Their new flagships are waterproof, Apple’s are not (perhaps everything will change in the fall). But how does waterproofing work in practice? YouTube blogger EverythingApplePro decided to check whether the Koreans are being cunning and whether the Yabloko people are being modest.
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Two smartphones were taken for testing - a golden Galaxy S7 Edge and a white iPhone 6s Plus. The procedure for conducting the experiment is simple: put the devices in water, hold them there for a few minutes, then take them out and make sure everything works. “Experiments” continue until the “death” of one of the devices.
First dive
Underwater, Phone 6s Plus quickly lost the network - No Service (no network) appeared in the upper left corner of the screen. Otherwise, the Apple smartphone was a pleasant surprise - 3 minutes after being removed from the water, it showed no signs of the harmful effects of the liquid. The screen worked, the music played, the camera filmed. The Galaxy S7 Edge, with its super-protection, holds up well (which is what was expected of it). Well, shall we dive some more?
Second dive
The second “bathing” lasts longer - 7 minutes. Everything looks great in the water, but after reaching land, the first questions arise. And they are not addressed to the iPhone 6s Plus, but to the Galaxy S7 Edge! When playing standard melodies, the sound on the Galaxy, even at high volume, first plays suspiciously quietly, and then “jumps” and is unpleasantly distorted in places. Yes, it seems that 100% protection against water cannot be called. True, there are no problems with everything else
What about the iPhone? You can already feel that the device has been in water - a white streak appears in the lower left corner from liquid that has penetrated under the screen. The Apple smartphone never caught the network - and, it seems, it won’t catch it anymore. But otherwise the display works like a clock, and there are no problems with listening to music either. In general, no one wanted to die.
Third dive
Now it’s “until the victory”. The author puts the smartphones into the water again and decides to try - does 3D-Touch work on the iPhone? The blogger presses the screen. Nothing happens - the 6s Plus just sadly “exhales” air bubbles. Nothing like this happens with the Galaxy S7 Edge - unlike the American smartphone, its Korean rival responds perfectly to touches under water.
Time passes - and it feels like it is clearly not in favor of the iPhone. When lightly pressed, air bubbles fly out of the Lightning port, noticeable signs of “flooding” appear on the top of the screen - transparent streaks, and now the Wi-Fi module no longer works.
When the time on the stopwatch shows 14 and a half minutes. The 6s Plus shows obvious signs of a problem for the first time - the smartphone reboots. We are witnessing a desperate struggle for survival. The screen darkens, two huge “water” spots are already visible on it. Turning off, then on again...
Then the incredible begins - the blogger literally SQUEEZES the iPhone! Yes, yes, that’s right - he presses his fingers on the screen, and water flows from the smartphone in streams, you can even hear the sound of a sponge being squeezed out! It’s like resuscitation of a drowning man, but instead of a person there’s a telephone. You can see all this starting at 9:28. The author again “drowns” the iPhone and demonstrates an even more spectacular flight of streams of water. After such a “fatality”, the 6s will no longer recover - now the smartphone will only be revived by an ambulance team from a good service.
...And the new Samsung flagship, meanwhile, lies quietly under water. All systems work perfectly even after being removed from the liquid. Unfortunately, the author did not check how long the S7 Edge could cope with the water elements (according to official data, water protection at a depth of 1 meter is enough for half an hour), but in any case, it bypassed its worst rival.
At the end of the video, the blogger sincerely advises Apple to adopt the excellent feature of Samsung smartphones and save its users from one of the most common reasons for iPhone failure. It's hard not to agree with him...
Many complained about the inability to expand the memory of the previous model. The new flagship corrects this shortcoming: the Galaxy S7 Edge comes with a microSD slot. The inserted card can be really large - up to 200 GB. This is currently one of the largest memory card sizes available. The capacity of the built-in storage will be 32 GB.
The smartphone has two slots for Nano-SIM cards, one of which is combined with a microSD slot. Therefore, if you use a memory card, you can forget about the Dual-SIM function.
S7 Edge Screen: 5.5-inch screen with curved edges.
5.5" screen with curved edges
While the Galaxy S6 Edge had a screen the same size as its , the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge has a larger display size of 5.5 inches. Thus, in terms of size, the new XXL smartphone is somewhere between the S6 Edge. The resolution of the OLED screen has not changed (QHD: 2560x1440 pixels). But the manufacturer has seriously worked on the stability of viewing angles - this is especially noticeable when directly compared with its predecessor.
Here's what else has been updated: Samsung has improved the functionality of the edge of the display, giving it even more value. Under the marketing term Edge UX, the manufacturer combines, for example, quick links to important contacts, a task manager and shortcuts to frequently used applications. There is also a line already familiar from Note Edge; among the new products that have appeared, we note the compass.
We especially liked the News Edge and Sports Edge apps. The first was useful for launching news feeds from all over the world; in the second, in demo mode, we looked at the results of games of various football clubs. They are activated by swiping along the edges.
To make the S7 Edge fit better in your hand, Samsung has slightly rounded the back surface. During testing, the S7 Edge felt more comfortable and nicer in the hands than its predecessor.
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge: now waterproof
From the looks of the gorgeous S7 Edge, it's not very obvious that it is IP68 certified and therefore waterproof. A quick reminder: “6” means that the smartphone is protected from dust, “8” means that the S7 Edge will withstand even long-term immersion under water. Due to IP certification, the 3000mAh battery is not replaceable. In a conversation with us, Samsung representatives admitted that due to water resistance they had to choose a microUSB connector rather than USB Type C.
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge: rounded edges are a signature feature of the Edge version 12MP camera with instant autofocus
Even though the camera now has to make do with lower resolution, at first glance the photos look better. According to the manufacturer, this advantage is provided by the increased pixel size of the sensor. During the first hands-on test, improvements are visible primarily in pictures taken in poor lighting conditions. Just in poor lighting, the maximum open aperture helps, increasing to f/1.7, which now lets much more light into the sensor.
The S7 Edge also features Dual Pixel technology, known from Canon. Two independent photodiodes on each pixel make focusing possible in literally real time. In a direct comparison with the S6 Edge, we can see how much faster the S7 Edge focuses. The ability to record video in 4K format and the 5-megapixel front camera have not changed. For particularly creative photographers, the smartphone even offers “professional” modes, along with various other modes.
Galaxy S7 Edge: fast speeds
In Europe, the Galaxy S7 Edge smartphone will come with the latest Exynos processor (in other markets - with a quad-core Snapdragon). As part of Mobile World Congress 2016, the company's stand presented the Galaxy S7 Edge with Exynos 8890, an 8-core processor based on 64-bit architecture and a 14-nm process technology. The first four cores are clocked at 2.3 GHz, while the other four are clocked at 1.6 GHz.
During the first practical test, the speed seemed impressive to us: as soon as we touched the application icon with our finger, it opened almost immediately. To ensure that the operating speed remains high at all times, Samsung has equipped the smartphone with four gigabytes of RAM, which, thanks to the pre-installed Android 6 operating system, can be used very efficiently.
The S7 Edge allows you to travel over the network at truly royal speeds: an LTE Cat9 module is installed on board, which can operate at speeds that are not currently provided by any telecom operator.
Improved cooling for Galaxy S7 Edge
Improvements in the smartphone affected not only the central processor, but also the video core. Anyone who wants to can demand full power from the smartphone, or vice versa - adjust the number of displayed frames per second (fps) to save some battery power. Here's what's interesting: in the case of the S7 Edge, more power does not mean overheating: heat pipes are laid around the central and graphics processors.
To ensure that nothing prevents you from enjoying your games, there is a pre-installed Game Launcher - if desired, it can block all notifications, including incoming calls. In addition, there is a quick access menu for screenshots and screencasts. The S7 Edge is the first smartphone to support the cross-platform Vulkan API, making it suitable for future gaming.
Release date and cost of S7 Edge
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge will be available on sale from March 18th. Pre-orders for it, as well as for the “simple” S7, are open from February 22. Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge will cost 59,990 rubles, and Samsung Galaxy S7 will cost 49,990 rubles. All information about the Galaxy S7 without an Edge display is available in the material.
A few days ago, at the MWC 2016 exhibition in Barcelona, one of the most anticipated smartphones of the year was presented - the new generation of Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge. The Korean company, having looked at the financial reports of previous years and the elusive market, took a very thorough approach in developing new models of gadgets, reworking all the main components, taking into account most of the wishes of its fans.
Samsung followed the path of Apple, turning the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge into an alternative to the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s plus: leaving the display size of the first at 5.1 inches, and on the contrary, increasing the display size of the second to 5.5 inches from 5.1 inches. Galaxy S6 edge. Now it will be much easier to compare different solutions from two market leaders.
Appearance and Design
Apart from increasing the size of the Galaxy S7 edge, the appearance has remained virtually unchanged compared to the previous generation of gadgets; Samsung has only improved some aspects that caused complaints from users. So, in particular, the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge had rounded “sharp” edges, which made it difficult to hold the devices comfortably in your hand; this also applies to the back covers of smartphones like the Galaxy Note 5.
The body is made of magnesium alloy, which made it possible to reduce the weight of the devices; the frames on the sides of the display were also reduced; on the Galaxy S7 edge, their thickness is only 0.87 mm. Also, due to the modification of the camera, we managed to hide it inside the body, and now it protrudes by an insignificant 0.46 mm, in previous models this figure was 1.44 mm!
In general, both Galaxy S7 and S7 edge gadgets have become larger and more attractive, the back cover will be protected by a unique 3D glass - Corning Gorilla Glass 4. Three colors will be available: “black diamond”, “dazzling platinum” and “titanium silver”.
Specifications
Naturally, not only the appearance of the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge has undergone modernization, but also the internal components of the phones.
Display
The new display, like the display of previous flagships, remains the pride of Samsung. We have already told you what the size will be - it is 5.1 inches for the Galaxy S7 and 5.5 inches for the Galaxy S7 edge. Both Super AMOLED screens have Quad HD resolution - that's 2560 x 1440 pixels, with a density of 577 and 550 ppi. Compared to the Galaxy S6, the new display is superior in several respects: maximum brightness has increased by 29%, readability has been improved in bright light, and energy consumption has been reduced.
A new feature has appeared - “Always On Display”, it will always show the necessary information on the display such as a clock, calendar, notifications, etc. At the same time, Samsung claims that this option will consume only 1% of battery charge per hour.
Camera
The main camera of the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge has lost in megapixels, but not in quality. Instead of 16 MP, it now has a 12 MP module, but a number of other characteristics have been improved, which will ultimately allow you to take cooler pictures. The sensor has been enlarged - a matrix of our own production BRITECELL with a resolution of 24 MP is used, at the output adjacent pixels are combined, and an improved image is formed that is half the size. Pixel size - 1.4 microns.
The camera aperture has been upgraded, Galaxy S7/S7 edge – ƒ/1.7, for example, for the iPhone iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s plus this figure is 2.2.
Dual Pixel technology, borrowed from SLR cameras, is used for the first time, it allows each pixel to be used not only to capture an image, but also for phase focusing, which increases the shutter speed, focusing time has been reduced from 0.85 seconds to 0.2 seconds in low conditions illumination
The selfie camera has an LED flash.
Overall, the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge began to shoot better and faster, not only in good light, but in the dark. Added settings in manual mode.
Processor and memory
Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, depending on the region, will be produced either based on Exynos 8890 Octa or Qualcomm Snapdragon 820. At the presentation they assured that overall performance compared to the “sixes” has increased by 30%, and graphics by 60%. . The processors are based on 8 cores: half of them operate at a frequency of 2.6 GHz, and the other half at 1.6 GHz.
The processors will be helped in performance by 4 GB of RAM, however, experts have already managed to conduct the first tests of the proposed prototypes and CPU-Z “sees” only 3.58.
The microSD memory slot has returned to the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, which for strange reasons disappeared for one generation, the maximum card size is 200 GB! At the same time, the tray was made universal, combining it with nanoSIM. Configurations are now possible: memory card + nanoSIM or nanoSIM+ nanoSIM.
Among other important features, we note the new cooling of the processor - in the form of a copper heat-conducting tube. Sony already uses such a system in its smartphones, and similar can be found in the Lumia 950.
Battery
The batteries of the new Samsung flagships have also increased in capacity, so the Galaxy S7 will receive 3000 mAh instead of 2550 mAh, and the Galaxy S7 edge will have 3600 mAh, instead of 2600. According to the first tests that appeared online, the Galaxy S7 can play video in Full HD format with the Wi-Fi and on the brightest screen for more than 17 hours!
At the same time, support for new technologies has appeared for accelerated battery charging - 4 hours of operation per 10 minutes of recharging. General data on battery charging from the specification are as follows: for wired charging from 0 to 100% in 90 minutes, and S7 edge - in 100 minutes, for wireless (supports the Qi standard and others) - 130 and 155 minutes, respectively.
Security
The Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge have again returned to their protection standard - IP68, which means that smartphones will easily withstand dust and moisture; now you can safely immerse phones for 30 minutes at a depth of up to 1.5 meters.
They had already dismantled the gadgets and found out how the emerging protection worked. The back cover of the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge is glued very tightly to the metal frame with double-sided adhesive tape; there are no rubber gaskets. A reasonable remark immediately follows that if gadgets are subjected to overheating for a long time, the glue may lose its protective properties. At the same time, the tray for SIM and microSD cards is rubberized. The speaker, in addition to the rubber gasket, also has a special protective mesh.
Price and start of sales
Sales of the new Samsung flagships in Russia will start on March 18, the official cost of the gadgets has already been announced - 49,990 rubles for the Galaxy S7 model and 59,990 rubles for the Galaxy S7 edge, for a model with 32 GB of memory. You can pre-order from February 22 to March 17, and those who buy the gadget in the first three days will be given a Gear VR virtual reality helmet, which costs $99, which is very good!
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Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are the flagship smartphones of the famous South Korean manufacturer, and they meet all modern quality standards. Moreover, they are not afraid of either dust or moisture, being protected according to the IP68 standard, which means complete dust protection, as well as the ability to stay under water at a depth of one and a half meters for half an hour. At the same time, the functionality of the smartphone does not suffer, you can safely use it, and if you have a wireless Bluetooth headset, you can even talk.
And if a year ago we were worried that there would be trouble under the Samsung company, now everything is “ok”, we don’t have to be afraid of anything. Here are some examples.
Soon after the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge went on sale, some desperate users began experimenting with the new product, subjecting it to various tests and testing its strength. One American video blogger decided to check how long his Galaxy S7 would last under water, put it in a jar of water, turned on the video camera and went to bed. The smartphone behaved as if nothing had happened, and simply turned off closer to the morning when it ran out of battery power.
And employees of the cellular operator T-Mobile conducted their own experiment - they took a Galaxy S7 with a carrier SIM card pre-installed in it and unpacked it right under water, in the pool. The smartphone turned on without any problems and successfully demonstrated that it can receive calls, send SMS, connect to the Internet, show video and generally do everything it should, while being one and a half meters under the water surface.
As these and other experiments have shown, the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge don't just meet the IP68 standard - they're capable of much more. These smartphones allow you to dive to a considerable depth, and most likely nothing will happen to them, but if a problem does arise, the case is unlikely to be recognized as a warranty, so such experiments should be carried out only at your own peril and risk.
Despite the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge being waterproof, it's worth keeping in mind that it's still not perfect. Thus, in the course of some other experiments, it was revealed that the speakers of these smartphones, after being at a depth of one and a half meters for the thirty minutes declared by the manufacturer, began to work worse and distort the sound. The problem resolved itself after some time when the smartphones dried out. At the same time, the screens worked perfectly all this time.
Another drawback is that the charging port of the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge is not completely waterproof. It contains moisture sensors, and after bathing your smartphone, you won’t be able to charge it via the cord - it will display an error and a message that moisture has been detected in the port. The options here are either to use wireless charging, or wait for the charging port to dry, or carefully (!!!) dry it with a hairdryer.
Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are smartphones that are truly well protected from life’s troubles such as dust and dirt. and water. They can handle a lot, but you should still treat your expensive communicator with care and not subject it to tests beyond those carried out by the manufacturer.
In the Lifeproof-store online store you can buy a waterproof case for Samsung S7 Edge at reasonable prices for Moscow. A large selection of design solutions will allow you to choose the right option for each buyer. In addition, we have waterproof bracelet cases on sale. They are fixed on the hand using a special strap.
Top reasons to buy a waterproof case for Samsung S7 Edge
Firstly, you don’t have to worry about your favorite gadget breaking down if you get caught in the rain or snow. Any, even inexpensive, waterproof case for the Samsung S7 Edge is 100% sealed. Close the accessory and be sure that moisture will not penetrate the device.
Secondly, you get a lot of possibilities. The waterproof case allows you to use the functionality of your phone even at depth. You can dive to the bottom of the sea and take pictures or film all its beauty.
Our advantages
Convenient payment methods. You can give cash to the courier, transfer the required amount through Yandex.Money or Qiwi wallet.
Delivery organization. You can use this service when purchasing any waterproof case for Samsung S7 Edge from our catalog; its price in this case does not matter. Your consultant will tell you the cost of the service. You can contact him by phone 8-800-700-88-59.
