Samsung Galaxy S6 vs S7: an old school upgrade worth considering
For some, the old school Samsung S-class still gives a lot of bang for the buck. There are some interesting differences from its predecessor, the superb Galaxy S6. Let's take a look at how they match up in our Samsung Galaxy S7 vs Galaxy S6 comparison.
Galaxy S6 vs Galaxy S7 comparison: design
Back in the day, the Galaxy S6 polarized many Samsung fans with its fresh design. Its stylish glass and metal construction was clearly more attractive than the Galaxy S5, but it came at a price: a microSD card and removable battery.
It was a double-edged sword. Aesthetically, the S6 design was a step in the right direction, but some of the Galaxy series' biggest fans were unnerved by the removal of these key features.
In terms of looks, the S7 is remarkably similar to the S6. It comes housed in another glass and aluminum body, but the camera sensor bump on the rear has seen a four-fold reduction in size, allowing the device to lie all but flat on a surface, while the heart-rate monitor and fingerprint scanner remain as before. This is a vast improvement over the clunky S6.
The edges of the S7's rear panel now curve towards the frame, just like in the Note 5. This makes the phone less slippery and more ergonomic. The S7 fits more naturally into the palm of the hand than than the S6.
But the crucial difference between the devices is the Galaxy S7 supports microSD cards. It is also waterproof IP68 certified, unlike the Galaxy S6, and is marginally thicker, with good reason: it contains a larger battery, which we will get to later.
Galaxy S6 vs Galaxy S7 comparison: display
The Galaxy S6 introduced a QHD (2,560 x 1,440 pixels) display to the S series and it was a success. It has deep, rich colors and incredible fidelity. So did the Galaxy S7 beat this?
Not really. The S7 also packs a 5.1-inch QHD screen, so we didn't see it as an improvement in our review. The screen is still sublime, the detail is excellent and has the highest display standard. The device is still readable even in bright sunlight.
The Galaxy S7 employs an Always On display, a plus over the S6. The S7 also uses an AMOLED screen, which allows individual pixels to be illuminated.
This feature allows a small number of pixels to remain illuminated, even when the device is asleep, displaying the time, the date and notifications. The impact on battery life is small but still noticeable.
Galaxy S6 vs Galaxy S7 comparison: camera
The Galaxy S6 has a splendid camera which, despite not ranking on our best Android cameras list, was one of the strongest offerings from a manufacturer at the time. It's capable in low light, rarely overexposed in daylight and provides natural colors.
Galaxy S7 camera has reduced the number of MPs on the main camera from 16 MP to 12 MP. Both devices have a 5 MP camera. While the new camera may produce a lower number of pixels, it makes up for this with dual-pixel technology; a feature that increases image clarity despite the lower pixel numbers.
The camera's aperture is also lower, at f / 1.7, which means better low-light performance. Together, these enhancements mean that the Galaxy S7 focuses up to four times faster in low-light conditions and twice as fast in daylight.
Galaxy S6 vs Galaxy S7 comparison: battery
Last year, Samsung reduced the battery capacity of its Galaxy devices. Both the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 sported smaller batteries than their predecessors. This wasn't a popular move.
This year, however, Samsung has responded to criticism and packed the S7 with a 3,000 mAh battery, which is bigger than even that of the Galaxy S5. Unfortunately, Samsung still hasn't adopted USB Type-C; the S7 remains on microUSB.
Head of Technology and Platforms at Samsung, Nacho Nieto, explained to us that the S7 battery is malleable and a 3,000-mAh variant was the only option. The moldable battery can also be customized so that it fills the available space within the phone, which was not possible with the battery used in the S6.
Samsung equipped the S7 with software features intended to save battery. These keep us vigilant when the device is being used and put apps into a deep sleep mode when they have been ignored for three days.
This provides extended standby time without limiting functionality. When other manufacturers attempted to include similar features, it meant that sometimes messages or emails arrived late, making the feature more a burden than a boon.
Galaxy S6 vs Galaxy S7 comparison: performance
The Galaxy S7 comes with a Snapdragon 820 processor, while the Galaxy S6 houses an Exynos 7420 processor, comparable to the Snapdragon 810. The newer processor is an improvement.
With a current generation processor and an extra gigabyte of RAM – 4 GB compared with 3 GB – the S7 is faster than the S6. Having said that, the Galaxy S6 is already a pretty speedy gadget and we suspect the difference between them will be negligible for most users.
You can see the two benchmark tests below.
As we can see from the results, the S7 has twice the AnTuTu score than the S6, 129,649 to 62,916. This is an impressive improvement from its predecessor.
Galaxy S6 vs Galaxy S7 comparison: price and conclusion
Samsung has done a good job of addressing concerns users had with the Galaxy S6. The Galaxy S7 features an increased battery size; improved ergonomics and the return of water and dust resistance, along with the much beloved MicroSD card slot. It's almost as if Samsung wanted to revel in past glories while building towards new ideals.
Samsung has made key improvements in areas of contention: the return of microSD card support, subtle but noticeable improvements in the design and a larger battery all make the S7 an improvement over the S6.
The S7's price started at US$699, but the current price of $470 is much easier to swallow. If you're still hanging on to an old S5, there's no doubt that the S7 is a great device to upgrade to.
So what do you think? Let me know in the comments.
Nobody has talked about software...My s6s original software is 6.0...it can be upgraded...but 7.0 is totally crap and once u go upgraded u can't go back
This review is missing one critical element. IT'S A PHONE, HOW IS ITS ABILITY TO MAINTAIN A CELL SIGNAL??!!??
.. not to mention the weight difference
I dont know about you people, but i just loved the ergonomy on S2 and S6 is closer to it. I get that S7 has several advantages, but the main issue with these phones is that you are going to drop them sooner or later, and the S2/S6 design makes that harder to happen for me.
Which is why you're supposed to get a good CASE and a TEMPERED-GLASS screen protector. Unless you like throwing money away. Breaking the screen is like burning hundred-dollar bills. And using a smartphone without protection is like leaving your bicycle without a lock.
Had the s6 Edge for a year and I've had the s7 Edge for about a year, I still think the s7 is too big (the s6 was easier to hold) and I still don't understand why they removed the IR-blaster available on the s6... Not impressed.
How reliable is it to purchase a phone on ebay?
Phones have an IMEI, which was supposedly instituted so lost/stolen phones could be disabled.
I bought a phone via eBay using PayPal -- which saved my bacon -- because four months after activating the phone, it was shut down. A call to my carrier revealed it was reported lost/stolen. I am suspicious of CraigsList phones because there is no recourse unless I know the name and address of the person from whom I'm buying it. I ended up buying a phone from a friend I knew would back me up if the IMEI screwed up again.
A note on Groupon phones: most of them are Sprint returns and those phones are the least compatible with Tmobile. It may work when one first gets it activated, but if Tmobile updates their system, it may be partially or fully disabled.
Hey all you guys - nice to read all the "+" and "-" about the S6 and S7. I realy want to upgrade my S4 to a ??? yes a Galaxy 6 or 7. But wich one should I choose. Is the "7" that much better than the "s6"?
I've had the battery replaced once on my S7 -- at Batteries Plus. I was told they have longer battery life and are $15 cheaper. My friends with S6 complain that system and software upgrades are buggy. I've never encountered that. The only reason I upgraded from my S4 was because I use my phone for bank depositing checks and the bank's security software no longer worked with that model.
I have just got shot of my s6 edge as the battery would last till lunch time so was always on power save that's after 6 months. Have just got the s7 let's see if this has improved enough as am not happy with being let down so quick with the s6 if the s7 let's me down I'll be jumping ship.
now am thinking to buy s7 and am scared about battery life maybe I'll be facing same problems i don't know about battery of s7.
can anyone kindly inform me about s7 battery
i bought a brand new Samsung Galaxy s6 last month and am tired of battery life
worse battery experience of s6
i made a mistake after buying s6 . they should do something to making better battery life.
stupid s6. i waste my money.
they shouldn't make a phone like this.
I was concerned about no SD card on the S6 so I just purchased a used Galaxy S6 with 64gb for about $270US on eBay. No need for the SD card as a result. I love it!!! No way would I pay full price for a new phone. I don't think the improvement is worth paying more than twice as much.
Thanks for the review! I have the S4, so it is time for an upgrade. Prior to reading your article I didn't see much difference in the S6 and S7. And I couldn't understand why the camera MP's decreased. So, I'm really glad I read your review, the choice is easy now. Time for the S7!
why S7 does not have infrared for remote control applications ????? it's my best application
Here's something that I don't understand: "As you can see, the S7 supports MicroSD cards" (figure text above). But if that picture is correct and I think it is, then S7 does *not* support MicroSD while the S6 does! I have an S6 myself and it indeed has that little "drawer" where you can put in the SD. If all this is true, then your conclusion is wrong, too. Nah, I must have misunderstood something... :-/
The "drawer" is at the top of the device. You must insert the ejector tool into the hole and it pops out.
The S6 does NOT have an SD card. The S7 DOES have an SD Card slot. So if you go S6 you want to get the 64gb internal version.
I absolutely love my S6, especially since the Marshmallow update. I listen to Pandora all day at work connected to external speakers via Bluetooth, talk, text, and surf the net and still have at least 30% battery when I get home, all without using power saving. I don't see enough improvement to justify upgrading to the S7. I'm sticking with my S6 until it craps out.
"It also means that the Galaxy S7 is a lot easier to pick up from a flat surface, which is an important attribute."
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how you are saving your battery with s6.
me am tired of battery life
totally agree
I just upgraded from the galaxy s4 to the galaxy s6, and so far, I am very happy with the phone....:)
lmao same
S6, S6 Edge, S7 and more is now on sale only at NewSmartphoneDeals:com
OK , so now i'm TOTALLY confused as to which phone to upgrade to . I'be been reading reviews and have made comparisons between the S6 and S7. I currently have the S4 and since the updates have been installed ,my phone is even hotter than before and seems to run out of juice before 12 . I am a total freak when it comes to taking photo's ,so a good camera is deffinately the go for me. The S6 sounds ideal because of the 16mp but then the S7 sounds pretty amazing too. I'be also looked into the HTC one M9 which has 20mp to which my daughter says is an amazing phone. She went from Samsung to HTC and hasn't looked back since.
Mmmmmm .....what to do now ???? Even MORE confused as to which phone to get.
Ive had s3 s4 s5 s6 and now s7 im not a samsung only fan im an open mind techie and i go with the strongest hardware. Though i root and flash every phone i get i can still say that the touchwiz in the s6/s7 is quite full featured, clean and yet speedy. The battery in the s7 is fantastic and the camera is good too, remember its not about the pixel density!!!! As other brands are concerned it can often come down to price comparisons. The sony z5 premium and a beautiful 4k screen although rarely uses the 4k res and of course as a sony has a great cam too. Htc has less to offer lately. The nexus6p is a good phone for the money and as far as the cheaper chinese phones go again you wont get top tech for such a low price. Best thing is to look at the top tier brands and their flagship models and then go through the reviews and comparisons and make your decsion.
I got the S6 with 64gb internal used on ebay for about $270. If you like to take a bunch of photos you'll want the bigger storage because the S6 can't take an SD card. The s7 can take the SD card. The camera is a bit better on the S7 but i've found the S6 takes great photos. Low light isn't as great but it is far better than my previous phone which was an LG. The screen is AMAZING on both and they are both super fast.
How reliable is it to purchase a phone on ebay?
I've had the S5 and now the S6. The S5 was a great phone but my least favorite things about it were the SD card and the usb 3.0 charger. I have 128gb on my s6 and I'm loving that I haven't had to once stop in the middle of updating apps or downloading new ones to move other apps to the sd card and clear the cache so there is enough room on the device storage to install the new stuff before moving that to the SD card too. It's also nice not having the private storage separate from the sd card. With regard to the USB 2.0 connection on the s6, I haven't noticed any difference in transfer speed, maybe because the s6 itself is faster. I can transfer a 500MB hd music video to my phone in 10-15 seconds which is fast enough for me. My computer has all USB 3.0 ports though so that may help.
I had both in a pretty short time: I dropped my s6 in the toilet, so I sort of "had" to buy a new phone. And I thought the latest model can't be worst, so I got the s7..And now I regret it.. Ok, the battery life realy is better, and for me it's the only positive thing. I had my s6 with 64 g of memory, and it was absolutly enough -and I 'm the person who loves music and takes a lot of pics!
Camera! In my opinion ( and my friends) s6 has the best phone camera ! And s7...just not. I stoped to take pictures since I have this phone.. Even s5 has a better camera then s7! So if the camera is important for you, don't take s7! Plus it's overheating while charging, s6 didn't! I think I'm going to sell it and go back to my s6, which I just loved! 😉
The S6 charges quickly tough and if you need you can keep it at 2% battery for very longtime in case of emergency. Its not an issue to charge the phone those days anyway at work etc. Let see how it wears after being pluged alot as it essential that the battery stays strong over the years.
The S5 was trully an amazing phone, the S6 is wicked too but the battery was better with the S5. S5 was a great improvement from the legenday S2 wich i kept until S5 came out and i wore out my S2 anyway.
I have the S6 since its release and because i just had lost my S5 (good excuse to upgrade), when i got it i imediately equiped it with a Tech21 case, and a screen protector. I never felt my phone was better without it to handle, it rounds the edges of my phone and compense for the "bumpy" lense, and i droped my S6 in the toilet once and is still working. Plus after almost 18 month if i take the case off my phone still looks new. So for me no point to upgrade to the S7 or S7edge yet (wich id prefer for a larger battery but dont really like a rounded screen).
It would be great if you could just say which side is which phone, I have no idea which phone is which in the photos.
the phone with the curve in the side is S7. in photos we have S7 in:
right
top
right
only S7,
left
right
right
top
s6 is better at what??i got the s6 and s6 edge plus and they SUCK.my s5 was better.i love my new s7 still the s5 had a few more features
S6 is better
I am glad to read the information about this posting as it has many interesting facts which have never been shared before.
Samsung 6 is better
I think both are better ok so let's just leave it that way.
Samsung Galaxy S6 is the best phone I've ever experienced. Battery life seems to last all day. Even seems better than my gf's S6 edge. I got used to the larger screen from the iphone 4, and now I can't wait till the S7. The S6 was a rock solid device! Best!
No comments:-!
Take away 1gb ram and the screen pixels on the s6 and you've not even got a note 2 or s3. No radio, no tv out, no memory card, stopped the s5 water resistance and a truly terrible battery, so bad I had to disconnect email and Facebook, for sports, GPS on, music via bluetooth you'll need a battery power bank, this is by far one of the worst phones I've had. I only got it to play with the Samsung / oculus vr headset but the apps and demos are so large every time I want to check something new I need to delete something less new.. Plus it gets to hot then it just stops and the battery dies to quickly , especially with 3d games. And to be honest Google cardboard has way more stuff than the Samsung oculos so i need to disconnect Samsung to connect to cardboard which is time consuming, If you don't have the s6 don't buy it, you'll feel cheated very quickly.
I myself absolutely enjoy the S6 Edge myself and have had none of the problems you have, maybe yours had a problem.
I agree with this comment 100%. There is always "something" wrong/missing with Samsung devices, as if they are screwimg around with customers "these idiots will buy whatever we put out".
I dumped my Note 5 and got the Nexus 6P; I have had the Notes, 2,3,4. The 5 was nothing special..and that damn 32 gig onboard storage....totally pathetic... Software updates SUCKED!
My Nexus 6P with 128G, cost me less than the Note 5 with 32G!
And yes, I have had the March security update for 2 weeks, I'm sure the Note 5 is still on the November Sec update....
(It's still on 5.1.1)
Anyways, Nexus for life! And once I root it, which is very easy to do, and install the EX KERNEL MANAGER......
the Nexus 6 P will be that much better! Guys look up this Kernel, my friend has it installed, it totally makes the phone 2X better!
*sorry to complain,everyone*
yipp yipp yippee
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The S5 heated up so much you could fry an egg off it IMO. Love my S6, miss the sd card though
What I need to know is how battery life compares to my 2.5 year old Droid MAXX. I'm not interested in getting a new phone if it doesn't have better battery life than my current one had when it was new.
Figures!!! Wife and I got the S6 4 months ago, Upgraded from a S3 and S4 was bummed about no Micro SD support on the S6 (had "almost" all my music on my S4's micro sd card) Oh well, just have to wait another year and 8 months LOL!! Do love my S6 Though. Very happy with it.
Doesnt the galaxy s6 have the same camera as the s6 edge plus? How could that be in the best camera category and not the s6?
Plus my sister has the Samsung 6 edge and my mom has the Samsung 7edge that's how I think both are better.
I think both are best the same lets just keep it that way.
After the rumors about the S7 being very similar to the S6, I was a bit skeptical, but I had the chance to test both phones and the Galaxy S7 is simply amazing. I've made a comparison between the two, it can be checked out here: samsungrumorsblog.wordpress.com/2016/03/10/is-it-worth-upgrading-to-the-galaxy-s7-from-the-s6/
Um so true
There are rumors 👎👎
GAL S6 As to the problem with having a non replaceable battery, I suggest downloading the user manual from Samsung. At the end it shows you directions on HOW TO replace the battery! If you are not confident in your abilities with the directions, DON'T do it. I get 24 hours of use from my battery with light to moderate use. RJS
Um totes wrong dude
My friend, if you are able to get 24 hours of battery life it means you are NOT using your phone....its IMPOSSIBLE....most user phones die out around 2pm, from 8am, they just don't talk about it!
We conveniently forget that we plug the phone in our cars, and at work.....
Hi buddy, I've gone through your article. It's really good to compare with Samsung Galaxy s6 and s7.. I'm using the Samsung Galaxy s4 mobile phone. I'm planning to upgrade to the Samsung Galaxy s6 edge or newly Samsung Galaxy s7. What would you recommend me? My major preferences are back camera and a screen size. Please let me and I'll be waiting for your reply. Thanks for your reviews for samsung galaxy S7.
The picture where you wrote that the s7 supports SD cards...the picture on the top is an s6 and that's a sim card slot, not a microSD slot!!!
No, the SIM card slot on S6 is at the top.
I have at&t and it's exactly where it is in that picture on my s6
The Sim/SD card slot is on the same spot as the s6 :)
So the only notable difference is the SD card? Not worth the change.
soooo if you have an S6 and not obsessed with getting a phone every year(like I am) then skip S7 and wait for S8.
So it's gained the sd card back and it's waterproof.
It's lost the IR blaster.
I could deal with memory loss to get the IR back.
I use the IR blaster way more than needing a waterproof phone. I use the IR more times than accidentally dropping the phone in the toilet.
Maybe the s6 is the way to go for me. I don't see any advantages.
S7 is obviously the better phone. micro SD cards have returned and so has waterproofing and dustproofing. Better Everything. LG G5 is good too. ANDROID RULES APPLE DROOLS
Not alot of new innovationish things in the S7.
Seems like there are some substantial differences, actually. Namely, the return of MicroSD slots (Hallelujah), an even better camera, supposedly (the S6's clarity in low light blows away everyone I show), and a drastically better battery? Sign me up. Fortunately I took a 12-month plan through my provider with the S6. I think I'll go for the 24-month with the 7. Sounds wonderful.
Lastly: Can we stop being shallow and praising the "aesthetics" of a phone? The S6 is more slippery than a greased up pig out of a case, and has a very breakable glass cover on the back. If you have half a brain, and put a case on your phone, the prettiness DOES NOT MATTER. I 100% preferred the S5 design because it made the phone lighter, easier to hold, and allowed for battery/SD card swapping easily. I hate that people see shininess as an essential quality now.
Return of the SD card max 200GB, a definite plus. Battery at 3600mAH compared to 2700mA, more plus.If you have another phone laying around return your s6 and get the s7 on 3/8
I JUST bought S6 yesterday (broke the screen on my old phone, but it was working)...is it worth returning and waiting for the S7??? And...I did read (read: skim) the whole article~let me know your take...I've got 13 days to decide...thanks!
I have the S6 Edge and have had it since August of last year. I love the phone, however, I am VERY disappointed in the battery. It really does not last long at all... especially if I play any type of game like Words with Friends, or look at Facebook very often. I am constantly putting it on the charger (though it does quickly charge). If my battery lasts 8 hours I am lucky. I travel a lot and like to take lots of pictures, so that also drains my battery a lot and so I have to take an external battery charger with me everywhere. My S5 that I had before that was sooo much better on the battery. I also hate the fact that the memory is not expandable. So, I love the fact that the S7 is promising to have better battery life and I can buy a chip to expand the memory. I would wait for the S7 if I were you.
Your problem is Facebook. It is THE worst app for battery life available on cell phones. Just having it installed (even with push notifications turned off) consumes roughly 5-10% more battery per hour. Cut the cord with that worthless app, and enjoy your phone the way it's meant to be used.
And with fb messenger it's twice the drain, even if you never use it.
I had the same (battery life) problem with my S6. I fixed it by doing two things: 1) Turn on the power save mode and 2) get rid of all the apps you don't use. For example, I'm never going to read a book on my phone...so the app is gone!!
Um that's a strange thing
I just bought mine like 3 days ago and I'm thinking the same thing why not get the latest device but I don't know it sounds like there aint s*** different for real
Um so you got the s6 edge
Yes u should return and wait. I own s6edge(bought last year in may) major problem is low light pictures. I m not satisfoed with low light pictures in my camera and battery dies really fast if u keep ur net on whole day or do few hours gaming.
Thank You for a nice presentation, I just might be one of the happy crowd buying the S7 the next couple of months.
It would be very useful also to review the devices antenna function. There are big differences, Sony being of the better ones and Samsung more on the poor side. Nice to have a device that "can" everything - but that's depending on whether there is connection or not. Net providers cover as good as the whole country, but that's not the experience I have, boasting a S5. Good thing I don't have an iPhone, they are the worst regarding antenna...
If reviewers make the antenna a parameter, so will the manufacturers, and users will be happy being able to use data connection on the beach, in the basement, while hiking, while driving, and especially on the train! - Just a thought ;-)
Thinking about upgrading my android and found this article... but come on author, does putting "Scott has never owned an Apple device, of any kind, and doesn't see this changing anytime soon." really help here? You're just as bad as apple fanboys. It's a freaking mobile OS.
"despite not ranking on our best Android cameras list (although the S6 Edge+ did"
It's the same ruddy camera LMFAO
IKR? I've heard that "fact" spewed many times. Makes me laugh every time.
The S6 camera is pretty much on everyone's list of best Android cameras, but not Androidpit's?
Thanks for the pre-review. I think it told me all I needed to know. I have an S6 Edge+ and see little point in "upgrading" to an SD slot and bigger battery. I love my Edge+. My son played around with mine when I got it and promptly changed his HTC M7 for an S6 Edge.
I really think the only significant difference that will matter is battery size from the S6 to S7. Snapdragon s820 is good but most phones perform well with old processors.
I changed my S4 Active for a S6 because I didn't like the S5. I love the S6 performance (not the battery, of course) and the only think I miss is the wáter resistant. Only this issue and the battery capacity is not enough to chenge my 4 month old S6 I will waiting for the S8...!!
The Samsung Galaxy S7 will offer a lot of features when compared to S6 version, and might even have a water-resistant feature. The entire world is looking forward to the launch to see what Samsung has in store for its consumers worldwide. Expect a premium for the S7 model over the S6 in terms of price, as Samsung is known to increase the price of their models with every new launch.
www.interwebcom.com/samsung-galaxy-s7-vs-galaxy-s6/
S7, S6 Edge, S6, Note 5 and many other Samsung phones are now on sale only on goo.gl/DjZ9Zv
I just went from an S4 to the S6 and even though no removable battery and no SD card I love it!
This is all pure speculation on rumors at this time. Try doing this article in two months.
I gotta say your review seems spot on as I have the s6 edge+ my only thought is as to why you say the 3000 battery would be a significant improvment? My phone has that capacity
Because he's comparing it to regular, flat Galaxy S6 with (poor) battery capacity of 2550 mAh
S6, S6 Edge and other Samsung phones are now on sale only on BestAndroidPhoneDeals .com
Then i think i already have an s7 its called s6 edge +
Oh how did you make it waterproof? Did you fit the force touch display and upgrade the camera yourself?