What makes a good smartphone?

Extraordinary design? Groundbreaking features? High-powered performance?

In short, a good smartphone is one that answers to the needs and demands of the user.

Created for today’s mobile lifestyle, the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge do just that by leading the industry with a unique mobile experience that features a refined design, higher-quality camera, enhanced software functionality, and unsurpassed connectivity to a galaxy of services, products and experiences. In addition, Samsung’s latest flagship devices marry sleek design with powerful performance so users can do even more, faster and easier.

Here are seven reasons why the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge are the most anticipated smartphones yet.

1. High Quality Images, No Matter the Time of Day or Location

The most raved about new features of the latest additions to Samsung’s Galaxy S line-up are its new camera capabilities. As the first smartphones to apply Dual Pixel technology, the devices are able to capture high quality images in low light environments, while a large F1.7 aperture ensures brighter, sharper photographs. New Motion Panorama and Selfie Flash functions let users have an entirely new phonetography experience.

2. Refined Design

While preserving the design heritage of its predecessor, the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge boast an even more seamless connection between its glass and metal materials, along with a slimmer rear camera. Thanks to the curvy form of the devices’ glass, these models now provide an even better grip and naturally fit in one hand. And, bringing back the microSD slot, the new flagship smartphones are more functional than ever.

3. Water and Dust Resistance

For people who work, travel and play in all kinds of locations and environments, the upgraded IP68 water and dust resistance of the devices is especially well-received. As the premium standard of protection against water and dust, the feature allows users to enjoy the sleek, curvy design of Samsung’s latest flagship smartphones without the inconvenience of a bulky additional case.

4. Made for Gaming

With their optimized hardware and enhanced UX, which allow for smoother graphics and longer playing times, Samsung’s new smartphones can satisfy even the most demanding mobile gamer. And with the new Game Launcher app, users now have the ability to take control of their mobile gaming experience with numerous customization options.

5. A Phone That Stands Out, Even When the Screen is Off

The Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge offer a new Always On Display (AOD) feature that delivers constant information and notifications, such as the time or number of missed calls, while utilizing a miniscule amount of battery. With plenty of customization features, the AOD can be as unique as its user.

6. Simple and Soft UX

Customizable lock and home screens, beautified icons and the user-friendly Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system have taken the user experience of the new Galaxy smartphones to an entirely new level. In particular, the refined edge screen of the Galaxy S7 edge provides practical functions and easier access to users’ frequently used content and tasks.

7. An Assortment of Accessories

No smartphone is complete without its accessories, and Samsung offers a collection of them to complement the design and enhance the features of its just-revealed devices. From battery packs and a LINE Friends collection to a new LED View Cover and the lifestyle band, Charm, these new accessories offer seamless integration to enhance one’s personal style.

The Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge will be available starting March 11 in select markets.

Samsung’s latest flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, are incredibly powerful and stylish, with more functionality than ever—and the latest accessories for those Galaxy devices only add to their usefulness and appeal. With new covers, chargers, collaborations and the Charm lifestyle band, there are a whole range of additional options that can help you get even more out of Samsung’s latest smartphones. These accessories can take your Galaxy S7 and S7 edge to the next level, enhancing the way you experience life and your phone.

Bigger Batteries, Faster Chargers

While the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge come with more powerful batteries in a streamlined, sleek design, some people have bigger power needs. For them, new Battery Packs add another 5,100 mAh and 10,200 mAh of power, while providing fast-charge connection to the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

The new wireless chargers incredibly fast—130 minutes for the Galaxy S7 and 155 minutes for the Galaxy S7 edge. It can also hold the phone in either landscape or portrait position, depending on what you need.

Samsung x LINE Friends Collections

Around Asia and the Middle East, Samsung’s partnership with the LINE Friends means the addition of a popular lineup of cute characters, who are featured on a line of battery packs and chargers for Galaxy products, as well as a line of phone covers.

The Charm – A New Type of Wearable

Charm is a lifestyle band to track your daily activities in a fashionable and minimal jewelry design. With a 17 mAh lithium-ion battery, the Charm can last up to 18 days (if the LED notifications are not in use), making it practical and easy to use.

After installing Charm app, the Charm pairs with a Samsung smartphone via Bluetooth to create a smooth, instant connection between the devices. Once connected to your phone, Charm can send you notifications by LED to your aware of incoming or missed calls and messages. The Charm can also track daily activity like steps, distance and calories, and can sync with the popular S Health app, to help you reach your fitness goals.

And, to suit different tastes, Charm is available in both bar and square styles, with three color options—Rose Quartz, black and gold.

Covers Add Style and Functions

Samsung is coming out with a wide range of covers for the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, to give consumers an incredible range of choices for their lifestyles. The LED View Cover boasts an eye-catching LED display that offers easy control with a touch interface and displays quick notifications with various icons, while the new Clear View Cover has an updated finish and pattered design, as well as an anti-fingerprint coating.

Samsung has led the innovation of View Covers, releasing the S View Flip Cover in 2014 (providing special features for the cover via NFC), the Clear View Cover in 2015.

LED View Cover

Photography lovers will appreciate Lens Cover, an exchangeable lens with a dedicated cover you can attach to the phone. With Telephoto and Wide Angle lenses, Lens Cover makes the new Galaxies’ camera even better.

A Keyboard Cover gives your phone QWERTY keyboard, for those who prefer typing on physical keys. Leather Covers, Clear Cover, S View Cover, Flip Wallet and still more options, depending on your needs and the look you prefer.

Seamless Integration to Enhance Your Life

As part of this broad ecosystem of accessories, the Designed for Samsung program has helped create a seamless network of products and services to make your life better. Designed for Samsung program helps partners expedite their time to market and receive promotional help, while assuring consumers these products are fully compatible with and at the same level of quality as Samsung’s original devices and accessories.

The phone is your most personal device, and that’s why Samsung emphasizes innovations and collaborations that augment both style and substance, empowering you to break boundaries and do what you love.

*All functionality features, specifications and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability, and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation.

The Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge have been certified with an IP68 rating, the premium standard of protection against water and dust. For people who live life on the go—working, traveling and playing in all sorts of locations and environments—this advancement is most welcomed, letting them enjoy the sleek, advanced design of Samsung’s latest flagship smartphones, without the inconvenience of a bulky additional case.

What the IP68 Standard Means

The International Electrotechnical Commission measures the degree of protection provided by enclosures, or “IP code.” IP68 means that a device must be completely dust tight, and protected against water to a maximum of 1.5 meters for 30 minutes.

For the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, now the entire device is completely water and dust resistant, even the open connection slots, like for the charger and headphones. Previous Galaxy devices required a cap to cover the USB slot, battery cover and other openings, to shield them from water and dust. But that additional cover caused some complaints from consumers about the added bulk and the inconvenience of attaching and detaching the cover when charging and transfering data.

New Materials to Protect Openings and Parts

Samsung took that feedback to heart when creating the new Galaxy flagship smartphones. It changed the materials used on the external connections, like the headphone jack and UBS charging terminal, switching to anticorrosive materials like nickel and platinum.

To get a cap-less design, the new Galaxy models also used a new type of water resistance technology developed by Samsung that prevents gaps between the product and the case, eliminating the need for a protective cover. The result was a phone with slimmer design, with integrated batteries to further improve performance and efficiency.

The latest Galaxy models are completely watertight in the level of IP68, protecting not only the exposed exterior but the entire structure of the smartphone. For instance, rubber is now used for attaching individual parts, including the USB charging terminal, earphone jack, and SIM card tray, to prevent water from entering the device.

The power cable connector was designed with extra care, as water leakage there could cause a short circuit when connected to the USB terminal, but the new devices now use a mechanism to identify this dangerous situation and cut off the power.

An exclusive type of water protective tape has been applied to the front and rear glass and other parts of the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, while the use of anticorrosive materials and a corrosion-preventing coating for exposed parts on the exterior ensure these Galaxy smartphones are completely protected from water.

The microphone needs to be able to receive sound clearly, so it is protected with portable electronics vents, which allows for a good flow of air and the outflow of humidity to prevent moisture from entering the device.

Improving Processes to Get Certification

Even with all of those advancements in the latest Galaxy models, getting the demanding IP68 certification required improved process controls, including for the management of individual parts, the systemization of the assembly process and thorough quality control.

Finally, due to those many advances, improvements and changes made throughout the development process, the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge received IP68 certification. It required relentless efforts from Samsung to make the innovations necessary to earn that rating, but the benefits of having devices well protected from dust and water made it all worthwhile.

*All functionality features, specifications and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability, and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation.

As smartphones grow ever more integrated into our lives, people expect to be able to use their phones for a wider variety of activities and experiences, such as playing games. And, as the performance of mobile devices continues to improve, more and more users are able to do so like never before.

The Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, however, take mobile gaming to an entirely new level. With their optimized hardware, enhanced UX and Vulkan API, these smartphones have finally become full-fledged gaming machines, able to handle the toughest of specs. And with the new Game Launcher app, people now have the ability to simultaneously take control of their phones and maximize the gaming experience.

Optimized for Better Performance

With a more than 30 percent faster CPU speed,  a more than 60 percent faster GPU speed and 4GB of RAM, the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge have the power needed to satisfy the most demanding players, in the most intense games. With a very thin thermal spreader cooling system, these phones can run fast and cool.

The result is smoother graphics and longer playing times, as the entire phone is optimized to maximize the gaming experience. And now that these new Galaxy devices both have bigger batteries—3,000 mAh for the Galaxy S7 and 3,600 mAh for the Galaxy S7 edge—users have the power to keep on playing for longer than ever.

Game Launcher is a Game Changer

With the unveiling of the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, Samsung is also launching a new, pre-loaded gaming app called Game Launcher. Equipped with a varied suite of tools, Game Launcher aims to make gaming even more fun and convenient on your mobile device.

Game Launcher allows you to maximize game-playing time through instant downloads, shortcuts and power-saving options. You can also turn off all your notifications while you’re playing to ensure you never get interrupted at a key point in the game. You can lock the Recent and Back keys, so you don’t accidently exit a game during a particularly frenetic part of the adventure. In addition, you can take screenshots, record your game, scores and rankings, and share them with your friends. With Game Launcher, the way you play will never be the same again.

Vulkan API Boosts Gaming Efficiency

Samsung’s latest advances in graphics set a new industry standard, as well. That’s because the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge are the first smartphones to utilize Vulkan: the next generation graphics API. With Vulkan’s focus on handling 3D graphics and games, it helps deliver higher performance while distributing the workload among multiple CPUs. In short, you can play all your favorite graphics-intensive games for even longer.

Games and Game Pads Put Users in Control

To show its commitment to offering the very best and most dynamic mobile gaming experience, Samsung took things one step further by giving Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge owners access to the Galaxy Game Pack, an exclusive package offering unique and exclusive in-game benefits. Packed with loads of some of the world’s most loved games from companies such as EA, Blizzard, Gameloft and KABAM, the package is worth over $200 US in value. All benefits are available via Samsung’s Galaxy App Store.

Users can get the most out of these games with optional Game Pads such as the Micro C.T.R.L.r, a compact, Bluetooth-connected controller optimized for smartphones; S.U.R.F.r, which boasts true gamepad controls with features specific to the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge; and Gamevice Controller, which allows for undetectable latency in gameplay due to its direct connection.

Micro C.T.R.L.r

S.U.R.F.r

Gamevice Controller

Because the gaming experience is so important to so many people, Samsung is committed to making the best mobile devices for gaming on the market. The result is the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, two mobile devices that clearly put consumers first for an unparalleled gaming experience.

*All functionality features, specifications and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability, and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation.

Since Samsung launched the Galaxy Note smartphone in 2011, the line has closely identified with its signature S Pen. The versatile and easy-to-use S Pen gave users unprecedented power to take control of their digital lives, through the ability to write and edit content directly on the displays of the Galaxy Note smartphones.

Now, with the latest edition in this series launched in August, the Galaxy Note5 boasts more ways to conveniently take notes whenever you need and then share them with your friends and colleagues. With just a few clicks and strokes, the S Pen lets you do more than ever and do it more easily.

In addition to our previous article about the notable new features, the S Pen has gotten a significant upgrade, making it more responsive, accurate and fun to use. Let’s take a look at how the S Pen has grown over the years, as well as a couple of its most interesting new features.

The Growth of the S Pen

The most defining part of the Galaxy Note series is the S Pen, and the new, metallic version of the S Pen is the most elegant and useful yet. With a satisfying clicking motion, just like a retractable ink pen, the S Pen has the most natural-feeling writing experience.

For instance, the reporting rate is 80 percent higher than the previous S Pen, making the S Pen incredibly responsive to your every touch. The Galaxy Note5 is remarkably precise, recognizing 240 data points each second, far more than the 60 points per second that a finger typically can create. In addition, the new S Pen has an incredibly low latency period—just 74 milliseconds, down from 93 milliseconds with the previous model. Adding up all these improvements means far more control and nuance to your writing, just like a real pen and paper.

Using the S Pen is a simpler, two-step process: just remove the S Pen from the phone, which automatically brings up the Air Command menu, then select a feature.

Screen Off Memo

How often have you been talking to a friend or colleague, and suddenly found yourself needing to write down some key information right away? With the Galaxy Note5, you no longer have to spend time hunting for a pen and paper, or even take the time to turn your phone on, log on and fire up an app.

With Screen Off Memo, you can take notes right onto your smartphone’s screen, without even signing in. Just eject your S Pen and start writing right on the dark screen, then save your message for later once you are done.

It’s easy to turn on the Screen Off Memo feature:

1. Swipe down.
2. Choose the Settings icon.
3. Choose S Pen
4. Look for Screen Off Menu and switch to on.

That’s all there is to it. Now you can take notes you want while on the go, anytime and anywhere.

Sharing Ideas

Another incredibly useful feature with the new Galaxy Note5 is how easy it is to share notes with your friends. Now it’s a snap, when looking at a website or any content, to capture part of the image, write your comments and share the new image with everyone.

1. Eject your S Pen to bring up the Air Command menu.
2. Select Smart Select.
3. Choose the shape you want to select (Rectangle, Oval or, for any irregular shape, Lasso), then select your image.
4. Select Write. Now you can jot down your comments right onto the image you’ve chosen. When you are finished, press Save in Scrapbook.
5. Select Share. Choose how you want to share your note: by email, text message or other app.
6. Choose your recipients and press SEND.

There’s plenty more you can do with your S Pen, including the new Scroll Capture feature that lets you take one continuous image of a long website, so check out these tips, too. Along with the Galaxy Note5 other upgraded features—like improved SideSync to connect your smartphone to your PC, 4GB of RAM for faster multitasking and a slimmer, better design—the Galaxy Note5 and S Pen together help you get more done, faster, in a style that’s all your own.