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Poll results: yes, you miss an IR blaster on the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge

By Daniel Petrov

Published: Apr 11, 2016, 3:01 AM

Poll results: yes, you miss an IR blaster on the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge

We asked you last week whether you are missing an IR blaster on the S7 and S7 edge that may save you from always looking for the remote in the couch cushions, and, boy, did we have one unexpected result. Out of our vast 1835 respondents pool, more than 65% confirmed that they are actually using the infrared sensor on their phones often, and miss the feature on the S7 and its larger sidekick. Well, word to the wise, Samsung.

Samsung giveth, Samsung taketh away - that's the moral of the story with the Galaxy S6 and its successor the Galaxy S7. What the company gave us with the S7 and its sidekick S7 edge is a premium design like the S6, but a waterproof certification for the chassis and a memory slot for storage expansion - two features that the S6 was devoid of.

Samsung taketh, too, as the infrared sensor at the top of the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge is now gone in the S7 and S7 edge. The IR blaster is convenient to command your house electronics like TVs, home stereo, and even AC units, so eschewing it in the S7 may have irked some users who expected to have it in the latest and greatest Samsung handsets.

Are you missing an IR blaster on the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge?

No, I rarely ever use that

34.93%

Yes, I use IR blasters often

65.07%

1835 Votes

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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena from 2010 to 2025, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.