The Gen XY Lifestyle
Samsung’s New Flagship Phone Refines its Edge
In contrast to the recent LG announcement of its upcoming flagship, the Samsung flagships Galaxy S7 and S7 edge stick to tried and tested design elements, but with updated and refined hardware.
On top of the list has got to be the camera, which is consistently one of the highlights on a flagship Galaxy phone. The new camera features a brighter lens, wider aperture, and bigger pixels for brighter and sharper images. These are also the first smartphones to feature a Dual Pixel camera for faster and more accurate autofocus speeds.
Samsung S7 4G+ in Black Onyx, Silver Platinum and Gold Platinum
Samsung S7 edge 4G+ in Black Onyx, Silver Platinum and Gold Platinum
And unlike their predecessors, the new phones are rated for IP68 standards in terms of water and dust resistance (dust proof and protected from immersion in water; depth not specified). And more significantly, they now sport an additional tray that lets you use a second SIM card, or a microSD card for up to 200Gb of additional storage space. Although the battery remains built-in and inaccessible, the flexibility of fast charging on both wired and wireless makes up for that.
Cashless Payments Getting Closer
Perhaps the biggest offshoot of this launch is that cashless mobile phone payments will take a step forward: Samsung Pay is set to launch, with availability on select devices (S7, S7 edge, S6, S6 edge, S6 edge+, Note5, A5, A7, for example). American Express, MasterCard and Visa are supported, and as of now, major banks in Singapore – DBS, OCBC Bank and Standard Charted Bank, will be partnering Samsung Pay in this endeavour.
Pricing, pre-order, and details
The Galaxy S7 4G+ and Galaxy S7 edge 4G+ (32GB variants) will be available from 12 March 2016 at S$998 and S$1,098 respectively, in Black Onyx, Gold Platinum, and Silver Titanium. Registration of interest with telco operators will commence from 10am, 26 February 2016.
Alternatively you can visit a Samsung Experience Store (list of stores here) during opening hours to order a phone by placing a S$50 deposit (per device).
Successful pre-order customers will receive a complimentary Samsung Gear VR worth S$148 on 11 March 2016.
For more info, visit the following pages: M1, Singtel, StarHub.
Accessory: Gear 360
Much like the LG 360 Cam, the Samsung Gear 360 is also equipped with dual fisheye lenses and 15-megapixel image sensors to capture high-resolution (3,840×1,920) 360-degree video and 30-megapixel still images. The bright, f2.0 lens makes it easier to take pictures in low-light conditions. The camera also has a user-friendly tripod for added flexibility. Also supports Google Street View uploads and viewing through Gear VR.
