Technology

Samsung Galaxy S7 goes on sale worldwide, promises boosted performance, new camera

A model demonstrates Samsung Electronics' new smartphone Galaxy S7 during its launching ceremony in Seoul, South Korea. – Reuters pic, March 11, 2016.A model demonstrates Samsung Electronics' new smartphone Galaxy S7 during its launching ceremony in Seoul, South Korea. – Reuters pic, March 11, 2016.After presenting its new flagship smartphone at this year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, the Samsung Galaxy S7 goes on sale worldwide today.

Samsung kept things pretty classic for this 2016 upgrade to its flagship handset. The 5.1-inch Galaxy S7 and 5.5-inch Galaxy S7 edge (with rounded edges) are similar in design to the current S6 and S6 edge, but get improved processing performance of around 30% and 4GB of RAM. Both models run the latest version of the Android operating system, Android 6.0 (Marshmallow), with Samsung's TouchWiz interface.

Upgraded camera, fast autofocus

The real innovation in the Galaxy S7 (and S7 edge) comes in the camera. The main, rear-facing camera sees its pixel-count drop from 16 to 12 megapixels, in turn promising improved image quality, particularly in low-light conditions and with moving subjects.

This is thanks to Dual Pixel technology, which sees the camera take two pictures at once and then fuse them into one final super-sharp image. A 5-megapixel, wide-angle, front-facing camera is also on hand for selfie fans.

The Galaxy S7and S7 edge are water-resistant handsets that mark the return of the microSD memory card slot, dropped from Samsung's S6. The smartphones also have a new "AlwaysOn" function to display certain information constantly onscreen (time, calendar, meetings, etc) while keeping power use extremely low. In fact, Samsung promises over 10 hours of battery life.

Samsung is busy building a whole product ecosystem around its Galaxy S7, with current add-ons including the Gear S2 smartwatch, the Gear VR virtual reality headset and the new Gear 360 camera, which films 360-degree footage.

Not an essential upgrade for Samsung Galaxy S6 owners

In the end, the Samsung Galaxy S7 isn't necessarily the most stylish or the most innovative smartphone of the moment (check out the LG G5 with its modular design), but it's still in the running as one of the best smartphones on the market thanks to its performances and its camera.

So while upgrading from a Galaxy S6 to an S7 doesn't seem essential, this smartphone is sure to suit users looking to invest in a good-quality high-end handset. – AFP/Relaxnews, March 11, 2016.

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