Both the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge feature equally impressive updates over older Samsung phones in terms of performance, camera quality and design, but there are several differences between these two that might make you want to choose one over the other.
No matter which S7 smartphone you pick, you are going to be a much faster photographer, thanks to new 12-megapixel dual pixel cameras that can focus up to three times as quickly as the S6 and S6 Edge. Both devices also have always-on displays that can show notifications, date and time or appointments. Both are built to the IP68 water-resistance standard and can be under 5 feet of water for up to 30 minutes.
The Galaxy S7 starts at $650, while the S7 Edge begins at $750. Both will be sold by AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint, T-Mobile, Boost Mobile and U.S. Cellular beginning March 11 and at Virgin Mobile starting March 18. Pre-orders began Feb. 23, and you can have a look the models in Best Buy shops.
You can expect similar performance, too, as the U.S. variant of the S7 and S7 Edge will boast Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 820 CPU. When we tested both phones with the Geekbench 3 performance test, the S7 (5,498) and S7 Edge (5,448) earned similar scores
MORE: Check out our full Galaxy S7 Review and Galaxy S7 Edge Review to help you decide.
The biggest difference between the phones is their displays and size. The S7 Edge has the 5.5-inch wrapped display that Samsung introduced with the S6 Edge, while the S7 has a 5.1-inch flat display. The S7's dimensions are 5.60 x 2.74 x 0.311 inches; the Edge, at 5.94 x 2.85 x 0.30 inches, is longer and wider, but also a bit thinner. And the Edge's contoured back makes it easy to operate with one hand.
Samsung has made the Edge's beveled sides more useful this time around, with a second row of icons for apps and information, and a new Tasks feature to which you can add customizable macro buttons such as Take Selfie, Create Event and Compose Email to Mom.
Not only is the S7 Edge bigger than the S7, but its 3,600 mAh battery (10 hours and 9 minutes) beat the S7's 3,000 mAh battery (8:43) in our tests. The S7 Edge also weighs a bit more, at 5.53 ounces versus the S7's 5.36 ounces.
For the moment, we're going to have to call this face-off for the S7 Edge, as it gives you a larger screen and longer battery life. Power users will also love how the Tasks feature can help them tear through their to-do lists. Users who prefer a more compact phone will nevertheless enjoy the S7, as they'll reap the benefits of its new camera technology and greater processing power.
