Samsung Galaxy S7 vs Galaxy S7 Edge comparison

Samsung has lifted the lid on the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 Edge at MWC 2016. Both these new flagships display an evolution from their predecessors, and our initial impressions are largely positive. Read our early Samsung Galaxy S7 vs Galaxy S7 Edge comparison to see how they stack up against each other and hit the links below to go straight to our hands-on reviews.
Samsung Galaxy S7 vs Galaxy S7 Edge comparison: Design

Both Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are constructed from metal, with Gorilla Glass 4 protection on either side. They also have the same sensors and buttons, both are water resistant and both support microSD card slots, but there are two significant differences: the size and the display.

The Galaxy S7 Edge has a 5.5-inch curved display, while the Galaxy S7 display comes in at 5.1-inches, and is flat. Despite the Galaxy S7 Edge being the larger device, they don’t feel so different to hold.

The Galaxy S7 Edge should appeal to those who prefer larger displays, but the design differences between these phones aren’t just there for aesthetics. The Galaxy S7 Edge’s bigger body and curved display have other functions too (such as housing a larger battery).
Samsung Galaxy S7 vs Galaxy S7 Edge comparison: Display
Both the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge have a QHD (2,560 x 1,960 pixels) Super AMOLED display, and the differences in saturation and brightness are minimal. The major difference is in function.

The Galaxy S7 display acts like a normal touchscreen display and is very rich, bright and responsive. The Galaxy S7 Edge screen is too, but its curved nature affords additional functionality.

The Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge’s sloping sides can be used to open shortcuts to favorite apps and contacts, or display news, weather information and more. This time around, the Edge screen display can also be expanded to two columns, to house even more information.

When looking critically at the displays, the S7 Edge may be the superior given that it's larger (and generally better for viewing media and typing) and has more functionality. However, the curved edges of the display tend to reflect more light in your direction, which dissuades us somewhat. 

Samsung Galaxy S7 vs Galaxy S7 Edge comparison: Software
Both the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge arrive with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow and Samsung’s TouchWiz UI on top. The general interface doesn’t differ much from the previous Lollipop-based TouchWiz build, though the S7 Edge’s edge display functions have been improved (read more about those in the hands on Galaxy S7 review).

This version of TouchWiz still comes with a number of pre-installed apps (around 25 or so), but aside from the extra edge display functions, the S7 software is the same on both devices.
Samsung Galaxy S7 vs Galaxy S7 Edge comparison: Battery
The battery may be the next largest difference between these devices. The Galaxy S7 houses a 3,000 mAh battery, while the Galaxy S7 Edge is powered by a 3,600 mAh battery.

This extra 20 percent battery capacity may not directly translate to 20 percent extra battery life, but given that the Galaxy S7 Edge houses only a marginally larger display, it should still provide the better standby times overall.

We will have to wait to get these phones in house before testing this further
Samsung Galaxy S7 vs Galaxy S7 Edge comparison: Camera

The camera tech on the S7 and the S7 Edge is the same. It has been upgraded since the Galaxy S6, and should now be even more capable in low-light, and even more accurate, thanks to dual-pixel technology similar to what is found on reflex cameras.

Both smartphones have a 12 MP rear camera and 5 MP front-facing camera, each with an f / 1.7 aperture lens. TheGalaxy S6 Edge+ has one of the best cameras on Android and early signs indicate the S7 series is even better.  
Samsung Galaxy S7 vs Galaxy S7 Edge comparison: performance

This pair of devices has the exact same internals, with either an Exynos 8890 or Snapdragon 820 chipset and 4 GB of RAM. This guarantees excellent performance, and the slightly larger screen size on the Edge is unlikely to have an appreciable negative impact on performance. The differences between the two in this department are, for all intents and purposes, non-existent.
Samsung Galaxy S7 vs Galaxy S7 Edge comparison: Specs

SAMSUNG GALAXY S7	SAMSUNG GALAXY S7 EDGE
MODEL:	Sorry, not yet available!	Sorry, not yet available!
MANUFACTURER:	Samsung	Samsung
DIMENSIONS:	142.4 x 69.6 x 7.9 mm	150.9 x 72.6 x 7.7 mm
WEIGHT:	152 g	157 g
BATTERY SIZE:	3000 mAh	3600 mAh
SCREEN SIZE:	5.1 in	5.5 in
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY:	AMOLED	AMOLED
SCREEN:	2560 x 1440 pixels (576 ppi)	2560 x 1440 pixels (534 ppi)
FRONT CAMERA:	5 megapixels	5 megapixels
REAR CAMERA:	12 megapixels	12 megapixels
FLASHLIGHT:	LED	LED
ANDROID VERSION:	6.0 - Marshmallow	6.0 - Marshmallow
USER INTERFACE:	TouchWiz	TouchWiz
RAM:	4GB	4GB
INTERNAL STORAGE:	32 GB 64 GB	32 GB 64 GB
REMOVABLE STORAGE:	microSD	microSD
CHIPSET:	Snapdragon 820	Exynos 8890
MBER OF CORES:	8	8
MAX. CLOCK SPEED:	2.3 GHz	Sorry, not yet available!
CONNECTIVITY:	HSPA, LTE, Bluetooth	HSPA, LTE

Samsung Galaxy S7 vs Galaxy S7 Edge comparison: Price and conclusion

The Galaxy S7 Edge will no doubt be more expensive than the Galaxy S7. We expect it to cost US$50-100 more, which is an important consideration. The S7 Edge has more features, but those will come at a price.

Will the extra S7 Edge features add something vital to the mix? We don't know yet. What we do know is that Samsung has really delivered on both phones in terms of hardware, and we expect consumers would be very happy with either device. 

What are your early impressions of the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge? Let us know in the comments.

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