Samsung's Galaxy S8 is primed to be one of the biggest phones of the year. But at prices that reach all the way up to $850, you'd be forgiven for wanting to wait on it. That means its a good time to look at one of the hottest phones of last year, the Galaxy S7. Is it still worth putting down your hard-earned dollars for last year's leftovers?
I'm Michael Fisher, secret agent code name MrMobile, and I've spent a ton of time with the Galaxy S7. In fact, almost every handheld shot in the MrMobile YouTube library came courtesy of the Galaxy S7 edge mounted to a gyro, so you could say I know the S7 better than most phones in my library. So if you're stuck firmly on the fence when it comes to the big Galaxy S8 vs Galaxy S7 question, let's try to figure it out together. Watch MrMobile's Galaxy S7 review re-do!
Still unsure after that scintillating video? Hit up Android Central's coverage of the Galaxy S7. And don't forget to check out their coverage of the Galaxy S8 for all of the latest news!
Reader comments
Galaxy S7 review re-do: Old hotness
Ordered the S8 in Midnight Black for my fiancee, as she has been using the Galaxy S5 up until now and was long past due for an upgrade.
I'll be more than happy to stick with my GS7 for another year. Especially considering that the camera and screen are just as amazing as they were the day I bought it.
Hello everyone, I've got an S7 EDGE and its still a great phone. However, there are a couple of phones out there that are just as good and in the case I'll mention, better than the S7 or S7 edge. I was looking for another unlocked device that would include everything I wanted in a phone. This would mean that it would have to include a superamoled screen, sd card support, and hifi sound system. A friend of mine has a oneplus 3T. It is an outstanding phone, but lacks in the very areas I was needing. So I read an article one day just before the holidays, about the top 10 smartphones of 2016. The one that caught my eye was the ZTE axon 7. It incorporated everything I needed. Fantastic build quality, superamoled gorgeous screen, 64gb on board With sd card expansion, a good camera, the same internals that the top tier phones had,and, low and behold, a real hifi dac with dolby atmos. Then, as I researched where I might buy this device, I found that it could be had for 349.00 from Newegg with free Bluetooth headphones and coffeemaker. I didn't care about the free stuff as the price was good enough for me to pull the trigger. As it turns out, that article was dead on. This device is everything the other phones were and more. Because it's speed performance was a heck of a lot better that my S7 edge and pixel. So yes, the S7E is still a great phone, but don't ignore the axon7. You'll get a better device and can use the cash you save to go on a nice vacation. By the way, the pixel was the biggest disappointment I ever encounted in a smartphone. All that cash for nothing. Sold it after 3 weeks.
This is still the best. I dont care for the bixby . You get rid of the home button which has many uses but put a dedicated button for bixby. No thanks . The s8 really has no great upgrade that says i need it over my 7 edge. The camera is the same and no word if the phone gets better signal in the wild. For the price almost 900$ thats not a deal . So i encourage all to for go the s8 and get an s7 better deal for less.
I wonder if we're gonna see a shift when this phone is released. To a small degree at least, I know it's gonna sale like hotcakes regardless. My point is I've never wanted a Samsung device, until now. I've always hated capacitive buttons. That's no longer a factor coupled with the fact that the GS8 is a very attractive device. Is gonna be my first Samsung phone. Just a thought.
Yup also my recommendation, specially after spending some time with the S8.
The S8 isn't a bad phone. But it's really not that much better than the S7. And it introduces things that are for the worst, not the best. The placement of the fingerprint scanner is a disaster in ANY scenario. It's less bad for left-handed people (the minority) but still bad. One handed use is absolutely impossible if anything in the UI is in the top 1/3 of the phone.
And then there's the price. Nothing in the S8 justifies it. Specially when you can now get the S7 for 500€...Which is 320€ less than they asl for the S8.
Yeah, I agree. It's better than the CrApple iBezel.
Camera isn't the same. It's a different sensor
Love my s7e and initially seriously considered waiting for the note 8 to upgrade but the s8 is far too interesting for me to ignore. Don't ever want vanilla Android and not going to use some half baked Chinese brand even if the internals are the same. Primary reason is Samsung pay for me. Nothing better in mobile payments. So s8 will hold me over until the note later this summer.
I do not understand the appeal of vanilla Android, it is quick but boring.
Which is why they end up incorporating the best features of Samsung or LG or whoever
Every time I get a Motorola I love how quick and fluid it is, then I realize I miss that Samsung calendar and keyboard or QuickCapture+ from LG
Regarding your half-baked comment, my Honor 8 would beg to differ.
You and the dozen other owners enjoy
So it doesn't sale in the numbers that a Samsung device does. Okay. Still don't see your point.
Would be a better proposition to buy If they gave the phone some Fu##king security updates instead of it sitting on December 1st 2016
Oh yeah samsung add Nougat as well.
This. My Note 5 is still running the November security patch and marshmallow. My 3T is on March security and Nougat 7.1.1. Never going back to Sammy.
wow bro, sammy needs to tighten up
Me either.
That's because Samsung is pathetic at updating even their high end flagships. That's one of the big problems with Samsung. That and the jank/lag that's sure to creep in within a couple months of use.
I have the regular S7, love it. Got a new case for it and Nougat updated last week, it's like a new phone. I have 0% desire to move on to the S8 (and wouldn't anyway because I don't like the curved screen gimmick) as the Nougat S7 is still a beast. Might not even be interested in the S9 either...phones are in a rut right now, not all that different.
My Note 3 still is useful with no support from Samsung just custom ROM .
I've been looking for a better phone for a long time but have held off for one big reason money. I spent 700+ last time and although I look longingly at new phones this one still is useful and still meets my needs and the longer I can hold out the better.
Samsung was the only one that met my criteria last time this time there's alot of options.
Pixel
OnePlus 3t
Xiaomi mi max
ZTE Axon 7
LG G6
The Competition is awesome and as a consumer and tech junkie the longer I wait the more awesome the choices will be .
But I am pretty sure that I won't buy a pixel ever.
Agreed. As I said in my section, the ZTE axon 7 is my top choice for quite a number of reasons. While all the phones you mentioned are great devices, only the axon7 offered 64gb on board plus sd card support, super amoled screen, hifi dacs and dolby atmos and more ALL IN ONE PACKAGE. And at a terrific price. The 3T is great. But no sd card support, no hifi, no dolby, no amoled. Lg G6, another nice phone, but no amoled, and lg, for some strange reason, left out the hifi dac on the usa model. Now as far as the pixel? I was one of the first to get. I fell for googles hype. But turns out it was the biggest dissapointment of any smartphone I've ever owned. It was ugly, screen was just ok, no hifi or dolby, and believe it or not, it was slower than my axon7 even with the 821 SoC. I sold it 3 weeks after I got it. Even my S7 edge was able to keep up with the pixel.
We'll see if the Note8 entices me enough to upgrade my Note 4. With regards to the S8/S8+, nothing, absolutely nothing from the S8/S8+ warrants an upgrade from my S7E. Not the Bluetooth 5.0, bigger screen, SD 835, New camera sensor, Bixby, FFC... NOTHING!