Galaxy S 7 vs iPhone 7

[Subu]

If there isn't a thread on Galaxy S 7 vs iPhone 7 , could we start one ?

Main areas I'm interested in
- Display
- Speed
- Camera
- Audio output / clarity etc
- Battery (how long)
- Battery (how fast 2 re charge)
- Price
- bugs / annoyance if any

thanks in advance
regards
Subu

 

[Subu]

but is a comparison also to be sent to the alternatives thread ? this is not just alternative, it's about what's good with iPhone 7 (probably iPhone 7 could be without an alternative ). I mean this post is more iPhone 7 focused than "alternative" focused

 

[keysofanxiety]

If there isn't a thread on Galaxy S 7 vs iPhone 7 , could we start one ?

Main areas I'm interested in
- Display
- Speed
- Camera
- Audio output / clarity etc
- Battery (how long)
- Battery (how fast 2 re charge)
- Price
- bugs / annoyance if any

thanks in advance
regards
Subu

Display - More accurate colours on the iPhone. So I'd say the iPhone takes it in terms of quality. If you'd rather a larger display or edge-to-edge, that's different.
Speed - Even the 6S makes mincemeat of the Samsung. No competition.
Camera - Not sure.
Audio output / clarity etc - Headphone jack vs no headphone jack.
Battery (how long) - Probably the Samsung. Unless you got a Note 7.
Battery (how fast 2 re charge) - Samsung. Unless you got a Note 7.
Price - RRP is practically identical I believe.
bugs / annoyance if any - Android vs iOS. iOS.

 

[grkm3]

pretty sure the gs7 has more accurate colors.notice how display mate says the most color accurate display ever tested and for the iPhone says the most color accurate LCD display ever lol.they word it to make apple look better

 

[BlueGoldAce]

If there isn't a thread on Galaxy S 7 vs iPhone 7 , could we start one ?

Main areas I'm interested in
- Display
- Speed
- Camera
- Audio output / clarity etc
- Battery (how long)
- Battery (how fast 2 re charge)
- Price
- bugs / annoyance if any

thanks in advance
regards
Subu

I have had the s7 (and the s7 edge)/ and have the iPhone 7 plus (had the normal sized 7 for a little bit).

-Display: Apple is more accurate, but the Samsung display can be set to basic mode, which is equally accurate. Samsung displays are the best looking on the market, in terms of "wow" factor. That being said, unless you hold them side by side, you should be equally happy with either.
-Speed: iPhone wins. The s7 can be really fast, but its not consistent.
-Camera: Looks to be a draw. The S7 seems to have a bit more detail, and maybe slightly better low light. The S7 focuses way faster, and the double tap home button to launch is really useful. Apple camera is really great as well, and the colors it reproduces seem to be a bit more accurate. Again, you will most likely be happy with either one. ***Side note: Pictures will look "better" on the S7 screen, due to the over saturation and contrast of the display, but in reality they are pretty similar.***
-Audio output/ clarity etc: I am a bluetooth guy, and a "use the speaker for podcast while showering" person. So from my point of view: The iPhone is better for bluetooth. I find the connection is a bit more stable, and the sound quality a little better (placebo?). BUT...s7 continues to do this annoying thing were you have to unlock the device, and press ok to allow the phone volume to be turned up to max. One does this, so that the bluetooth headset can control its own volume level. The two are indepently controlled, and this is really annoying. The iPhone doesn't have this annoying feature, and the bluetooth and phone controlled volume are one in the same. This is a big plus for somone who uses bluetooth everyday. Also, the iPhone speakers are a louder, there are two of them, and they sound a bit better. But...no headphone jack, so if that matters to you; than the choice is the S7.
-Battery: iPhone every day, all day for me, but that could vary. The iPhone 7 has really great battery life, and I am sure the s7 has great battery life when in active use. But the i7 sleeps way better, so while my i7 can go all night without dropping more than a 1%, the s7 might drop 5-20%, depending on what mood it is in. This is all anecdotal and unique to me. I am really hard on phone batteries for some reason, and I have never had an Android phone that had satisfactory battery life. The iPhones are the only phones I can rely on day in and day out to be consistent. The iPhone 7 has good battery life, the iPhone 7 plus has great battery life. ***My s7 had decent battery life, my s7 edge was only okay. I spent a week in Seattle, and it didn't like Seattle. I had to charge it 3 times a day, and it ran horrible there too. It was weird. This is what I mean by lack of consistency in contrast to the iPhone***
-Battery (charging). S7 all day, every day, not even close. Its battery might not be consistent, but charging it is wonderful. My s7 could be a 20% battery, and if I plugged it in while driving for 10 minutes, it would be back up to 60-70%. It chargers really fast. Contrast this to the iPhone 7 (in particular the + model), and the difference is stark. The iPhone battery might be more reliable, in my experience, but if you need a quick charge...the s7 will come through for you.
-You can get used/refurb/new s7s through third party sellers in the ~$370 range, and they pop up on slickdeals all the time. Retail, the price is similar to the iPhone, but you would be crazy to pay retail, when you can get the s7 for half price. If you want to pay retail/go through a carrier (with the exception of a promotion), then wait for the s8.
- iOS 10 on the iPhone has a few, but overall its a join to use. Android M (soon to be N) is a wonderful operating system. The bugs that come through are unique to Samsungs touchwiz. Its not horrible, but they are there. You may not notice it (my wife never did), it depends on the user.

They are both great phones. Here is my take: If you you are going to pay full price/ installments the iPhone 7 is a newer and better phone. If you really want Android...wait and see what the pixel phones offer. If you really want a Samsung at full price, wait for the s8 (early release rumors, so maybe Jan-Feb, or March if normal time). If you want a great Android phone at a discount, and you want the Samsung for the camera and screen, get the S7 through a third party/used (moniter slickdeals). If you want a WONDERFUL Android phone, that goes toe to toe with the 6s Plus, and holds its own again all flagships today...get the Nexus 6p. I highly doubt you will regret any of the above decisions.

 

[AustinIllini]

Really good stuff. Depending on the time of the year, one is faster than the other phone because one is newer than the other.

The exception is the Note 7, which was slower than the 6S+ at release and was a rare misstep for Samsung.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

If there isn't a thread on Galaxy S 7 vs iPhone 7 , could we start one ?

Main areas I'm interested in
- Display
- Speed
- Camera
- Audio output / clarity etc
- Battery (how long)
- Battery (how fast 2 re charge)
- Price
- bugs / annoyance if any

thanks in advance
regards
Subu

- Display
S7 wins without a question.

- Speed ......
iPhone 7 is faster, but not to the point that it makes the S7 feel slow. They are both fast.


- Camera
S7 wins. Has the fastest auto focus speed, much better OIS, and less noise in low light. Color accuracy on both devices seems to be debatable depending on user preference. Both take great photos.

- Audio output / clarity etc
iPhone 7 wins. The S7 doesn't have bad quality, but compared to the iPhone and other Android flagships, Samsung needs to step their game up with audio.


- Battery (how long)
Stand-by life ..... iPhone 7 wins. The S7 does have great stand-by life too.
Screen On Time .... Almost identical, giving the S7 the slight edge.

- Battery (how fast 2 re charge)
Fast charging on the S7 is soooooo much quicker than the standard charging of the iPhone.

- bugs / annoyance if any
Nothing major on both.

 

[nviz22]

It comes down to software vs hardware more or less:

The S7 has more RAM, a slightly better camera, fast charging, wireless charging, MST tech, and the better display. But that's where it stops short.

The iPhone has better battery life, reliable software, the best LCD panel out there (LCD is considered more natural than the artificial OLED coloring, but I prefer OLED), better apps, dual speakers, better water resistance (go figure), less bugs, iMessaging, Apple Ecosystem, timely updates, and the best mobile processor ever made so far.

You want no frills and tons of reliability with a plethora of user friendly concepts? Or do you want something that involves tweaking a ton, has limitless customization, better hardware, and unpredictable software?

 

[kasakka]

better apps

This is not true, you can find better examples of apps for specific purposes on each platform. I would say they are equal at this point.

S7 has a much higher res, bigger screen with minimal difference in phone size compared to the iPhone 7. S7 is 2mm larger and 4mm taller but that gets you a 5.1" 1440p display which is a big improvement for general reading and watching videos in 1080p+. The resolution is excessive for this size though.

In everyday use you are unlikely to notice huge differences between the phones aside from the screen.

 

[vikingjunior]

The GS7 is 6 months older, in tech life that's a lot. So S7 wins.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

This is not true, you can find better examples of apps for specific purposes on each platform. I would say they are equal at this point.

S7 has a much higher res, bigger screen with minimal difference in phone size compared to the iPhone 7. S7 is 2mm larger and 4mm taller but that gets you a 5.1" 1440p display which is a big improvement for general reading and watching videos in 1080p+. The resolution is excessive for this size though.

In everyday use you are unlikely to notice huge differences between the phones aside from the screen.

The ONLY major difference I notice between the majority of iOS and Android apps is, iOS apps utilize touch ID on just about every banking, credit card, insurance, brokerage, and etc apps. Where as on Android on one of my banking app does that for me.

Other than that, cross platform apps are about 97% the same. So I also don't get when people say iOS apps are better.

 

[MacBAir]

The ONLY major difference I notice between the majority of iOS and Android apps is, iOS apps utilize touch ID on just about every banking, credit card, insurance, brokerage, and etc apps. Where as on Android on one of my banking app does that for me.

Other than that, cross platform apps are about 97% the same. So I also don't get when people say iOS apps are better.

Well, not even Google apps are the same. iOS is first class citizen even for Google apps. That's 1 difference. Any app that relies on video/camera, from instagram to snapchat to facebook (live video) is also miles ahead the Android versions.

Then we get into exclusives or iOS-first and it becomes obvious that someone has to be biased to not see that iOS is much better.
---------------
Anyway... The iPhone is faster, better screen accuracy, better battery life (plus model), more powerful, better multitasking of apps (less reloading), faster, better support and updates, better ecosystem, faster and more power.

Did OP noticed how many times I said faster and more powerful? that's because the difference is huge. Any mid-range, "stockish" Android device, like the 5x, is also faster than any samsung device.

And if we go to "heavier" apps, any Samsung device looks like it should cost a fifth of the price of a modern iPhone.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

Well, not even Google apps are the same. iOS is first class citizen even for Google apps. That's 1 difference.

Google apps are the same or better on Android. For example, with Google Drive you can zoom in on photos using Android, iOS cripples that. Then you have the Google app, the cards are only within the app which kind of defeats the whole app's purpose. With Play Music, there is no way to integrate the songs I've loaded from my computer into playlists. On Android I can mix download songs with streaming songs in playlists.

I can go on and on about the differences that make Google apps better on Android.

Any app that relies on video/camera, from instagram to snapchat to facebook (live video) is also miles ahead the Android versions.

You've completely lost me on this. Instagram and Facebook are basically 99% the same on both platforms. I never used snapchat, so I can't speak on it.

 

[nviz22]

This is not true, you can find better examples of apps for specific purposes on each platform. I would say they are equal at this point.

S7 has a much higher res, bigger screen with minimal difference in phone size compared to the iPhone 7. S7 is 2mm larger and 4mm taller but that gets you a 5.1" 1440p display which is a big improvement for general reading and watching videos in 1080p+. The resolution is excessive for this size though.

In everyday use you are unlikely to notice huge differences between the phones aside from the screen.

Sorry, but Snapchat is trash on Android. Google Apps receive more updates on iOS.

 

[5105973]

I believe S7 records stereo audio for videos. I'm not sure if the iPhone 7 does. I was testing my Note 7 against my 6S Plus and discovered the huge difference in sound quality for videos.

I love both iPhones and I love my Note 7 and many Samsung features in general, so it's hard for me to pick between them right now.

 

[msavic]

I believe S7 records stereo audio for videos. I'm not sure if the iPhone 7 does. I was testing my Note 7 against my 6S Plus and discovered the huge difference in sound quality for videos.

I love both iPhones and I love my Note 7 and many Samsung features in general, so it's hard for me to pick between them right now.

The iPhone 7 still records mono audio, it's one of the first things I checked on my iPhone 7 Plus when comparing to the Galaxy S7E. The one redeeming quality appears to be a higher dynamic range on the mic itself compared to the Samsung albeit a small difference.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

Sorry, but Snapchat is trash on Android. Google Apps receive more updates on iOS.

That's because it has too. I don't see your point.

 

[nviz22]

That's because it has too. I don't see your point.

Snapchat is trash on Android. Many Android users complain about it.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

Snapchat is trash on Android. Many Android users complain about it.

I was speaking on Google updates.

 

[Zirel]

- Display : iPhone has good display, DCI-3P, excellent contrast, excellent color accuracy, excellent angles, excellent resolution (both models), and no burn in problems, the S7 has it too. For me, I'll stick with the iPhone, unless you're interested in the Gear VR.
- Speed : Even the iPhone 6s is faster
- Camera : 7 Plus? Dual camera bests Samsung. Otherwise, it's a tie for photos, and iPhone is better for videos (better OIS, better slow motions with the option for 1080p @ 120fps)
- Audio output / clarity etc : Same thing, the difference is that you get an adapter with the iPhone 7. But the iPhone has dual speaker, and Samsung has not
- Battery (how long) : iPhone 7 Plus > S7 > iPhone 7 > Note 7 in usage tests, not by a long margin, tough. In my experience, iPhones get better standby times.

Spoiler

- Battery (how fast 2 re charge) : If you have an iPad charger, or something that can do 10W, it's the same, if you don't, Samsung, but you'll need a Qualcomm licensed QuickCharge charger
- Price : Well, you can look it up yourself, but what about 2nd hand market value?
- bugs / annoyance if any : iPhone because iOS and their excellent after-sale support and warranty.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

- Display : iPhone has good display, DCI-3P, excellent contrast, excellent color accuracy, excellent angles, excellent resolution (both models), and no burn in problems, the S7 has it too. For me, I'll stick with the iPhone, unless you're interested in the Gear VR.
- Speed : Even the iPhone 6s is faster
- Camera : 7 Plus? Dual camera bests Samsung. Otherwise, it's a tie for photos, and iPhone is better for videos (better OIS, better slow motions with the option for 1080p @ 120fps)
- Audio output / clarity etc : Same thing, the difference is that you get an adapter with the iPhone 7. But the iPhone has dual speaker, and Samsung has not
- Battery (how long) : iPhone 7 Plus > S7 > iPhone 7 > Note 7 in usage tests, not by a long margin, tough. In my experience, iPhones get better standby times.

Spoiler

- Battery (how fast 2 re charge) : If you have an iPad charger, or something that can do 10W, iPhone, if you don't, Samsung, but you'll need a Qualcomm licensed QuickCharge charger
- Price : Well, you can look it up yourself, but what about 2nd hand market value?
- bugs / annoyance if any : iPhone because iOS and their excellent after-sale support and warranty.

From my experience with the S7 edge, Note 7, and the iPhone 7 Plus. The iPhone 7 Plus has the worst OIS out of the three. But it's still not bad.

 

[Zirel]

From my experience with the S7 edge, Note 7, and the iPhone 7 Plus. The iPhone 7 Plus has the worst OIS out of the three. But it's still not bad.

I have checked several videos from some unbiased YouTubers (what a rarity these days), the OIS on the iPhone is better. Even 6s vs S7... But not a deal breaker between two phones.

In the camera department, I think it comes to preference.

I'm an amateur photographer, so I prefer the iPhone, because the pictures come more uncooked.

If you know how to make post-production adjustments to your taste and to your purpose, that's better, because you can cook an uncooked photo, but you can't uncook a cooked photo.

But the Samsung will create more eye catching pictures, it's always sunny, the grass is always magically hit by sunrays, there's no shade, everything is sharp, etc.

If you want all that all the time, you can get the Samsung.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

I have checked several videos from some unbiased YouTubers (what a rarity these days), the OIS on the iPhone is better. Even 6s vs S7... But not a deal breaker between two phones.

Again, from my own experience in previously owning the S7 edge, and now owning the Note 7 and iPhone 7. The iPhone 7 OIS comes in third place.

Even SuperSaf tests shows that.

 

[Zirel]

Again, from my own experience in previously owning the S7 edge, and now owning the Note 7 and iPhone 7. The iPhone 7 OIS comes in third place.

Even SuperSaf tests shows that.

He's extremely biased towards Android, he should be receiving Samsung money or something like that. And he doens't even know how to take photos/video, all he does is stupid selfies

At 4:01 he takes a photo, it looks better on the iPhone, then he zooms to the center, and sees the sharpening of the Samsung and calls it for Samsung...

Again, if you prefer cooked photos, Samsung...

At 5:00, he prefers the Samsung, doesn't really say why, but he ignores the fact that the table is much crisper on the iPhone, for the lightning, that's what happens when using fluorescent lights, either it randomly has a magenta or green cast, it's not any phone's problem.

Here's how a test should be done. He doesn't speak, you take your own opinion.

 

[msavic]

The iPhone 7 Plus OIS is noticeably worse than the S7E when taking still shots but that's a pure hardware comparison.

During video, the iPhone employs software stabilization in combination with the hardware OIS to produce noticeably smoother shots than the S7E. It's extremely noticeable in panning shots where the S7E has a noticeable shake while the iPhone appears to pan smoothly. The S7E software stabilization is absolutely horrible in implementation and is one of the first things I turn off.