Fans of the Samsung Galaxy Note7, and those who prefer a front fingerprint sensor, rejoice! The Samsung Galaxy Note Fan Edition, Galaxy Note FE is here, and it’s an incredible bargain. We will share with you our hands-on look at the Galaxy Note FE, and share with you its key features, specifications and price.
Updated @ 2018-01-05 : Added details of the new Samsung Galaxy Note FE price cut.
Originally posted @ 2017-12-01
What Is The Samsung Galaxy Note FE?
When Samsung recalled their Galaxy Note7 phablets, they were left with about 2.5 million of them. That’s not a lot by their usual sale volume, but still a very large number of devices to dispose of.
Instead of disposing them, Samsung refurbished approximately 400,000 of them for sale in South Korea as the Samsung Galaxy Note FE (Price Check). The only hardware difference was the replacement of their original 3,500 mAh battery with a slightly smaller 3,200 mAh battery that had undergone their new 8-point battery safety check protocol.
On the software end, it now comes with Android 7.0 Nougat, and supports Samsung Bixby, albeit without Bixby Vision and Bixby Voice.
To their surprise, the Samsung Galaxy Note FE (Price Check) was very well-received – completely selling out in South Korea. That led to Galaxy Note7 fans to call for it to be introduced to other countries as well. And now, the Galaxy Note Fan Edition is here in Malaysia and several other countries!
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The Samsung Galaxy Note FE Up Close
The Samsung Galaxy Note FE (Price Check) has a 5.7″ Super AMOLED display with a 1440 x 2560 pixel resolution. It has a metal-glass design, with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection on both front and rear aspects.
Like the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge, it is powered by the Samsung Exynos 8890 Octa SoC. However, it comes with 4 GB RAM and 64 GB of internal storage (there are 128 GB options in some countries). It is also IP68-rated for dust- and water-resistance.
The Samsung Galaxy Note FE (Price Check) has the same front and rear cameras as the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge. It has a 5 MP front camera with f/1.7 lens, and a 12 MP main camera with f/1.7 lens, OIS capability and a dual-tone LED flash.
For additional storage, a microSD card can be installed. However, the Galaxy Note FE only comes with a hybrid SIM slot. That means the microSD card shares the same slot as the second nanoSIM card.
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The Samsung Galaxy Note FE S Pen
The Samsung Galaxy Note FE (Price Check) uses the same S Pen as the Galaxy Note7. It boasts a smaller pen tip and increased pressure sensitivity. It is also the first S Pen to be water-resistant.
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The Samsung Galaxy Note FE Specifications
In this table, we compare its specifications to the Samsung Galaxy Note7 :
Specifications
Samsung Galaxy Note FE
Samsung Galaxy Note7
Display
5.7" Super AMOLED dual-edge display
- 1440 x 2560 pixels (577 ppi)
5.7" Super AMOLED dual-edge display
- 1440 x 2560 pixels (577 ppi)
Protection
Corning Gorilla Glass 5 (front & back panels)
Corning Gorilla Glass 5 (front & back panels)
Operating System (At Launch)
Android 7.0 Nougat
Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
System Platform
Samsung Exynos 8890 Octa
Samsung Exynos 8890 Octa
Memory
4 GB LPDDR4 SDRAM
4 GB LPDDR4 SDRAM
Storage Options
64 GB / 128 GB internal flash storage
One microSD slot (shared with SIM 2) - supports up to 200 GB
64 GB / 128 GB internal flash storage
One microSD slot (shared with SIM 2) - supports up to 200 GB
Front Camera
5 MP sensor with f/1.7 lens
5 MP sensor with f/1.7 lens
Rear Camera
12 MP Sony / Samsung (1.4 µm) sensor with f/1.7 lens, optical image stabilisation (OIS) and LED flash
12 MP Sony / Samsung (1.4 µm) sensor with f/1.7 lens, optical image stabilisation (OIS) and LED flash
3,200 mAh lithium-ion battery (non-removable)
- fast charging capability (wired & wireless)
- wireless charging (WPC and PMA)
3,500 mAh lithium-ion battery (non-removable)
- fast charging capability (wired & wireless)
- wireless charging (WPC and PMA)
Dimensions
153.5 mm tall
73.9 mm wide
7.9 mm thick
153.5 mm tall
73.9 mm wide
7.9 mm thick
Weight
169 g
169 g
Colour Options
Blue Coral, Silver Titanium, Gold Platinum, Black Onyx
Blue Coral, Silver Titanium, Gold Platinum, Black Onyx
The Samsung Galaxy Note FE Price & Availability
The Samsung Galaxy Note FE (Price Check) is available in a select number of countries. Here in Malaysia, they priced it at RM 2,599 / ~US$ 610 at launch, with a further price cut to RM 2,199 / ~US$ 539 on 1 January 2018.
Here is a table to show you the discount when the Galaxy Note FE was first launched in South Korea, and when it was finally launched here in Malaysia.
Samsung Galaxy
Note7
Samsung Galaxy
Note FE
Difference
Price (USD)
$849
$610
$239 (28%)
Price (MYR)
RM 3,199
RM 2,599
RM 2,199 (1/1/18)
RM 600 (19%)
RM 1000 (31%)
The Samsung Galaxy Note Fan Edition (Price Check) is not just RM 1,800 (~US$ 440) cheaper than the Samsung Galaxy Note8 (Price Check), it will also appeal to Galaxy Note fans who prefer a front fingerprint sensor.
The Samsung Galaxy Note FE (Price Check) is now available for purchase at all Samsung Experience Stores, authorised dealers and selected channel partners. Two colour options are currently offered – Coral Blue and Black Onyx.
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Meizu just revealed their top-of-the-line smartphone – the Meizu Pro 6 Plus (Amazon | Lazada). Our first impression when we first saw it was how similar it was to the Samsung Galaxy S7 (Amazon | Lazada). Check out their presentation and our hands-on preview, and see for yourself just how similar it is to the Samsung flagship smartphone!
The Meizu Pro 6 Plus Key Features
In this video, the Meizu Director for Asia Pacific Region, Mr. Gary Xu, revealed the key features of the Meizu Pro 6 Plus (Amazon | Lazada). He also touched on the Meizu M5 Note (Amazon | Lazada), which they also launched at the same time.
After the launch event, we had some time to try out the Meizu Pro 6 Plus (Amazon | Lazada). Here is our hands-on preview!
Here is a summary of the Pro 6 Plus’ key features :
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Full Metal Unibody – Touted as “Stronger Than Ever”, its metal unibody has a micro-arc design that takes 30 steps and 150 hours of precise craftsmanship.
High Performance – The Meizu Pro 6 Plus boasts the same Samsung Exynos 8890 SoC that powers the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (Amazon | Lazada). It also comes with 4 GB of LPDDR4 memory and 64 GB of storage!
Large Beautiful Display – The Meizu Pro 6 Plus boasts the same beautiful Super AMOLED display used by the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (Amazon | Lazada). It’s just bigger at 5.7″!
Sony IMX386 Camera – Meizu equipped the Pro 6 Plus with the 12 MP Sony IMX386 sensor, which supports PDAF. It is paired with a f/2.0 lens that supports 4-axis image stabilisation, and a 10-LED circular flash.
USB 3.1 Type C – The Pro 6 Plus not only uses the latest bidirectional USB Type C port, it supports the USB 3.1 standard, allowing for much faster transfers.
24 W Fast Charging – The Pro 6 Plus has a 3,400 mAh battery with 24 W fast charging capability. A 30 minute charge is enough to recharge it to 60%!
The Meizu Pro 6 Plus (Amazon | Lazada) is available right now in three colour options – Gray, Silver and Gold. It is priced at RM 1,999 / ~US$ 439.
The Meizu Pro 6 Plus Specifications
Specifications
Meizu Pro 6 Plus
Display
5.7" Super AMOLED display
- 1440 x 2560 pixels (518 ppi)
Protection
Aircraft-grade aluminium alloy unibody, with 2.5D glass
Operating System
Android 6.0 Marshmallow with Flyme 5
System Platform
Samsung Exynos 8890
Processor
4 x Samsung Mongoose cores (2.0 GHz)
4 x ARM Cortex-A53 cores (1.5 GHz)
Graphics Processor
ARM Mali-T880 MP10
Memory
4 GB LPDDR4 SDRAM
Storage
64 GB internal flash storage
Front Camera
5 MP sensor with f/2.0 lens
Main Camera
12 MP Sony IMX386 sensor with f/2.0 lens
- 4-axis OIS, PDAF, laser AF, 10-LED ring flash
Connectivity
4G : LTE Cat8
WiFi : 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 & 5 GHz)
Bluetooth : v4.2
USB : USB 3.1 Type C
SIM Capability
Dual nano SIM, Dual standby
GPS
GPS / AGPS / GLONASS
Fingerprint Sensor
Yes, built into Home button
Other Sensors
Heart rate, gravity, ambient light, IR proximity, gyroscope
Audio
ESS ES9018K2M decoder + ADI AD45275
Battery
3,400 mAh lithium-ion battery (non-removable)
- supports 24 W fast charging
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Kuala Lumpur, 11 January 2017 – Start your 2017 afresh in a chic new colour. Exuding a mysterious yet enthralling vibe, the glossy new colourway of Black Pearl for Galaxy S7 edge subtly radiates quality and luxury in the palm of your hand. The latest colour variant of the highly popular Galaxy S7 edge, the Black Pearl colour also comes with 128GB internal memory, in comparison with the standard 32GB variant currently in the market, and will available in Malaysia on 12 January 2017.
Galaxy S7 edge Black Pearl
The new Galaxy S7 edge Black Pearl (Lazada, Amazon) follows the popular Blue Coral and Pink Gold editions released last year. While those were largely inspired by calming, natural hues, Black Pearl is designed to be modern and striking, perfect for those who love exploring the latest trends. The sleek black finish blankets the entire device – edges and all – and adds depth to its glass design. The result is a stylish all-black aesthetic that captures the essence of the colour in its purest form.
As if the allure of the new all-black colourway was not enough, the already massive internal memory of 128GB also receives another storage boost with an external memory support of a whopping 256GB via microSD slot. With the ultra-storage, users can store and watch movies anywhere at any time, directly out of their pocket and onto the palm of their hand.
New colour and a bigger storage aside, the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge brings a new way of thinking what a phone can do. This flagship smartphone brings with it cutting-edge features including its IP68 dust and water resistance, a professional-grade Dual Pixel Sensor + 12MP rear camera that is able to take crisp, clear photos even in the dark, and a powerful processor to get you through the day effortlessly.
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“At Samsung, we are constantly evolving to offer the best products to our customers. We listen to their demands and we give them what they want. The new Samsung Galaxy S7 edge 128GB in Black Pearl (Lazada, Amazon) is a new edition created for the modern day user who is effortlessly chic, who often stores and consumes content constantly while on-the-go. This new Black Pearl variant, like other colour editions introduced for the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge before it, captures the essence of a unique persona, much like its owner,” said Mr Lee Jui Siang, Vice President, IT & Mobile Business Unit, Samsung Malaysia Electronics.
The 128GB Galaxy S7 edge Black Pearl (Lazada, Amazon) will be available in Malaysia from 12 January 2017 onwards at a recommended retail price of RM3,399 / ~US$ 749 at participating Samsung Experience Store outlets.
In addition to the Galaxy S7 edge Black Pearl (Lazada, Amazon) and the other aforementioned editions, the Galaxy S7 edge is also available in 32GB variant in distinctive colours of Black Onyx, Gold Platinum, Silver Titanium, Pink Gold and the latest Blue Coral at RM 3,099/ ~US$ 689 nationwide. All prices stated are inclusive of 6% GST.
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We hope you enjoyed our extensive coverage of the new Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (Amazon), from the preview, our first opportunity to try it out with the Gear VR and the smashing launch with Korean superstar, Lee Kwang-soo. But nothing beats having the real thing at hand, and today, we will share with you our comprehensive review of the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge smartphone!
Unboxing The Galaxy S7 edge
The Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (Amazon) comes in a very classy black cardboard box, with the storage capacity and colour printed on a gold-coloured label on the upper right corner. In this video, we open up the Galaxy S7 edge box and take a look inside.
One Samsung 15 W adaptive fast charging travel charger
One micro-USB to USB 2.0 cable
One USB OTG adaptor
One pair of Samsung earphones with spare set of earbuds
One SIM card slot extractor
One Quick Start Guide (in English and Mandarin)
One set of Warranty Cards & Regional Lock Guide
One OTG adaptor manual (in English and Mandarin)
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Specification Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (Amazon) comes in two variants – the SM-G935 (US) variant powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 quad-core processor, and the SM-G935F/FD (Worldwide / SEA) variant powered by the Samsung Exynos 8890 octa-core processor. Let’s compare their specifications with their predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge.
Specifications
Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (Qualcomm Variant)
Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (Exynos Variant)
Samsung Galaxy S6 edge
Display
5.5" Super AMOLED dual-edge display
- 1440 x 2560 pixels (534 ppi)
5.1" Super AMOLED dual-edge display
- 1440 x 2560 pixels (577 ppi)
Protection
Corning Gorilla Glass 4 (front & back panels)
Operating System (At Launch)
Android 6.0 Marshmallow
Android 5.0 Lollipop
System Platform
Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 (MSM8996)
- 2.15 GHz ARM Kyro x 2
- 1.59 GHz ARM Kyro x 2
- Qualcomm Adreno 530 GPU
Samsung Exynos 8890 Octa
- 2.3 GHz Samsung Mongoose x 4
- 1.5 GHz ARM Cortex-A53 x 4
- ARM Mali T880 GPU
Samsung Exynos 7420
- 2.1 GHz ARM Cortex-A57 x 4
- 1.5 GHz ARM Cortex-A53 x 4
- ARM Mali T760 GPU
Memory
4 GB LPDDR4 SDRAM
3 GB LPDDR4 SDRAM
Storage Options
32 GB / 64 GB internal flash storage
One microSD slot (shared with SIM 2) - supports up to 200 GB
Network : LTE Cat. 12/13 (600 / 150 Mbps)
WiFi : 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 GHz & 5 GHz), MIMO (2 x 2)
Bluetooth : Version 4.1 LE, ANT+
Others : USB 2.0, NFC, GPS
Network : LTE Cat. 8 (450 / 50 Mbps)
WiFi : 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 GHz & 5 GHz), MIMO (2 x 2)
Bluetooth : Version 4.2 LE, ANT+
Others : USB 2.0, NFC, GPS
Network : LTE Cat. 6 (300 / 50 Mbps)
WiFi : 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 GHz & 5 GHz), MIMO (2 x 2)
Bluetooth : Version 4.1 LE, ANT+
Others : USB 2.0, NFC, IR Remote, GPS
3,600 mAh lithium-ion battery (non-removable)
- fast charging capability (wired & wireless)
- wireless charging (Qi and PMA)
2,600 mAh lithium-ion battery (non-removable)
- fast charging capability (wired only)
- wireless charging (Qi and PMA)
Dimensions
150.9 mm tall
72.6 mm wide
7.7 mm thick
142.1 mm tall
70.1 mm wide
7.0 mm thick
Weight
157 g
132 g
Colour Options
Black Onyx, Silver Titanium, Gold Platinum
White Pearl, Black Sapphire, Gold Platinum, Green Emerald
The Samsung Galaxy S7 edge model we have is the South East Asian model – SM-G935FD. Like the SM-G935F (Worldwide) model, it is powered by the Samsung Exynos 8890. The difference is the FD model has a hybrid dual SIM slot, instead of a dedicated microSD slot in the F model. Now, let’s take a closer look!
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The Galaxy S7 edge Key Features
Before we go into the details of the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (Amazon)‘s key features, here is a primer video that gives you a quick tour of those features. Take a look :
Double Curves
Superficially, the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (Amazon) looks very similar to the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge (Amazon). The Galaxy S7 edge is taller and slightly wider, and has double-curved edges. Its double curved edges actually allows for a slightly more comfortable grip
.Just like its predecessor, it has the Volume buttons on the left, a Power button on the right and a Home button which doubles as a fingerprint sensor. The fingerprint sensor is more accurate and works faster than the Galaxy S6 edge‘s fingerprint sensor.
Hybrid SIM Slot
The SIM and microSD card slot is located at the top, but the earphone port is located at the bottom, near the USB 2.0 and microphone ports. This is due to extremely slim profile of the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (Amazon).
This is the South East Asian model (SM-G935FD), so it has a hybrid SIM slot, instead of the standard microSD slot. The hybrid SIM slot can be used to install a second SIM card (SIM 2), or a microSD card.
This gives you some flexibility – you can choose to use either a second SIM card, or a microSD card. However, you can’t use both at the same time. This has led to some disgruntlement although practically everyone agrees that Samsung made the right decision in bringing back the microSD slot which supports microSD cards of up to 200 GB in size.
Faster Cameras
Samsung improved the front camera, giving the Galaxy S7 edge (Amazon) a faster f/1.7 lens for better low-light performance. The rear camera also comes with f/1.7 lens, but drops the 16 MP sensor for a 12 MP sensor with Dual Pixel autofocus technology. That doesn’t mean the sensor is capable of delivering twice as many pixels of resolution though.
Dual Pixel technology is actually an autofocus technology that uses the dual photodiodes in every pixel on the image sensor for phase-detection autofocus. This allows for faster and more accurate focusing, because it uses many more autofocus pixels, instead of just a few dedicated pixels (usually less than 5% of the total).
Samsung uses either a Sony IMX260 sensor, or their own Samsung S5KL1 ISOCELL sensor in their Galaxy S7 edge (Amazon) smartphones. Our model came with the Samsung S5KL1 sensor. Both are virtually identical in performance – 12 MP of resolution with Dual Pixel autofocus technology and 1.4 μm pixels – 25% larger than their predecessors. This means much lower noise levels, and better image quality overall.
The new 12 MP rear camera still has a bump, but it is far less pronounced than the 1.7 mm tall camera bump on the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge (Amazon). Earlier leaks claim that it is 0.8 mm, but in reality, it’s just 0.46 mm. That’s virtually imperceptible if you lay it on a flat table, and only noticeable if you slide your finger over it.
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Water Resistance
The Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (Amazon) is IP68-rated for dust- and water-resistance. Best of all, you don’t even have to prepare it in any way before you dunk it into water! For more information how how Samsung achieved this feat, take a look at ourSamsung Galaxy S7 IP68 Engineering Explained.
Officially, the Galaxy S7 edge can withstand complete immersion in water up to 1.5 m in depth, for up to 30 minutes. That means you can take it for jogs in the rain, reading in the shower or soaking in bath. Heck, you can even take it for a swim!
There are some caveats though. The IP68 rating applies to a specific set of test conditions : 15-35 °C, 86-106 kPa, 1.5 metre, 30 minutes. Even so, water may enter and damage the Galaxy S7 edge if it is exposed to “water moving with force“, like running water from a tap or waterfall, or ocean waves.
One of the biggest complaints about the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge (Amazon) was how hot it gets during heavy use. This is particularly pronounced when it is used to record videos.
Samsung mitigates this issue in the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (Amazon) using a “liquid cooling system” to keep its internal components cool. Samsung was not forthcoming with the details, but ifixit tore it down to reveal the liquid cooling system as a small, thin copper heat pipe.
A heat pipe is used to very efficiently remove heat from a hot surface on one end, and conduct it to a colder surface on the other end. It does this using a working fluid (like water) that turns into vapour on the hot end, and condenses at the cold end.
The Galaxy S7 edge’s heat pipe can be seen to run across the 4 GB Hynix LPDDR4 (which lays over the Snapdragon 820 / Exynos 8890 processor), and 32 GB Samsung MLC flash chip, as well as several other chips before terminating on the back cover.
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Bigger Battery, Faster Charging
Samsung also corrected another major complaint by Samsung Galaxy S6 edge (Amazon) users – battery life. The Galaxy S6 edge only came with a 2,600 mAh battery. Samsung gave the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (Amazon) a large 3,600 mAh battery – 1,000 mAh or 38.5% more than its predecessor!
How much more battery life can we expect from this larger battery? We tested it using PCMark and lo behold, the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (Amazon) lasted almost 11 hours! That is almost double the battery life of the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge (Amazon), which lasts just over 6 hours on the same test.
Officially, the Galaxy S7 edge (Amazon) will fully recharge its battery (from 0% to 100%) in just 115 minutes. In our test, it took us just 86 minutes and 46 seconds to recharge the Galaxy S7 edge from 19% to 100%. If you look at the graph, you can see that its recharging performance is linear up to the 90% mark, then it tapers off. For maximum charging speed, you can charge from 19% to 90% in just under 64 minutes!
This battery recharging performance is thanks to the 15 W fast charging capability that both Samsung Galaxy S7 edge and Galaxy S6 edge support. The new Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (Amazon) improves on that by adding fast wireless charging! This allows you to recharge its battery wirelessly in just 155 minutes.
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Initial Setup
When you power up the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (Amazon) for the first time, it will take about 23 seconds to boot up. If you set it up as a fresh device, it will take no more than 5 minutes to complete the initial setup. Check out our video on the initial setup process, and a quick look at some of its software features.
It’s Alive!
The moment the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (Amazon) starts running, you will immediately be very impressed with its bright, sharp and vivid display. That’s the beauty of its Super AMOLED display that is unmatched by IPS LCD panels. The front Gorilla Glass 4 cover has an oleophobic coating, which makes for easy swiping and a cleaner display. The back lacks the oleophobic coating for a better grip. However, this means it’s very easily smudged.
You will also notice that the Galaxy S7 edge (Amazon) grips better than the Galaxy S6 edge (Amazon). Even though it’s a 5.5″ smartphone, it feels no different from the Galaxy S6 edge. This is because it’s just slightly (2.5 mm) wider but 8.8 mm taller. At 15 cm tall, it may protrude out of your pocket, especially if you are wearing jeans.
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Improved Edge
Although many Samsung fans love the dual curved edges for aesthetic reasons, Samsung put considerable effort into making the edge screen even more functional than it was with the Galaxy S6 edge (Amazon). Let’s take a look!
The first swipe takes you to the Apps edge. Here you get quick access to your 10 most frequently used apps. Samsung already pre-populated 8 of them, but you can swap them or add two more from the list of apps in your Galaxy S7 edge (Amazon).
Swiping again takes you to the Tasks edge. This is where you can create shortcuts to perform your favourite tasks, like composing an image or start a stopwatch.
The third swipe will bring you to the People edge screen. This is the default screen in the Galaxy S6 edge. Here, you can add up to 5 favourite contacts, so you can quickly call or message them.
The final swipe will take you to Yahoo! News. Of course, you can swap that out (or even any of the previous Edge panels) for new Edge panels that you can download online. As of April 2016, there are 15 free and paid Edge panels to choose from.
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Available Memory & Storage
The SamsungGalaxy S7 edge (Amazon) comes with 4 GB of LPDDR4 memory. This is great news because the Galaxy S7 edge has quite a lot of bloat. In fact, you only have 1.7 GB of free memory to use. Compare that to the ASUS ZenFone Zoom (Amazon), which also has 4 GB of RAM but 2.2 GB of free memory to use. That’s a difference of 500 MB.
The Galaxy S7 edge (Amazon) also comes with 32 GB of internal flash memory. Once you deduct 7.8 GB for the Android 6.0 operating system and apps, you have 24.2 GB of free space left to use. That is pretty decent actually, allowing you to store about 5,000 photos, or record 180 minutes of 1080p video or 60 minutes of 4K video.
In some countries, a 64 GB internal storage option is also available. However, the 32 GB model is likely to be the far more popular model because the Galaxy S7 edge comes with a microSD slot that allows you to top up storage by 200 GB via a microSD card.
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Camera Options
Both the front and rear cameras use a 4:3 ratio for maximum resolution, with small crop sizes available in the settings menu. The main camera can record videos in full 4K resolution, albeit only with electronic video stabilisation, HDR, tracking AF and video effects turned off. For those features to be enabled, you must record at resolutions of 2560 x 1440 (QHD) or lower.
Surprisingly, the front 5 MP camera can also record video with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 (QHD). with electronic image stabilisation disabled. If you want EIS enabled, you need to drop it down to 19×0 x 1080. Both front and rear cameras support additional functions via the Mode button, like a Pro mode, a Wide Selfie mode, Selective focus, Panorama, etc.
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Camera Performance
The SamsungGalaxy S7 edge‘s killer feature is its improved rear camera. Its faster f/1.7 lens allows for better low-light performance, which is obvious from the indoor photos we took. It also performed well, even when the weather was overcast. Its Dual Pixel technology also allowed for faster and more accurate focusing.
We have no complaints about the Samsung S5KL1 ISOCELL sensor in this Galaxy S7 edge model. We did note that it sometimes have white balance issues (the Dala horse picture above has a yellowish tinge), but nothing a quick photo edit can’t fix.
Below, you will see examples of how much detail resolution the Samsung S5KL1 ISOCELL sensor is capable of. Note the detail on the wall, and the texture of the fabric petals, as well as the intricate patterns on the bubblegum balls below.
The pictures of the fruits above show that the colours are bright and vivid. There is no doubt hat if you are into mobile photography, the SamsungGalaxy S7 edge (Amazon) has arguably the best smartphone camera in the market right now.
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Video Recording Performance
The SamsungGalaxy S7 edge (Amazon) is capable of recording 4K UHD videos as well as 1080p videos. Other than the resolution difference, it can only record 4K UHD videos with optical image stabilisation. When set to record 1080p videos, it supports electronic image stabilisation as well as optical image stabilisation.
To test and compare both stabilisation capabilities, we recorded two examples in both 1080p and 4K modes. The first set are of Mr. Yang I-Deun’s piano performances, while the second set are of ice skaters.
The optical and electronic image stabilisation worked like a charm, reducing or even eliminating handshake and vibration. Even at 4K, the amount of shaking was very minimal. The image quality was superb and there was reasonably good control of the exposure. Only the bright background in the piano performance set was overexposed. The audio recording was also good – clear, with reasonably good background noise control. This is definitely our favourite smartphone to record videos.
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Work Performance : PCMark
We tested the Galaxy S7 edge‘s performance using PCMark, which simulates work applications like web browing, playing video, writing text and editing photos.
Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
ASUS ZenFone Zoom
Samsung
Galaxy S6 edge
Work Performance Score
(Average)
4892
5829
5078
Web Browsing
6908
5751
6788
Video Playback
3218
4536
3091
Writing
4629
5270
5918
Photo Editing
5563
8400
5357
Surprisingly, the SamsungGalaxy S7 edge (Amazon) was not so hot in PCMark. It was slightly faster than its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge (Amazon) in Web Browsing, Video Playback and Photo Editing, but it was significantly slower in Writing. In fact, it was much slower than the Intel Atom-powered ASUS ZenFone Zoom (Amazon) we reviewed recently, in all but web browsing.
Overall Performance : AnTuTu Benchmark
AnTuTu is a nice benchmark for testing various performance aspects of Android devices.
Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
ASUS ZenFone Zoom
Samsung
Galaxy S6 edge
TOTAL SCORE
131246
65914
75222
3D SCORE
40824
16839
20579
– 3D (Garden)
17488
6976
8104
– 3D (Marooned)
23336
9863
12475
UX SCORE
42765
21371
24065
– UX Data Secure
8169
5896
5507
– UX Data Process
5966
4353
4392
– UX Strategy Games
10745
4118
6948
– UX Image Process
13878
2926
3413
– UX I/O Performance
4007
4078
3805
CPU SCORE
37882
23110
25402
– CPU Mathematics
11831
5196
7823
– CPU Common Use
10875
8699
7585
– CPU Multi-Core
15176
9215
9994
RAM
9775
4594
5176
There is no doubt that the SamsungGalaxy S7 edge (Amazon) is a gaming king. It was practically twice as fast as its predecessor, the Galaxy S6 edge (Amazon) in 3D performance and user experience (UX) scores! It was also much faster in CPU and memory performance.
Gaming Performance : 3DMark
We tested the Galaxy S7 edge’s gaming performance using 3DMark, using the Ice Storm Unlimited test.
Samsung
Galaxy S7 edge
ASUS
ZenFone Zoom
Samsung
Galaxy S6 edge
Gaming Score
28650
21372
21166
Graphics
33685
21748
23298
Physics
18810
20152
16031
Graphics Test 1
162.9 fps
112.6 fps
120.6 fps
Graphics Test 2
133.1 fps
81.5 fps
87.3 fps
Physics Test
59.7 fps
64.0 fps
50.9 fps
There is no doubt that the SamsungGalaxy S7 edge (Amazon) is an astoundingly fast smartphone for 3D games. It proved to be 35% faster than its predecessor, the Galaxy S6 edge (Amazon), which is itself a very fast smartphone for games. The Galaxy S7 edge will take any 3D game thrown at it and then some.
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Our Verdict On The Galaxy S7 edge
Superficially, the SamsungGalaxy S7 edge (Amazon) looks like an evolutionary upgrade of the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge. Like its predecessor, it is a work of art – a beautiful combination of glass and metal. It sports the characteristic curved edges in the front, which is now complemented by slightly curved edges in the back.
Users of the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge (Amazon) though will be familiar with the downsides of the curved edges – accidental triggering of the touchscreen when you hold the Galaxy S7 edge. Samsung appears to have improved this but it will still occur. The curved edges also prevent the use of the popular tempered glass screen protectors, with TPE screen protectors being your only choice. Of course, the SamsungGalaxy S7 edge (Amazon) is protected on both front and back by the latest Corning Gorilla Glass 4, so you can probably do without screen protectors.
The Galaxy S7 edge‘s Super AMOLED display is sharp, brilliant and vivid with a pixel density of 534 ppi. Even though it is no different from the slightly smaller Super AMOLED display used in the Galaxy S6 edge (Amazon), it remains the best smartphone display in the market. Even though this is a 5.5″ smartphone, it doesn’t feel that large. This is because it is taller, and only a little wider. It fits our hands very well although single-handed use is quite a stretch.
Even though the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge swapped a 16 MP sensor for a lower-resolution 12 MP sensor, it has a much better rear camera. Due to the larger pixels and a faster f/1.7 lens, it has better low-light performance. The new sensor also supports Dual Pixel technology, allowing for faster and more accurate auto-focus performance. This is arguably the best smartphone camera in the market today.
The Samsung Galaxy S7 edge‘s killer feature is probably its IP68 rating for dust- and water-resistance. You can dunk it into water without any preparations – it will survive depths of up to 1.5 meters for up to 30 minutes. However, it is not waterproof. You have to be careful about subjecting it to water under pressure. We have a more detailed article on its IP68 certification in our article, Samsung Galaxy S7 IP68 Engineering Explained.
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Another feature that was warmly welcomed was the reintroduction of the microSD slot. That was a misstep in the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge (Amazon) and the Samsung Galaxy Note5 (Amazon). The SamsungGalaxy S7 edge (Amazon) introduced it in the form of a hybrid SIM slot, allowing you to either use a microSD card or a second SIM card, but not both at the same time. This is not as convenient as a dedicated second SIM slot and a dedicated microSD slot, but it beats having a single SIM card slot with no microSD slot.
We are also glad to report that Samsung corrected another weakness in the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge – its short battery life. The SamsungGalaxy S7 edge (Amazon) comes with a large 3,600 mAh battery – 1,000 mAh (38.5%) extra capacity over its predecessor. That allowed it to last almost 11 hours of non-stop heavy use in our stress test!
There is no doubt that the SamsungGalaxy S7 edge (Amazon) is the best smartphone Samsung has ever made. They took the best features of the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge, corrected its weaknesses and added dust- and water-resistance. What’s not to like? We love it so much, we are awarding it our coveted Editor’s Choice Award! Congratulations, Samsung!
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We hope you enjoyed our extensive coverage of the new Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (Amazon), from the preview, our first opportunity to try it out with the Gear VR and the smashing launch with Korean superstar, Lee Kwang-soo. But nothing beats having the real thing at hand, and today, we will share with you the unboxing of the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge, and our first impressions!
The Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (Amazon) comes in a very classy black cardboard box, with the storage capacity and colour printed on a gold-coloured label on the upper right corner. In this video, we open up the Galaxy S7 edge box and take a look inside.
Inside, you will find the following items :
One Samsung Galaxy S7 edge smartphone
One Samsung 15 W adaptive fast charging travel charger
One micro-USB to USB 2.0 cable
One USB OTG adaptor
One pair of Samsung earphones with spare set of earbuds
One SIM card slot extractor
One Quick Start Guide (in English and Mandarin)
One set of Warranty Cards & Regional Lock Guide
One OTG adaptor manual (in English and Mandarin)
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Specification Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (Amazon) comes in two variants – one powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 quad-core processor, and another variant powered by the Samsung Exynos 8890 octa-core processor. Let’s compare their specifications with their predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge.
Specifications
Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (Qualcomm Variant)
Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (Exynos Variant)
Samsung Galaxy S6 edge
Display
5.5" Super AMOLED dual-edge display
- 1440 x 2560 pixels (534 ppi)
5.1" Super AMOLED dual-edge display
- 1440 x 2560 pixels (577 ppi)
Protection
Corning Gorilla Glass 4 (front & back panels)
Operating System (At Launch)
Android 6.0 Marshmallow
Android 5.0 Lollipop
System Platform
Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 (MSM8996)
- 2.15 GHz ARM Kyro x 2
- 1.59 GHz ARM Kyro x 2
- Qualcomm Adreno 530 GPU
Samsung Exynos 8890 Octa
- 2.3 GHz Samsung Mongoose x 4
- 1.5 GHz ARM Cortex-A53 x 4
- ARM Mali T880 GPU
Samsung Exynos 7420
- 2.1 GHz ARM Cortex-A57 x 4
- 1.5 GHz ARM Cortex-A53 x 4
- ARM Mali T760 GPU
Memory
4 GB LPDDR4 SDRAM
3 GB LPDDR4 SDRAM
Storage Options
32 GB / 64 GB internal flash storage
One microSD slot (shared with SIM 2) - supports up to 200 GB
Network : LTE Cat. 12/13 (600 / 150 Mbps)
WiFi : 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 GHz & 5 GHz), MIMO (2 x 2)
Bluetooth : Version 4.1 LE, ANT+
Others : USB 2.0, NFC, GPS
Network : LTE Cat. 8 (450 / 50 Mbps)
WiFi : 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 GHz & 5 GHz), MIMO (2 x 2)
Bluetooth : Version 4.2 LE, ANT+
Others : USB 2.0, NFC, GPS
Network : LTE Cat. 6 (300 / 50 Mbps)
WiFi : 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 GHz & 5 GHz), MIMO (2 x 2)
Bluetooth : Version 4.1 LE, ANT+
Others : USB 2.0, NFC, IR Remote, GPS
3,600 mAh lithium-ion battery (non-removable)
- fast charging capability (wired & wireless)
- wireless charging (Qi and PMA)
2,600 mAh lithium-ion battery (non-removable)
- fast charging capability (wired only)
- wireless charging (Qi and PMA)
Dimensions
150.9 mm tall
72.6 mm wide
7.7 mm thick
142.1 mm tall
70.1 mm wide
7.0 mm thick
Weight
157 g
132 g
Colour Options
Black Onyx, Silver Titanium, Gold Platinum
White Pearl, Black Sapphire, Gold Platinum, Green Emerald
The Samsung Galaxy S7 edge model we have is the South East Asian model, that is powered by the Samsung Exynos 8890 and has a hybrid dual SIM slot. Now, let’s take a closer look!
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Close Look At The Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
Superficially, the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (Amazon) looks very similar to the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge. The Galaxy S7 edge is taller and slightly wider, and has double-curved edges. Just like its predecessor, it has the Volume buttons on the left, a Power button on the right and a Home button which doubles as a fingerprint sensor.
The SIM and microSD card slot is located at the top. This is a hybrid slot, in which SIM 2 doubles as a microSD card slot. You can choose to either use a second SIM card, or a microSD card; but not both at the same time. The earphone port is located at the bottom, near the USB 2.0 and microphone ports.
Samsung improved the front camera slightly, giving it a faster f/1.7 lens, giving it better low-light performance. The rear camera also comes with f/1.7 lens, but drops the 16 MP sensor for a 12 MP sensor with Dual Pixel autofocus technology. This allows for faster and more accurate focusing by using every effective pixel on the sensor for phase-detection autofocus.
This video gives you a quick tour of the various aspects of the new Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (Amazon) smartphone. Take a look :
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Initial Setup
When you power up the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (Amazon) for the first time, it will take about 23 seconds to boot up. If you set it up as a fresh device, it will take no more than 5 minutes to complete the initial setup. Check out our video on the initial setup process, and a quick look at some of its software features.
We are working on the full review of the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (Amazon), which will be out shortly. In the meantime, enjoy some pictures we took of the Galaxy S7 edge powered up!
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This morning, Tech ARP was invited to an exclusive media preview of the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge smartphone. This is a sneak peek as the Galaxy S7 edge will only be available in Malaysia from the 18th of March 2016 onwards.
Check out the exclusive details we squeezed from Samsung Malaysia, and take a look at the video and pictures we took at the event!
Samsung Galaxy S7 edge Revealed
Samsung Malaysia’s Mobile Division Product Manager, Go Benn Lee, kicked off the big reveal with a presentation on what’s new in the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge smartphone. Check it out!
Later, we managed to browbeat him into answering some questions about the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge. Check out what we found out :
One Model, Three Colours
Samsung Malaysia will only bring in a single model – the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge with 32 GB of internal storage. The Galaxy S7 edge will come in three colours though – Black Onyx, Silver Titanium and Gold Platinum.
They made this decision based on the popularity of the Galaxy S6 edge and Galaxy S6 edge+. They also chose not to offer larger storage capacities because the Galaxy S7 edge comes with a microSD slot, which supports up to 200 GB of additional storage.
This does not mean that the Samsung Galaxy S7 will never make it to Malaysia. That is still a possibility.
It’s The Exynos Processor
[adrotate banner=”4″]Samsung is using two different processors for the Galaxy S7 edge – the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820, and their own Exynos 8890. Samsung revealed earlier that international versions of the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge would use the Snapdragon 820 processor, while those sold in South Korea will feature the Samsung Exynos 8890 instead.
Today, we can confirm that the Galaxy S7 edge smartphones to be sold here in Malaysia will feature Samsung’s own Exynos 8890 processor. In other words, we will be getting the South Korean model.
Pre-Order & Special Bundle
Samsung Malaysia is preparing a pre-order opportunity, which could possibly coincide with a media event scheduled for the evening of March 17th. We will keep you updated on this.
You may be wondering if Samsung is going to throw in a free Gear VR headset with every Samsung Galaxy S7 edge smartphone. Well, we tried our best to weasel out something… anything… but they were very coy. They would neither acknowledge or deny that such a bundle would be forthcoming. They however assured us that it will be “a very special offer” that will make us go “WOW!” 😀
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The Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
The new Samsung Galaxy S7 edge smartphone has a 5.5″ display but looks and feels like a 5″ device. This is due to the virtually bezel-less edges. And if you loved the Galaxy S6 edge’s curves, you will love the dual curved edges of the Galaxy S7 edge.
The Galaxy S7 edge retains the Galaxy S6 edge’s front camera, but uses the 12 megapixel Sony IMX260 sensor with Dual Pixel autofocus capability, paired with a much faster (brighter) f/1.7 lens. What this means is not only better low-light performance, but near-instantaneous focusing in the dark or with moving subjects.
The Samsung Galaxy S7 edge‘s other two “killer features” would be its IP68 dust- and water-resistance rating, and its Hybrid SIM capability. You can take the Galaxy S7 for a swim at an instant – there is no need to prepare it in any way. Just jump right in! Too bad the Galaxy S7 edge does NOT support USB-C. That would have been another nice feature to have.
It also comes with two SIM slots, the second of which doubles as a microSD slot that supports up to 200 GB of additional storage. In other words, you can either use a second SIM card, or a microSD card, not both. Still, this is an improvement over the Galaxy S6 edge for many users.
The Galaxy S7 edge also features an “Always-on Display“, which shows basic information like the time, date, battery life and notifications at all times. This allows you to check those information at a glance. The Galaxy S7 edge will also feature an improved Edge Screen, which now offers more options and twice the width for more widgets / shortcuts.
The Samsung Galaxy S7 edge supports fast charging in both wired and wireless mode, just like the Samsung Galaxy Note5. But you may not need that as much because the Galaxy S7 edge comes with a large 3,600 mAh battery – 1,000 mAh (38.5%) more than the 2,600 mAh battery in the Galaxy S6 edge!
To top it off, Samsung listened to our complaints of the Galaxy S6 edge getting really hot, especially when taking photos and recording videos. They somehow managed to squeeze in a heatpiped cooler to better dissipate heat from the internal components.
Excited? So Are We!
We can’t wait to get our hands on the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge! If you are eager to get one yourself, be sure to check back because we will have more details and coverage for you. A media event has already been scheduled for the evening and night of March 17th. You can count on us to be there. If you want live updates, make sure you like our Facebook page!
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