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Samsung Unveils Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge and Gear 360 VR Camera (hothardware.com)
MojoKid writes: Samsung held their annual Unpacked event at Mobile World Congress 2016, officially unveiling their next generation Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge smartphones. The Galaxy S7 sports a 5.1-inch QHD Super AMOLED display with 2560x1440 resolution, while the Galaxy S7 Edge wields a larger 5.5-inch dual-edge screen also at 2560x1440. Among the new features are the company's always-on display technology. When you pull the Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 Edge out of your pocket or purse, you'll be able to peek at basic information like the time, calendar, or notifications without touching or waking the display. Both devices also feature "Dual Pixel" 12MP cameras. Using dual-photodiode technology, this is an alternative to phase-detection auto-focus that's supposed to work faster and better. Samsung also claims the rear shooters on the phones capture 95% more light through a wider f1.7 lens. Both are powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, 4GB of RAM with 32GB of internal storage which is expandable via microSD, along with 802.11ac MU-MIMO Wi-Fi, BT 4.2, NFC support, fast wireless charging, and 3,000 mAh (Galaxy S7) or 3,600 mAh (Galaxy S7 Edge) batteries. Both are water-resistant and dust-resistant designs with IP68 certification that will withstand total submersion for 30 minutes. The company also announced a new Gear 360 VR video camera and a partnership with Facebook-Oculus. The Gear 360 sports dual fisheye lenses each with high resolution 15MP CMOS image sensors capable of capturing 360-degree video at 3840x1920 and 30-megapixel (7776x3888) still images. When the Gear 360 is synced to a compatible Galaxy phone, you can preview footage in real-time using the phone as a remote.
Any reason I should go for samsung instead?
Or maybe cheapness trumps durability? so the nexus vs moto G?
I'm looking for your personal opinion if you had any reason for choosing one phone over the other
if I can't change out the battery, I'll use my Note 4 until it dies, then switch to the new LG.
A heat pipe in a smartphone! That must be one hot SOC!
are nice additions from the S6. I also think it's a good idea to offer 2 screen size options.
I still think Edge is a gimmick however. And they should have used USB-C with video out.
Anyone know if this camera has the 'motion' picture like the Apple 6S or the Microsoft 950? A second of video goes with the picture. ( btw, I own a 950. Do NOT buy one). I really like that feature.
So anyone who can grab your phone will be able to know about your calendar appointments and notifications about personal information, possibly your contacts, messages, etc. Nothing to decrypt, no password needed, it's just right there.
Sounds neat.
Signed,
the FBI.
Let's hope Samsung has fixed their broken IPv6 implementation that drops all IPv6 packets when the screen is off.
I have a 950. Windows Phone is a disaster. Go one more generation with something else and then come back and take a look at WP if it's still around.
I won't use any type of "smart phone". I have a flip-phone with a removable battery. I check my messages once a day, then pull the battery out, and place the battery on an external charger. The phone, without battery, goes into a metal box, and it stays there until I check my messages again.
Windows phone is a bigger mess, and has no apps.
"Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my Presidency. I'm fucked."; ~ Donald J. Trump
Still doesn't have removable batteries for some reason. The new S7 has a 3,000 mAh non-removable battery but the old S5 has a 2,800 mAh removable battery you can swap out for a new one.
That's wrong! Windows Phone is the APPIEST app apping app, since it ONLY has worthless 16-color apps that modern app appers app!
Apps!
Wake me when they add a removable battery AND a microSD slot...
Be still my heart. What kind of pathetic offering is that on a flagship phone? Yeah, Android 6 adds the ability to use external storage as internal but it's very kludgy. It's better than it used to be but I'd rather have 128 gigs (or, at the very least, 64 gigs) of internal storage and not mess with that.
Why are Android devices so far behind on storage?
Not with bloatware and touchwizz. I am happy with MI. Bye Bye samsung. Never AGAIN!
and would like a somewhat thicker phone anyway. These things are slender enough now that I find it hard to keep a good grip on it. If you make them a little thicker you can, perhaps, make them a little more durable too. that way I can forgo the case and possibly end up with something a little thinner than what I have now.
The wireless charging sounds nice...
Honestly, I feel like smart phone companies have run out of reasons for me to upgrade. I'm on an S5 right now and if it broke I'd be more than happy to buy another one rather then pay top dollar for anything newer.
Now if only some one would bring back smart phones with fold out physical keyboards that are built in rather then this touch screen garbage. I miss my old Motorola that had this feature and I'd be willing to pay quite a lot for a phone with it, even if I had to sacrafice or accept lesser features elsewhere in the phone's design.
I ignore Anonymous Coward posts. If you want to discuss something, that's awesome. Log in.
Apple releases a product, it gets posted to Slashdot, and there's no less than 10 posts asking why this "Slashvertisement" is on the main page, blah blah blah.
Samsung releases a product, it gets posted to Slashdot, and not a single ask of the same question. Good to know there's an objective readership here.
I also bought my wife a Note4 instead of a Note5 because of the lack of removeable battery and microSD. I don't usually root for major tech products to fail, but I sure do for all these recent "give them bling and remove functionality" phones.
I checked at SAM's recently and (at least for some older phones - didn't look at the new ones) they were still offering subsidies for 2 year contracts.
Key tech not mentioned in TFS:
o Replaceable / upgradable battery?
o Memory card slot / bay?
o Standard change connector (or better yet, wireless charging)?
And finally, as a Note III owner, did they fix the damned over-sensitivity / under-rigidity at the edges so you can hold it without feeding unintended input to the touchscreen?
I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.
Of those that are disappointed in not having a removable/replaceable battery. I guess the main thing for me is that I keep phones a bit longer than most people, and it isn't uncommon for the battery life to slowly degrade. Ordering a replacement always fixes it (as long as you get a good quality battery, and not some after-market piece of crap).
Not being able to replace the battery just seems like planned obsolescence. They want to force you down a path where your only good option is to just buy another phone.
One of the most essential parts of the 'immersive' experience of VR is 3D. Many VR cameras, like the Nokia OZO, do good 3D -- the cameras are spaced reasonably close to the distance between eyes, and the cameras are wide enough angle that you can calculate good 3D info from the multiple views. It's odd that Samsung is putting out just a 360-degree camera, not one that captures depth, when their display will clearly show 3D.
I love Mondays. On a Monday, anything is possible.
I purchased almost every phone Samsung made up to the Note 3, which I still use today. I'm on my fourth replacement battery, which happens to be a Zero Lemon 10,000mAh.
I'm simply too poor and unwilling to contribute to the e-waste problem to purchase a complex computing device without a user-replaceable battery. I simply cannot justify buying a new device every 18 months as the battery loses significant capacity.
So, it appears my next phone will be the LG G5.
A government is a body of people notably ungoverned - AC
I do not understand how they can release new version of the phone without fixing major issues in design like GPS sensor position glitching, overheating and high power consumption.