Samsung Galaxy Note 7 vs Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge

Introduction

The relationship between smartphone shoppers and curved-screen handsets is a complicated one. Models that tried to build the phone around the curve failed to really catch on, and it's been a while since we've seen a unit like the Galaxy Round or LG Flex. But while those looks have fallen from favor, subtler curves have proliferated, and early efforts like the Note Edge have given way to the current crop of curved-edge-screen devices.

With the new Samsung Galaxy Note 7, such curves are really going mainstream, as the manufacturer abandons the flat-screen look of years past in favor of a curves-or-nothing approach. And while this is a big step for Samsung, it's not one the company's taking without a lot of practice, drawing upon its experience with models like this year's Galaxy S7 edge.

The Note 7 may do a lot that the GS7 edge doesn't, but these are still two handsets cut from the same cloth. Let's take a look at just how the pair measures up, and how the Note 7 builds on the groundwork the Galaxy S7 edge helped establish.

Design

Samsung's curves come full circle

These two are both phones that use their design to stand out in a busy market, reaching out to shoppers with their still-quite-rare curved-edge looks. And while the handsets Samsung's built around those curved screens are very similar, there are a few differences that highlight the manufacturer's evolving design language.


Obviously the Galaxy S7 edge is going to lack things like the Note 7's S Pen, but otherwise the hardware making up these two models looks remarkably similar. We're talking the same layout of ports and buttons, same slight camera bumps, and same general appearance.

The one significant design departure the Note 7 makes is a subtle one, using front and glass back panels with the same degree of edge curvature for a symmetrical look. The Galaxy S7 edge also has curved back glass, but with a less pronounced curve than we see around front. This gives the GS7e a slightly more angular, edgy rim to its body, while the Note 7's borders form a smooth curve all around.

Interface

Samsung's come a long way from the early days of TouchWiz

The Galaxy Note 7 marks the first time Samsung's Edge UX arrives on a proper Note model, and users can expect the same kind of screen-side gesture interactions they're familiar with from the GS7 edge. That's just the start of things, though, and the Note also runs Samsung's new Grace UX for a cleaner, easier-to-navigate implementation of TouchWiz.

Considering how much in common the Note 7 and GS7 edge have, and how the GS7e's still a quite new phone, we're optimistic that we'll see the majority of the Note 7's interface enhancements back-ported to the GS7e; for now, though, Samsung's yet to commit to any such changes.

Biometric fingerprint authentication is back again with the Note 7, now joined by new iris-scanning capabilities. At this point, the tech's not nearly refined enough to replace fingerprint scanning for most users, but it's still nice to see Samsung trying something new.

Processor and Memory

Sometimes Samsung likes to use the Galaxy Note to introduce new hardware. But with the Note 7, we're not pushing any boundaries for the phone's processor and memory: it's basically just what we got already in the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

That's not necessarily a bad thing – the Snapdragon 820 (or Exynos 8890, depending on the market you find yourself in) in these handsets is just about the most popular flagship-class option at the moment, and in choosing this silicon Samsung's given Note 7 shoppers the comfort of knowing exactly what kind of performance they can expect.

But while there may not be a faster chip within the Note 7, nor a ton of extra RAM, we do see Samsung finally break down and do away with the phone's 32GB storage option, making 64GB the new default level. Combined with the return of microSD expansion, that gives the Note 7 vast reserves of available (and possible additional) storage.

Internet and connectivity

Samsung pulls up a chair to the USB Type-C table

The Note 7 doesn't introduce any new cellular tech the Galaxy S7 edge missed, but it does make an important wired-connectivity change, ditching the handset's micro USB port for charging and data and going with the new reversible USB Type-C interface.

Other Android OEMs have already embraced the new connector, and it felt like it was just a matter of time before Samsung also got on board. Now that it has, new accessories (like a revamped Gear VR) are incoming, but don't sweat it if you've still got a lot of legacy hardware; with an included adapter, the Note 7 can still accept all your old micro USB cables.

Camera

A blast from the not-too-distant past

Like with the phone's processor and memory, we see theNote 7 staring in the mirror at the Galaxy S7 edge: the combo of the 12MP main camera and 5MP front facer we met earlier this year on the Galaxy S7 and GS7 edge worked so well for those phones, Samsung's brought them back for the Note 7.

That's a great move on Samsung's part, and we have to give the company credit for showing a little restraint and not trying to fix what wasn't broken. But even without all-new hardware, there's still room for camera improvements, which the Note 7 picks up in the form of a revamped, swipe-based UI. All the functionality from the GS7e is still there, but you should be able to access it with fewer taps on the Note 7.

Call quality

We really didn't expect the Note 7 to deliver an appreciably different voice call experience from what we got on the Galaxy S7 edge, and Samsung didn't disappoint. That's not to say that there's not a little room for improvement, but with things as good as they are already, we can understand if there's little motivation to add an extra coat of polish.

Battery

Despite the Note's size, the GS7e picks up the battery-capacity crown

This comparison has so far been dominated by the Note 7 and Galaxy S7 edge competing at the same level, or occasionally seeing the Note 7 pull ahead of the older phone, that it's a special treat to have the GS7 edge take the lead for once. It's not by much, mind you, but despite the handset's physically smaller size, the Galaxy S7 edge actually houses a slightly larger battery than the Note 7 – to the tune of 100mAh.

That doesn't ultimately make a huge impact on battery life – just like the GS7 edge, the Note 7 clocks around seven hours in our tests – but it's still nice to see Samsung doing all it can to cram the largest batteries into its phones given available space. And with Note 7, we suppose some of that inevitably had to go to the S Pen.