Ex-flagship. Samsung Galaxy S7 EDGE

Hey. Time flies by with terrible force, and it seems that technology is only accelerating it. It would seem that until quite recently the seventh series of 'galaxies' from Samsung was presented, and today this generation can safely try on the title of 'ex-flagship'. In particular, we will talk about the Galaxy S7 edge, which became the main flagship after the hot story with the Galaxy Note 7 review.

Well, let's take a look at the device from this side, let's try to figure out not only whether the Edge is a justified purchase today, but also what kind of childhood sores may await a potential owner.

Go.

The S7 Edge is a logical evolution of the truly curved smartphone concept introduced in the Galaxy Note Edge. Only this time, both sides of the display were bent. It looks impressive and at the time of its release was a unique design delight, creating the very 'Wow!' Effect that the public loves so much. Another thing is that there was practically no sense in such a display functionally, and the scenarios for using these edges, as they say, are far-fetched.

Another, this time objectively convenient change was the presence of bends not only of the display, but also of the back cover. This significantly improves the ergonomics over the S6 edge. Now the edges of the back cover and frame did not dig into the hand. In the next generations, the company further refined this moment, making the edges even more sloping.

However, in combination with the weight distribution of the gadget and the materials used, this solution also has one significant drawback – the device turned out to be very slippery and strove to slip out of the hand as soon as possible. Added slipperiness and the presence of the edge of the side frame of the case at the junction of the glass panels. The frame is thin and sharp, which makes the grip not as confident as in the next generation of devices.

This feature of the case played a role in the number of broken devices.

The cover of the metal frame is reliable and resists mechanical stress very well, keeping its 'presentation' for a long time.

Among the layout mistakes and shortcomings of the device identified during operation, I would like to note the following:

1. The home button is raised above the display and has small sides, which is why dirt accumulates around the button very quickly and the device looks sloppy. You have to wipe this place constantly.
2. A curved display with thin edges is not always convenient. Personally, I constantly press my palm on the curved parts of the screen when trying to reach the opposite side of it.
3. The earpiece mesh in dark versions is covered with paint, which is very easily damaged. This also affects the appearance of the device. Moreover, the damage to the coating occurs completely unexpectedly. I must also say that it is unlikely that it will work to paint over these chips on your own – the paint does not stick to the mesh.
4. The rim of the main camera, protruding above the plane of the back cover, has one interesting and unpleasant feature – the paint is erased from it in the lower right corner. The very fact of rubbing the bezel is understandable – the device actually lies on the lower edge of the bezel. It is not clear why the bottom right corner is being wiped. And this despite the fact that the camera eye itself is located symmetrically. Although, perhaps, the point is again in the same layout – the battery is located on the right, which means that this side is heavier.
5. The fingerprint scanner is not covered with glass, but with painted plastic, on which scratches and traces of use very easily remain. Especially true for girls with long nails. Also, do not forget that replacing this button is a very, very time-consuming operation, during which the display can be damaged. And display replacement is still very expensive today. The original display on the S7 edge costs about 15-19 thousand rubles.
6. In the first installments, quite a few users complained about the suddenly cracked rear camera glass. In the United States, these buyers had their glass replaced under warranty. In the Russian Federation, this is a non-warranty case.
7. Display with a reddish tint (spots). Yes, in the first batches there were smartphones with pink or reddish spots on the display against a white background. This was recognized as a warranty case, and the smartphone with such a defect had to be replaced.
8. It was also possible to encounter assembly defects, among which there was an uneven position of the main or front camera, as well as uneven gaps between the display and the frame. This defect was also recognized as a warranty case, and there were no problems with replacement.
9. Rapid battery degradation. An unproven defect, however, on the network you can find many reviews that after a short amount of time in the seventh 'galaxies', both edge and ordinary, during literally 3-5 months of use, the battery life from a single charge significantly decreased (10 -20%), and this is not related to the installed software, since after resetting to factory settings, such devices did not start working 'as before'.
10. Display flickers at minimum brightness. Some users complained that at minimum brightness the displays of their 'galaxies' began to flicker, which is very tiring for the eyes and makes using the device in the dark uncomfortable. The effect is especially pronounced when displayed in gray.
11. Pink stripe. Yes, I already wrote about this defect in a separate article, so I will not repeat myself. You can read more about this here.
12. Well, for dessert – matrix burnout. Yes, the network is very fond of scolding Samsung for this shortcoming. It is typical not only for S7 edge, but in general for the Amoled technology itself. S7 edge is no exception. If you leave the image on the display for a long time, then in places of light tones, so-called burnout may appear – an area with image remnants. This is most often seen in the area of ​​the status bar.

One might get the impression that the device turned out to be very problematic and had many flaws. However, it should be understood that the listed disadvantages are a squeeze of the entire operating experience and it is unlikely that even with all the desire they could be found in one device. At the same time, Samsung, unlike one well-known manufacturer, reacted very quickly to such reviews, correcting the identified shortcomings, and did not call them a device chip and did not accuse users of misusing gadgets. ?

Now let's talk about why this model can remain relevant today and how it can compete for the consumer's wallet after so long after entering the market.

First, let's not forget that at the time of the release, S7 edge was a flagship without any 'buts'.

1. 2K-resolution SuperAmoled display with a diagonal of 5.5 inches and a ratio of 16: 9 gives a chic, bright and contrasting picture, which, together with curved edges, makes the device's appearance recognizable and easily distinguishable from smartphones of other brands. Yes, the display is gorgeous here today.
2. Due to the fact that the screen is made using SuperAmoled technology, the device has the Always On Display function. A handy thing that allows you to reduce the number of screen activations due to the fact that the necessary information and notifications are always displayed on the screen.
3. Availability of fast wireless charging. A very handy thing that you get used to very quickly. This is not only convenient, but also allows you to significantly reduce the load on the microUSB connector.
4. The presence of a jack 3.5. Yes, Samsung remains true to itself. There is a connector. Favorite headphones will not be left out of business.
5. Waterproofness. Anyone else, but for me this parameter, if not vital, is very, very desirable. Even if you don't dive or swim with your phone, having such protection is always a plus. For example, it is not scary to get caught in a rainstorm, or you can pick up your phone with dirty or wet hands, without wasting extra time before answering an important call.
6. Comfortable dimensions without the newfangled sausage screen geometry. It is still a fair 16: 9, which makes the screen area noticeably larger than even the S9 with its 5.8-inch diagonal.
7. Capacious 3600 mAh battery. This is important because a powerful smartphone needs a powerful battery. You can easily count on a day of confident work or 5-5.5 hours of the screen.
8. Availability of the Samsung Pay payment system, which supports not only NFC, but also MST, its own technology that allows you to make purchases even on terminals that do not support contactless payment technology. As it turned out, not everyone knows that thanks to this technology, you can pay using Samsung Pay even with NFC turned off. And this is battery saving.
9. Cool main camera, thanks to the wide f / 1.7 aperture and 1.4 micron pixel size, it allows you to get great shots even in low light. The S7 edge camera can still compete with flagship cameras from other manufacturers. One of the strongest points of the device. For a long time I used the S7 edge / active camera as the main one, and there were no complaints at all.
10. This point may seem rather controversial to many, but for me it is a plus – a shell from Samsung. Despite frequent and often unfounded accusations of 'brakes', Samsung's proprietary shell contains a large number of improvements and functions that make using the smartphone convenient and simple. Take, for example, the function of calling or writing a message by swiping on a contact in the phone book. You get used to such little things so much that their absence in smartphones from other manufacturers becomes an unpleasant surprise. The fact speaks in favor of Samsung's loyalty to the approach. that many of the 'chips' that first appeared in the Samsung shell were eventually borrowed by Google in the following versions Android.

Conclusion

Like any product, the S7 edge has both pros and cons. moreover, different people may have the same items as in one. and in the other list.

Today s7 edge can be bought for 23-25 ​​thousand rubles in the case of a new device in official retail and 12-18 thousand when buying from hands. For this price, the smartphone has to compete not only with the ex-flagships of other manufacturers, but also with a large number of recently appeared models of the middle segment, which offer similar functionality and fresh design for comparable money (which is not always good, given the latest obsession with bangs) . As is often the case with mid-range devices, manufacturers have to make compromises, saving on functionality and details. In this regard, the purchase of the flagship of past years becomes justified.

In fact, I find it difficult to give an answer to the question whether it is worth buying an S7 edge today or is it better to prefer something new. Rather, if we talk about a new phone bought in a store, the answer is most likely 'no'. And if we are talking about a phone in excellent condition, but with hands, then the answer will be “yes” rather than “no”, since it is unlikely that it will be possible to buy a new phone with a similar set of characteristics for such a price.