Samsung Galaxy S7 review

Overview & Design Specs & PerformanceCameraBattery LifeGamesMovies & MusicVerdict TODAY'S BEST DEALS$139 at Walmart$189.72 at Amazon$196.52 at Ama...

14/12/2021

By: testbankglobal

Article

1986

Presentation and design

Specifications and performance

Camera

Battery life

Games

Movies and Music

Verdict

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Camera

Market-leading camera produces brilliant images

All modes supported including RAW

Particularly impressive low light performance

Less is more. We've all heard the saying, but is it really true? Samsung certainly thinks so when it comes to the Galaxy S7's camera.

the

Samsung Galaxy S6

had a brilliant camera - we called it the best on the market in 2015 - but the South Korean giant screwed up its winning formula.

The 16MP snapper that adorned the rear of the S6 is out, along with a 12MP offering for the Samsung Galaxy S7.

The camera is at least very close to the body, but there may be alarm bells ringing as this pixel drop goes deeper. Don't panic just yet, though.

There's only one sensor, unlike the dual-camera setup on the

LG G5

and

Huawei P9

- not to mention Samsung's dual lens

Galaxy S9 Plus

Low-light performance is one of every smartphone maker's biggest selling points, with everyone bragging about how well their cameras perform when the lights go out.

To that end, Samsung has kept the same sensor size, but by reducing the number of pixels, this means each is now larger - this lets in more light, improving low-light performance and generating sharper and brighter.

The lens is also wider, allowing you to get in more into the shot - perfect for scenic landscapes and towering skyscrapers when you don't want to worry about taking a panorama.

That's only half the battle, though, as the Galaxy S7 still has to take great photos in favorable light - and thankfully that's good news.

The Galaxy S7 and

Galaxy S7 Edge

are the first smartphones to feature a dual-pixel sensor, a technology originally designed for DSLR cameras. This gives the S7 faster autofocus, further improving the brightness and overall quality of your photos.

The difference is clear when you launch the Camera app and hold it close to your subject. Looking through the viewfinder on the screen, your subject appears brighter, brighter and clearer - it's a surprisingly impressive feat, and automatically puts you at ease.

Double-clicking the home button triggers the quick launch of the camera app, quickly takes you to the snapper without you having to close another app first. Once the app loads, you can use the volume keys, as well as the on-screen shutter key, to take a photo.

The volume keys can also be programmed to zoom or to start video recording if you prefer easy access to either.

There are plenty of modes and effects to play with on the Galaxy S7, but Samsung's auto mode is great for those who just want a good quality point-and-shoot.

Keep HDR on auto mode, too, and the S7 will take stunning shots. What really stood out to me was the low light performance. There's been a marked improvement in this department, and the camera does a great job of drawing in as much light as possible for detailed, blur-free photos. It is really impressive.

For those looking for more control, the Galaxy S7's Pro mode offers a range of controls, including shutter speed, white balance, contrast, brightness, and ISO. You can also choose to save images as uncompressed RAW files alongside standard JPEG files.

There's a wide range of other modes too, with Samsung mainstays like Panorama, Selective Focus and Slow Motion Video, plus new additions including Food and Hyperlapse.

The former provides a meal-friendly filter to help you document your cooking adventures, and the latter improves the stability and visibility of timelapse video, while minimizing file size for easy social sharing.

Samsung has also added Motion Picture and Motion Panorama to the Galaxy S7's camera arsenal. Motion Picture is the South Korean company's answer to Live Photos, which Apple introduced to the

iPhone 6S

and

6S Plus

Samsung Galaxy S7 review

The problem is that Apple's implementation is much better. On the Galaxy S7, split-second video capture is often blurry and playback requires tapping an icon in the gallery - there's no intuitive hold for motion like on iPhones.

The overall image quality of the S7 is superb, however. Colors are bright and vibrant, detail is surprisingly good considering the drop in megapixels, and lighting is top-notch thanks to improved low-light capabilities.

Samsung has managed to top the camera it put on the S6 with the Galaxy S7 snapper - it's fantastic.

On the front, Samsung has resisted the urge that has seen rivals slap 8MP (and in some cases even higher) cameras on their handsets, keeping things at 5MP. The overly oppressive beauty mode is here again, ready and waiting to make you look like an alien - best turned it off, or at least reduced it.

A really useful feature, however, is the front flashing - although you'll notice there's no front-mounted LED on the Galaxy S7. Instead, it uses the screen to flash white light at you, for an illuminated selfie in low-light surroundings.

Front snapper images are good, but lack the detail of competing offerings. It's usable, but you'll want to save your serious shots for the excellent rear camera.

Camera samples

Colors are vibrant and detail is excellent in photos taken with the Galaxy S7 12MP main camera