Samsung Galaxy S7 Release Date Details: Will The 2016 Flagship Feature An S-Pen? Live Photos?

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy Gear S2
Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy Gear S2 Fionna Agomuoh

The Samsung Galaxy S7 should be official in a little over one month and last minute rumors about the device continue to trickle in. Reports from the Netherlands suggest Galaxy S7 could possibly be outfitted with an S-Pen. Galaxy Club recently discovered a patent, which details a smartphone cover with room to house a stylus. Such an accessory would be the perfect way to introduce an S-Pen to the Galaxy S line, as they remain likely too small to house a stylus inside the device the way the Galaxy Note devices do.

Some of the latest reports suggest three variants of the Galaxy S7 will be announced, this could be a perfect opportunity for Samsung to play around with various features to differentiate the devices. Samsung is expected to announce a Galaxy S7 with a standard size and flat screen, a Galaxy S7 Edge with a standard size and curved screen and a Galaxy S7 Edge +, a phablet with a curved screen.

A Samsung executive told iDigital Times in August 2015 that the Galaxy S6 Edge+ did not come with an S-Pen because it wasn’t cost effective. Additionally, not including an S-Pen allowed the Samsung to design the Galaxy S6 Edge+ with a slimmer form, while keeping the screen large. Consumers can likely expect a similar slim design for the Galaxy S7 (S7 Edge and S7 Edge +). An S-Pen and S-Pen smartphone case would likely be a sold separately accessory that owners can buy at their digression.

Some of the latest rumors also suggest Samsung may employ a feature similar to Apple’s Live Photos. The feature may be called “Timeless Photo” or “Vivid Photo,” according to Android Geeks. On the iPhone Live Photos works by animating still images for three seconds using 3D Touch.

The Galaxy S7 is also expected to feature it’s own version of 3D Touch, which gives the Live Photos rumor some credence. Samsung may call its 3D Touch feature “ClearForce,” having patented its own technology in 2014.

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