Review Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Review

I received the S7 Edge for Verizon on March 11, the day the phone was released. So I've had several weeks to settle in with the phone. So far, so good. It is an excellent device.

The phone is my secondary device, as the iPhone 6 Plus is my primary phone. It's been interesting to compare two top-of-the-line devices with the latest operating systems. The iPhone remains my favorite of the two, but this is not a negative against the S7. I just prefer iOS over Android when all is said and done.

Here are the Pros and Cons:

Pros:

• Incredible display
• Extensive customization
• Curved "Edge" display
• Fast and repsonsive
• Option for expandable memory (up to 200GB)
• Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
• Sleek, clean look
• Top-notch build quality
• Usable Edge screen options
• Widgets (Android)
• Option to change system font
• Excellent camera
• WiFi calling
• Fairly accurate fingerprint scanner
• Good call sound quality
• "Always On" display
• Samsung rapid charging
• Large 5.5 inch display with a slim profile
• S-view cover (optional accessory)
• Numbers on keyboard appearing above letters

Cons:

• Hypersensitive display
• Marginal battery life
• TOO much bloatware (Verizon and Samsung)
• App drawer
• Too many settings (menus within menus within menus, etc.)
• A few duplicate/redundant apps
• Awful "Automatic Brightness" calibration (turned mine off)
• Fingerprint magnet
• New apps must be resorted to appear alphabetically

Overall, the S7 Edge is an outstanding phone. Save for the marginal battery life and hypersensitive display, it rocks in every other way. Neither issue is a deal-breaker.

The entire display is sensitive, not just the edges. The display, otherwise, is fantastic. images are vivid and clear. The phone is fast. I've not had any issues with lag or delay. The settings are very extensive, almost too much. I love the customization of the settings, but I've had the issue of not remembering where I made a settings adjustment I now want to change. The settings search is a joke.

As I've grown to love the iPhone, I prefer having my apps available to me, without the need for an app drawer. Which means I am no longer a fan of the Android app drawer. To many extra steps to get to what I need, compared to the iPhone.

The biggest disappointment in the phone is the less-than-stellar battery life, considering it has a built in 3,600mAh battery, compared to the iPhone 6 Plus' 2900mAh battery. The S7 Edge should be outdoing the iPhone 6 Plus, but the reverse is true. I can go 4 to 5 days (or longer) before recharging the 6 Plus. I can't get away with more than 2 days with the S7 Edge. Again, this is NOT a deal breaker, just a disappointment.

I don't play games on the phone or use apps like Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, or other major ones. For phone calls, texting, web browsing, and the apps I use, the phone does a fantastic job. My favorite part is being able to change the system font to Helvetica Neue (a .99 cent purchase I made from Samsung). It gives it a little iPhone appeal. There are several native fonts you can change to, with an option to get more (for a price) from Samsung. I like changing things up, so this is a great feature, IMO.

Overall, the phone is an excellent device that is the best Android phone out at the moment. An incredible display, excellent size and premium build quality make it worth the money (as far as I'm concerned). I still prefer the iPhone 6 Plus, but not by a wide margin. The S7 Edge is close behind. Both phones are excellent representatives of their OS. I highly recommend the phone, whether it's the S7 or the Edge version. Both are top of the line.

 

The whole phone is encased in glass (and metal). The back of it can become a fingerprint mess. The actual screen isn't too bad, just the rest of the phone. I have the gold version, so it shows up more than it would with darker colors (blue and black).

 

The battery is terrible on the device. I charged it yesterday morning and it finished charging the same time the iPhone did. I have used the iPhone more and it's still at 77%. The S7 Edge is down to 38%. Maybe I got a bum one. I've made many changes to settings to help minimize the battery drain and not much has changed. The S7 Edge will only make it 2 days, at the most (IF I let it drain to zero).

As far as the app drawer, I thought I would miss it when I went to the iPhone, but I don't. I like having ALL my apps available from the main screens. I really prefer the way the iPhone does things, and this is one of them. I can't stand the app drawer now on the S7 Edge.

Neither the battery or app drawer cons are enough to ruin the phone for me. I am very happy with it. It does so much more than these issues annoy.

 

I will say I'm spoiled by the iPhone 6 Plus' incredible battery life. I have NEVER had a phone that could last 5 days or more like this phone. Because of the fact the S7 Edge has a larger battery than the iP6+, I'm shocked it is lasting more. I should mention I turned on the Battery Saver on the S7 Edge and it appears to be helping.

PS - I was in the hospital last February and left my phone on. My relatives took the phone home and didn't turn it off. When I got home and saw the phone, it had about 19% left (not the 40% in the picture below). I had to screen print the phone image of the standby time, which I couldn't believe:

 

GTE was one part of what became Verizon Wireless. BellAtlantic was the BIG player in the merger that formed VZW (part owner of PrimeCo and buying out GTE).

It's also interesting that Pacific Telesis regretted spinning off their cellular division, what would be AirTouch, to where they got into the PCS game with PacBell PCS, which would eventually fold into Cingular/current AT&T because of SBC's gobbling up Pacific Telesis.