Supreme Flagship Phone with a Supreme Price
I am presenting my long term review of the new Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge after using it exactly for a month. I have upgraded my phone from Samsung Galaxy Note 3 to this one and I'll try to collate all that I have experienced in last 1 month. I am sure people who are reading this review and/or planning to purchase this beauty paegent winner knows all about the tech specs. So, I'll better skip it and straight come down to my experience with the phone most departments.
Android:
It comes with the latest Android 6.0.1 and Samsung is quite regular in pushing minor patches and hotfixes. It is also compatible to the next Android v7.x. The latest Touchwiz UI of Samsung is overall better than earlier. Although it comes with its own pack of bloatwares, but the good thing is that you can uninstall/disable them. The best app of the lot is Samsung SHealth, you will simply love this app for its simplicity, utility and its usage coupled with some useful health monitors like heartrate, stress, Blood pressure, Haemoglobin, water/caffeine intake and more. The UI is packaged and integrated with many usefull apps like Briefing, Flipboard, etc. Samsung My Galaxy gives access to many exclusive deals and offers available for Samsung device owners. For example - The Samsung-Oculus Gear VR Headset which is available for S7 and S7 Edge owners at INR 990, which is otherwise priced at INR 7, 990. I'll present my review on the VR headset later in the article.
Build:
The phone is solid in build and has no lacks or flaws whatsoever, but due to the all glass finish it looks delicate and you are always in a mind to handle it with care. A product of 57k will anyways be close to your heart. Samsung claims that the back panel is scratch resistant, I'd still like to have an added protection of a back cover.
Screen:
The screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 4 and hence scratch resitant. Undoubtedly Samsung gives the best quality touchscreens. The color reproduction, vibrancy, clarity and details are match to none. The quad-HD screen of S7 Edge give you an incredible experience of watching Full HD and 2K/4K videos. Videos and images rolling over to the edges making it more enjoyable. The touch response is flawless and works like a charm.
Performance:
With Octa-core CPU( 64-bit) coupled with 4 GB RAM you never run out of computing and multi-tasking powers. However, you can also limit the performance by enabling Power-Save option. The only disturbing element is heating. The phones heats up while watching 4K videos and running VR headset. While most metal and glass body phones have this inherent problem, I believe it can be curbed by putting a back cover.
Battery:
The phone comes with 3600 mAH of power backup which lasts for about 38-40 hrs on 4G with Batter Saver ON and medium usage. However, with Battery Saver OFF and medium usage it easily runs for 32 hrs. You can expect to put it on recharge by the end of the day with heavy usage like graphic intensive games, too much social media, etc. The phone is capable of Fast charge with a 9v adapter, but even charging it with 5v adaper of Samsung Galaxy J it charges the phone 50% in less than 60 mins. So, I'd say the battery and recharging department is doing great.
Camera:
One of the key vantage point of Samsung Galaxy S7/Edge is the camera. The 12 ulta pixel rear camera and 5 MP front camera makes the best pair. I particularly liked the front camera as it takes clear pictures even in low light and without a flash. The pictures taken from the primary camera is comparable to the best DSLR shots. The best thing about the camera is the lightnening fast auto-focus, it locks the subject faster than you blink. The videos taken are in 4K and are most amazing. The camera also comes with some cool modes and features( on-board+ downloadable) like effects, selective focus, live broadcast, video collage, slo motion, time lapse, dual camera, surround shot, animated gif, etc. It also comes with a Pro mode with 30 focus points and all manual controls like focus, exposure, aperture, shutter speed, ISO, etc. So, people wanting to experience DSLR photography on a mobile camera would simply love it.
Edge:
The biggest feature of Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge has become the biggest disappointment for me. It is the biggest hype hovering over this product. The idea was good but is served half-cooked. There are many useful tools in this edge screen like the compass, ruler, Data usage, app shortcuts, RSS feeds, stock alerts, Sports alerts, Twitter trends, Weather, etc. Many edge panels are available to download free or paid. However, the major advantage of the Edge screen that Samsung shows is Notifications, but neither the edge panel wakes up automatically to display notifications or alerts nor does it run RSS feeds or notifications continuously. It needs to be waked up by rubbing the panel up and down twice, then it runs the show for a max of 10 mins. At night, the edge panel can be used as a standby clock, but may consume about 8-10% battery in 6 hrs of night sleep. So overall, in my opinion the Edge has got no edge and is nothing more than a GIMMICK.
Water & dust resistant:
Although I have not dipped my new phone in water to test it, but I believe if it is IP69 certified it must be water and dust resistant.
Security:
People who are concerned about security and protection of their personal data can use the Private mode. It encrypts the files/folders marked as Private and hence makes invisible, until the Private mode is enabled by a security lock code. Private mode will turn off as soon as the screen is locked( or customized) .
VR:
The VR headset costing INR 7990/- is available at INR 990/- for only Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge owners. It is not available with dealers, but you need to register/login at My Galaxy app and you will get your offer in 3-4 working days. Order it from the phone and you will receive an Oculus VR headset nicely packed. The viewing experience of VR is truely out of this world. The 360 degree view is most amazing. You may download VR compatible 360 degree videos, apps or games online while wearing the VR headset or play simple videos in cinematic view of download 360 degree VR videos from Youtube. However, I expected a lot better picture quality from it. The 4K videos downloaded also produces distorted or blurred views sometimes, even after adjusting the focus. Navigating through the VR UI to check videos on the phone or in the Oculus app is irritating sometimes. The headset caliberation also gets lost often while playing videos. The best thing is the experience of the Oculus app and the viewing modes eg. Cinema, Home Theatre, ANT+, Moon, etc. which actually gives a 360 degree view and experience of sitting inside a cinema hall or on the moon. But you may not be able to use the VR for more than 15 mins at a stretch for 3 good reasons -( 1) It will sweat the areas around your eyes;( 2) You will end up having painful eyes and( 3) The phone itself heats up too much and you may not be confortable even holding it in your hands.
Samsung S7 Edge vs Apple iPhone 6S:
These are two different worlds altogether. While Apple gives an extra dose of Tashan and a feeling of being rich, it also restricts you within its boundaries and compells you to live how Apple has decided. It is like an orthodox family who doesn't like their children live life as they want. On the other hand Android is an open world where you are the boss and you can use the phone as you like and live an unlimited life. It is also true that over the years Apple has lost innovation. What Samsung/Andoid gives today, Apple brings it 2 years later - old wine in a new bottle. Heard Apple has now copied Samsung's Edge idea in iPhone 8( scheduled in Sep, 2018) and will be called iPhone 8 Edgeless.
Verdict: Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge is a supreme flagship phone and is much better than iPhone. One who buys an S7 running Android he/she is more than confident that he/she doesn't like and doesn't want an iPhone. Having said that and after buying the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge I realized that spending 57K is not worth it, it is extremely high priced. Buy it only if you have a huge cash load or ready to sell off your kidney or may be a 0% interest free EMI scheme( like I got) . If you are still attracted to this beauty, go for the S7 and save 5-6K, the Edge display has no significant edge anyways. Still better, go for the Samsung Galaxy Note 5( if you are a Samsung fan) or there are million more options available
