Samsung Galaxy S7 Deals & Offers

Samsung Galaxy S7: Octa-Core Processor in a Sleek and Stylish Design Phone

The recent release of the Galaxy S7 continues Samsung’s commitment to developing smartphones that blend elegance and functionality. A vibrant 5.1 inch screen, clear call quality, impressive battery life, a zippy octa-core processor, and its waterproof design combine to make the S7 a sleek and stylish powerhouse.

Long Line of High-End Smartphones

Samsung have kept on refining their flagship Galaxy S smartphones since their inception in 2010, and with the S7, the line has reached a new apex. Screen size has expanded to a roomy 5.1 inches, the processor is super fast, and with its curved form, the unit looks svelte and fits snugly in the hand.

Thankfully Samsung didn’t mess with the winning design of the S6. They just addressed some defects and added on a few more nice touches. The result is a smartphone with power and elegance. And with so many new models coming onto the market this year from rivals LG, HTC, Huawei and Sony, it needs to be.

When shopping for the S7, you won’t have to content with the bewildering line of models some manufacturers come up with, each with its own specifications. Only one model of the Galaxy S7 is offered in the UK, that with 32GB of internal storage.

Samsung S7 Technical Specifications

• Processor: Octa-core Samsung Exynos 8890 running at 2.3GHz (The US model comes with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820) 4GB of RAM (up from 3GB in the S6)

• Storage: 32GB (24.8GB free) and microSD card up to 200GB.

• Operating System: Android 6.01 Marshmallow 5.1-inch QHD Super AMOLED screen with Corning Gorilla Glass 4

• Connectivity: Wi-Fi, NFC, 4G LTE, HSPA+, and Bluetooth 4.2 12 megapixel rear camera and 5 megapixel front facing camera

• Battery: 3000mAh

• Charging: Quick Charge 2.0, Micro USB

• Available colours: black, white, gold, and silver

• Dimensions: 142 x 70 x 7.9mm

• Weight: 152g

A Familiar Form

You may get a touch of déja vu when you see the S7. It does look remarkably like its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S6. The S7 sports the same solid glass and metal finish, but radiates a smoother cleaner look with its more rounded edges and little touches, such the less protrusive camera lens. One downside of the metal finish is that it’s a magnet for fingerprints and smudges. But that’s easily addressed by finding a nice case to protect it.

The volume controlss are located on the left, and the power/lock key sites on the right. The fingerprint scanner sits under the home key. The SIM card and Micro SD share a tray on the top edge for an uncluttered effect.

The rear of the unit features the camera lens and flash, along with a heart rate monitor. The latter can be accessed via the S Health app, although some users may prefer to use dedicated fitness devices or smartwatches.

Regarding the display, the S7 features the same size and type as its predecessor with an identical resolution of 2,560 x 1,440. However the Samsung engineers have tweaked the S7’s display to enhance both brightness and contrast.

What’s New in the S7

While firmly grounded in the Galaxy line, Samsung has given the S7 some thoughtful new features that really enhance the user experience.

One of the most useful is the ‘always on’ function. This lets you configure the unit so that it displays useful information when it’s turned off. You can set it to show various time zones, date, battery level, and notifications of any missed calls or text messages.

While it’s nice to be able to check the time and remaining power at a glance, one deficiency is that it’s not possible to add notifications for messages from Facebook and other third party apps. The ‘always on’ screen also adds slightly to battery drain.

Another neat feature of special interest to travelers and those subject to the vagaries of the UK weather is that the device is water resistant up to 3 metres for a period up to 30 minutes. It’s also fully resistant to particles of dust which is great for city slickers and those heading off to the outback.

The charging port has no flap but if your phone gets wet, the unit is configured not to charge until the port dries out.

The S7 features a fingerprint security system as an alternative to using passwords to lock the device. It needs to be enabled in settings and then your fingerprint has to be registered by drawing you finger across the reader, located above the start button.

Coolness is assured in the S7 via a built-in cooling system comprising a heat-conducting copper tube holding a fluid that vaporises at high temperatures.

Slashing the Bloatware

Like most Android phone manufacturers, Samsung has often been guilty of loading its products up with software that doesn’t really earn its keep. This bloatware has hogged memory and disk space and made it more difficult for users to interact with their phones the way they really want.

With the S7, Samsung features a tweaked version of the Touchwiz launcher which restricts itself to providing some advanced configuration settings and optional features that actually help you use the phone optimally. Users can also switch to Google Now.

One new feature that gamers will appreciate is the new Game Launcher. On top of keeping all your games neatly together, it lets you take screenshots, live shots, and switch back and forth between apps while playing. Plus you can set it to optimise games to minimise battery use by reducing frame rate and other performance factors. It also allows you to lock your various keys so you don’t accidentally press one during a game.

Storage Options

After dropping it in the S6, Samsung wisely brought back the SD slot for S7. At the same time, they restricted its internal storage to 32GB. Most power users will take advantage of the device’s capacity for SD cards up to 200GB. This is especially so because 7.51GB of internal memory is used by the system and pre-installed applications. The Micro SD slips into the elongated SIM drawer the top so there’s no need to open the device to change cards.

Power users will be disappointed with the S7’s lack of support for the adoptable storage features of Marshmallow. Adoptable storage lets the phone adopt the memory card as a block of internal memory and thus securely store both apps and data. This can free up space on internal memory but does tie the card to one particular device.

All Day Power

Following the gripes over the lacklustre battery life of the S6, Samsung have packed the S7 with a hefty 3000mAh battery. Combined with the power saving features of Marshmallow and the efficiency of the chip, this results in impressive usage times. Even with heavy use, the phone is likely to run all day and beyond on a single charge.

One of the new power saving features in Marshmallow is the seductively named Doze. When enabled, it kicks in automatically when your phone is idle and everything apart from priority apps go to sleep. You can also tap into Samsung’s ultra power saving mode that limits the display to black and white, and functionality to calls, texts, and browser.

You receive a fast charge adapter thrown in that lets you fully charge up your phone in 75 minutes. Alternatively, you can use your old generic charger and lead if you wish using the micro USB port. The S7 also supports all major standards of wireless charging.

To the downside, the battery is non-removable. It should deliver years of impressive service, but you lose the ability to slot in a spare.

Step Up for Better Cameras

At first glance the back camera of the S7 is a regression. It’s equipped with a 12 megapixel front camera in contrast with the S6’s 16 megapixel powerhouse. But delve a little deeper and you’ll see that it’s actually a step up.

Though the resolution is less than that of the S6, the use of the IMX260 dual-pixel sensor from Sony coupled with a wide aperture f/1.7 lens gives the S7 a boost in speed and performance. It also boasts super speedy auto focus for fast and accurate picture snapping.

In particular, the S7 is a winner when it comes to snapping pics in low light. Factor in the optical image stabilization (OIS), and you get a solid performer able to take pictures in all conditions. Another neat touch is that the S7 gives you a preview mode option, so you can carry out tasks such as deleting or sharing your pics just after taking them.

The front facing camera offers beauty mode – a range of filters for enhancing and adding artistic touches to your photos. It also comes with a front flash that works by using the screen to generate white light.

If you like to be in charge of your photography, you can choose the unit’s Pro Mode to get access to an array of controls such as contrast, shutter speed and ISO. The S7 also features Motion Picture and Motion Panorama for more versatile video shooting.

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge

Sonic Disappointment

One feature that’s regrettably remained unchanged is the phone’s loudspeaker. As with the S6, it’s the same single unit. And being located in the base, it’s easy to block when holding the phone. With other manufacturers such as HTC producing phones with twin speakers positioned in the front, this is one area where the S7 lags. Gamers, in particular, will be disappointed.

VR Gear Virtual Reality Headset

One exciting new technology that’s increasingly associated with smartphones is that of virtual reality. Using devices such as Google Cardboard allows owners to slot their phones into simple VR headsets and view their displays as 3D images.

Samsung has teamed up with VR headset firm Oculus to develop the Gear VR especially designed for use with Samsung phones. The powerful hardware and high resolution AMOLED display of the S7 make it ideal for use with intensive virtual reality tasks. The headsets are equipped with gyro, accelerometer, proximity sensors to deliver a dynamic and realistic viewing and gaming experience. And with the Samsung Gear 360 you can actually shoot real 360 degree photos and movies.

The Gear VR headset allows users to watch streaming movies from on-line services such as Netflix, view media stored on the S7's memory card, and take advantage of various VR apps and services that are emerging. Slide on a pair of headphones and prepare for immersion in a virtual world of photos, 360 photos, videos and games. The VR headsets are available as optional extras at special prices for Galaxy S7 owners. In fact, those quick off the mark in ordering the S7 got their headsets free.

Do You Need an Edge?

One question many potential buyers will be asking is whether they should opt for the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge.

There’s no doubt that the Galaxy Edge with its curved screens is ineffably stylish. Its 5.5 inch screen is also noticeably larger than the S7. In addition, the Edge offers better battery life with its 3700mAh pack. Such features will be prized by various users such as gamers, and those who watch a lot of videos.

All that combined with its elaborate design costs quite a bit extra. However, performance-wise, the two models are evenly matched, featuring the same processor, quad HD screen, and memory. Moreover, the cameras are identical.

Another nice addition to the S7 Edge is that the “Edges”, as Samsung refers to those distinctive curved sides, now accept 3rd party panels. That sets the stage for developers to create displays that can make full use of the Edges to deliver information.

Given that the S7 is such as solid performer, the ultimate deciding factor will probably be whether you think that sleek, futuristic look of the Edge is worth the hefty premium. The good news is that whichever model you choose, you’ll get a smartphone that really delivers.

Choosing Between the iPhone 7 and Galaxy S7

Another issue that many users will be considering is how the S7 stacks up against the iPhone 7. The obvious difference is that the iPhone 7 screen is smaller at 4.7 inches. Plus it’s not QHD and lacks Samsung’s Super AMOLED technology which helps render sharp and vibrant colours.

However, the Apple interface is slicker and more intuitive than that of Samsung. Apple’s screen offers the proprietary 3D Touch which senses user pressure to offer enhanced functionality such as Peek and Pop for fast previews, and Quick Actions which lets users carry out common tasks quicker and with fewer steps.

Areas in which the Samsung wins outright are the processor and amount of RAM. The S7’s octa core chip and 4GB of RAM far outshine the iPhone's quad core processor and 3GB of memory.

In terms of storage, you can get iPhones in varying capacities up to 128GB. But unlike the S7, this is not expandable by a microSD.

One deal killer for some will be the fact that the S7 is IP68 certified and can put up with much more rigorous treatment than the iPhone. For many, the ability of their phone to withstand water will be important. And with Samsung’s new features such as the always on function, the S7 is now a rather versatile smartphone. The Apple iPhone 7 has no headphone jack, so if you want to listen to music with your phone, you can only do so by using Bluetooth headphones. Something well worth considering before you purchase your new smartphone.

A key consideration is the aesthetic appeal of the phones. Though the S7 is gorgeous with its glass and metal form, for many, the iPhone 7 is the best looking device available.

At the end of the day, the main deciding factor will probably be whether you fall into the Android or Apple camp.

Resetting Your Samsung S7

One query many users have is what to do if the device becomes unresponsive considering you can't simply remove and replace the battery. The fact is that all Samsung devices with non-removable batteries include a safety feature that automatically restarts the unit within seconds should it freeze.

If you wish to reconfigure your phone or set it up for new user, you can perform a hard reset. Also known as a factory data reset, this will delete all the data, apps and settings on the device. The simplest way to do this is to go into settings/Backup and reset, and choose “Factory data reset” and then confirm. You can also go to your phone dialler and enter the following reset code: *2767*3855#.

Another way to perform a hard reset on your S7 is to turn it off and then hold the volume up, home and power buttons together. You should then see the Samsung logo and the option to enter recovery mode. Here you can use the volume buttons to navigate to the “wipe data/factory reset” option and press the power button to initiate the process.

A less drastic approach is the hard restart/reboot which just powers down and then restarts your phone. To do this, just hold down both power and volume down keys together until the phone restarts.

Quick Look at the Pros and Cons of the Galaxy S7

Pros:

• Sleek and stylish design

• Stunning display

• Excellent battery life

• Outstanding camera, especially in low light

• Water and dust resistant

• A slew of handy Android Marshmallow features such as Google Now and Google Pay

Cons:

• Magnet for fingerprints and smudges

• Non-removable battery

• Single loudspeaker located at the back

• Slow fingerprint reader

• High price

How to Save Money on a Samsung Galaxy S7

You can pick up your S7 from general online retailers such as Argos, Amazon, GAME, Tesco, and ShopTo, or vendors specialising in phones such as Mobiles.co.uk, EE Shop, and Carphone Warehouse. Another option is to buy from the networks themselves. O2, Vodafone, and Three all offer a range of packages which include talk time and data allowances along with the phone itself.

A good time to find smart deals is around the release date of major Android updates. And be sure to keep your eyes open around the end of the year when you can pick up some real bargains on Black Friday, Cyber Monday or Christmas.

All the Galaxy S7 Offers in One Place

To discover the best offers as soon as they appear, check out the hotukdeals Samsung Galaxy 7 product page. We gather information on all the latest bargains and promotions in one convenient place to ensure you get word of the best buys as soon as they appear.