Product Review

Smart Phones have become a basic necessity for the average American. In fact, over 96% of Americans own a cell phone. Everyone knows the importance of their cellphone, but to really consider the fact that it functions as both your cellular device and a computer really brings it home. For work purposes, you can call, text, send and receive emails, and use a host of apps that can do things as simple as allowing you to sign documents or as brilliant as hosting a meeting with multiple people while viewing what is on their computer. For your personal life, it gives entertainment, it can teach you how to make or fix something, and it gives a sense of protection while you are out and about.

If you really want an upgrade on your current smartphone, there are two big things to consider. First, is the features. Is it actually better than your current device or is it just the new phone. Second is the cost - is it really worth spending so much money on something you "sort of" already have?

That's why I'm here! If you are using an iPhone 6, Galaxy S6, or any older model, I suggest upgrading to the Galaxy S7.

Watching Videos

To just say, "it works well", would be an understatement. With 4g connectivity, the standard that you should have when purchasing a smartphone, it offers great connectivity to the internet. I have great speeds while in metropolitan areas and I still maintain good speeds while in rural environments. This partially goes to your mobile service provider and the coverage they offer, but I am primarily interested in how the phone operates when watching a video or a streaming service. It is a rare occurrence that I have to watch anything on YouTube in less than 1080p. Videos are clear and there is enough screen on the phone that you do not have to strain your eyes attempting to watch anything. 

The Camera

I think the biggest "flex" I've heard from iPhone users is the image quality that their camera has. How much better their camera is than Samsung. I am a bit of an opponent to that thought, as the Galaxy S7 can take beautiful photos - just not always in its automatic mode. Sure, one could say that if you have to shoot in manual to look better than an iPhone then it's not worth it, but I disagree. It comes down to the end product and if the Galaxy S7 using all of its means takes a better photo than the iPhone 7 then the Galaxy S7 is better.

Another reason I like the S7 is how it saves its photos. You can save photos in RAW - which is amazing if you edit your photos using Adobe Photoshop or any other similar software. RAWs are the highest quality in pixels you can get on a photo, so if I don't have my Canon: Rebel T6 on me, I'm taking photos in RAW on my S7... unless its at night. Nighttime is where the camera proceeds to fail. Whether I'm shooting in auto or manual, the pictures end up being too grainy because of the increased ISO, so I don't like taking photos with it at night. Overall, it is a solid camera!

Interactivity and Multi-tasking

The Galaxy S7 does a great job when loading any app on the device. I've found that if I have an issue loading an app, this comes from the app itself (ie: waiting on my Mobile Banking app to load my account) rather than the phone. I use Chrome on my phone, which has made surfing the web a breeze. Sites load up fast and I've never dealt with buggy response times. 

With multi-tasking as a concern, it serves best when face timing someone or watching a video while needing a secondary app. I don't like having to "split the phone in half" by using one or more apps at the same time, but I've had no issues when having to do so. The only complaint I can have about it is that I would prefer a larger screen when having to use multiple apps on the screen at the same time, yet there aren't any models within the same series that function as well as the Galaxy S7 with a larger screen.

The Galaxy S7 vs Competitors

Taking this to the end, I wouldn't really consider the Galaxy S7 to be the "budget phone". The highest cost on eBay reaches close to $200, while many were $100. If you want a cheaper phone, you could always get the Jitterbug - but then you lose out on the functionality. Comparing the Galaxy S7 to the iPhone 7 is a toss-up: both are spectacular phones but at the end of the day, their processing ability is so similar that it comes down to personal preference in the small things. If you used a Samsung before, you will probably purchase another Samsung. The same goes with the iPhone. The point here is that you shouldn't feel like you have to spend $1,000 on a brand new phone with slightly better functionality. The only thing I ever use my girlfriends iPhone 10 for is taking photos - the processing speed of her phone and my Galaxy S7 feels about the same.

At the end of the day, the Galaxy S7 is a great phone to get if you have a phone that is a predecessor to it or if you broke your smartphone. It works well, it feels great, and it has been the most reliable phone I have ever used. And, I will continue to use this phone until it has died on me for good - that's how much I love it.