Both phones are actively sold on the domestic market and are receiving positive reviews. They cost approximately the same and are flagship models from different manufacturers’ lines.
Competitors
Both the sixth iPhone and the Galaxy S7 have their competitors who are in the same price category. These are the famous iPhone 6s Plus, OnePlus 3T and even the older version from Samusng – S8. Let's share links of phone reviews with competitors:
iPhone 6s comparison:
- vs 6S plus
- vs Xiaomi Mi5 – .
Samsung S7 comparison:
- vs OnePlus 3T – available
- vs S8 – .
- vs iPhone SE – .
- vs iPhone 6s plus – .
- vs Huawei P9 – .
If you are in doubt about your choice, be sure to consider all possible competitors for the phone you are choosing. Don't focus on just one thing.
Parameter table
In the table we indicate the main characteristics of both models and cost. The comparison involved phones with 32 GB of memory “on board”.
| iPhone 6s | Galaxy S7 | |
| Price | 39-40 thousand rubles | 35-38 thousand rubles |
| Display | 4.7 inches, 1334x750 | 5.1 inches, 2560x1440 (QHD) |
| CPU | Apple A9 | Exynos 8890 |
| Graphic arts | MALI T880 MP12 | |
| RAM | 1 GB | 4 GB |
| Disk | 32 GB | 32 GB |
| Rear camera | 12 MP, f/2.2 | |
| Battery | 14 hours talk time | 3000 mAh |
| Dust and water protection |
These 2 smartphones are fundamentally different, so comparing them is not entirely appropriate. But we'll try.
Displays
The first obvious difference is the displays, their diagonal, resolution. Many users are unknowingly disappointed when they see the resolution of the iPhone 6S, which is not FullHD, but only HD in 2017! But in reality, with a diagonal of 4.7 inches, the FullHD display is simply stupid. Apple finds a balance between screen size and resolution. As a result, the resolution of 1334x750 fits perfectly into the specified diagonal: there is absolutely no pixelation, unnecessary load on the processor is eliminated, unnecessary battery consumption is also eliminated, the picture is as comfortable as possible for the user. In addition, there is a Retina display, which means colors will look natural even at the widest viewing angles, and the brightness margin is huge. In two words – the display is beautiful.
The screen on the Samsung Galaxy S7 is also great. This is a SuperAMOLED display with QHD resolution and a diagonal of 5.1 inches. SuperAMOLED technology is supposed to be the best technology today and many other manufacturers are trying to get their hands on it for use in their smartphones. In our opinion, the resolution of 2560x1440 is unnecessary here; simple HD or, at most, FullHD would be enough. QHD is, of course, cool, but it has little practical use. You won’t notice the difference in the picture on such a small diagonal (even just HD will look good on a 5.1-inch display), and the load on the processor and battery increases greatly. Therefore, here QHD is a simple marketing ploy, and not the most successful one.
But it’s worth paying tribute to: the display in the Samsung Galaxy S7 is good: it behaves well in the sun (there are no glares or reflections), there is a large brightness reserve, and the color rendition is natural. Samsung specialists even took care of users who are used to wearing glasses with a polarizing filter. A regular screen, when viewed with these glasses, turns black at a certain angle, but not the Galaxy S7 display. This is the first display to provide such a detail.
And finally, the highlight is the Always On Display technology, which displays the clock, date, battery charge or anything else of your choice on the locked screen. Now you don’t need to press buttons for the screen to light up and display the necessary information. At the same time, this technology consumes extremely little electricity. For a whole day of work, supporting Always On Display technology takes only 2-3% of the battery charge.
It's difficult to draw conclusions. Both the iPhone 6S and Galaxy S7 have cool screens. But thanks to some new technologies, Samsung's SuperAMOLED display wins. Important: this victory is not at all due to the higher resolution. To some extent this is a disadvantage here.
Processor: Apple A9 vs Exynos 8890
CPU in Galaxy S7
Two different chips can be used here: Exynos 8890 or Snapdragon 820. The most commonly used proprietary processor is Exynos 8890, and models with SD 820 are extremely rare. Therefore, locally look towards the Exynos 8890. This is a pretty cool processor for the flagship Samsung line. It can also be used in later phones: Galaxy S7 Edge+ or Galaxy Note 6.
This chip runs on ARMv8 architecture and has eight cores: 4 high-performance M1 cores, 4 energy-saving cores - Cortex-A53 (low performance). There is also ARM Mali T880MP12 graphics.
The Snapdragon 820 processor, which this flagship can also use, shows similar results in the performance test. But due to higher power consumption, it will have approximately 10% less battery life, and the camera's focusing speed will be slightly slower, which is a disadvantage of the Snapdragon 820. Therefore, we recommend choosing the Galaxy S7 with Exynos processor.
Apple A9
Without going into technical details, the performance of the iPhone 6S can be characterized as follows: all sites open extremely quickly, the interface works without the slightest slowdown or freezes, applications and games show high FPS.
According to the Antutu benchmark, the iPhone 6S scores 132,606 points and takes 32nd place in the overall rating among all smartphones.
Samsung Galaxy S7 is in 22nd position in the ranking with a score of 140,407 points.
These results were published on the official Antutu blog. It follows that the Galaxy S7 is more powerful, and the Exynos 8890 outperforms the Apple A9. The winner is a Korean-made Samsung product.
Camera comparison
Let's start with S7. The camera used here is the Sony IMX260, which was originally developed specifically for this flagship. The lens aperture is f/1.7, which is good (compared to the standard f/2.0). Unlike other cameras, focusing in the Sony IMX260 is carried out over the entire area of the matrix (the technology is called Dual Pixel), which means that each pixel takes part in focusing, which increases the brightness and clarity of the image. This is especially noticeable in evening photos in low light. The camera cannot be called strong, but it is definitely better than the cameras of many competitive flagships.
Examples of photos on S7
Now about the iPhone 6S. We were unable to find accurate information about the iPhone 6S sensor. It has a resolution of 12 megapixels, an aperture of f/2.2 (which is worse compared to the S7), the presence of an HDR mode, and True Tone Flash. But there is no optical stabilization (like in Samsung).
Examples of photos on iPhone 6S
It is difficult to determine the winner in this pair, because... The photos on both smartphones are decent. Subjectively, we will give the victory to the Samsung Galaxy S7. Visually it seems that the quality is better there, although it is very difficult to notice the difference by eye.
Autonomy
According to the manufacturer, the iPhone 6S can withstand 14 hours of talk time, 11 hours of video viewing and 50 hours of music. Of course, these are approximate figures, but it can be argued that every evening or night the phone will have to be charged. This is the "standard" for a modern phone.
The battery capacity of the Galaxy S7 is higher – 3000 mAh, but this is indirectly related to autonomy. After all, the operating time of phones is also about optimization, the correct consumption of energy by components. Samsung does a good job with this: video playback at maximum brightness is 13 hours. This indirectly confirms autonomy. Some users claim that in “economy mode” the phone lasts 2 days, and there are those who manage to use up the charge in 3 days, but this is already a perversion.
Be that as it may, the S7 has a little better battery life, so the winner is the flagship from Samsung.
Other differences
IP68 dust and water protection is a feature of the S7. You can drown it and nothing will happen to it. Not only can water not get inside, but also the components are protected with a special solution (impregnation) that repels water. USB connectors are also protected.
New Galaxy S7 from Samsung It doesn't look like a radical upgrade from last year's flagship Galaxy S6, but there are a few key changes inside. Let's put the old and new Galaxy smartphones side by side to see what kind of update this is.
1. Size
The dimensions haven't changed much. In addition, the newcomer has become thicker: from 6.8 mm to 7.9. And the difference in length and width is less than a percent.
2. Weight
If the Galaxy S6 weighed 138 grams, then the Galaxy S7 began to weigh 152 grams. The 10 percent increase is due to the new configuration, which is discussed below.
3. Structure
The building did not receive anything new in terms of structure. The same combination of metal and glass.
4. Colors
In addition to the black and gold color palette, the Galaxy S7 also offers a silver color option. But only for the US market. But now there is no white and blue color for the body, which the Galaxy S6 could boast of.
5. Display
The display of the gadget has changed the least. Still the same 5.1 inches with the same resolution of 2560 by 1440 pixels and a density of 577 units, which looks great this year. Still the same type of display – Super Amoled. But there were still some new products. The Galaxy S7 offers an always-on display feature, showing the clock, date and notifications, but without wasting much battery power, it illuminates individual pixels.
6. Fingerprint sensor
The owner's fingerprint sensor also remains. Everything is there from the front, from below.
7. Processor
The new Snapdragon 820 processors, being 4-core, outperform the eight-core Exynos 7420 in performance, but the company also expects to release new flagships with improved versions of its own Exynos 8990. All with the same eight cores.
8. Virtual reality
Both smartphones support the Gear VR virtual reality headset, which retails for $99.
9. Water cooling
One of the reasons why the phone has become thicker is water cooling. The company added gel to the case, which needed additional space.
10. RAM
The newcomer has increased capabilities for full data processing, including due to the increased amount of RAM. The company decided to increase the configuration from 3 to 4 GB of RAM.
11. Storage
But the internal memory options have not changed: 32, 64 and 128 GB. True, the ability to insert an additional MicroSD memory card has been added, multiplying these indicators.
12. Battery
The device's battery has also grown in size. From 2550 mAh to 3000 mAh. The possibility of fast and wireless charging remains the same.
13. Cameras
The front cameras remain the same, but the main camera has even shrunk a little: from 16 to 12 megapixels, but it has acquired dual pixel technology, which gives it the fastest autofocus on the market and the ability to collect diffuse light and take excellent photos in low light conditions. Automatic image stabilization also remains.
14. Waterproof
I was also pleased that the newcomer was able to dive into water to a depth of up to a meter for 30 minutes. After all, the Galaxy S7 has passed IP 68 certification. It is also protected from dust.
15. Software
Both phones currently run on Android 6.0 "marshmallow". However, the “marshmallow” Android comes on the Galaxy S7 right out of the box, while the Galaxy S6 is only implied in the update. Many devices still run Android 5.1 Lollipop.
16. Release, price and withdrawal
The Galaxy S6, which entered the market in April 2015, starts at $575. And they will ask from $670 for the Galaxy S7, which will appear on the market in March 2016. Even the prices for basic options are a hundred dollar difference. What can we say about the smartphones themselves? The newcomer received new opportunities: not to drown, work faster and longer, shoot better, record more. In terms of price, it fully earns its right to cost more. Apart from its increased size, it has no disadvantages compared to its predecessor.
As we have already written, the only equivalent counterweight to the iPhone on the world market is the Samsung Galaxy line. Moreover, users are particularly interested not only in the comparison of two competing flagships, but also in the comparison of the Korean manufacturer’s own models. Let's see how the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge compares to last year's Galaxy S6 edge+.
Housing, dimensions and weight
The powerful flagship smartphone-phablet of 2016 is 2% shorter and 4% narrower, but 12% thicker than the 2015 model. The weight of the new product also increased by about 3%. Dimensions are:
Samsung Galaxy S7 edge 151 x 73 x 7.7 mm, weight 157 grams.
Samsung Galaxy S6 edge 154 x 76 x 6.9 mm, weight 153 grams.
The back cover of the new product has a curved surface, while both phones have an aluminum frame. As for the color options of the case, the new product has 3 gammas, and last year’s version had 4. Probably, this gap will be filled in the coming months.
Display
The display diagonal is another area that can be seen as a step back. In the 2015 product, this figure was 5.7 inches, which is suitable for a phablet. This year, the model received a 5.5-inch display, which brings it closer to regular smartphones.
On the other hand, the resolution of both devices remains the same – 1440 x 2560 pixels. That is, the pixel density per inch of the new product is higher – 534ppi versus 518ppi. As for the types of displays, both of them are made using AMOLED technology, and the use of curved glass is also the same. The undoubted advantages of the new product include the constant display of the date and time without the need to use controls. This is not the case in last year's version.
Cameras
The main camera of the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge received a 12 MP sensor versus 16 MP in the S6 edge +. Despite the reduction in resolution, the new camera has better performance when shooting in low light. In both cases, optical stabilization is applied to reduce the effect of hand shake. As for the aperture, in the new model this figure is F/1.7 versus F/1.9 in the earlier model.
Battery
The new model received a battery with a capacity of 3600 mAh, while last year's version had a 3000 mAh battery. Apparently, this explains the slight increase in the thickness of the case in 2016. Both smartphones support Charge 2.0 fast battery charging technology and include wireless charging. To do this, you need to purchase a charging station separately.
Cooling system
The new product uses a liquid cooling system (it is absent in the Galaxy S6 Edge).
Microprocessor
For China, Japan and the USA, the Qualcomm 820 microprocessor is used. For the rest of the world, the updated 8-core Exynos 8990 with a clock frequency of 2.15 GHz is installed, which is the successor to the chip in the Galaxy S6 Edge (Exynos 7420 with TC = 2.1 GHz).
RAM and ROM
The RAM in both flagships is the same - 4 GB. As for permanent memory, a version with 128 GB has been added to the sizes of 32 GB and 64 GB available in last year’s version. I would also especially like to note that the developer included a slot for MicroSD in the new product, which was not the case in the Galaxy S6 Edge version.
Smartphone protection
Samsung Galaxy S7 edge has received an officially confirmed IP68 sealing certificate. This standard indicates absolute dust-tightness and water-tightness when immersed in a pool to a depth of 200 cm for up to 60 minutes. Last year's version does not have an official security certificate.
Fingerprint sensor
Available in both versions.
Software
So far, both models are running Android 5, but the new Samsung Galaxy S7 edge is ready to be updated to the sixth version of the operating system.
Samsung Galaxy S7 edge and S6 edge+ release date
The release date for the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge is March 2016 (March 11 in the US).
Release date for Samsung Galaxy S6 edge is August 2015.
Price of Samsung Galaxy S7 edge and S6 edge+
The starting retail price of smartphones is:
2015 version – $780.
2016 version – $790.
Which smartphone to choose
If you prefer increased battery life, a good camera for evening shooting and increased security (protection from water and dust) - choose. But if you like phablets with a larger screen, lighter weight and a thin body, the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ is for you. We also don’t forget about the presence in the 2016 version of a slot for memory cards.
Not so long ago we already talked about and. Now it's time to carefully compare the new flagships with the good old S6. Perhaps its main drawback is its non-expandable memory.
Samsung heard the wishes of customers and returned the memory card slot to the equipment list of its Galaxy S7. The built-in storage is approximately 32 GB and can be expanded up to 200 GB.
The most expensive version of the Galaxy S6 was 128 GB, although it is quite difficult to find it on sale today. So, today you will most likely have to choose between 32 and 64 GB.
Galaxy S7: better battery
First the bad news: as with its predecessor, you can't replace the S7's battery (at least without some special skills). And now the good news: the battery capacity is now not 2550 mAh, but 3000 mAh. Combined with the energy-saving features of the Android 6 operating system, the new flagship should provide longer battery life than the Galaxy S6.
Galaxy S7 camera: 4 megapixels smaller
Purely based on the technical data sheet, the S6 has some advantage in the “camera” column. In the new Galaxy S7 you can only find 12 megapixels, while its predecessor offered 16 megapixels. However, Samsung took this step for a reason: the IMX260 sensor manufactured by Sony has a larger pixel size.
This innovation should take care of reducing the noise level in photographs taken in low light conditions. After a quick first check of the S7 camera, we can confirm this. In addition, Samsung has introduced Dual Pixel technology, known from some SLR cameras. Using two photodiodes per pixel, the subject is focused almost in real time.
Galaxy S7: now waterproof
In addition to the slightly more rounded appearance of the body, Samsung has made some improvements inside the S7 compared to the S6. Now the smartphone is protected from water, like the Galaxy S5. The device is IP68 certified, so you can safely dive underwater with the S7 for a long time. The ability to change the battery has fallen victim to IP certification.
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The price for S6 is one and a half times lower
About 60 thousand rubles. will cost the Galaxy S7 at launch - the price is not surprising. The previous model, Samsung Galaxy S6, currently costs from 35 thousand rubles, that is, of course, much cheaper.
Company representatives paid very little attention to the actual technical characteristics of both new products (Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge). Which is completely natural in an era when technology has stopped developing at a revolutionary pace, and lists of all these megapixels, gigahertz and gigabytes began to merge for the average consumer in an endless stream of indigestible numbers. No one is chasing the number of cores in processors anymore, or measuring gigahertz and megapixels, although they have not gone away. It's time to talk about new technologies and opportunities. And the main ones this year are virtual reality and 360-degree photography, which are associated not so much with the phones themselves, but with the corresponding ecosystem: primarily content and devices for creating it.
Samsung Galaxy S7 (review) and Galaxy S7 edge are the successors to the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge+. The main technological differences between this year’s smartphones are IP68 water resistance. Which means complete dust and water resistance and the ability to work under water at a depth of more than a meter for a long period of time. From the user's point of view, this means that you can safely dive with such a phone and photograph the beauty of the underwater world.
Despite the fact that the cameras of Samsung's flagship smartphones have been the standard of quality for many years now (and in fact compete only with Apple's flagship smartphones), it is difficult to imagine that they have become even better. Samsung talks about Dual Pixel technology, which provides “larger pixels” that give better pictures in low-light conditions. By the way, today it is by working in twilight and indoors - where there is no bright sunlight - that one can evaluate the capabilities of modern cameras. The struggle is already on for picture quality in difficult and very difficult conditions. Because getting a great photo in bright sunlight is not a problem even for cheap cameras.
The new smartphones also have 4 gigabytes of RAM (there is never too much of it) and a new 8-core 64-bit processor created using 14-nanometer technology. Depending on the market, these may be different processors (4x2.3+4x1.6 or 4x2.15+4x1.6 gigahertz), so Samsung is in no hurry to name their specific modifications. Samsung also decided to return the ability to use external memory cards (HTC went through a similar stress caused by user dissatisfaction several years ago). It’s interesting that both new products run Android 6.0 Marshmallow, but for the first time in my memory, Samsung never mentioned its proprietary TouchWiz shell, which can be considered a good sign - in general, it’s good that the company has stopped focusing on what is not important for the vast majority of buyers and began to pay attention to promising things like virtual reality.
These prospects, by the way, are also indicated by the appearance of Mark Zuckerberg during the presentation, which only emphasizes the importance and mutual benefits of such a partnership for both Samsung and Facebook (which owns the Oculus startup). I remember how impressed I was by the ability to take “spherical” 360-degree panoramic photos in the Nexus 4 3 years ago. Today, Samsung is preparing to release the Gear 360 camera, which no longer shoots photos, but 4K video at 360 degrees using two fish-eye lenses. Examples of shooting with this camera can be seen below. By the way, please note: YouTube already supports the ability to view images in 360 degrees. Don't be lazy and spend a few extra minutes turning the camera in all directions. This technology is no longer a sci-fi miracle from the future: the Gear 360 will be available for purchase this year as it enters the mass consumer market. This means that there will be more and more such videos adapted for viewing in a virtual reality helmet. And we ourselves (users) will also create it. Not to mention the producers of films and computer games, which, as you know, will not rust. The quality of shooting may not impress you, but it’s worth thinking about the fact that this is the first production model of this class and in future versions we will see changes for the better.
Of course, without a comparative table with the technical characteristics of both presented new products, this story would be incomplete. I can only add that unlike the Galaxy S6, which I reacted with reserved indifference, Samsung in the Galaxy S7 (edge) showed that it is ready to introduce us all to a new wonderful world - the world of virtual reality and shooting with a 360-degree view.
| Comparison of technical characteristics of Samsung Galaxy S6/S7 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model | Galaxy S6 | Galaxy S6 edge+ | Galaxy S7 | Galaxy S7 edge |
| Dimensions | 143x71x7 mm | 154x76x7 mm | 142x70x8 mm | 151x73x8 mm |
| Weight | 138 g | 153 g | 152 g | 157 g |
| Android version | 5.1 Lollipop | 6.0 Marshmallow | ||
| Display | Super AMOLED, 5.7 inches, 2560x1440, 518 ppi | Super AMOLED, 5.1 inch, 2560x1440, 577 ppi | Super AMOLED, 5.5 inches, 2560x1440, 534 ppi | |
| CPU | Exynos 7420 Octa (64 bit, 4 cores 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53, 4 cores Cortex A57 2.1 GHz), video Mali-T760MP8Exynos | 7420 Octa (64 bit, 4 cores 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53, 4 cores Cortex A57 2.1 GHz), video Mali-T760MP8 | Exynos 8890 Octa (64 bit, 4 cores 2.3 GHz, 4 cores 1.6 GHz), video Mali-T880MP12 | |
| RAM | 3 GB | 4 GB | ||
| Flash memory | 32/64/128 GB, no memory card support | 32/64 GB, no memory card support | 32/64 GB + microSD card | |
| Camera | 16 MP, 4K video recording, 5 MP front camera | 12 MP (Dual Pixel), 4K video recording, 5 MP front camera | ||
| Battery | 2550 mAh, non-removable | 3000 mAh, non-removable | 3000 mAh, non-removable | 3600 mAh, non-removable |
| SIM card | nanoSIM | |||
| Protection class | No | IP68 | ||