Samsung Galaxy S7 v Galaxy S6: Specification comparison

South Korean consumer electronics major Samsung unveiled its new generation smartphone series Galaxy S7 at the ongoing Mobile World Congress 2016, Barcelona.

The new Galaxy S7 series come with huge upgrades in terms of internal hardware and also with regard to durability.

To provide a clear perspective between the two Galaxy S siblings, we have done a quick specification rundown of Galaxy S7 and its predecessor, Galaxy S6.

Display:

Like its predecessor Galaxy S6, the new 2016 series too comes in two variants -- a normal Galaxy S7 with flat display panel and another with dual-edge curved screen, dubbed as Galaxy S7 Edge.

However, the latter is a bit bigger than the former. Galaxy S7 Edge comes with 5.5-inch screen, whereas the Galaxy S7 sports a 5.1-inch display. Both the devices will have QHD (2560x1440p) resolution screens with "Always On" feature and come encased with 3D glass and metal fuse body.

Galaxy S6 series come with QHD (aka 2K: 2560x1440p) display, having pixel density of more than 577 pixels per inch on the screen.

S6 Edge too features same display resolution, only difference is that the screen stretches to both right and left side edges.

Build quality:

2015 based Galaxy S6 series comes with a blend of metal and glass body.

The new Galaxy S7 features almost identical design language seen in the Galaxy S6 series, but it comes with one key upgrade in terms of durability, which was sorely missed in the Galaxy S6 series.

They boast IP68 water-proof certification. This means the new Galaxy S7 series can survive up to five feet under water for close to 30 minutes.

Processor, RAM and storage:

In 2015, Samsung, citing over-heating issues in Qualcomm's Snapdragon 810 CPU, launched Galaxy S6 series with company's proprietary Exynos 7 Octa-core processor only. It is backed by 4GB RAM and comes in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB storage models.

This year, Samsung has renewed partnership with Qualcomm again. Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge come with two SoC (System on Chip) variants, depending on the region of sale.

One will house the company's proprietary Exynos 8890 series Octa-core CPU, while the other will come shipped with Qualcomm's 2.2GHz Snapdragon 820 series quad-core processor. They are backed by 4GB RAM and 32GB/64GB inbuilt memory with an option of expansion up to 200GB.

Camera:

In 2015, Galaxy S6 was touted as the best camera phone in the smartphone industry by critics. This year too, Samsung is taking a notch up with the Galaxy S7 series.

Galaxy S6 series features 16MP with F1.9 apertures and an array of dedicated photography apps. On the front, it houses 5MP snapper. The new phones boast Dual-Pixel 12MP camera with f/1.7 aperture and smart OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation) feature.

Many might wonder why Samsung would lower MP count in its flagship phone from 16MP seen in Galaxy S6 series to 12MP in its successor.

For those unaware, this is actually a myth. Higher the MP count doesn't necessarily guarantee a nice image. There are other aspects which help in capturing good quality pictures. Aperture and lens size are two such key parameters that are considered while designing a good camera, and Samsung plans to deliver the same in the Galaxy S7series.

Battery:

The new Samsung Galaxy S7 and the S7 Edge come packed with 3000mAh and 3600mAh batteries, respectively.

On the other hand, Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge houses 2550mAh and 2600mAh cells, respectively.

Key specifications of Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S6 series: