Tap on more features in Samsung's new phones

Tap on more features in Samsung's new phones

SAY hello to the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge.

Two variants of the Galaxy S7 were launched at the Korean electronics giant's Unpacked 2016 event in Barcelona, Spain, earlier this week.

Here is a rundown of their new features.

PHYSICAL CHANGES

The new phones feature a more rounded and ergonomic design.

If you flip the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge onto their backs, you will see curved edges that round off to the sides.

It looks like a clamshell design but is neatly framed by the phone's metallic rim.

The Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are comfortable to hold and grip.

Its predecessor, Samsung Galaxy S6, was not water-resistant (although the Galaxy S5 was).

This feature has been restored in the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, which have an IP68 rating, allowing the phones to be fully immersed in water.

This is an improvement from Samsung Galaxy S5's IP57 rating, as the old flagship phone required the ports to be properly sealed before you took it for a swim.

OCTA-CORE OR QUAD-CORE?

The new phones will tout 64-bit processors that were made using the 14nm manufacturing process. Two configurations are listed for both models - the octa-core version has four 2.3GHz and four 1.6GHz cores, and the quad-core version has two 2.15GHz and two 1.6GHz cores.

The different processor configurations will be available to different markets in the world. But Samsung did not elaborate on the details.

It had also claimed that the new S7 and S7 Edge phones come with an improved central processing unit (by 30 per cent) and graphics processing unit (by 60 per cent).

DISPLAY SCREENS

The Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge phones feature Super Amoled displays.

They boast Quad HD quality, which is four times that of standard HD.

This gives the 5.1-inch Samsung Galaxy S7 a pixel density of 577 pixels per inch (ppi); and the 5.5-inch Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, 534 ppi.

The displays are near flawless in terms of performance. You get the same vibrant Samsung colour profile with no visible pixel dots and jagged lines.

BETTER REAR CAMERA

Another major change is the camera's capabilities.

Both phones are fitted with a 12MP rear camera that has a brighter F1.7 lens aperture with Smart OIS (optical image stabilisation).

This is a step up from the predecessor's 16MP, F1.9 aperture rear camera.

Samsung has also managed to reduce the rear camera bump on the new phones - it now sits just 0.46mm above the back of the phone.

The pixel size on the image sensor has also been improved to 1.4µm pixels, compared with the 1.12µm pixels in the previous model.

This means the new phones can capture 56 per cent more light on its image sensor.

MORE GAME-FRIENDLY

The new phones have a new internal cooling system and a new Game Launcher feature.

You can alter the game's display resolution and frame rate to save more battery power.

The Game Launcher also comes with Game Tools, which allows the user to optimise their gaming experience. Simply tap on the Game Tools bubble during a game and it will pull out a list of features you can run during that game.

You can also "minimise" your game app into a bubble while you read an urgent text or e-mail message. A Record feature lets you keep a footage of your game progress.

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

Both models come with Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) OSand 4GB RAM to support all the processing tasks you can throw at it.

Meanwhile, storage options for both models will be available in 32GB and 64GB.

The phones have wireless charging support.

They also have more powerful batteries - Edge has more battery juice but is a hair thinner than the S7, measuring 7.7mm thick, versus 7.9mm.

For the Galaxy S7 Edge, the "edge" panels at the side are wider and can now be customised to your liking. You can add two rows of apps there.

Unlike last year's phones, both the S7 and S7 Edge let you insert one microSD card, giving the phone up to 200GB of expandable storage.

Some countries, including Singapore, will also get the new Samsung flagship models with dual-SIM support.

AVAILABILITY

Pre-orders for both phones will start today at 10am, with customers able to collect their handsets on March 11. General sales start on March 12.

The Galaxy S7 will cost $998 while the Galaxy S7 Edge is $1,098.

Customers who pre-order will get a free Samsung Gear VR headset worth $148.

Additional reporting by James Lu


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