Samsung’s much-awaited flagship smartphones Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are less than a month away. The Korean electronics giant is gearing up to unveil the next-gen phones on February 21 at an Unpacked event ahead of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. So far, leaks and rumors have been limited to the new phone’s features and specifications. Now a Korean publication has shed light on the company’s marketing plans.
The Upgrade program will first be launched in South Korea
Sources familiar with the matter told the Electronic Times that Samsung is planning to launch a phone upgrade program similar to the one launched by Apple last year. The program will allow customers to upgrade their smartphone every year by paying a monthly fee. Apple’s iPhone upgrade program requires buyers to sign a two-year agreement and pay about $32 per month. The program includes Apple Care+, and users get a new, unlocked iPhone every year.
The Electronic Times reports that the program will initially be offered only in South Korea. It may be expanded to other countries later. Recent reports suggest that the Galaxy S7 and its dual-edge sibling will hit the store shelves on March 11.
Galaxy S7 to have a black chassis
The Galaxy S7 is expected to sport a 5.1-inch Quad HD display, 4GB RAM, 12-megapixel main camera, 5MP front snapper and either Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 SoC or Samsung’s in-house Exynos 8890 processor. The Exynos 8890-powered devices will be for Asian markets, while the US and European markets are expected to get Galaxy S7 with Snapdragon 820 processor. The Galaxy S7 Edge is rumored to feature a 5.5-inch display.
A Samsung employee recently revealed that both the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge will have a black chassis to give the devices a premium look. The phones will be dustproof and waterproof. Other rumored features include USB Type-C port, fast-charging capabilities, and a pressure sensitive display technology similar to 3D Touch in Apple’s iPhone 6S and 6S Plus.
