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Samsung Galaxy S7 & S7 Edge |OT|

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manfestival

Member
I am definitely shifting to preordering this at midnight this evening. It seems like a fairly worthy upgrade from my s6. The low light camera is the biggest appeal to me but hopefully there are less hiccups with this than there are with the s6 because the hiccups on the s6 are annoying but the phone is definitely fast. Here is to also hoping that the ram isnt completely used up by the OS. I dont understand the point of having more ram if your OS is going to take most of it.

The bonuses of preordering from tmobile are very nice and appealing. Gonna use my jump and then drop the program. Can't really see myself using the program in the future. Probably gonna start going towards the middle range market after the s7.
 

reKon

Banned
Man if the Edge had a 5.1 screen, I'd actually really consider it. I want to see how video looks like this thing with that kind of display that wraps around the edges
 
I don't think there's any chance of that ever happening. We've had hopeful rumors since forever, but diversity of OS among OEMs is one of Android's biggest selling points (and biggest Achilles heel).

that is the reason why i chose android over iphone. If i wanted same experience i would stick with nexus, iphones or windows phone.

I love customization. I buy phone for what it is offering at the time of purchase.
 

_woLf

Member
I wonder if Costco will somehow participate in the gear VR deal.

Their phones are always so nicely priced...
 
I wonder if Costco will somehow participate in the gear VR deal.

Their phones are always so nicely priced...
yes

sprint,costco and target will physically have the vr units to give away the day of

all others have to go through samsung promotions..fyi this is for preorders in both cases
 

Lucifon

Junior Member
Anybody here know if Carphone Warehouse charge when you pre-order or on dispatch?
Would also like to know this. Free GearVR is tempting me along with quidco cashback. Considering I'd be buying a GearVR anyway if I got it in a few months then I have to factor that £80 into the cost.
 

Sanjuro

Member
Going to get the edge methinks. Can you use it straight with Nova and only have the edge be an visual gimmick? Like no shortcuts?

The battery life and size is tempting.
 
I've got a Sony Xperia Z3c and I'm not a big fan of it, so when the time comes to upgrade I may go back to Samsung. That's not until later this year though, and I may go for an older Galaxy model to keep the costs down. Would an S5 or S6 still be a decent option in ~6 months if I don't care too much about a lot of the extra features?
 

Sanjuro

Member
I've got a Sony Xperia Z3c and I'm not a big fan of it, so when the time comes to upgrade I may go back to Samsung. That's not until later this year though, and I may go for an older Galaxy model to keep the costs down. Would an S5 or S6 still be a decent option in ~6 months if I don't care too much about a lot of the extra features?

I love my S5. Best smart phone I've ever had. I just think the larger screen and cool look is nice on the S7.

Software wise, I see no difference.
 
I love my S5. Best smart phone I've ever had. I just think the larger screen and cool look is nice on the S7.

Software wise, I see no difference.

Thanks. I have an S3 which I've recently started using again just for internet, and I do like its size and shape better than the Xperia, hence what's made me consider going back to Samsung.
 

ParityBit

Member
I went to the Verizon wireless website and they say the VR is a website exclusive only?

EDIT: It shows the cost of $792.00. Is that because I am still currently under contract (4 months left)? Or is that actual price? Color me confused.
 
Anyone pre-ordering from Best Buy? I'm not sure how this works. I'm going to get it with my two year plan but it seems to want to charge me the full upfront cost to pre-order.
 

Bad_Boy

time to take my meds
I guess I shouldn't have assumed pre-ordering phones doesn't work like games. Full price payment.

a tear just dropped out of my wallet.

Anyone pre-ordering from Best Buy? I'm not sure how this works. I'm going to get it with my two year plan but it seems to want to charge me the full upfront cost to pre-order.

when you hit pre-order i believe you select "upgrade". the other two options would be for a new line on your account or buying one not activated.

edit: looks like the card they bundle on bestbuy has a write speed of like 26. lame. i may wait and see if i can get a tax free pre-order out of amazon.

edit2: verizon is bundling either a gear s2 or gearVR. not both.
 

_woLf

Member
Are you able to cancel a phone preorder at best buy? Do you get ask your money back? If costco does the free gear vr I ultimately will go with them but until then I'd like to order at best buy just in case...
 
I guess I shouldn't have assumed pre-ordering phones doesn't work like games. Full price payment.

a tear just dropped out of my wallet.



when you hit pre-order i believe you select "upgrade". the other two options would be for a new line on your account or buying one not activated.

edit: looks like the card they bundle on bestbuy has a write speed of like 26. lame. i may wait and see if i can get a tax free pre-order out of amazon.

edit2: verizon is bundling either a gear s2 or gearVR. not both.

I just gave them a call and they basically just bluntly told me "our systems are fucked, you should just go into your local store once it opens." Thanks Jeanie, at least you're honest lol.
 

ParityBit

Member
Does anyone know if you can get the Gear VR from an in-store pre-order? The Website says it is exclusive to online but I have questions to ask a real person first.
 

FalsettoVibe

Gold Member
I just gave them a call and they basically just bluntly told me "our systems are fucked, you should just go into your local store once it opens." Thanks Jeanie, at least you're honest lol.

I believe her......had so much trouble last time I preordered a couple of phones from them a while back.
 
Pre-ordered mine from Verizon's website. Went through smoothly.

Free Gear S2 was a big surprise. I already have a Gear VR I bought for my S6 edge... so I'll go for the Gear S2. Maybe I'll sell it. Maybe I'll stop using my gen 2 Moto 360. Either ways, that's pretty great value.

I grabbed the s7 edge in silver. If they'd had silver in the regular s7 it wouldn't have been so easy a decision.
 
Any info on the what the always-on customizable screen is like?

It's very like Nokia's glance feature. It'll be high contrast, but low brightness. Whatever you display will walk around on the screen to prevent burn in. It'll be good for seeing the time and seeing what kind of notifications you have, or any other type of info you might put on your lock screen.

A calendar. A weather screen. Not interactive though.

I loved glance on my old Lumia 928. It's the biggest thing I missed from that phone when I switched to the S6 edge. I'm really happy they've got that in the s7, along with improved low light photography. Which, actually, was another reason I got the Lumia 928.

I just hope it's not too big. I'm taking tech bloggers at their word that it's noticeably smaller than other 5.5 inch phones like Apple's and that it fits well in the hand and the pocket.

Is the vr thing worth it? Like what does it do? Is the resell value high enough to where I can sell it and get a Samsung watch?
The Gear VR is a steal for $100 imho. VR on the s6 edge was surprisingly good, and it'll only be better on the s7 as the biggest issues were overheating and battery life. It was the best way to play emulated games and to watch Netflix on the device, and there were a number of really great games and experiences available too.

The S2 is worth $300 though... so. If you think you might want a smart watch, I'd say get the Gear S2 and buy the Gear VR.
 

Bad_Boy

time to take my meds
saw an ad..
NX2ZMs7.jpg
749.99

click ad..
779.99

whatever... where are you amazon?
 

BFIB

Member
So for those of you on T-Mobile, how does the pre-order work with the Jump! program. I've never done a JUMP before.

I'd like to get the free Gear VR (already have one, but a buddy of mine wants one), but I also want that free year of Netflix.
 

Morts

Member
I was planning on getting another 6 months or more out of my M8 but the Gear VR offer is tempting. I'm getting kinda sick of hearing about VR without having a chance to try it. Is the Gear VR a pretty good experience?
 

FalsettoVibe

Gold Member
Ok....question. Apparently if you order the S7 Edge at ATT you have to go to Samsung's promotion site and show your receipt to get your Gear VR. Is this the same everywhere?
 
How fast do these pre-orders usually go? Am I ok to just go into Best Buy this afternoon at 3-4 PST? Or will they likely have met their promotional cap? I've never pre-ordered a phone before so I don't really know.
 

GeCcO

Neo Member
I've been trying to dig up any info about the SD card bus the phones use now, does anyone know if they support the UHS-II standard?

Couldn't find much info about this on any of Samsung's recent phones/tablets with SD card support. Seems like not much info in general at all, which is pretty weird as UHS-II dramatically raises the speeds.
 

Jacobi

Banned
I am definitely shifting to preordering this at midnight this evening. It seems like a fairly worthy upgrade from my s6. The low light camera is the biggest appeal to me but hopefully there are less hiccups with this than there are with the s6 because the hiccups on the s6 are annoying but the phone is definitely fast. Here is to also hoping that the ram isnt completely used up by the OS. I dont understand the point of having more ram if your OS is going to take most of it..
Why don't you try 6.0 on the S6 first?
 

ParityBit

Member
Has anyone ordered a phone while still under contract from Verizon? I am wondering how it works because I am under contract but I have an upgrade button in which the S7 Edge is allowed as a selection.

Does my contract keep going? Or does it add what I owe to the cost of the phone? I am not sure how this will work.

Or do I "Call" Verizon.
 

reKon

Banned
Seeing as it is the non-3G/4G model, there's no way Verizon will tie it to your account. Plus from the looks of it, Samsung is the one sending it since you have to use the VZW promo link to claim the offer.



Right now

Nice! T-Mobile updated. I just hadn't received the e-mail
 
I was planning on getting another 6 months or more out of my M8 but the Gear VR offer is tempting. I'm getting kinda sick of hearing about VR without having a chance to try it. Is the Gear VR a pretty good experience?

Yes. Gear VR is great. I've used the Oculus DK1 and DK2 and I find GearVR the most comfortable experience. It has better latency than the DK2, is lighter, has a much better screen, and is very comfortable to wear for extended periods. Obviously graphics on it aren't as good as you get on a PC, but they're impressive for a phone. Good enough that you will be scared shitless by Dreadhalls, if you're into that sort of thing, for example.

That's on the S6 too. The S7 can certainly push visuals a lot further.

The big downside is no positional tracking, so it can't detect leaning or crouching or walking about, just looking around. The big upside is no tether, so you don't have to worry about getting tangled or tripping on cables.

Ok....question. Apparently if you order the S7 Edge at ATT you have to go to Samsung's promotion site and show your receipt to get your Gear VR. Is this the same everywhere?

Same thing Verizon want me to do, so I'm guessing, yes.
 

Morts

Member
Yes. Gear VR is great. I've used the Oculus DK1 and DK2 and I find GearVR the most comfortable experience. It has better latency than the DK2, is lighter, has a much better screen, and is very comfortable to wear for extended periods. Obviously graphics on it aren't as good as you get on a PC, but they're impressive for a phone. Good enough that you will be scared shitless by Dreadhalls, if you're into that sort of thing, for example.

That's on the S6 too. The S7 can certainly push visuals a lot further.

The big downside is no positional tracking, so it can't detect leaning or crouching or walking about, just looking around. The big upside is no tether, so you don't have to worry about getting tangled or tripping on cables.

Cool, I'll look into it. I assume you can hook up a PS4 or 360 controller?

I'm still afraid my girlfriend will make fun of me for sitting around with a headset on.
 
Cool, I'll look into it. I assume you can hook up a PS4 or 360 controller?

I'm still afraid my girlfriend will make fun of me for sitting around with a headset on.

There are ways to hook up a PS4 controller that involve rooting the phone and buying an app. I didn't want to bother with it. A lot of popular Bluetooth controllers work though.

I'm using the moga power pro which works perfectly. Samsung make an official one that's pricier but perhaps nicer. The steelseries stratus XL is currently the one Oculus seem to be recommending.

As for the latter problem. Show her some 360 videos of puppies and kittens and she won't make fun of you anymore.
 

reKon

Banned
Based on battery test results I was looking at for various Samsung phones (Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy S6 Active, Galaxy Edge+).

I think there's strong chance that the battery life ends up being very good. I think that it was a software update on Lollipop that really brought things downhill and created an inconsistent experience for millions of S6 users.This time around, the potential for amazing battery life will entirely depend on what they do with the software. The one positive thing is that Dose should help battery stand by substantially. The problem with the battery life never was with constant use for hours, but in between using the phone and putting it down.

I'm really hoping that the SD820 is as efficient on battery as the SD801 was because I didn't get much drainage ever on my Z3 Compact. Or maybe it was Sony's software helping more than the SD 801 itself.

It's interesting because the Xperia phones have been touted as being battery champs because of the 1080P, but in the situation where the software isn't buggy, Samsung phones have the potential match those same results with much higher resolution screen on some benchmarks I've seen. Displaymate was not joking when they said that Samsung is making the most energy efficient displays.

Therefore, Samsung/Google really need to not fuck up the software.

Props to Sony for these lighter version of Android on Lollipop and their work on the software to mitigate the standby bug.
 

antispin

Member
I've been trying to dig up any info about the SD card bus the phones use now, does anyone know if they support the UHS-II standard?

Couldn't find much info about this on any of Samsung's recent phones/tablets with SD card support. Seems like not much info in general at all, which is pretty weird as UHS-II dramatically raises the speeds.

I believe so, yes. IIRC, Samsung has a PRO lineup which is UHS-II and is supported by their phones. You can even see the branding on their official media pic for S7 with the SD card/dual-SIM slot.

EDIT: My bad. These are UHS-I cards.


EDIT 2: Some *potential* good news:


http://bgr.com/2016/02/22/best-galaxy-s7-lg-g5-microsd-cards/

https://www.sandisk.com/about/media...-card-featuring-worlds-fastest-transfer-speed

Too bad that SanDisk PR doesn't explicitly call out the S7/G5 as phones with UHS-II support. But this sounds promising.
 

Jonbo298

Member
Has anyone ordered a phone while still under contract from Verizon? I am wondering how it works because I am under contract but I have an upgrade button in which the S7 Edge is allowed as a selection.

Does my contract keep going? Or does it add what I owe to the cost of the phone? I am not sure how this will work.

Or do I "Call" Verizon.

Are you under an actual 2 year contract or paying off the phone through monthly payments?

If it's an actual 2 year contract, Verizon will sometimes let people upgrade early and sometimes with stipulations (must trade in current phone was one I saw before). If it's monthly payments, you may have to pay off remaining balance due to upgrade.

tl;dr It's best to call
 

Futureman

Member
are there different Gear S2 models? Which one do you get for upgrading with Verizon?

it looks like I can still do a 2-year contract upgrade with Verizon and get the S7 Edge for $299.

The Gear S2 looks like it's also $299 retail, so I could potentially sell it for a decent amount and pay off the upgrade charge?

edit: looks like you only get the free Gear S2 or VR if you do a device payment plan thing. I could still trade in my iPhone 5S for $200 though it looks like towards the price of the S7.

editx2: looks like Samsung's wording on their offer page says 2-year contracts are ok "Offer valid with device installment plan, 2-year contract plan, lease, or outright purchase at full retail price" BUT this is only for the Gear VR. Is the Gear S2 offer only through Verizon?
 

diaspora

Member
that is the reason why i chose android over iphone. If i wanted same experience i would stick with nexus, iphones or windows phone.

I love customization. I buy phone for what it is offering at the time of purchase.

Well, that and Samsung's camera and camera software is better than Google's. So is Sony's and LG's at this point.
 
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