(Techno music)
- [Michael] Claiming anything to be the best
in a field as subjective as smartphones
is asking for trouble, I know.
Especially in a year that's been as full
of great releases as 2016.
But I've carried this smartphone on and off
for the last 90 days, and when people ask me in general
"What's the best that Android has to offer?"
This is the one I point to.
I'm Michael Fischer, and this is the Mr. Mobile review
of the Samsung Galaxy S7.
(Techno music)
If you're paying attention when you take your first
look at it, the Galaxy S7 exudes a refinement
that reminds you that the number
in its name isn't arbitrary.
This is in fact the 7th generation of Galaxy S
and if I had to give it a nickname,
I'd call it The Fixer.
Last year's jewel-like Galaxy S6 corrected
for the cheap plastic casings of generations past
but omitted features like expandable storage
and waterproofing.
The S7 fixes both of those oversights
and beefs up the battery in the process.
I should mention here that my device is a standard S7,
not the Edge edition with an even larger power pack
and a bigger, edgier display.
With the exception of endurance, my conclusions
in this video can be attributed to that model as well.
The S7 brings over much of what worked for its predecessor.
The buttons feel well made and
they're pleasantly clicky.
The home key hides a fast and accurate
fingerprint scanner and there's a heart rate sensor
nestled next to the camera flash around back.
The wireless charging is dual mode,
meaning it'll work with the Qi plate
you might have at home,
and the PMA pads you see at Starbucks.
The AMOLED screen is striking, with rich color
and stark contrast, along with an always on mode
that's eye catching, if a tad underutilized.
Lock the phone into the option Gear VR accessory
and that super sharp screen becomes the display
for a pretty convincing virtual reality headset.
And then, there are the photos.
The S7's camera is packed with goodies,
like optical stabilization, Hyperlapse,
full manual controls, hell, even a dedicated
food photography mode for terrible people.
But the best things about this camera are the simple things.
How quickly the viewfinder launches when you
double click the home button.
How you can usually just leave HDR in automatic mode
to get a decent shot, even in tough lighting.
And it's summertime as this video goes to press,
and that's when the S7's waterproofing
really comes in handy.
It lets you photograph fearlessly, to get the shot you want
without worrying about ruining your phone.
Now, my colleagues at Android Central point out
that there's an oversharpening problem
with the S7 camera, more digital noise
than on the S6.
And I'd be remiss to leave out that Samsung
sacrificed resolution for pixel size this year, as well.
But I'd also be lying if I said I'd noticed,
or frankly, cared.
I don't mean to be flip and say that there's no room
for improvement here.
Of course there is.
But for probably 17 out of 20 people,
this camera will be more than good enough.
For 19 out of 20, it'll be better than
any smartphone camera they've used before.
Here's where I'd usually say something like...
But for all of it's achievements in optics
Samsung still stumbles in software...
and yeah, there's some weirdness.
I mean, you've got to poke a little fun at a smartphone
that comes with two clocks.
This is because Samsung still insists on loading
its own custom interface atop Android.
This year, though, it's thinner, lighter
and much faster than it's ever been.
It doesn't seem to bog down as much as past Galaxys.
This phone is almost as responsive
as it was 3 months ago, probably thanks to a mixture of
software optimization and updated silicon.
And if you think the same way I do about Samsung's
interface design...barf town...
well you can paint right over it
by getting a different launcher,
or load up another theme in the onboard store.
And there are little accents that make you feel
taken care of too.
The little triple chime in your ear
that lets you know a call is connected?
That harkens all the way back to Samsung's
early flip phones, which would flash their led
to indicate that the network had started your call.
And then there's the handy button on the dialer
that gives you an audio boost in a loud room.
And the option to flip off your notifications
if you're playing a game, so you don't get interrupted
mid-carrier landing.
These are little things, the definition of minutia,
but they're reminders that someone sweated the small stuff
when they put this phone together.
Now, buying the S7 isn't an automatic
ticket to paradise.
♫ Two tickets to paradise
In fact for some, it could be
a highway to the danger zone. ♫ Highway to the danger zone
(techno bleep)
Sorry, I'll move on.
That added Samsung software means
you're likely to see delays, maybe significant ones,
when Google releases Android updates.
The battery life is acceptable, usually good enough
to get me to the end of a day,
and you can top off fast when you need to,
but I still wouldn't call this
an endurance champ by any means.
The speakerphone is loud but its downward firing position
makes it easy to plug with a thumb.
And there are definite downsides to owning a phone
that's basically all glass.
Oh, I should mention, if you're on ATT,
you do have the option of the Galaxy S7 Active,
which marries impact protection to water resistance,
for a real brick...house ♫ Brick house
...house.
You what the Galaxy S7's biggest problem is, though?
It's expensive.
The OnePlus 3 I reviewed last week
delivers an outstanding experience for 30% less.
And if you're looking at unlocked devices,
you can get a good smartphone for much less
than what Samsung's asking here.
But most Americans still don't buy unlocked.
They get their phones from carriers, who let you
spread the cost of a phone over 2 years.
If you're one of those folks, and you can afford
an extra $20 or $30 bucks a month,
the S7 is really hard to beat.
Are there more interesting phones out there?
Sure. Phones with more character? Yeah, I think so.
And there are phones with better performance
in individual metrics.
But when you take all of its advantages
and consider them together at this price point,
I don't know of any other smartphone that ticks
quite as many boxes as this one.
The Samsung Galaxy S7 is therefore, in my view,
the best overall Android smartphone you can buy right now.
If you're considering one,
you probably won't be disappointed.
We'll check back later in the year to see how well
this conclusion holds up and we'll review
the S7's immediate competition, too.
In the meantime, let me know what smartphone
is the best for you, and if you liked this video,
subscribe to Mr. Mobile for more.