Samsung Announces Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge With Expandable Storage, Larger Battery

Today at Mobile World Congress, Samsung announced the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, the latest devices in its flagship line of smartphones. While the two new devices are nearly identical to last year's Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, they add a trio of features that were left out of those models: expandable storage, water resistance and more battery life. However, while previously rumored, the device does not come with a pressure-sensitive 3D Touch-like display.

samsunggalaxys7

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge (via The Verge)

The Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge now include support for microSD cards with up to 200 GB of storage to complement the 32 GB of onboard storage. The U.S. will only receive 32 GB variants of the devices while some regions will receive a 64 GB version alongside the 32 GB version. The devices also support IP68 water and dust resistance, which means that the phones can be submersed in up to 5 feet of water for 30 minutes. The S7 comes with a 3,000 mAh battery, up from last year's 2,550 mAh, while the S7 Edge comes with a 3,600 mAh battery, up from last year's 2,600 mAh.

Both devices have received minor design improvements intended to make the devices easier to hold. The S7 now has a flatter home button and a less pronounced camera bump among other small refinements. The S7 Edge has received a larger 5.5-inch display (both devices sport the quad HD Super AMOLED display in the Galaxy S6). However, the S7 Edge has also received a sleeker, more curved back that, according to The Verge, results in a 5.5-inch device that is easily workable with one hand.


The rear camera in the new S7 and S7 Edge is now 12 megapixels, down from last year's 16 megapixels. Samsung says the camera now has larger pixels that let in 56 percent more light than the previous model's camera; it also comes with a f/1.7 aperture that lets in an additional 25 percent more light. The camera sensor's shape has also changed, moving from a 16:9 ratio to a 4:3-like ratio. The camera can also focus three times faster than the previous model thanks to its new dual pixel system, which uses every pixel as a "focus pixel," according to Samsung.

Finally, both S7 devices are powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 processor rather than Samsung's own Exynos chips, which powered the S6. However, Samsung notes that some regions of the world will still receive S7 devices powered by the Exynos chips. Both devices also have 4 GB of RAM, up from last year's 3 GB. Neither phone is equipped with the new USB-C port, with Samsung instead opting to continue with Micro USB due to its compatibility with its Gear VR headset and being the more mature technology.

The phones both run Android 6.0 Marshmallow with Samsung's TouchWiz interface. The two big software enhancements for this year's model are additional edge swipe gestures for the S7 Edge and an always-on display that continually shows either a clock with notifications, a calendar or an image. The system uses the proximity sensor to keep the display on, so when the phone is face-down, in a pocket or purse it turns off. Samsung says the feature only uses half a battery percentage an hour.

The Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge will be available on all four major U.S. carriers on March 11. The S7 will come in either black or gold color options while the S7 Edge will be available in black, gold or silver. Samsung didn't reveal prices, but said they will be roughly in line with last year's prices. Pre-orders will begin February 23. Users who purchase an S7 or S7 Edge between February 23rd and March 18th will receive a free Gear VR headset.

Popular Stories

apple tv 4k new orange

New Apple TV Expected Later This Year With These New Features

Saturday July 12, 2025 3:09 pm PDT by
A new Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Rumors Faster Wi-Fi Support The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports ...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 16 New Features

Friday July 11, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are only two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:A redesigned Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that all iPhone 17 models will have a redesigned Dynamic Island interface — it might ...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3: What to Expect

Sunday July 13, 2025 10:30 am PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is nearly over, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3:Satellite connectivity for sending and receiving text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable 5G support, up from LTE on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Likely a wide-angle OLED display that ...
iphone 16 pro pro max

iPhone 17 Pro Models With BOE Displays Will Be Sold in China Only

Thursday July 10, 2025 11:59 pm PDT by
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models with displays made by BOE will be sold exclusively in China, according to a new report. Last week, it emerged that Chinese display manufacturer BOE was aggressively ramping up its OLED production capacity for future iPhone models as part of a plan to recapture a major role in Apple's supply chain. Now, tech news aggregator Jukan Choi reports...
top stories 2025 07 12

Top Stories: iPhone 17 Pro Rumors, iOS 26 Beta 3, and More

Saturday July 12, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
The iOS 26 public beta release is quickly approaching, while developers have recently gotten their hands on a third round of betas that has seen Apple continue to tweak features, design, and functionality. We're also continuing to hear rumors about the iPhone 17 lineup that is now just about right around the corner, while Apple's latest big-budget film appears to be taking off, so read on...

Top Rated Comments

lovewd Avatar
123 months ago
I have to admit, this is one gorgeous phone. Im glad Samsung pushed out an impressive product, so that other manufacturers have no other option but to give us an even better product. Competition creates perfection
Score: 45 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jrlcopy Avatar
123 months ago
Free GearVR + Water Resistant + up to 200GB of add in storage.... commmon appple........ Let me iphone allow me to bring all my music with me again...... please!!! I'm tired of all these streaming services.

I mean, how cool would it be to have all your music that you own, with you in your pocket (again).
Score: 43 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Count Blah Avatar
123 months ago
At least we still get to keep our 16Gig base storage!!

YEA!!!! 
Score: 40 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JCrz Avatar
123 months ago
"What is this? SamsungRumors?"
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
trifid Avatar
123 months ago
Most definitely not. :eek: Click bait. Slow news week. Let just play along :p
Definitely yes, this is the flagship product that 'threatens' the iPhone, as a MR user I'm interested in what Apple is going against, and what the competition is, and enjoy discussing it with my fellow MR colleagues ;)
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
trifid Avatar
123 months ago
Wow looks awesome. Wireless charging, waterproof, OLED, expandability, start your copying machines Apple.
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)