Samsung Galaxy S7 UK release date, price, specification, features, leaked images
When is the Samsung Galaxy S7 coming out and what can we expect from the next Galaxy? Here’s everything we know so far, including the Galaxy S7 UK release date, price, specification and feature rumours.
We bring you all the best Galaxy S7 rumours and speculation on the web – what to expect from the Samsung Galaxy S7
By Chris Martin1 | 6 hours ago
The Samsung Galaxy S62 is still one of the best Android phones you can buy, but it’s already time to look ahead to the next smartphone – it (actually, they, which we’ll come to later) could be here within weeks. Based on internet rumours, here’s what we know so far about the Galaxy S7 UK release date, price, specifications, features and more. See: 26 best new upcoming phones 20154.3
Latest rumour: The Galaxy S7 will be unveiled at a Samsung press event on 21 February 2016, and go on sale on 4 March. It will be unveiled alongside up to three other models including the Galaxy S7 Edge and Galaxy S7 Edge+. It will also come with a pressure sensitive screen and a feature similar to Apple’s Live Photos. Waterproofing and a Micro-SD card slot are looking more likely, too.
This is our complete guide to the Galaxy S7 and will be updated regularly all the way up to its launch with news and rumours as and when they become available. We’ll also add our own thoughts and expert predictions since we’ve been writing about the Galaxy range since the very beginning. On this page you can read about the rumoured Galaxy S7 UK release date, how much it might cost, and what’s the difference between S6 and S7 in terms of design, hardware, specifications and features. You can also see leaked images and vote in our polls to tell us what you’d most like to see from the Galaxy S7. We’ve split the article up into small sections focusing on different aspects of the Galaxy S7 so you can easily find what you’re looking for. Please bear in mind that what you’re reading is rumours and speculation so it may be wrong we advice a healthy pinch of salt, but we will try and point out which things are more likely and less likely as we go. Read our Samsung Galaxy S6 review5 and learn more about the Samsung Galaxy S66 here.
Samsung Galaxy S7 UK release date: When is the Samsung Galaxy S7 coming out?
Usually, the flagship Galaxy S smartphone launch is pretty easy to predict. Samsung tends to announce the phone very close to MWC, the smartphone- and tablet-focused tech show in Barcelona that this year runs from 22 to 25 February. Samsung usually holds a press conference on the Sunday prior to the event (21 February) when it announces its latest Galaxy S-series flagship. According to a source very close to Samsung, a Samsung handset will be available to pre-order between 21 February and 3 March, going on sale between 4 and 17 March (we can only assume the differing on sale dates are due to various operator exclusives). Our source didn’t tell us which Samsung handset it would be, and it is true we are still waiting for a UK launch of the Galaxy Note 57, but judging by the song and dance around it we can’t imagine they were talking about anything other than the new Samsung Galaxy S7.
This goes against an earlier rumour from etnews.com8, however, which expects the Galaxy S7 to arrive this month (January). We saw Samsung launch the Note 5 outside the UK in August 2015, a couple of weeks ahead of IFA, which was allegedly an effort to get out ahead of the new iPhones – etnews thinks it will do the same with the Galaxy S7. (It has been rumoured that Apple will announce a 4in iPhone9 and an Apple Watch 210 in March, so there may be some truth to this.)
The Verge is sticking to the MWC theory, however, reporting that the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge are set for a ‘mid-March US release after an announcement timed for Mobile World Congress in late February’.
Samsung Galaxy S7 UK price: How much will the Galaxy S7 cost?
The price of the Galaxy S7 is always going to be debatable and the cost of a smartphone rarely gets leaked before its announced. Samsung, and other phone makers, tend not to announce prices for phone anyway, so we normally get the price from retailers which is how much you’ll have to pay anyway. With the Galaxy S6 hitting the market at 599 we’d be surprised if the Galaxy S7 is priced dramatically different – unless it does have curved screen technology as standard (see below) then it might be more like 649. In fact, our money is on the exact same price so we’ll have to wait and see if we’re right.
Update: SamMobile11 has pricing from the supply chain. The 32GB models of the S7 and S7 edge will be priced at Euro 699 and 799 respectively. The site expects the 64GB version to be around 70-80 more but this is an estimate.
Samsung Galaxy S7 to come alongside Galaxy S7 Edge, Galaxy S7 Edge+ and Galaxy S7 Plus?
Evan Blass, the notorious tipster of soon-to-launch products that goes under the Twitter handle @evleaks, on 12 January produced ‘evidence12‘ that not only would we see an S7 but also a Galaxy S7 Edge (the curved-screen model) and an S7 Edge+ (the curved-screen phablet version). We don’t know where the screenshot of the phone model names used in his tweet came from, but @evleaks is known for being very reliable with product leaks.
“Honestly surprised by this (though it does explain a lot),” @evleaks wrote in the Tweet.
It’s also possible that there will be a fourth model, the Galaxy S7 Plus which would presumably be a larger model but without the curved screen element. Once again, this info comes from evleaks and there are cases for all four available on Amazon13. We’ve even got a video of a case for the Galaxy S7 Plus which shows just how big it will be – see below.
Well isn’t this interesting… pic.twitter.com/imbSzQslcH14
Evan Blass (@evleaks) December 11, 201515
Samsung Galaxy S7 design and build
We feel like Samsung finally got the design of the Galaxy flagship right with the Galaxy S6 by moving to a combination of metal and glass resulting in a device that really feels premium and like you spent 600 on it. We hope that Samsung sticks with this new stylish design for the Galaxy S7 – although some upgrades could be beneficial. According to Korean site Kbench16, Samsung has filed a trademark request for a new type of protective glass that’s stronger than Gorilla Glass – the new Galaxy S7 could come with Turtle Glass. inews24.com17 also says Samsung is experimenting with a lighter yet just as tough magnesium-based alloy for the Galaxy S7.
There are a few rumours around suggesting the Samsung will reintroduce waterproofing for the Galaxy S7 and if it does, we assume this would be consistent across the range. The above screenshot from evleaks displaying the model names hints towards this with the rain soaked background image. After months of rumours we finally have something visual to show you on the Galaxy S7 and it comes in the form of renders courtesy of GSMArena18. The source is case maker, ITSKINS19, which has plausibly been sent the info in order to get accessories ready – still have a pinch of salt with this information though.
The leaked images show a similar design to the Galaxy S6 and detailed dimensions – 143.37 x 70.8 x 6.94mm – is basically identical. However, another model looks set to eclipse all other large screen phones with dimensions of 163.32 x 82.01 x 7.82mm. To put those numbers in context, the huge Nexus 6 with its 5.96in screen is 159.3 x 83 x 10.1mm. This points towards Samsung launching a Galaxy S7 Plus (or +) alongside the regular model.
We’d like to see the microSD card slot make a comeback, as would many users, but it’s impossible to tell with the render. The SIM-card slot has been moved to the left-side and although our initial gut feeling was that Samsung wouldn’t bring expandable storage back, it’s looking more and more certain that it will (see the storage and memory section below). You’ll notice that the renders do not show the curved-edge screen which Samsung has offered on two Galaxy S6 models. It was thought that this would be a standard feature of the S7, but the firm could easily continue to offer it as a premium model alongside. We’ll have to wait and see.
As well as a squarer home button, the render shows a Micro-USB port rather than the expected reversible USB Type-C which is appearing on various phones including the OnePlus 220, Nexus 5X and Lumia 950. Samsung may well opt not to go with the new port but the render could also simply be an early draft. The leaked images below supposedly show the case for the Galaxy S7 and if they are the real deal, the phone won’t be too different from the Galaxy S6. They were leaked onto Weibo and pulled not long after but Slashgear21 managed to grab them.
The chassis in the image matches up well to the leaked information and below you can see what the metal edge might look like. There’s a headphone port, unlike the rumoured iPhone 7, and what looks like a USB Type-C port.
The following FlexiSheild cases by Olixar match up with the design shown above and can be pre-ordered from MobileFun22.
MobileFun has also posted a video showing off an Olixar case for the Galaxy S7 Plus showing how big it will be and confirming the design is very similar to the current generation with buttons and ports all in essentially the same place. embedded content
Samsung Galaxy S7 poll – design
Samsung Galaxy S7 processor, memory and storage
Although Samsung used an own-brand Exynos chip in the Galaxy S6 models, a u-turn to the Snapdragon range is certainly on the cards – and even more so now that news has emerged that Samsung will be manufacturing the Snapdragon 820 for Qualcomm – would it really not then put this flagship mobile processor inside its own flagship phone? The 820 is said to have a 35 percent improvement over the Snapdragon 810, and the Galaxy S7 will also benefit from Adreno 530 graphics and LP-DDR4 RAM support.
We have to use the best engines to make our products competitive, which is why we opted to use our own chips, aid JK Shin, head of Samsung Mobile. But we may very well end up using products from Qualcomm again in the next Galaxy phone.
In fact, Samsung is thought to be working with Qualcomm on manufacturing the Snapdragon 820 with 3GHz Kyro CPU cores so it could be a joint effort on this one. A new Geekbench benchmark reportedly shows the Galaxy S7 (SM-G930W8) running an Exynos 8890 processor, an octa-core chip with speeds of at least 1.59GHz. This comes via NapiDroid23 and remember that there could well be two versions of the phone with a different processor for difference markets.
There are some slightly crazy rumours suggesting the Galaxy S7 will feature a whopping 6GB of RAM but we think that 4GB is far more likely – as per the above Geekbench benchmark. Storage is likely to remain at 32GB like the Galaxy S6 and the Micro-SD card slot is unknown but we can only hope Samsung has noticed the response to this change and acts on it. The Wall Street Journal states via one source, that the regular Galaxy S7 will have expandable storage, but the Edge model will not. Since that WSJ report, a number of other sources have suggested that the Galaxy S7 will come with a Micro-SD card slot so it’s looking more likely.
SamMobile, in the same report mentioned above with pricing, has confirmed that the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge WILL both have a Micro-SD card slot.
Samsung Galaxy S7 screen
The screen size of the Galaxy S5 and Galaxy S6 is 5.1in so it seem likely that Samsung will stick to this with the Galaxy S7 and it will almost certainly continue with its favoured AMOLED technology. After all, the Galaxy Note range is designed for those wanting a larger display. As mentioned in the design section, it’s quite possible that the curved display technology found on the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge24 will be a standard feature of the Galaxy S7. A Samsung official said the company is looking to substantially increase its monthly output of flexible displays to prepare for S7’s release. SamMobile has insider info which suggests the Galaxy S7 will indeed be 5.1in with a regular flat screen while the Galaxy S7 edge will be larger at 5.5in. The above video of a case suggests that the Galaxy S7 Plus will have a huge 6in screen.
The latest rumours from Weibo25 also suggest the Galaxy S7 will have an iPhone-like Force Touch display using a technology called ClearForce, which able to differentiate between a tap and a press to trigger different actions. We’ll have a better idea of what screen technology the Galaxy S7 will offer once the Galaxy Note 5 comes out later this year. It’s rumoured to be the first 4K or Ultra HD (2160 x 3840) smartphone and if it is, the Galaxy S7 is likely to follow suit. According to the Wall Street Journal26, the Galaxy S7 will have a pressure-sensitive screen similar to 3D Touch on the iPhone 6S. The site also says that it will look similar to the S6 but have no ‘bump’ for the camera – despite the above leaked renders.
Samsung Galaxy S7 extra specifications
In the past, Samsung has adding various gizmos and gadgets to its phones, especially the Galaxy S range so we expect the Galaxy S7 to continue this. We’d expect it to come with the fingerprint scanner found of the S6 models plus the usual heart rate monitor and IR blaster for controlling devices around your home. One area Samsung hasn’t really pushed compared to competitors is audio so we’re wondering whether it might up the game on the Galaxy S7 here.
Samsung Galaxy S7 cameras
There is an outlandish rumour which proposes that the Galaxy S7 will sport a whopping 30Mp camera, which isn’t completely out of the question but we’re putting it very much in the maybe not pile. Samsung is known to be working on a 20Mp ISOCELL sensor for its Galaxy S7. However, the latest rumour (from Phone Arena27) suggests Samsung is so impressed with the IMX300 sensor in the Sony Xperia Z5 that it could use that technology in its next Galaxy S smartphone. It’s possible Samsung will use both sensors, and which version you get will be dependent on region.
The Wall Street Journal report mentioned above, claims that there will be no bump for the camera on the back of the Galaxy S7.
Adding the confusion, there are also reports that the Galaxy S7 will come with a 12Mp camera which would be a drop in resolution compared with the Galaxy S6. We assume that the camera will be the same across the Galaxy S7 range, however many models there turn out to be.
Remember that resolution isn’t everything and according to evleaks (Evan Blass) via Venturebeat, the camera will have an f/1.7 lens aperture (compared to f/1.9 on S6) which will be more suited for low light.
Going hand-in-hand with the rumours of a pressure sensitive screen, Samsung will supposedly offer a feature similar to Live Photos found on the iPhone 6S which records video before and after a still image is taken to form a sort of animation of the moment. Samsung’s is likely to be called Timeless Photo or Vivid Photo but won’t include sound like Apple’s, according to Android Geeks28.
Samsung Galaxy S7 software
There’s little to say about software at the moment apart from that it’s fairly easy to predict that the Galaxy S7 will come pre-loaded with Android M. The above benchmark results quote version 6.0.1 which is the latest one running on the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P.
TouchWiz, Samsung’s customer user interface, will almost certainly be on-board too and we expect it to be similarly stripped back like the current version.
That’s everything we know and think about the Samsung Galaxy S7 so far but we will be updating this article regularly. Make sure you let us know what you want from the S7 in the comments below and by voting in the poll.
References
^ see more by Chris Martin (www.pcadvisor.co.uk)
^ Samsung Galaxy S6 (www.pcadvisor.co.uk)
^ smartphone (www.pcadvisor.co.uk)
^ 26 best new phones 2015 (www.pcadvisor.co.uk)
^ Samsung Galaxy S6 review (www.pcadvisor.co.uk)
^ Samsung Galaxy S6 (www.pcadvisor.co.uk)
^ UK launch of the Galaxy Note 5 (www.pcadvisor.co.uk)
^ etnews.com (english.etnews.com)
^ 4in iPhone (www.pcadvisor.co.uk)
^ Apple Watch 2 (www.pcadvisor.co.uk)
^ SamMobile (www.sammobile.com)
^ evidence (twitter.com)
^ Amazon (www.amazon.com)
^ pic.twitter.com/imbSzQslcH (t.co)
^ December 11, 2015 (twitter.com)
^ Kbench (www.kbench.com)
^ inews24.com (news.inews24.com)
^ GSMArena (www.gsmarena.com)
^ ITSKINS (shop.itskins.com)
^ OnePlus 2 release date, price and specs (www.pcadvisor.co.uk)
^ Slashgear (www.slashgear.com)
^ MobileFun (www.mobilefun.co.uk)
^ NapiDroid (napidroid.hu)
^ Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge (www.pcadvisor.co.uk)
^ Weibo (www.weibo.com)
^ Wall Street Journal (www.wsj.com)
^ Phone Arena (www.phonearena.com)
^ Android Geeks (www.android.gs)