Samsung Galaxy S7 edge review
Samsung Galaxy S7 edge review: This is perfection, in Android
Let
me confess, I was not really impressed by my first sighting of the
Samsung Galaxy S7 edge. I thought the new flagship looked a bit too much
like the old flagship, the S6 edge. But first impressions and hands-on
reviews from launch events are half-baked at best. But now I have used
the S7 edge for well over a week and I have no doubts about this phone.
Here is my review.
Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
Many proples using a 32GB version of the S7 edge for the review. Yes, the phone
is not very different from its predecessor, except for the always
on-screen which I think is a good addition though not revolutionary in
any way. The phone feels good in your hands, and though it has not yet
slipped from my hand, there is a constant fear at the back of my head.
From
a design front, the one noticeable change is the fact that camera bump
has been pushed into and is a much thinner protrusion than before.
Specs:
5.5-inch QHD Super AMOLED display (2560 x 1440) | octa-core Exynos 8890
processor | 4GB RAM | 32GB storage space | 12MP rear camera + 5MP front
camera | 3600 mAh battery | Android 6.0 Marshmallow with TouchWiz UI
Price: Rs 56,900
Watch: Samsung Galaxy S7 edge Video Review
What is good?
Like
with most Samsung phones you don’t have to wait for the screen to awe
you. No one does it better that this little Korean company when it comes
to screens, be them small, be them big, be them curved. The S7 is not
different and everything looks unrealistically good on this screen, even
your own selfies. The S7 phones also have an always on black lock
screen which displays basic information like time, missed calls, new
messages and the like. Thankfully, this feature doesn’t seem to be
sapping the battery much, which is good.
The
edge screen is now improved and more effective. It is almost like an
extra homescreen layer that you can access whatever you are doing on the
phone. It does add to productivity, if you can remember to use it.
The
S6 series had a great camera, and I would have thought it was difficult
to better that. But Samsung seems to have done just that, especially
when it comes to low-light photography. I tried all kinds of stuff in
the dark - the camera was really impressive, in fact even a notch ahead
of the Apple iPhone 6s Plus. The regular stuff is great too and the
phone offers amazing detail when the light is great. And the focus adds
an extra layer of fun and richness, making pictures look as if they were
shot with a DSLR. The camera app is also much improved with some unique
modes like Virtual Shot. But the Pro mode should be enough to satisfy
our creative needs.
The
sheer performance of this phone is hard to match. You can try
everything from multi-tasking to gaming and ultra-high definition video,
and this phone will not break a sweat. It is among the coolest
flagships I have seen and that is saying a lot as high-end phones
usually tend to be a bit hot under the collar.
Also,
despite the performance the battery is dependable. I got 12 hours of
life with very heavy use and that too over a 4G network. Reduce the
brightness of the screen and you should be able to squeeze in a few more
hours. In fact, I once used the phone for an hour with just 5 per cent
battery left.
What is not that good?
The
fingerprint scanner on the phone is a pain and has a very low success
rate. You will eventually get in, but that might take some serious
twiddling of the thumbs. This is a quirk that Samsung will have to fix
without delay.
While
I love the low light photos that the S7 can click, you shouldn’t really
bother zooming in on the photos too much. I noticed a lack of detail
when you start going deep into these photos. Not such an issue since no
one blows up this pictures that big.
Do you need the edge?
The
edge is a great extra feature to have. But you will need serious
presence of mind to use it. Also, it is, at least for now, just another
way to do some stuff and there is nothing that can be done exclusively
using the curved bit of the screen. So decide whether you want to spend
extra to get this real estate on the sides. The S7 is a great device
even without it.
Should you buy?
The
S7 and S7 edge might not be really innovative, but what Samsung has
done is make the phones almost near perfect by making it bugless -- if
you can overlook the fingerprint scanner. That is innovation in itself,
if you ask me. If you ask me there is no better phone to upgrade for
Samsung fans who are now on S5 or under. For them this phone takes the
experience to a whole new level. For sheer performance and camera, this
is the best Android phone you can buy at the moment.
However,
make sure which phone you want - the S7 or the S7 edge. They are both
great, but you might just be happy with the S7, without the edge.
by-Nandagopal Rajan
Samsung Galaxy S7 edge review
![Samsung Galaxy S7 edge review]()
Reviewed by Unknown
on
15:53:00
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