02/03/2016
Samsung unveils Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge smartphones, VR camera
The Galaxy S7 Edge and Samsung Galaxy S7 are water resistant, have an
expandable memory and an improved camera.
Samsung unveiled its two new flagship phones Sunday at the Mobile World
Congress in Barcelona. The smartphones look very similar to the Galaxy S6
line, but offer an array of features and improvements that are truly impressive.
The S7 will have a 5.1-inch screen while the S7 Edge will boast a 5.5-inch
screen. They will both pack a 12-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 5-
megapixel front-facing camera. Samsung claims the camera is better than
the iPhone 6S, since it focuses better and can take better night scene photos.
The two phones will also have a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
and a larger battery that Samsung says will let users watch a whole season of
"Game of Thrones" in one sitting. The S7 and S7 Edge will also have wireless charging.
The new processor and battery will also let users play more games with high
graphics. Samsung introduced "Game Mode," which will use the hardware to
optimize the screen and allow for longer game play without any interruptions.
However, the two most notable features are water resistance and
expandable memory. Both the S7 and S7 Edge can be submerged in five feet
of water for up to 13 minutes — no other smartphone can do that. The
phones also have a microSD slot for additional storage, which means that the
32GB internal memory can easily become 160GB with a 128GB memory card.
Samsung will launch both phones on March 11 with all four major U.S.
carriers. They will be available in Gold Platinum, Black Onyx, Single
Titanium and White Pearl. Those who preorder either phone will get a free Gear VR headset,
which usually costs $100.
Pricing has yet to be announced, but Samsung said to expect similar prices
as last year's S6 line. So, don't expect the S7 and S7 Edge to come cheap.
Based on last year's prices, they'll probably cost $600 to $800
