Samsung unveils the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge: Water resistant phones have 'always-on' displays that save battery life(VIDEO)
Samsung unveils the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge: Water resistant phones have 'always-on' displays that save battery life
- The phones come with world's first dual-pixel sensors to take photos faster
- Handsets also feature bigger batteries and an expandable memory slot
- Samsung's reintroduced water resistance feature as seen in 2014 flagship
- Those who pre-order in the US and Europe will get a free Gear VR headset
After countless leaks and teasers, Samsung has officially launched the new Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge phone at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona - with a little help from Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg.
The S7 Edge has a 5.5-inch (14cm) screen, while the S7 has a smaller 5.1-inch display, with both handsets boasting water resistant features that were missing on the S6 and S6 Edge.
As rumours suggested, the phones feature an 'always-on' display so users can see basic phone information, such as time, date and notifications, without having to wake it up and use up battery life.
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After countless leaks and teasers, Samsung has officially launched the new Galaxy S7 (right) and S7 Edge (left) phones, which have a 5.1 and 5.5-inch screen respectively. As rumours suggested, the phones feature an 'always-on' display so users can see notifications, without having to wake it up and use up battery life
Futuristic: Attendees use the new Samsung Gear 360, a 360-degree camera, during the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2016 event on the eve of this week's Mobile World Congress wireless show, in Barcelona
While the technology is new to Samsung handsets, the Nexus 6P and Motorola Moto X both use always-on ambient displays.
The ambient display works by only showing the pixels that are needed to display a particular notification at the top of the screen.
For instance, when a notification arrives, it appears in black and white on a small portion on the S7 and S7 Edge’s screen, meaning the phone doesn't have to use its battery's energy powering up all of its pixels.
'We know that people check their phones on average 85 times a day,' said Samsung’s Vice president of brand and product marketing, Europe, Rory O’Neill.
FACEBOOK'S MARK ZUCKERBERG ON VIRTUAL REALITY TECHNOLOGY
Presentation: Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg (left) and Samsung Mobile chief DJ Koh shake hands today in Barcelona
Facebook's CEO Mark Zuckerberg took to the stage at the conference to sing the praises of Samsung's Gear VR headset, which uses Facebook's Oculus Rift technology.
He said Facebook is committed to VR technology for the long-term and it's 'the next platform.
'One day you’ll put on a headset and that will change the way you work and communicate.'
He said he intends to film his daughter's first steps using virtual reality technology. Samsung's Galaxy 360 Camera can be used to record footage, processed by the new handsets that can be played on the Gear VR headset.
'I think about my baby daughter and the way I want to remember when she takes her first steps,' he said.
'When I took my first steps, my parents just took a pen and wrote the date down in a baby book...when my cousin, when her son took his first steps, she took a photo with a camera. My sister, when her son took his first steps, she took a video on her phone.
'But I want to capture the whole scene, so I hope we can take a 360 video.
'So that way, even if my parents and my family aren't there to experience it in person, they can feel like they're right there with us. VR is the next platform, where anyone can create and experience anything they want.'
Zuckerberg said that since Gear VR launched in November 2015, the response has been incredibly strong.
More than 200 games and apps are now available for the platform in the Oculus store, and people have already watched more than a million hours of video in Gear VR.
The demand for more immersive videos is growing too. More than 20,000 360 videos have been uploaded to Facebook, with hundreds more added daily.
Facebook is bringing its 'dynamic streaming technology for 360 to Gear VR, which increases video resolution in VR by four times, while reducing the bandwidth needed to view it - 'so videos in VR look clearer and play faster.'
Zuckerberg said that since Gear VR (current headset pictured) launched in November 2015, the response has been incredibly strong. More than 200 games and apps are now available for the platform in the Oculus store, and people have already watched more than a million hours of video in Gear VR
Zuckerberg revealed his firm has a team of hundreds working on the future of social interaction in VR, from how people can share today's VR videos, to how meetings could be held in VR in the future.
'Going back about 10 years, most of what we shared and experienced was text,' he said.
'And then it was photos. And now we're entering into a world where that's video.
'But pretty soon we're going to live in a world where everyone has the power to share and experience whole scenes as if you're right there in person.
'There are lots of other challenges that we need to solve to create great VR experiences. Facebook, with Oculus, are committed to this for the long term...
'VR is going to be the most social platform... Gear VR is by far the best mobile VR experience.
'And that's because it combines the best hardware, from Samsung, with the best software - from Facebook, with Oculus.'
The flagship S7 Edge has a 5.5-inch (14cm) screen, while the S7 has a 5.1-inch display. They both have other features seen in previous Galaxy devices that users missed in the S6 and S6 Edge (pictured)
The flagship S7 Edge has a 5.5-inch (14cm) screen, while the S7 has a 5.1-inch display. They both have other features seen in previous Galaxy devices that users missed in the S6 and S6 Edge (pictured)
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