History will recount that the Galaxy S6 fixed all the Galaxy S5’s weaknesses, but in doing so it gave up the Galaxy S5’s strengths. But now Samsung looks to have its head screwed on. A massive new leak has revealed the Galaxy S7’s biggest and best features and this time they all go after the right opponent: the iPhone 6S…
So what are the attack areas? Durability, storage, battery life and perhaps one unexpected future bonus. VentureBeat has all the details and the highlights are as follows:
Water Resistant Returns - a return to the water resistance of the Galaxy S5 with IP67 dust and water resistance certifications. This would give it a step up over the iPhone 6S, though the iPhone 7 is tipped to go down the water resistant or even waterproof route as well.
Big Battery Life Boost - a big jump to 3000 mAh and 3600 mAh capacities for the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge respectively, up from 2550 mAh and 2600 mAh of the S6 and S6 Edge. The S7 Edge in particular could become a real standout device here and allow Samsung to return to its wall hugger boasts used to advertise the S5.
MicroSD Slot Returns - as previously rumoured, microSD will return. VentureBeat says Samsung will support expandable storage right up to 200GB cards and given Android 6.0 Marshmallow allows external storage to be merged with internal storage, that could be a deal maker for many. By contrast iPhones don’t offer expandable storage, but if
Super Fast Camera - here Samsung will take a lesson from Apple and quit the megapixel race by dropping from 16MP in the Galaxy S5 and S6 to 12MP in the Galaxy which reduces file size and allows for faster image processing. The key news though is the Galaxy S7 will have an f/1.7 aperture compared to the f/1.9 aperture in the Galaxy S6 and relatively sluggish f/2.2 aperture in the iPhone 6S. A faster aperture means more light can be taken in more quickly so fast moving objects and low light photos are greatly enhanced.
Flush Camera Finish - Just to rub it in, the Galaxy S7 is also said to have a flush back while Apple’s dislike of its own protruding camera lens is well known. It may seem trivial, but this would be a major design win and a marketing gift.
Headphone Jack - yes the iPhone 6S has a headphone jack and so will the Galaxy S7, but it seems increasingly likely the iPhone 7 will not and this would prove a deal breaker for some and an easy win for Samsung (and all other phone makers for that matter).
But the leaks also bring some bad news...
Potential Losses
Slower Charging Time - VentureBeat says the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge will take 2.2 hours to fully charge their larger batteries compared to about an hour for the Galaxy S6. That would surprise me though as the Nexus 6P has a 3450 mAh battery that can charge in just an hour.
Update: The 2.2 hour charge time may only refer to wireless charging time according to famous leaker @evleaks. That would be further great news!
Increased Thickness - The Galaxy S7 will also be thicker than the Galaxy S6 (from 7.9mm from 6.9mm) in order to fit the larger battery and make the camera flush. That may mean it ‘loses’ a spec comparison with the iPhone 6S and even thinner iPhone 7, but personally I’d happily take a 1mm bump for the benefits. In fact make it 2mm and a 4000 mAh battery please!
Audeze EL-8 Titanium Lightning headphones show the only headphone connector the iPhone 7 may offer.... [+]
Finishing off with a positive, and tying in with past reports, VentureBeat finishes things off by saying we can expect the Galaxy S7 to be unveiled in mid February ahead of Mobile World Congress with a global rollout in late February/early March. Black, white and gold finishes will initially be available.
Needless to say, until the Galaxy S7 is official you can’t 100% bank on this news but it does tie in with so many other leaks that I feel highly confident. Perhaps more to the point though, Samsung really seems to have got its act together here and, if it does all pan out, the Galaxy S7 will combine the best features of the S5 and S6 (removable battery aside) into something very special indeed…
___
Follow Gordon on Twitter, Facebook and Google+
More On Forbes
Galaxy S7 Leak Promises 5.2-Inch And 5.5-Inch Models
Surprise Galaxy S7 Leak Reveals Massive Samsung U-Turn
iPhone 7 Leaks 'Confirm' Apple Abandoning Headphone Jack
iPhone 6S Mini Leaks, Apple Takes Big Gamble
New iPhone 7 Details Reveal 3 Radical Design Changes
