Forget Apple’s iPhone 6s, Samsung Galaxy S7 Details Leak

It seems like Samsung’s Galaxy phones and Apple’s iPhones are fighting for attention this week. Just days after Apple unveiled its new iPhone 6s, details on the Samsung Galaxy S7 are making its way to the Internet. It’s like Christmas has come early for tech and gadget lovers.

Most Samsung Galaxy users assumed the South Korean-based company had unveiled all of their Galaxy devices for 2015. Both the Galaxy Note 5 and S6 Edge+ launched in the U.S., while the Galaxy J2 just made its launch in India. Now, it looks like Samsung is gearing up for the 2016 release of the Galaxy S7, especially with rumors of Apple’s iPhone 7 making their rounds on the web.

According to a report from earlier this week, a test version of Samsung’s Galaxy S7 is using the Exynos M1 system on a chip (SoC). The device was listed on Geekbench’s database as “LUCKY-LTE” with the internal codename, “Project Lucky.” Maybe Samsung’s hoping that the Galaxy S7 will bring them some luck?

This early Samsung Galaxy leak comes from SamMobile, an unofficial community resource known for leaking details about the company’s upcoming smartphones. There are also rumors circulating that the specifications of the Galaxy S7 have changed, which means it could be more powerful than ever.

Here are the rumored specs for the new Samsung Galaxy phone. Not only is the Galaxy S7 test device running the Exynos 8890 chipset, at 2.3GHz, it will also run the Snapdragon 820 SoC processor. With these specs in mind, the Galaxy S7’s RAM could be at 4GB while its internal storage could range between 32GB and 128GB, or more. However, internal storage could potentially be extended through the Galaxy S7’s new UFS 2.0 storage, which may or may not work with SD cards.

An inside source says that Samsung is trying to find a way to make the lightening-fast storage compatible with SD cards.

“Our insiders tell us that the Galaxy S7 is being tested with Samsung’s screaming fast UFS 2.0 storage, but the company might have found a way to make it work with SD cards. As we explained earlier this year, the memory controller on SD cards and the UFS 2.0 storage aren’t compatible with each other, making it impossible for them to co-exist on the same device. Samsung probably is trying out interfacing techniques to get around the limitation, though it would be best to not get too hopeful that the final product will bring back expandable storage to Samsung’s flagship line.”

Samsung fans expressed their disappointment when they found out that the Galaxy S6 doesn’t come with a microSD slot, so it looks like that’s the main focus for next year’s model. Unfortunately, a removable battery is still not a plan for the Samsung Galaxy phones, but it will reportedly have wireless and fast-charging as part of the new configuration.

The Galaxy S7 will also include a 20-megapixel ISOCELL camera, including a new feature called “all lens cover;” however, there are no details about it as of yet. Other rumored new features include optical image stabilization and laser autofocus.

The Galaxy S7 display will either be 5.1 or 5.2 inches, but inside sources say that it will have a 4K resolution, regardless of the display size. Other key features for this new phone include a heart rate monitor and fingerprint sensor, but when it comes to the design or appearance of the Galaxy S7, little is known.

The exact release date of the Samsung Galaxy S7 is also unclear, but it could likely be released in April 2016, if history repeats itself. Samsung is known for releasing their Galaxy handsets during the spring.

What are your thoughts on the rumors surrounding Samsung’s Galaxy S7? Does it make you excited for its 2016 release? Share your thoughts below in the comments section.

[Photo by Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images for Samsung]