Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge review: The Galaxy S6 2.0
The Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are finally here. Samsung's newest flagships stick pretty close to the Galaxy S6 formula, but they add a brand new SoC—the Snapdragon 820—and bring back some of the features the Galaxy S6 missed out on.
While we liked the Galaxy S6's overall evolution, many people saw the handset as a step backward. Galaxy S5 customers complained that "upgrading" to the Galaxy S6 would mean losing the MicroSD slot, removable battery, water resistance, and Micro USB 3.0 port. In response, Samsung has re-introduced some features from the Galaxy S5 back into the Galaxy S7. The MicroSD slot is back, as is the water resistance. The water resistance is actually improved—you'll no longer have to fiddle with the clunky, unreliable port cover to protect the S7's innards.
The device still isn't a straight upgrade for Galaxy S5 owners, though. The removable battery isn't making a comeback; it's firmly fixed in place on this latest Galaxy phone. You won't get those USB transfer speeds back either—the Galaxy S7 still has a MicroUSB 2.0 port, making it the last flagship to not upgrade to USB Type C. You're also missing out on an IR blaster, which was present on the Galaxy S5 and S6.