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Report: Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge to have “little overhaul”
August 04, 2025
WhenSamsungformally took the wraps off theGalaxy S6andGalaxy S6 Edgeearlier this year, the reaction was a mysteriously mixed message: the Korean conglomerate was clearly showing the world – and its most vocal critics – that producing a “premium” non-plastic device was hardly beyond its ample means.
At the same time however, the lack of a removable battery and microSD support angered some long term users. The big question now, especially amid mounting rumors, is just what theGalaxy S7andGalaxy S7 Edgewill ultimately shape up to be. According to a new report from The Korea Times, theshapeitself may not be such a surprise.
Specifically, an industry source has said the following:
Another source, who spoke to the news organization via telephone, offered the following:
To this end, it is suggested that the new pair of premium products to release early next year will focusmore on increased performancefrom the SoC, and new DRAMs, and a brighter and/or higher quality SAMOLED panel.
Rumors have suggested the S7 and S7 Edge may see a return to theinclusion of microSD support. Those hoping for a revival of removable power cells however should potentially prepare for disappointment now.
Analysis: more of the same?
In the recent past, Samsung has been suffering from declining mobile revenue and market share due in no small part to keen competition from China. Once the undisputed leader in said country, domestic OEMs such asXiaomi,Huawei,Oppo, andOnePlushave eroded the stronghold Samsung once had.
These manufacturers, many by selling exclusively online and thus eliminating costs associated with marketing and traditional distribution channels, are offering highly competitive products at costs far below those of the “old guard” of Android. The game has changed significantly in the past two years. Vlad Savov of The Verge recently said “the flagship smartphone is dead” and mused that, “the demise of terrible phones has made all phones exceptional.”
Samsung’s top management is well aware of this situation, and has been taking drastic action in recent weeks, with perhaps the most noticeable beingyesterday’s replacing the organization’s head of mobile operations. This comes shortly after apowerful call to armsfrom the conglomerate’s Vice Chairman, Kwon Oh-hyun, who stated that “If we resist changes, then we won’t survive.”
Assuming today’s report of some similarity between the S6 and S7 pans out to be true, it would suggest that Samsung has accepted the change in market and thus did not feel it prudent to spend mass scale resources on designing a brand new looking handset when the existing one is more than sufficient.Apple successfully does thiseveryotheryear, and even Sony and HTChave followed suit with their flagships in recent times.
Where is the growth?
Assuming that Samsung isn’t going to make significant superficial changes to its 2016 flagships, it follows logically to infer a segment of its potential customer base, be it existing or future, might not feel compelled to upgrade to the new variants comingnext Spring. Those that have the S6 or S6 Edge might see little reason, and those who don’t might find the 2015 models to be of better value given that their cost will invariably come down even further.
The question then, becomes where Samsung might be getting the money it may be missing from this situation. The Korea Times points out that:
Indeed Samsung’sfantastic third quarter earningsthis year were such largely due to component sales and a favorable exchange rate. That the company would seek to push hardware internals in 2016 as opposed to spending large sums of cash on design R&D makes sense. Likewise, any new breakthroughs or developments made can ultimately help the OEM with future B2B contracts for components.
We would like to hear your thoughts on this issue. For those that own an S6 or S6 Edge, would you feel compelled to buy an S7 or S7 Edge even if they retain an extremely similar design? What might make you upgrade? For those who don’t have an S6 or S6 Edge, would you be more likely to purchase them instead of next year’s offerings due to cost-performance issues?
Please feel free to take our surveys below and then drop us a line in the comments section to voice your opinion!
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