An S6 owner's revenge
I've owned a Galaxy S6 for almost a year now, and I love it. I love the size, the speed, the design. But I had no desire whatsoever to upgrade to either the Galaxy S7 or the S7 Edge. This was because I didn't feel Samsung had done enough to warrant such an expensive upgrade only one year later. The S7 siblings looked like a lazy cash-in on the success of the S6.I was thrilled to have the opportunity to give a second opinion on the Galaxy S7 Edge, because I wanted to show the device for what I thought it was. And, in some small ways, I still see it that way. But mostly, I now see it as a carefully refined machine that excels in pretty much every area. And one that does all this wrapped in an unbelievably stunning design.
A beauty both to hold and behold
From the first moment I reached down to touch the S7 Edge it slide from the table into my hand as though magnetically attracted and devoid of friction. The design is so ergonomic as to seem almost impossible to improve. Everything just feels right. And at 5.5-inches, this should be considered a relatively large device, but it doesn't feel that way. It's thicker than the S6, but the way the curved edges meet the slender frame make it feel thinner.
The camera bump is gone!
The camera bump is gone! Fanfares of pure joy: it's gone. I found a use for it on the S6, I would press firmly on the screen, directly over the camera, and spin the phone around, but I don't miss this pastime. The camera bump is gone, and the world is a little better for it.
That screen
So, the screen is 5.5 inches. That's .4 inches larger than the S6's. While this doesn't sound like much, it felt to me like when you play a game of snooker after playing pool for years. The Edge features I have no time for, but the curved screen in itself, the way it looks and the extra room it provides? That I can sign up for. It's just better in every way than the S6's.Games are just that little bit more immersive, videos more pleasurable. The way you can arrange apps and widgets just provides more enjoyment. The way the screen bleeds almost imperceptibly into the black frame on the device I tried out created some subtle feeling of expansiveness; it's just immensely pleasing to see limited space used so well.
Always On, on the other hand, just makes me think i've forgotten to turn the screen off every time I glance at the phone. It makes me anxious. I disabled that immediately.
Conclusion
The S7 Edge remains a minor upgrade, but the areas where it improves are really somehow vital. On paper, it seems kind of lazy and unimportant. But when you hold it, use it and, eventually, against your will, marvel at it, then it all makes sense.Damn you, Samsung. Damn you.
What do you think of the Galaxy S7 Edge? Is it enough of an improvement over the S6 and S6 Edge?