in the history of the iconic Apple range. So Samsung will be looking to produce something outstanding when it releases the Galaxy S7, and thus it is interesting to assess the rumored specs and features included in this handset.

Release date

The first thing to note about the Galaxy S7 is that we can expect to see it launch sometime in the second quarter of 2016. Samsung typically announces its Galaxy S devices at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, and there is no reason to believe that this policy will change with the Galaxy S7. Apple appears to be sticking to its existing release schedule with the iPhone 6s, and suggestions that the corporation will release a 4-inch version of the smartphone have died down recently.

With Samsung usually earmarking a Friday for the release of Galaxy S devices, we can probably expect the Galaxy S7 release date to fall on either Friday, April 8, or Friday, April 15.

USB-C Port

There have been a raft of new features linked with the Galaxy S7, but possibly the most interesting is the suggestion that it will include a USB-C port. This is a totally new and extremely formidable form of technology that is currently taking the mobile world by storm, and the chances of it migrating to Samsung handsets in the near future seems quite high. USB-C is the new hot, industry standard connector and cable used to power the MacBook that features a reversible connector.

Return to Snapdragon?

Although Samsung has opted for its proprietary Exynos technology in recent smartphone releases, it is already being suggested that the Korean corporation will revert to Snapdragon with the Galaxy S7. A quad-core Snapdragon 820 is being linked with the device, but Samsung could even up the ante further and arm this flagship smartphone with an octa-core processor. Samsung has already entered into negotiations with Qualcomm according to reports, and this could mean that the Galaxy S7 embraces Qualcomm’s mysterious ‘Hydra’ processor.

4K Resolution

Either Samsung or Apple had been expected to launch the first 4K resolution mass market smartphone. This was a logical conclusion that many analysts drew, as the two corporations are by far the market leaders in in the smartphone niche.

But Sony this week put paid to this suggestion, as the Japanese corporation released its own 4K resolution mobile. The Xperia Z5 will finally deliver 4K resolution to mass market consumers, and this is actually good news for those customers awaiting Apple and Samsung devices.

The pressure will now be on Samsung to deliver a 4K resolution handset when the Galaxy S7 is released, particularly considering that the corporation has been strongly associated with high-quality displays in recent years. Indeed, Samsung has been the world’s largest seller of television set since 2008, and it is from this reputation and market dominance that its smartphone business has benefited.

So a 4K resolution Galaxy S7 now looks like a distinct possibility.

Curved prominence

Speaking of display technology, Samsung is expected to ensure that the curved screen variant of the Galaxy S7 is far more prominent than in the previous iteration of the device. When Samsung initially begun to experiment with this technology, it was considered very much a niche and premium feature. But the recent release of the Galaxy S6 Edge+ has indicated that Samsung is ready to rebrand curved screen technology as a mainstream entity.

This will mean that a much larger quotient of Galaxy S7 Edge devices will be produced when the handset goes to market next year.

Galaxy S7 camera

Cameras are becoming increasingly important for smartphone devices, and there have been numerous rumors related to both the forthcoming Samsung devices as well as the Apple iPhone series. With Apple reportedly working on a professional standard DSLR snapper, Samsung will be expected to respond in kind with something truly outstanding when the Galaxy S7 is released.

However, some analysts have suggested that the Galaxy S7 camera may not change too much from the existing Galaxy S6 in terms of raw specifications. The camera in the Galaxy S6 is already considered very much a smartphone standout, and this might convince Samsung to stick with its basic specs when the Galaxy S7 is released.

This will enable the Korean corporation to concentrate on improving other aspects of the camera capabilities, such as its optical image stabilization facility.

Battery

Samsung has enjoyed an edge over the Apple series in terms of battery life, yet has also ironically disappointed in recent devices. The decision to downgrade the battery in the Galaxy Note 5 was something of a surprise, even though the units included in the phablet were technically superior to those which featured in the Galaxy Note 4.

This trend has also been passed on to the Galaxy S series, with the Galaxy S5 featuring a 2,800mAh battery, while the Galaxy S6 used a smaller 2,550mAh cell. Samsung fans will doubtless hope that the battery unit will be increased in time for the release of the Galaxy S7, and this could see a 3,000mAh cell powering the handset.

Price

There will also be pressure on Samsung to freeze the Galaxy S7 price, in order to provide what is effectively an entry-level handset to the Galaxy series. The pricing of its recent Galaxy S7 Edge+ did not receive universal approval, and Samsung will certainly haven’t monitored the response to this pricing policy closely.

Samsung may even have some surprises for the Galaxy S7 that have not been anticipated, as the Korean consumer electronics giant loves to pack its devices with outstanding specs. We will have to wait until Q2 2016 to find out…