Samsung has finally taken the wraps of their newest flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S7 and its Edge variant the Galaxy S7 Edge. Galaxy S7 Edge is the newest iteration of the Samsung's model handsets with an innovative edge design.Though the Galaxy S7 may be Samsung's main flagship product, it has added a few extras on the Galaxy S7 Edge such as an awesome design, water resistance, microSD support and a larger battery. Here is our hands on review and the S7 Edge first impressions.

Galaxy S7 Edge Release Date and Price

Though the Galaxy S7 Edge has only been revealed, it will officially be available for purchase on March 11. Samsung has promised those customers who choose to pre-order before March 5, they can receive the smartphone offerings by March 8. Furthermore, those who actually pre-order, Samsung will throw in a free Samsung Gear VR headset as well as a VR games bundle worth almost US$150. This offer will commence on Tuesday, February 23 and will be available exclusively to customers in Europe and the US.Although, the price of the device has not been disclosed for the US region, the Galaxy S7 Edge price in Europe is set at US$880.The available color options are expected to vary by region, though the choice options available include black, white, silver and gold. In addition, it will come in two versions, one equipped with 32 GB internal storage and the other with 64 GB, although both will include a microSD slot.

Design and Build Quality

The Galaxy S7 Edge brings with it refinements in terms of size and design language. In contrast to the S6 Edge's 5.1 inches in size, the Galaxy S7 Edge is much bigger standing at 5.5 inches. The S7 Edge is looks just as attractive with the metal and glass uni-body construction found in its Galaxy S6 Edge counterparts still present.Built with aluminium, the S7 Edge is complemented with a Gorilla Glass 4 both at the front and at the back.Some of its noticeable developments include its larger size, a 0.46 mm of camera lens protrusion which is less compared to that of the S6 Edge, along with more rounded edges to give a better grip.At the sides, the S7 Edge features volume keys on the left with the power button being placed on its right with fancy looking metal edges.The microSD slot which also serves as nano SIM slot, can be found at the top of the device. It is worth mentioning that the microSD support allows up to 200 GB of expandable memory storage.The speaker along with the standard microUSB and mini jack ports are at the bottom.

Display

Galaxy S7 Edge is much larger compared to its predecessors and flagship counterpart, featuring a 5.5-inch display. It is boasts a Super AMOLED panel backed by a Quad HD resolution with 2,560 x 1,440 pixels. It also features a 510 dpi in pixel density.Its bright display delivers vibrant and saturated colors, great viewing angles and deeper blacks. A special addition on the display is the fact that the display is now an always-on display, which shows the time, notifications and weather details, without the need to wake your phone. If you are worried about its impact on battery life, Samsung promises less than 1% battery consumption by the always-on display.

Special Features

Always On display

Both the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 Edge feature an Always On screen, which continually display the time, notifications and weather information.

Water resistance

The Galaxy S7 Edge offers both waterproof and dust-proof capabilities with a rate certification of IP68. This means the device is capable of surviving a 30 minute immersion in up to 1.5m of water.

Fast Charging

Another extra, is that the Galaxy S7 Edge is equipped with quick charging technology, which promises up to a 100 percent charge in 100 minutes with the right charger while a wireless charger will take 150 minutes.

Game Launcher

Like the Galaxy S7, the S7 Edge features a Game Launcher. This is essential for storing all your games, reduce the effect on the phone's resources as well as the activation of the 'Do not disturb' mode while gaming. It also offers options to record a game currently being played or even share it on social networks.The S7 and the S7 Edge are also the first smartphones compatible with Vulkan.Additionally, the Galaxy S7 Edge includes a heart rate sensor, NFC, infrared and S-Health, with Samsung also confirming the launch of Samsung Pay in Spain and the UK in the coming days.

Software

Unsurprisingly, both the Galaxy S7 and the S7 Edge come running on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow out of the box. It of course features the same TouchWiz that can be found on the S6 Edge+. Some of the pre-installed apps include, seven of Samsung's apps, five from Microsoft and a few from Google, along with the Facebook and WhasApp apps. This means, overall the Galaxy S7 Edge has 25 apps preloaded on it.

Performance

The Galaxy S7 Edge is expected to be powered by either Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 CPU or Samsung Exynos, based on the market. Samsung is yet to confirm the exact Exynos model to be used, but regardless all versions of the device will be backed by 4 GB of RAM.

Camera

Aside from the fact that the camera bulge is less noticeable, the camera offers quite a few improvements. The camera has 12MP sensor, with 1.4 microns in pixel size, which means better low-light performance, this further boosted with its f/1.7 aperture. The S7 Edge also utilizes a dual-pixel technology, which is a first on any smartphone, providing faster focusing, even in low-light conditions.The front shooter has a 5 MP sensor along with an f/1.7 aperture.

Battery

The Galaxy S7 Edge embodies a battery with an adequate capacity of 3,600 mAh, which is in contrast to the much bigger S6 Edge+ device with 600 mAh less of battery. The incorporation of the Android Marshmallow is guaranteed to enhance battery life on the S7 Edge.What are some the features are you pleased to see on the Galaxy S7 Edge? Let us know in the comments.

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What's my model number?

There are several ways to locate your model number:

Option 1
On your device, go to Settings, then "About device" and scroll down to "Model number"
Option 2
Often times you can view the model number inside the device, by removing the battery
Option 3
Using Samsung's model/serial number location tool

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