Samsung s7 edge review

The Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge had a tough task when it launched in February 2016. 

That's because it was following in the footsteps of its predecessor, a multi-award-winning phone, simply because it packed all the power of the 'normal' Galaxy S6 and yet... that curved edge.

We weren't alone in loving it, whipping it out proudly whenever possible.

But that was 2015, and the world wasn't going to be so easily wowed by the curved design of the Galaxy S7 Edge. We'd seen it. It had been done. So what did Samsung do to make its new phone a real step forward?

Well, unlike what it's done on the Galaxy S7, which looks (initially) like last 2015's model, the changes on the S7 Edge were brilliant, adding a zest to a design that could have quickly become tired. 

It was so good in fact, we crowned it the "best phone of 2016". And even though the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge has now been superseded by the Galaxy S8 Plus, it's still a top-notch smartphone.

The screen is larger than the Galaxy S6 Edge, yet somehow the phone doesn't feel too much bigger in the hand. The rear of the phone is curved too, making it sit nicely in the hand. 

It's waterproof. There's a microSD card slot. There's so much power in there we're pretty sure we could strap it on the back of a speedboat and make our way across the Atlantic.

Update: Good news for those who have hung onto their trusty Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge: Android Oreo is coming...at some point. Samsung is currently trailing the beta software for the Samsung Galaxy S8, but it should make its way in the coming months. Better yet, you can get one of these still-awesome edgy phones for lower than ever with our curated selection of the best Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge deals

If you've got your mind set on what's coming in 2018, you'll obviously be interested in the Samsung Galaxy S9, which is strongly suggested to be launching at MWC 2018 that takes place late February.

And that's even more possible because the battery – such a disappointment on 2015's S6 phones – is boosted massively too, giving us a handset that's able to last over 24 hours between charges.

Sure, it's no longer the golden child in Samsung's smartphone line-up, and now plays second fiddle to the new Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus, but if your budget can't stretch to Samsung's latest smartphones (they are rather expensive) the Galaxy S7 Edge is still an excellent choice.

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge price and release date

• Released: March 2016
• Price at launch: £640, $769, AU$1,249
• Now down to: £599, $669, AU$1,148.99

All this technology comes at a cost, and a pretty hefty one. At launch the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge was priced at £640 ($769, AU$1,249) SIM-free, but that has dropped since the introduction of the new S8 duo.

On the official Samsung website the 32GB Galaxy S7 Edge is now available for £599 ($669, AU$1,148.99) - but if you shop around you can find it even cheaper.

In the US we've found the S7 Edge for around $520, while SIM-free prices in the UK has gone as low as £480.

It still not cheap, but in our view, it's still worth every penny.

Design

The Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge is a phone that lives and dies by its looks. If you're only interested in the power then just go for the standard Galaxy S7. 

The smaller, 'normal', model has got all the same smarts, but a slightly sharper screen thanks to packing the same amount of pixels into a smaller area.

What it misses is the clever elements that Samsung's used on the Edge. The display curves further away into the sides of the phone than ever before, which means that even though you've got a phablet-sized display, the phone is as compact as possible.

Place it side by side with the iPhone 7 Plus or 6S Plus and you'll see what we mean. The amount of bezel used above and below the display on Apple's phone is almost laughable, especially when you compare it to how tightly packed everything is on the S7 Edge – and the Samsung has a much, much larger battery.

The S7 Edge is shorter and narrower (150.9 x 72.6mm) than the 7 Plus and 6S Plus (158.2 x 77.9mm), even though both devices have the same 5.5-inch screen size. The iPhone is however, a hair thinner at 7.3mm versus the Samsung's 7.7mm girth.

It's also very similar in size to the LG G5 (149.4 x 73.9 x 7.7 mm), which again sports a 5.5-inch display - with the Android manufacturers really sticking it to Apple

Weight:  157g
Dimensions:  150.9 x 72.6 x 7.7 mm
OS:  Android 7 (Oreo update coming)
Screen size:  5.5-inch
Resolution:  1440x2560
CPU:  Snapdragon 820 / Exynos 8890
RAM:  4GB
Storage:  32GB/64GB (with microSD)
Battery:  3600mAh
Rear camera:  12MP
Front camera: 5MP