Samsung Galaxy S7 Release Date Specs and Images

The Samsung Galaxy S7 may still be several months away, but even with the Galaxy Note 5 occupying the spotlight, there are a few things we already know about this upcoming device. The Galaxy S7 release date is pretty much locked down and it's sure to cost just as much as its premium predecessor, the Galaxy S6. Check out which other rumors have been doing the rounds lately – including the possible comeback of a Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU.

Samsung Galaxy S7 release date

We've got this one nailed down pretty well. The Galaxy S6 launched at MWC 2015, and the Galaxy S5 launched at MWC 2014, so the Galaxy S7 release date will undoubtedly coincide with MWC 2016: that's February 22-25, 2016.

Market availability will likely be around five or so weeks after the launch. That would put it on shelves in the last few days of March (or the first few days of April).

Samsung Galaxy S7 price

The Galaxy S7 price will be pretty high, if the Galaxy S6 is anything to go by. We're not sure if these 4K display rumors are going to pan out to be true, but if they do you can expect another price increase.

If we don't get a 4K screen, it might not be much more expensive than the Galaxy S6, but if the 'base model' internal storage increases from 32 GB to 64 GB, we might have a starting price of US$650-700, or higher, if 4K makes it in.

Samsung Galaxy S7 specs

We'd heard rumors suggesting that the Snapdragon 820 was being tested in the Galaxy S7 previously, but we now seem to have proof. A Qualcomm official has reportedly confirmed that another version of the Snapdragon 820 has been shipped to Samsung for testing in the Galaxy S7: the Snapdragon 820 v3.x.

This is obviously big news for Qualcomm, who might have thought its days of powering Galaxy devices were over after being ditched in favor of Samsung's own Exynos 7420 in the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy S6 Edge Plus and Galaxy Note 5.

The Snapdragon 820 is capable of clock speeds as high as 3 GHz, so it must be a very enticing option for Samsung's next flagship. Of course, the 820 will also be produced on the 14 nm process, the same process responsible for the Exynos 7420, so the performance-gap between the 7420 and 810 has closed.

Still, the fact that Qualcomm is apparently sending another new version of the Snapdragon 820 to Samsung could indicate there are some problems with the first chips sent for testing. So don't get your hopes up for a Snapdragon 820 in the Galaxy S7.

It's too early to draw other conclusions about the Galaxy S7 specs, but we already have our suspicions and wish list (see below). Other claims have centered on Samsung placing large orders for curved screens in Taiwan.

The Galaxy Note 5 didn't come with a UHD display as had been rumored, but we might still get one on the Galaxy S7. Of course, it will arrive running the finalized version of Android M.

What we want to see from the Galaxy S7

A design revolution. Really.

The initial reception to the Galaxy S6 design was positive. It was certainly an improvement over the Galaxy S5, but how will we feel about it in a year’s time? The design isn’t exactly a revolution. Samsung’s newest flagship is clearly different to the S5 from the sides and back, but looking at the front of both phones it's still hard to tell them apart.

Where will the design go next? One thing’s for sure: glass and metal aren’t going out of fashion as smartphone materials anytime soon, and Samsung will be keen to uphold the new 'premium feel' of the Galaxy S series. One thing that would be a revolution is the switch from capacitive buttons and the physical Home key to on-screen buttons.

The best camera on Android. Again.

There are two areas Samsung never fails: display, and camera. Samsung usually employs a Sony camera sensor in its Galaxy devices (using Sony technology is cheaper and requires less resources than if Samsung developed its own in-house), but it occasionally runs with its own ISOCELL sensor.

A new report from MK, a Korean publication, claims that the Galaxy S7 will come with a dual camera setup. The report doesn't provide any confirmation on this specification, but it also goes on to suggest that the Galaxy S7 will come with a 5.7-inch display, which is a large bump from the current 5.1 inches of the Galaxy S6.

On the dual-camera front, the HTC One M8 was released with dual rear cameras. This didn't necessarily equate to better photographic capabilities, but if the Galaxy S7 does indeed ship with dual cameras, then we can expect that Samsung would get the formula right – something HTC was not entirely successful at.

No matter which sensor makes it into the Galaxy S7 camera, the experience is guaranteed to be first class. We won’t be at all surprised to discover that the Galaxy S7 has the best Android camera on the market. Again.

UHD or flexible display. Please.

Looking at a Samsung display is like looking at an ocean filled with glitter and magic. It’s like looking at a kitten trying to lick a sticky patch of honey caught on its twin's ear. It’s like looking at a candlelit lover after a shared tiramisu in a dimly-lit restaurant.

What I mean is, Samsung knows how to make a smartphone display. As the S4 and S5 both housed a Full HD display, it's possible that Samsung could stick with its QHD technology for another year, but we doubt it will.

The technology has been available on smartphones since 2014 and it won’t be very 'sexy' for Samsung’s marketing in 2016. It's more likely that the Galaxy S7 will arrive with a glorious Super AMOLED UHD (3,840×2,160 pixels) screen.

However, there is one big reason that the Galaxy S7 could stick with QHD, and this is thanks to Samsung's experimentation with different display properties. Samsung has made waves in the smartphone market with the Galaxy Note Edge and the Galaxy S6 Edge, but the latest rumors suggest that Samsung might focus on a 'flexible' display for the Galaxy S7 (or maybe a Galaxy S7 Flex edition). A large pixel count could give way to flexible display innovations

VR integration. Double please.

Whether you think it’s a gimmick or not, VR technology is something you’re going to be hearing about for the next few years. Especially when you consider that one third of EU 11-64-year-olds are interested in owning a VR headset.

The implications it poses for the adult entertainment industry alone (one of the fastest growing and most consumed forms of entertainment in the world) means that by this time next year Samsung could be ready to take a serious virtual leap into this territory.

USB-C. Guaranteed.

We called it “the cable you’ve been waiting for your entire life for” and we’re standing by it. USB-C cables are going to make metaphorical love to your devices, supplying a simultaneous stream of power, data and 4K video through one slender strip.

USB-C is set to become the standard connector for Android smartphones, tablets and Chromebooks alike, and we couldn't be happier.

The Galaxy S6 has genuinely improved upon most of what was bad about the Galaxy S5, and if Samsung can make a similar leap in quality again, we'll be might impressed.

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