It is this version that the Galaxy S7 Edge takes its design from. Side-by-side they look barely any different apart from a bigger screen – 5.5in to the older 5.1in – and the back now has rounded edges.
In the hand it feels fantastic, much more comfortable and easier to hold. On the table it looks like a well-crafted piece of technology should.
The curved edges and minimal bezel of the 5.5in phone make the S7 Edge one of the physically smallest phablets to date. It is narrower than many smartphones with much smaller screens and is shorter too. It makes it really easy to use, particularly next to Apple’s iPhone 6S Plus, which feels massive and unwieldy in comparison.
For comparison, the Galaxy S7 Edge is 72.6mm wide with its 5.5in screen, which is the same width as the Nexus 5X with its smaller 5.2in screen, 5.2mm narrower than the 5.7in Nexus 6P and 5.3mm narrower than 5.5in iPhone 6S Plus with the same size screen. That half a centimetre makes a big difference in ease of handling.
The screen is the best I’ve ever seen fitted to a smartphone. Period. It’s pin-sharp with deep blacks and rich colours. It has a great range of brightness, taking it from really very dim to bright enough to see in direct sunlight. Samsung’s AMOLED screens have always been excellent. The S7 Edge has set a new bar.
S7 Edge is waterproof to IP68 standards meaning 1.5m for 30 minutes in fresh water. This time, however, all the ports are open and do not require fiddly plugs.