![]() For you, that means swapping in fresh batteries if you want to keep the phone a long time or increase its resale value. Figure out how to add a removable battery on a metal design ( LG did).A speedier, more accurate fingerprint reader like the Nextbit Robin's side-button reader (this wasn't bad, the Robin's is just that good).Less plastic-looking selfies, toned-down screen flash.(See our performance chart below.) A few things the S7 could do better James Martin/CNETĭuring my week gallivanting around with the S7, it operated smoothly and never lagged, and games played on its top-of-the-line processor with ease. You can cast off the cord and charge the S7 and S7 Edge (pictured) on a wireless charging pad. I also set up a clock for the local timezone and the one at home, so I knew when it was too early to call or text. It was immediately useful for checking the time and the phone's battery levels, a constant worry, without actually having to take the phone out of standby. My colleague Jason Parker in San Francisco liked being able to turn off all alerts (with the exception of actual incoming phone calls), but pointed out that the notification for an incoming call still covers most of the screen - so this particular feature doesn't go far enough.ĭuring my week away from San Francisco (aka home), I fell in love with the S7's new always-on display, which shows you either the clock, a calendar or an image. I'm not the kind of active gamer who would immediately benefit from these features, so trying it out on the subway threw off my movements when playing more precision-based games, like the Riptide 2 racer. Speaking of extra touches, I really like the idea of the Game Launcher, a set of tools you can turn on to trigger some quick actions, like recording the screen or minimizing your game so you can do something else. Samsung also added a few nice-but-subtle optional touches, like a new "tray" to help you easily move app icons from one screen to another.ĭedicated gaming tools help you record and screenshot your sessions. ![]() The S7 slims down the bloatware considerably, while leaving plenty of advanced settings for customizing everything from the lock screen to phone themes - you just have to dig a little deeper now to find everything. Less bloatware is a very, very good thingīack in London, my appreciation for Samsung's more restrained customizations to the Android 6.0 software settled in. The iPhone 6S' similar selfie-flash did better in the same scenes. Toning down the brightness would make it more useful, especially if I could pick a warmer color temperature or lower brightness setting to make it all less intense. This came in handy, since my sister basically selfie-documented every move we made for her husband and kids, especially at dinner and the bar. I did use the S7's front-facing screen "flash" to light dark selfie scenes, which basically means the phone screen whites-out before the camera fires. Selfies looked a little off: either too smooth or too sharp, even with beauty modes off. You can also scroll to the end for a specs comparison chart. Here's what I found (along with fellow S7-testers) while using the S7 around Europe. So, for now, the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge remain the best phones money can buy. But none of them will likely be on the market for months to come. Sure, there are some potentially worthy rivals out beyond the horizon - the iPhone 7, the next Nexus model, and the Galaxy Note 6. In fact, the only phone that surpasses it is its own fraternal twin, the larger, curvy-screen S7 Edge, which is technically my top pick - but only if you're willing to splurge. ![]() It's superior to the excellent Google Nexus 6P, Apple iPhone 6S, LG G5 and HTC 10. Straight up: the Galaxy S7 is the best all-around phone out today. In fact, the S7 was an awesome phone that never cracked under the pressure of being the only way I take pictures and navigate completely unfamiliar terrain, all while keeping battery life going during long days out. So I tested the Samsung Galaxy S7 in London and Berlin, while colleagues also took it for a spin in San Francisco and Sydney.
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