A week with the new Samsung Galaxy S7

A Samsung Galaxy S7 sitting on a wooden board next to a wrist watch

Getting down to business

The S7 feels simple, sleek and responsive and from the moment I went to start it up, it was one of the fastest phones I’ve used. The phone handled Google Chrome, Facebook, Twitter, a banking app and Google Play and it managed well: Swapping back and forth was quick and easy and the phone always remembered where I was in the last window. For business owners who are consistently multitasking, this can help maximise productivity and minimise slowdown.

The camera was next on the list. Samsung has been talking about the evolution of the S7’s camera as one of the focal points of the new design (forgive the pun). The rear camera is 12mp and able to confidently handle any shots you might need on-site or for presentations. In this iteration each pixel makes use of two photodiodes instead of one, with a wide aperture and a fast response time.

In a practical sense, this means the camera can focus faster than most other phone cameras on the market, and is able to take 4k videos that will impress in the boardroom.

The technical side:

90 min charging time with the S7, 100 min with the S7 Edge
4GB of RAM
Expandable storage with a Micro SD slot
3000mAh battery (3600mAh in the S7 Edge)
8-core processor: 4 cores running at up to 2.6GHz and 4 cores running at up to 1.6GHz

Turning heads

The S7 is a sleek looking phone, with a glassed back panel as well as the front, and Samsung’s usual stunning OLED screen. For this iteration, Samsung have separated out the S7 and the S7 Edge into different sizes. The S7 has a 5.1” screen, and the S7 Edge has a larger 5.5” screen.

Notably the back edges of the phone are curved to contour into your hand, the S7 also looks refined, stylish and an altogether modern design.

This latest iteration is also surprisingly rugged for a modern smartphone, with waterproofing and dust proofing – a plus for anyone who’s putting their phone through trials in the working day. The S7 is waterproof up to 1.5m and to 30min, and protected from dust and dirt without an extra cover.

So is the Galaxy S7 a new phone for a new generation? Well after a week of testing, a long car drive and a busy Easter lunch, this feels like the busy person’s best friend and may be one of the phones to beat in 2016.