Could the Galaxy S7 be the iPhone killer everyone’s been waiting for?

Is the upcoming Galaxy S7 the most interesting smartphone ever in the Galaxy line-up? Let’s find out

Is the upcoming Galaxy S7 the most interesting smartphone ever in the Galaxy line-up? Let’s find out (Evan Blass)

Will the Galaxy S7 be the ultimate smartphone? Of course there's no way of knowing just yet, but it does look that way from the many leaks of the upcoming smartphone.

The South Korean company is trying cash-in on the improvements it made with the Galaxy S6 while adding practical frills like a larger battery, expandable storage and improved camera performance.

If blended right, the company could have a real winner, and in fact, could potentially be the most interesting Samsung phone in years.

From what we can gather, the next-gen flagship is a strong move in the right direction. Now, we just need to wait till Samsung showcases the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge on Sunday, a day before the official start of the World Mobile Congress.

If curiosity is getting the better of you, here's all we know about it:

Return of the microSD slot

Ask any Galaxy S-series user why they've not upgraded their handset, and the likely response will be the lack of an SD card slot. Galaxy S7 takes care of this.

The S7 is expected to get up to 200GB expandable storage (@Onleaks)

The S7 is expected to get up to 200GB expandable storage (@Onleaks)

That, coupled with the Android 6.0 Marshmallow, allows external storage to be merged with internal storage, a major plus on the resume. The Galaxy S7 is expected to get up to 200GB expandable storage, which makes it a better choice than even the iPhone, which has a maximum storage capacity of 128GB and no expandable storage.

Improved battery Life

A lot of us were left a wee bit disappointed after Samsung ditched the removable battery in the current S6. To make up for that, it is heavily banking on the S7's battery performance. Reports suggest a massive leap from 2500mAh and 2600mAh of the S6 and S6 Edge to 3000mAh and 3600mAh capacities for the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge. We think this could mean upto two hours of added battery life. The S7 Edge in particular could really benefit from this given the fact that it has to accommodate for the extra display on the side of the phone.

An overhauled camera

Samsung has already taken a cue from Apple by reducing the megapixel count on the Galaxy S6, which essentially reduces the file size and allows images to be processed much faster. The key factor here is that the Galaxy S7 will have a much faster aperture which significantly enhances low-light camera performance and the ability to capture fast moving objects.

The phone also has a flush camera finish - basically a smooth back with no protrusion of the lens or camera unit. This is something that even Apple didn't do with its iPhone 6S.

Pressure sensitive screen

Here again, S7 takes a cue from the iPhone with the pressure sensitive screen. This essentially functions in the same way as Apple's 3D touch technology initially featured on the Apple Watch. The sensor differentiates between hard presses and light taps; the different combinations of pressure and taps lists different user options.

Galaxy S7 will reportedly get an iPhone-like pressure sensitive screen (AndroidHeadlines)

Galaxy S7 will reportedly get an iPhone-like pressure sensitive screen (AndroidHeadlines)

Headphone Jack

The conventional 3.5mm headphone jack stays on the Galaxy S7 as opposed to Apple who is planning to ditch the port entirely in favour of a Lightning cable port. This means iPhone users will need to find Lightening-to-analog adaptors or use Bluetooth-compatible headphones which could kill the deal for many buyers. This is where Samsung can pick a few more Apple users to its side.

Samsung will be streaming the event live for the first time in 360 degree view on February 21. More details about how to watch the live stream can be found on the link here.