Samsung Galaxy S7 vs. S7 Edge Design and Specs Comparison: Which 2016 Flagship Is Right For You?

2016 flagship smartphone models Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge were officially announced by the Korean Giant here in the Philippines at an exclusive event held at The Samsung Hall of SM Aura Premiere in Taguig City yesterday, February 22, 2015. Fortunately, I got to see them earlier via the company's exclusive media preview at Ascott Hotel held a few hours earlier through an invite from our friends at Smart Communications.

Having played with both new smartphones, I've decided to do this quick comparison post between the two for the benefit of Samsung fans who are now at wits' end trying to choose which model to get: Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge or the regular Samsung Galaxy S7?

Obviously, the biggest and most noticeable difference between S7 and S7 Edge is in terms of display size and form. As you can see, the one on the regular Galaxy S7 (right) is flat and is smaller measuring at just 5.1 inches. On the other hand, the one on S7 Edge (left) - as its name would suggest - is curved on the sides and measures 5.5 inches. Nonetheless, the SuperAMOLED screens of both phones have the same Quad HD or 1,440 x 2560 pixels resolution, making the one on Galaxy S7 more pixel dense -- if anyone's eyes are sharp enough to notice that.

The size of each phone's display obviously dictated the device's dimensions. S7 Edge is wider, taller, and - interestingly enough - slightly thinner with dimensions of 150.9 x 72.6 x 7.7 millimeters while regular S7 measures 142.4 x 69.6 x 7.9 millimeters. Galaxy S7 Edge is heavier, weighing 157 grams versus S7 which weights 152 grams. Given each phone's ergonomics, it's clear that Galaxy S7 is easier to hold and to keep in the pocket - if a bit - as it is smaller and lighter. Nevertheless, S7 Edge not only has a more interesting look because of the curved screen but also has larger viewing real estate -- perfect for those who love watching movies and browsing images on their smartphones.

Both handsets have rather flat back panels compared to their predecessors - the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge - that had protruding camera modules. These two Galaxies come with a 12.1 Dual Pixel shooter that comes with faster shutter speed, a larger f/1.7 aperture, and dual photodiode sensor resulting in enhanced low-light performance.

Notice that Samsung Galaxy S7's glass back panel gently curves down the sides mimicking the face of the Galaxy S7 Edge. Likewise S7 Edge's back panel is flat like the glass screen of the regular S7. So in a way, their design identities reflect each other -- albeit in reverse.

S7 and S7 Edge share similar ports and buttons placement. The loud speaker, microphone, microUSB port 2.0 and 3.5mm audio jack are found at the rear, the power button is on the right panel facing the display, the volume buttons are on the left, and the stereo mic as well as the singular tray for the nanoSIM and hybrid nanoSIM slots are on top.

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and Galaxy S7 features a more air-tight build compared to the 2015 iterations enough to get IP68 Water and Dust Resistance Certification. Both phones are protected against water damage when submerged in 1.5 meters of liquid for up to 30 minutes. Hovever, let me repeat: I'm not recommending that you use either handsets while swimming as water and electronics don't mix well. Rather, think of this feature simply as added protection against accidental spills and splashes.

You've seen the designs of either smartphones. Now, let's jump to specs shoot-out. For that, here's the complete TechPinas Technical Specifications Comparison between Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and Samsung Galaxy S7 official models for the Philippines:

TechPinas Smartphone Technical Specs Comparison Table (TSTSCT)
Name	Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge (Philippines)	Samsung Galaxy S7 (Philippines)
Type	Phablet	Smartphone
Price Category	High-End (Flagship Level)
Dimensions	150.9 x 72.6 x 7.7 mm	142.4 x 69.6 x 7.9 mm
Weight	157 grams	152 grams
Available Colors	Black, White, Gold, Silver
Operating System	Android 6.0 Marshmallow with TouchWiz Skin
Display Size	5.5 inches (~76.1% screen-to-body ratio) with Curved Edges	5.1 inches (~72.1% screen-to-body ratio)
Display Resolution and Type	Quad HD 1440 x 2560 pixels (~534 ppi pixel density), Super AMOLED, Gorilla Glass 5 capacitive toucscreen, Always On Display, 16M colors
Processor, GPU, Chipset	64-Bit Octa Core Exynos 8890 Octa or Qualcomm MSM8996 Snapdragon 820 (TBC)
RAM	4 GB RAM
Internal Storage	32 GB expandable via hybrid nanoSIM slot that doubles as microSD card slot supporting up to 200GB
Camera	Main: 12 MegaPixels, f/1.7 aperture, Phase Detection Autofocus, Optical Image Stabilization, LED flash, 1/2.6' sensor size, 1 µm pixel size, Touch Focus, Geo-tagging, Face detection, Auto HDR, Panorama Front: 5 MegaPixels, f/1.7, Dual Video call, Auto HDR
Video Capture	Main: 2160p @ 30fps, 1080p @ 60fps, Optical Image Stabilization, Auto HDR Front: 1080p @ 30 fps, Auto HDR, Dual Video Recording, Live Panorama
Audio and Video Playback	Video: H.264, MPEG-4, H.263, VC-1, WMV7, WMV8, Sorenson Spark, MP43, VP8, HEVC, Full HD (1080p), UHD (depends on variant) Audio: MP3, AAC/AAC+/eAAC+, WMA, AMR-NB/WB, Vorbis, FLAC(*), WAV(*) (*) Ultra High Quality Audio (~192KHz, 24 bit) support
Ports	microUSB v2.0, TV-out (via MHL 3.0 A/V link), 3.5 mm audio jack
Connectivity, Sharing	4G LTE Cat9, 3G HSPA+, WiFi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz), HT80 MIMO(2x2) 620Mbps, Dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, Mobile Hotspot, Bluetooth v4.1, A2DP, LE, apt-X, ANT+, NFC, S Beam, Samsung AllShare Play and Control, Samsung AllShare Cast (WiFi Display), Mirroring and Extension, Samsung AllShare Framework
Sensors	Accelerometer, RGB Light, Digital Compass, Proximity, Gyro, Barometer, Temperature, Humidity, Gesture, Heart Rate Monitor, Touch-Type Finger Scanner, UV
GPS	A-GPS, GLONASS, Beidou
Network	2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900, 3G Network HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100, 4G Network LTE 800 / 850 / 900 / 1800 / 2100 / 2600 (TBC)
SIM Card Type	Dual nanoSIM = nanoSIM 1 (LTE) + nanoSIM 2 (2G, Hybrid)
Battery	Non-Removable Li-Ion 3,600 mAh battery, Wireless Charging compatible, Fast battery charging	Non-Removable Li-Ion 3,000 mAh battery, Wireless Charging compatible, Fast battery charging
Uptime	TBD
Value-Added Features	Flagship Release, IP68 Certified Water and Dust Ingress Resistant, Dual Pixel Camera, Samsung Gear VR and Gear S2 support
Announcement	Worldwide: February 22, 2016 at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona
Availability	Official: Philippines - March 11, 2016
Price	Official SRP: 32GB - Php 39,990 FREE with Smart Postpaid Plans	Official SRP: 32GB - Php 34,990 FREE with Smart Postpaid Plans

Studying the table above, it's clear that the main difference between the models lies in their screen and battery sizes. Galaxy S7 Edge's display is bigger at 5.5-inches across, which is complemented by the larger 3,600 mAh battery. On the other hand, the regular S7 flaunts a 5.1-inch screen matched by the smaller 3,000 mAh pack. I'm not sure, though, if Galaxy S7 Edge's bigger battery would give it longer uptime compared to its sibling as the larger display is also more energy-hungry.

That said, both models are extremely powerful when it comes to gaming and overall mobile performance. As I've shared previously, the combination of Samsung's new 64-Bit Octa Core Exynos 8890 processor (or even Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 chipset), 4GB of RAM, and 32GB of ROM make the SGS7 and SGS7Edge two of the most powerful Android smartphones in the world today.

So which of these two 2016 flagship smartphones from the Korean Giant is right for you? Here's my take on it:

Get Samsung Galaxy S7 if you want a beast of a handset that fits very well in the hand and doesn't protrude too much in the pocket. I mean, it's small enough to be used with one hand; You won't have to stretch your thumb that much to reach the top part of the screen. The look is also more classic or traditional so I guess that's also a consideration for consumers who want to project such image. In the Philippines, the 32GB Dual SIM version of the regular Galaxy S7 will have an SRP of Php 34,990 when it becomes available come March 11, 2016 -- that's Php 5,000 lower than the price tag of 32GB Dual SIM Galaxy S7 Edge so you might want to consider that too.

Get Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge if you want something more - uhm - edgy and eye-catching. This display type is currently unique to Samsung Edge Series smartphones so you won't see too many people with handsets donning the same look. I think this phablet is perfect for stylish users who demand a big display on their handsets and who want their devices to be a reflection of their fun and unique personalities. Also, you currently own the regular Samsung Galaxy S6, getting the S7 Edge - I believe - would be a wiser decision since the standard S7 looks almost the same as its predecessor. But that's just me.

TP Friends, how about you? Which of these two top-of-the-line 2015 handset models from Samsung would you prefer? Let me know your thoughts about Samsung Galaxy S7 and Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge via our comments section below.