Galaxy S7 / S7 Edge

I think what he's saying is it doesn't matter. When you buy a Samsung product, you buy into their ecosystem. They don't intend for you to hack it and flash your own roms, other companies target that segment. You get updates on their schedule because, like it or not, TouchWiz is part of their device, service, image, brand, whatever. It takes them as long as it takes them to make the software you bought into. They are still making an effort to update to recent software. At least they have the benefit of next level android improvements as compared to Apple, which every subsequent os update seems to run worse and worse on old hardware.

Something else to consider, when I was in the rom scene, there were not any good roms immediately after android releases. It took weeks or months to get things streamlined and stable, especially if they added features - most of them right out of the gate were very close to stock. It takes time for development. So, again, like their sauce or not, they chose to mod the stock OS, and it's the same thing (with maybe a few more hoops like carrier approval, etc). If you buy their phones, you buy into all of that for what it is.
 
I'm sorry, but Samsung promised speedy security updates. Samsung could take the updates from a new Android build or do it themselves. Let's say they do it themselves because TouchWiz is their ecosystem, which is your argument. The promise is still broken.
 
Samsung doesn't have direct control of upgrade schedule
stop comparing it to Nexus line
Nexus line should be compared to Iphones if anything

Except they do... Samsung is the primary slow down point of Samsung updates..Rewriting 1gb of boat and code overlay unnecessarily from l from scratch is why. As example by carrier otas that had not been qa'd by the carrier and were so 6 months slow, Samsung is where the delay is
 
I've had my S7 since Friday. I'm waiting to see how the battery holds up during a normal day's usage. Generally gets unplugged at 7am when I leave for work, streaming Pandora for about 6 hours [over bluetooth], general web surfing during my lunch break, and 45mins of talk time on my way home. With my S4 my battery would be near death by the time I got home. The screen is beautiful and as far as general speed it's nice and responsive. I haven't snapped a lot of pictures but it's a lot quicker with focus and taking pictures [especially in low light]. I skipped out on the G5 because it was a marginal increase. The S6 because of the lack of removal storage was a big turn off.
 
I have the S6 and am trading up to the S7 (my wife dunked her LG so she will get the s6). But I am having second thoughts. I went out of my way to get 64GB on the S6, that will be enough for me, but the S7 only comes in 32G, which means I will need slow microSD for the remainder. For me, while the SD is a nice addition, the fact that I am limited to 32GB high speed flash memory is a big negative. I just can't understand why the don't offer 64GB base.

I like my S6, j but wanted waterproofing for biking. She might get the S7 though :D

On back order from t-mobile.
 
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I was hoping Samsung would have fixed TouchWiz lag by now (especially with all the talk about both further toning down TouchWiz and help directly from Google on the issue), but this article on XDA says it's still present in the S7 Edge.

I'm assuming it'll be the same when I go to update my S6 and S6 Edge to Marshmallow.

Perhaps what’s most interesting, yet not shocking, is that we still managed to find lag across the user interface, including random stutters and framedrops. Indeed, our go-to GPU profiling test showed many skipped frames when scrolling through the Play Store, significantly more than our 810 devices running stock or close-to-stock software (Nexus 6P, OnePlus 2). We’ve also encountered random input lockups where performance did not take a hit but we simply couldn’t interact with the UI for a few seconds (repeated instances on the camera app and settings menu, reported by two XDA editors).

S7 Edge Throttling & Thermals: Stress-tests Comparing SD820, 810, 808, A9 & Exynos 7420
 
UPS delivered my Verizon S7e today. Wasn't expecting this until the 11th. Just plugged it in to the included samsung wired fast charger. The phone says 47 minutes until it's fully charged. My fast charging bundle from Verizon did not come yet.

Super excited to play with it and get my Samsung Gear S2 order going.
 
UPS delivered my Verizon S7e today. Wasn't expecting this until the 11th. Just plugged it in to the included samsung wired fast charger. The phone says 47 minutes until it's fully charged. My fast charging bundle from Verizon did not come yet.

Super excited to play with it and get my Samsung Gear S2 order going.

The included charger is a fast charger, so I hope you didn't waste money on a Verizon charger kit unless you just wanted extra chargers.
 
The included charger is a fast charger, so I hope you didn't waste money on a Verizon charger kit unless you just wanted extra chargers.

Yea I wanted the extra chargers.

Battery life on this thing seems amazing.
 
I thought they are all dual sim... Right now with the BOGO deals, I can't find any reason not to get this over an Asus Zenfone 2 for a couple of dual sim phones.
 
T-mobile has a buy one get one free after MIR Master card. Plus both phones get the free VR and netflix sub from Tmobile. I am eyeing the GS7. After selling the netflix codes, and 1 extra VR Gear and our current phones, we could get the phones for pretty damn cheap! :)
 
Yeah the tmo deal is sweet... If I was allowed to get it I would get a 2nd GS7 for my daughter..
 
I'm getting conflicting information. It seems like all models are hybrid dual sim. China fucked up my old trusty desire 600 so I need a dual sim replacement.
 
I'm getting conflicting information. It seems like all models are hybrid dual sim. China fucked up my old trusty desire 600 so I need a dual sim replacement.

I'll see if I can find a second SIM and test to confirm later. I did read though that none of the U.S. (snapdragon soc) devices had it working but the sim tray is identical since it also holds the micro sd
 
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Since the TMo and the rest of the US models are not dual sim, I have no real reason to purchase the Galaxy S7... Now I have to search for another replacement for my Desire 600 (rip).
 
I purcahsed an S7 in-store from t-mobile today to replace my aging Xperia Z1 Compact. I also considered the Nexus 6p, which my wife has. So far I'm underwhelmed with the S7 :(

My issues so far:
  • Fingerprint scanner requires button press - as far as I can tell, the fingerprint scanner on the S7 requires you to press a button before it will unlock. So far I prefer the Nexus 6p which allows you to just hold your finger on the scanner and unlock.
  • Fingerprint scanner location - the home button on the S7 (where the scanner is located) is not in a natural position for me when I'm holding the phone. Again, I prefer the location of the scanner on the 6p (the back, under the camera.) I've also had to wipe the scanner off multiple times.
  • Volume button location - like the fingerprint scanner, I have to adjust my hand to reach the volume up button on the left side. To me it's more natural to use the buttons when they are located on the right side like my Z1 and the 6p.
  • Apps/interface - I ran into a number of error messages while attempting to install all my apps on the S7. ( ______ is not responding, etc.) I'm, hoping it's just a network issue :(
I have 14 days to return so I suppose I'll play around with it a bit before making a decision.
 
I just got my S7 yesterday through AT&T and haven't had any issues so far. Apps installed without any problems. I did notice a fast battery drain during the first day, not sure what it is. Could be Google syncing?

Not sure if this is the phone's fault or the case I'm using (Spigen Case Neo Hybrid) the volume and power buttons seem a bit sensitive.
 
PhoneArena's battery benchmark looks pretty bad too. But it's like they are the only one that bad. I don't know if there's some quality control issue going on.
 
I purcahsed an S7 in-store from t-mobile today to replace my aging Xperia Z1 Compact. I also considered the Nexus 6p, which my wife has. So far I'm underwhelmed with the S7 :(

My issues so far:
  • Fingerprint scanner requires button press - as far as I can tell, the fingerprint scanner on the S7 requires you to press a button before it will unlock. So far I prefer the Nexus 6p which allows you to just hold your finger on the scanner and unlock.
  • Fingerprint scanner location - the home button on the S7 (where the scanner is located) is not in a natural position for me when I'm holding the phone. Again, I prefer the location of the scanner on the 6p (the back, under the camera.) I've also had to wipe the scanner off multiple times.
  • Volume button location - like the fingerprint scanner, I have to adjust my hand to reach the volume up button on the left side. To me it's more natural to use the buttons when they are located on the right side like my Z1 and the 6p.
  • Apps/interface - I ran into a number of error messages while attempting to install all my apps on the S7. ( ______ is not responding, etc.) I'm, hoping it's just a network issue :(
I have 14 days to return so I suppose I'll play around with it a bit before making a decision.

I am not exactly sure what you mean for the first bullet point. Are you referring to pressing the home button to wake the screen? Because I know for sure to unlock the device you only need to touch the home button to unlock, not press.

I finally got around to tinkering around with the s7 video:

4k



slo mo

1st slow mo is 1/4 speed then the 2nd slow mo is 1/8 speed

 
I am not exactly sure what you mean for the first bullet point. Are you referring to pressing the home button to wake the screen? Because I know for sure to unlock the device you only need to touch the home button to unlock, not press.

You can't just put your finger on the scanner and have it unlock, the screen has to be "activated" by either pressing the home button or the power button. Not really an issue I've ever had, but I guess some people don't like that.
 
Oh I see, yeah it would be neat if you could touch your finger on the home button and it will unlock straight from 'screen off'. Though, even if it could, I probably would want a slight delay, for those times I would just want to tap the home button just to see my lock screen notifications. If it were too sensitive it would just unlock straight away.
 
I dont see the home button thing as an issue. I am putting my finger on it to scan anyway so depressing it takes a fraction of a second & it unlocks all at once as long as I am doing it with one of the fingers I have programmed.
 
Wow, so it turns out that the T-Mobile variants are indeed bootloader locked what a jaw dropper.
 
Wow, so it turns out that the T-Mobile variants are indeed bootloader locked what a jaw dropper.

Not surprising really. Samsung has HATED the developer community for a long time now. T-Mobile won't tell Samsung to shove off if Sammy says "it's locked period". My guess is Sammy simply decided they're done and locked everything. The carriers just have to deal with it.

Galaxy S7 Bootloader Explained: You Might Not Get AOSP After All
 
If TouchWiz was actually good (no lag, slow animations, no unremovable bloat, and not an over aggressive app memory killer), not having root probably isn't going to be that much of a problem.
 
Nuclear bombs just exploded, and the internet pitchforks are out. It's official, F. Samsung


Galaxy S7 Bootloader Lock Explained:
Galaxy S7 Bootloader Explained: You Might Not Get AOSP After All

And the main thread of everyone freaking out, tens of millions plan on returning their new S7's now, you can;t own a Samsung phone without Root, and if you do, don't deserve to own an Android phone :) LOL

ROOT DISCUSSION - R.I.P. Sticky Root Guide - SM-G935T -> STATUS -> LOCKED BOOTLOADER

Tens of millions? Come on. Don't blow this way out of proportion. The few hundred that will actually return the device over this means jack shit to Samsung and you know it. The rooting community is itsy bitsy teeny tiny compared to the amount of people who don't give a shit.

Anybody who didn't think was coming is naive. An OEM locking down a device 100% like this was the end game. Now that Samsung has done it I'd bet the other OEM's follow suit because they know all the carriers will play along.
 
Tens of millions? Come on. Don't blow this way out of proportion. The few hundred that will actually return the device over this means jack shit to Samsung and you know it. The rooting community is itsy bitsy teeny tiny compared to the amount of people who don't give a shit.

Anybody who didn't think was coming is naive. An OEM locking down a device 100% like this was the end game. Now that Samsung has done it I'd bet the other OEM's follow suit because they know all the carriers will play along.


LOL, I heard every single Galaxy S7 will now be returned because of lack root, sales will plummet, and this will make HTC the #1 Android manufacturer moving forward.

Of course I know the Android root crowd makes up 1% of sales at best. Whereas 99% of Joe Public doesn't even know what Tocuhwiz is, or that they are running Lollipop, and should be waiting for Marshmallow, where they'll look at you like you crazy high talking about candy names and Android robots.

It pretty much just comes done to the Nexus line once again, if you want to be guaranteed the best Android experience, as it was meant to be, ultimate freedom, no ads, complete customization, then the Nexus line with root and custom development, is the only option left. Samsung, LG, HTC, etc... maybe might have a phone or two than can be rooted, but don't count on it.

Samsung non rooted is now like the boring lame iPhone. I bow my head in silence, and the tragic loss that losing Samsung is to the development community. The old Note 2 days are long history now, tiss the a sad day indeed :( :( :(
 
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LOL, I heard every single Galaxy S7 will now be returned because of lack root, sales will plummet, and this will make HTC the #1 Android manufacturer moving forward.

Of course I know the Android root crowd makes up 1% of sales at best. Whereas 99% of Joe Public doesn't even know what Tocuhwiz is, or that they are running Lollipop, and should be waiting for Marshmallow, where they'll look at you like you crazy high talking about candy names and Android robots.

it pretty much just comes done to the Nexus line once again, if you want to be guaranteed for root and custom development, you need to buy a Nexus, and that's it. Samsung, LG, HTC, etc... maybe might have a phone or two than can be rooted, but don't count on it.

That thread is great for a laugh though. They think Ledgere has the power to stop Samsung from doing this? "Hey John, if you don't sell the device as is then you just don't sell S7." - Samsung
 
LOL, I heard every single Galaxy S7 will now be returned because of lack root, sales will plummet, and this will make HTC the #1 Android manufacturer moving forward.

Of course I know the Android root crowd makes up 1% of sales at best. Whereas 99% of Joe Public doesn't even know what Tocuhwiz is, or that they are running Lollipop, and should be waiting for Marshmallow, where they'll look at you like you crazy high talking about candy names and Android robots.

It pretty much just comes done to the Nexus line once again, if you want to be guaranteed the best Android experience, as it was meant to be, ultimate freedom, no ads, complete customization, then the Nexus line with root and custom development, is the only option left. Samsung, LG, HTC, etc... maybe might have a phone or two than can be rooted, but don't count on it.

Samsung non rooted is now like the boring lame iPhone. I bow my head in silence, and the tragic loss that losing Samsung is to the development community. The old Note 2 days are long history now, tiss the a sad day indeed :( :( :(



You're leaving out the part about getting updates.

Remember the note 2 went 18 months from release without an update...then got one...then was abandoned. A rooted or ROM'd phone with the latest AOSP security patch is still more secure than RTM bone stock, which odds are the S7 will have for a long while.
 
No one cares about root or flashing custom Roms. 99.999% of cell phone users have no idea what that means. They don't even know anything about their operating systems. I work at one of the major carriers. I work with those people every day. Those people don't even know what a forum is or how to use the internet. They can't even clear the cache/data for an app.

I got to play with the S7 Edge at work for a while. It's pretty sexy. I don't get the hate on touchwiz. The phone ran smooth as butter and looks absolutely gorgeous.
 
You're leaving out the part about getting updates.

Remember the note 2 went 18 months from release without an update...then got one...then was abandoned. A rooted or ROM'd phone with the latest AOSP security patch is still more secure than RTM bone stock, which odds are the S7 will have for a long while.

Great point, plus the S7 won't be seeing Android N till like April 2017, whereas the Nexus will get it in September 2016. And the S8 will launch with a new version of Touchwiz, and while yes the S7 will get an update, it won't get that same S8 Touchwiz, just the Android version only.

Samsung looks at phones over 12+ months old, as outdated and forgotten garbage, they rather you trade it in for the latest S or Note, to get the newest Android version and features. And a Samsung phone that's 18 months to 24 months old, LOL, you're SOL.
 
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