The Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge both look brilliant. They’ve got massive batteries, micro SD card slots again (woo!), always-on displays, water resistance, slick software, fast hardware, the absolute works. The only trouble is… which one do you get? We’ll break down the differences so you can decide!
Ergonomics
The Galaxy S7 is the more pocketable of the two phones, with its more modest 5.1-inch display compared to the 5.5-inch screen of Edge. The Edge’s curved screen is a little easier to hang onto (and it only weighs five grams more), but the smaller screen of the vanilla version will be easier on your thumbs. If you want to use your phone one-handed (or you just have smaller hands), then the S7 is the obvious choice.
Advantage: Galaxy S7
Battery life
The Galaxy S7 Edge has a larger battery than its baby brother, 3600mAh versus 3000mAh, and despite its larger screen it should enjoy longer battery life, particularly when it comes to talk time.
Advantage: Galaxy S7 Edge
Features
The Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are identical in terms of their features, with one exception. The edge of the Edge’s curved screen can be used as a secondary display area, showing a news ticker, notifications, app shortcuts and other information. You can also see incoming contacts at a glance by the colour the screen glows while it’s face down. There are also special Edge apps, like the ruler shown below. These aren’t must-have features, but they are pretty cool.
Advantage: Galaxy S7 Edge
Ecosystem
The Galaxy S7 Edge is reportedly the more popular option when it comes to pre-orders; according to one report from Russia, 64% of buyers have gone for the larger Edge. That should translate into a richer ecosystem, both in terms of cases and accessories and the developer community. If you want a lot of choice when it comes to accessories or ROMs, then the S7 Edge looks like a better bet.
Advantage: Galaxy S7 Edge
Shop for Galaxy S7 accessories > Shop for Galaxy S7 Edge accessories >
Price
The Galaxy S7 costs £569, while the S7 Edge costs £639 (both prices for the SIM-free models).
Advantage: Galaxy S7
Value
While the S7 Edge costs 12% more, you get a ~20% larger screen with the Edge, plus the extra functionality of the Edge display (as above). I’d argue that means the S7 Edge offers extra value, even if the S7 has the lower price.
Advantage: Galaxy S7 Edge
Conclusion
I count two victories for the Galaxy S7 (price and ergonomics) and four for the Edge (battery life, features, ecosystem and value), so I dub the S7 Edge is the overall winner! Both phones look great though, and I’m sure you’ll be happy with whichever you choose.
Pre-order the Galaxy S7 > Pre-order the Galaxy S7 Edge >
What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!