I remember picking up my new Samsung Galaxy S7 in the summer of 2016. I hadn’t used a Galaxy device since the S3, and I was amazed at how far Samsung had come.
I was already using a BlackBerry and Windows Phone at the time, but the Galaxy S7 was the phone that brought me back to Android.
It hasn’t aged well, and smartphone hardware and software are undoubtedly more powerful today.
One UI runs laps around the old TouchWiz, and I’ll take monthly updates over the spotty quarterly software updates we used to receive from the company.
Still, I’d buy the phone again in a heartbeat, and if you gave me a choice between the devices Samsung put out back then and its offerings today, I wouldn’t give it a second thought.
Despite its flaws, the Galaxy S7 embodies everything I once loved about Samsung.
Unparalleled design and a gorgeous display
Samsung did it better
I know Samsung started using premium materials with the Galaxy S6, but the S7 is where it all came together.
It felt like a finished design, and the Galaxy S7 set the standard for flagship smartphones going forward. It was before phones were behemoths. The Galaxy S7 only weighed 152g, a featherweight compared to today’s flagship phones.
Its 5.1-inch Super AMOLED screen felt expansive in a time when smartphones had smaller displays. It was the most gorgeous display I’d ever seen to that point.
Apple iPhone Liquid Retina panels were high-quality, but I much preferred the (over)saturated look of Samsung’s screens.
I miss the old Samsung Pay.
The Galaxy S7 was also my first experience with wireless charging. I’m not one to have wireless charging pads all over the house, but I still appreciated how cool it was.
If it was something new and exciting, it was going to be on your Galaxy phone — a philosophy that has been lost over the years.
Excellent performance and interesting software
You had to be there with TouchWiz
TouchWiz was a peculiar period in Samsung’s history. Thankfully, I didn’t experience too many software issues on my Galaxy S7. TouchWiz was painful on later Samsung phones, but I escaped significant problems.
I wouldn’t wish TouchWiz on anyone again, but I do miss when Android manufacturers added their own flavor to the software. I immediately knew if I was using a Samsung, Motorola, or Sony device, even without seeing the branding.
The Galaxy S7 was also a powerhouse. The Snapdragon 820 chipset performed exceptionally well, and while it’s not my favorite Snapdragon SoC, my Galaxy S7 was impressive at the time.
I enjoyed using my BlackBerry phones and my Nokia Lumia 1020, but neither device felt powerful. The Galaxy S7 was, and I loved getting to use more intensive Android apps at the time without issue.
Excellent camera and other creature comforts
It wasn’t always about Pixels
Before the Pixel 2 XL, the Galaxy S7 was known for its excellent camera. It had better low-light performance than the rather small camera sensors we had on previous phones, and it took fantastic photos for the time period.
The Galaxy S7 also had many features we took for granted, like a 3.5mm headphone jack and microSD card expandable storage.
Cloud storage is fine, but there’s nothing like the flexibility you get from having a microSD card option. If you’re on an airplane or in a low-signal area, you can still carry your files with you, without taking up your phone’s storage.
I miss the old Samsung Pay. I know it’s still available on modern devices, but the MST support is missing.
Nothing was cooler than walking up to a legacy credit card terminal and waving your phone over it. It would act as a magnetic strip on the back of a traditional credit or debit card.
It always shocked workers, who were convinced that no form of digital payment would work.
A call back to a forgotten time
The Galaxy S7 seems like ancient history, especially when compared to the devices the company offers today.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra is an excellent smartphone, with outstanding performance and a premium build, but it doesn’t inspire the same sense of wonderment.
I enjoyed using the Galaxy S7, but I doubt I’ll be writing about the Galaxy S25 Ultra nine years from now.
