s6

itors' note: This review has been updated to include information about Samsung's newest Galaxy models, the S7 and S7 Edge, which were introduced at Mobile World Congress in March 2016. It also contains updated information about the Note 5,S6 Edge+, Apple's iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, and the February 2016 release of Android Marshmallow 6.0.

Upon its release in the spring of 2015, the Galaxy S6 marked a new start for Samsung. Gone was the utilitarian plastic build of every Galaxy S past; in its place, glass and aluminum alloy, and a new double curve-screen sibling, the Galaxy S6 Edge. Anointed by CNET as the "first great smartphone of 2015," the Galaxy S6 offers attractive aesthetics, first class components, and a few features (like wireless charging support) that cannot be found on any iPhone. Despite its few limitations -- it does not support microSD storage or battery swapping (and nor do the iPhones) -- the S6 earned an Editors' Choice and remains among the best smartphones on the market.

Since then, Samsung has introduced a newer version of the flagship Galaxy at Mobile World Congress in March 2016 in Barcelona. New and notable features of the the Galaxy S7 include a 5.1-inch screen with 2,560x1,440-pixel resolution; a 12-megapixel camera, water resistance; a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor; a 3,000 mAh battery; and a microSD slot, a significant omission from the S6, as mentioned above.

s7 reveiw

At first glance you'd be forgiven for thinking the Samsung Galaxy S7 looks almost identical to the Galaxy S6. And that's because it is.

Samsung has reused the premium glass and metal finished it employed on the S6, which finally saw the manufacturer move away from its reliance on plastic to materials which better reflected the flagship price tag it was slapping on its top phones.

On closer inspection though, you'll begin to notice the subtle differences that make the Samsung Galaxy S7 the best looking, and feeling, Galaxy ever.

Samsung has dropped the metallic rim around its iconic physical home key, enabling it to blend a little more seamlessly into the overall aesthetic of the S7, almost masking its existence.