The Samsung Galaxy S7 will be official in less than one week , but there is already a plethora of details available about the 2016 flagship. A number of leaks and rumors, which have surfaced over the last months, weeks and even days has given a near perfect snapshot of what consumers can expect when the Galaxy S7 hits stores.
However, some Galaxy S7 details are much more important than others. Recent rumors suggest Samsung may reintroduce on the Galaxy S7 a number of old favorite features from prior devices. The handset is expected to see major hardware overhauls after Samsung focused on design with the Galaxy S6 in 2015.
Here’s a rundown of some of the most important things we already know about the Samsung Galaxy S7.
The Samsung Galaxy S7 will likely have a design very similar to the Galaxy S6
There have been several leaks of the Samsung Galaxy S7 in recent weeks and they all conclude one thing: There is little variation between the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S6 in terms of design. The Galaxy S7 is expected to be a little thicker and more curvy around the back panel. Aspects like a thinner camera module will also serve as an aesthetic differentiation between the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S6. For color options, recent leaks indicate the Galaxy S7 will be available in black, gold and a new gray color option.
The Samsung Galaxy S7 may have expandable memory
Rumors have long suggested the Samsung Galaxy S7 will bring back expandable storage through a microSD card. The prior Galaxy S6 lost this feature due to the device running a new type of storage called UFS 2.0, which was too fast to safely support both internal and external storage, according to Samsung. Reports have indicated that Samsung has since upgraded its UFS 2.0 storage to work seamlessly with microSD storage.
The manufacturer has already released several devices, including the Galaxy A9 , Galaxy A7 , Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A3, which all support expandable storage, despite having a unibody design, similar to the Galaxy S6.
Additionally, the Galaxy S7 is expected to run the Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system, which also includes better software support for microSD cards. The system includes a feature called Adaptive storage, which lets users to configure a microSD card to their handset, allowing the device to read external storage as if it were the same as on board storage.
The Samsung Galaxy S7 may have a larger battery
Rumors also suggest the Samsung Galaxy S7 may have a 3,000mAh, while the Galaxy S7 Edge may have a 3,600mAh battery. Several reports suggest that the Galaxy S7 will have a significant battery life , after the tiny 2,550mAh and 2.600mAh batteries on the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge failed to meet the needs of many users. We’ve also seen devices like the Galaxy A9 , Galaxy A7 , Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A3 release with significantly larger batteries than the Galaxy S7. The 2016 A series devices appear to be test beds for the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge, as they include many features currently rumored for the still unconfirmed devices.
The Samsung Galaxy S7 may be water resistant
A recent teaser from Samsung Indonesia suggests that the Samsung Galaxy S7 may be water resistant. The last Samsung flagship to feature water resistance was the Samsung Galaxy S5, which had an IP67 certification that allowed it to be submerged in up to one meter of water for up to 30 minutes. If true, the Galaxy S7 would be Samsung’s first device with a glass and metal design to be water resistant.
The Samsung Galaxy S7 may have camera upgrades
Rumors have long suggested the Samsung Galaxy S7 will feature a 12.3-megapixel camera with f/1.7 aperture. The Samsung Indonesia teasers also suggest the Galaxy S7 may include features which allow for better low light photography. Samsung is expected to implement on the Galaxy S7 its recently trademarked BRITECELL technology, which would simplify the capturing of brighter photos, according to Slash Gear . The Galaxy S7 is expected to feature a 5-megapixel front camera.
The Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge may be a phablet
Samsung is expected to release one flat display device and once curved display device; however, one device may be a standard sized smartphone while the other device is a phablet.
Rumors suggests the Galaxy S7 may feature a 5.1-inch Quad HD (2,560 x 1440 resolution) display, while the Galaxy S7 Edge may feature a display of the same resolution that is either 5.5-inches or 5.7-inches in diagonal width.
Details about the display sizes of the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge remain fuzzy. Early rumors suggested Samsung might release three smartphones in February: the Galaxy S7 with a flat display, the Galaxy S7 Edge with a curved display and a Galaxy S7 Edge + with larger curved display. Soon, rumors suggested Samsung cancelled the Galaxy S7 Edge+. However, new rumors say the Galaxy S7 Edge+ has simply been rebranded as the Galaxy S7 Edge. At this point, there is no validity to any rumors about the size of the Galaxy S7 Edge.
The Samsung Galaxy S7 will likely feature USB 2.0 ports
Early Galaxy S7 rumors suggested that the device might feature a USB Type-C port, similar to other recent devices like Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P and OnePlus 2. However, a recent leak suggests suggests the device will have a USB 2.0 port.
As per the teaser video shared by Samsung Indonesia, the Galaxy S7 is expected to support wireless charging, which Samsung has been developing with USB 2.0 for some time.
The Samsung Galaxy S7 will likely be priced similar to the Galaxy S6
The Samsung Galaxy S7 price isn’t confirmed; however, there are several suggestions floating around. Tech blog Slash Gear suggests the Galaxy S7 may sell for between $650 and $700, while the Galaxy S7 Edge may sell for between $750 and $800. These prices are on par with prices of the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge in 2015.
The Samsung Galaxy S7 will likely go on sale in March
Several reports have suggested the Samsung Galaxy S7 will be available for purchase in mid-March. One in particular, indicated the device will may hit stores in Europe March 11. Another report details that carrier China Mobile is also planning a March launch for the flagship. Currently, there is no indication on when the Galaxy S7 will be available in the U.S. However, reports also indicate Samsung will open preorders for the Galaxy S7 in the Netherlands on the same day it is announced, Feb. 21.Samsung similarly opened preorders for the Galaxy Note 5 on launch day, when it was announced in August. This make a similar launch for the Galaxy S7 highly likely.
Bonus: The Samsung Galaxy S7 may be announced with a companion device
A Samsung Unpacked teaser Samsung shared in early February indicates the launch event will also reveal the manufacturer’s latest developments in VR. Rumors suggest Samsung may announce a 360-degree camera called the Samsung Gear 360 . The camera is supposedly intended to work with Samsung smartphones like the Galaxy S7 and Samsung’s Gear VR headset. At this time few details are known about the Gear 360 or the validity of that rumor.