Samsung S7 Edge Unlocked VZW/GSM S&D

*Update 8-10-16* I wanted to write a quick update on my review to let everyone know how this phone has performed over the past few months. I still could not be happier with it, I am still surprised at how long the battery will last even with extreme usage. It has overheated a few times while using my Galaxy Gear VR but has performed much better than my old S6 Edge. The one complaint I have is that the screen got scratched from being placed underneath my pillow, it was very strange. I thought Gorilla glass had better scratch protection but I guess it still has room for improvement. I put a film screen protector over my phone so hopefully that will eliminate any future scratches on the screen. I would still recommend this phone over any other phone. In this review, I will be comparing the Galaxy S7 Edge to the Galaxy S6 Edge. When the Galaxy S6 came out last year, it was one of the most unique phones on the market. The dual curved display was something to behold, even though it was mainly good for the “waterfall” scrolling effect and coolness factor. It had and still has excellent hardware inside and the 5.1” screen fits in almost every type of hand. A year later we have the Galaxy S7 Edge, which comes with a bigger screen, bigger battery and better hardware. Samsung upgraded almost every part of their new phone and addressed the main short comings of the Galaxy S6 Edge (more on that below) I have had the Galaxy S6 Edge for about a year and have had the Galaxy S7 Edge for a little over a week. I’ve been playing with the S7 Edge nonstop. So far the experience is nearly perfect. I have encountered no stutters, no lag, no glitches, nothing. I downloaded a couple graphically intensive games and it ran all of them very well, even games made for the Gear VR. Navigating through the Touchwiz UI was surprisingly smooth, even smoother than the S6 Edge. I haven't been able to drain the battery past 20% in a day even after intense use throughout the day. To summarize the Galaxy S7 Edge quickly, it is the best phone I have ever owned or used. With the Galaxy S6 Edge, I liked almost everything about the phone. It has a gorgeous display, I love how the edges curve and the Touchwiz UI has features that use it, especially now that it has the Marshmallow update, it has almost all the software functionality as the Galaxy S7 Edge. The build quality of both phones is fantastic, Gorilla Glass 4 on the front and back make them very nice to hold and look at. There are things about the Galaxy S6 Edge that I didn't like however. Not having expandable memory was tough for me because I only had the 32GB version so I constantly had to keep my eye on storage space and delete apps, movies and pictures. No waterproofing was a letdown just because it would have been nice not to worry if it got wet. Battery life was a disappointment as well, I would have to charge my phone in the middle of the day or anytime I could, just to keep it from hitting 0% before night time. I also loved using the Gear VR but couldn’t do anything longer than 15 – 20 minutes because the phone would overheat quickly even after tweaking every setting I could find. Lastly, the phone was too thin and light. I didn't think this could ever be a problem but without a case the phone just felt too thin in my hand, I always felt like I was going to drop it or it would slip out of my hand. These things aren't deal-breakers just minor annoyances. Then I saw the Galaxy S7 Edge at the Samsung unveiling event. I didn't go the event but I did watch it on my Gear VR so it felt like I was there. I was so happy to see everything they were changing in the S7 Edge, they literally fixed all my complaints about the S6 Edge. Samsung engineered an amazing phone when they built the S6 Edge, but the S7 Edge, in my opinion, is much better than the S6 Edge and definitely worth the upgrade. Pros for S7 Edge: -Very premium to hold. The changes here are a bigger footprint as the screen size was increased by almost half an inch. Yes, half an inch can make a huge difference (quote from wife, I’m pretty sure she was talking about the phone). The glass is also beveled on the top and bottom which has a very nice feeling to it. The back is also beveled which makes holding the phone much more comfortable as the glass doesn’t go straight into the metal side like the S6 Edge. -The display is the best out of any phone in the market at the moment. I can definitely tell Samsung upgraded the QHD display. The resolution is the same but the colors are so much more vibrant and the darks feel darker. This seems to make everything sharper and clearer, I was able to notice a difference when I held the S6 Edge and S7 Edge side by side. -Touchwiz UI is cleaner and better than ever. The whole UI seems fast and fluid, especially since it's running on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. My favorite software feature is the always on display, I use it all the time and it actually saves battery because I am not constantly turning on my phone to check if I have e-mails or text messages. -Great performance in Gear VR. I have never had the S7 Edge display a message that it is overheating and needs to stop and cool down. Samsung revamped the cooling system in the S7 Edge with a specifically engineered heat pipe. I can attest that it works wonderfully. Everything I have done on the phone has been butter smooth and it doesn't get very hot to the touch like my S6 Edge would. -Very fast to charge. Much like the S6 Edge, the Quick Charge 2.0 is great at filling up your battery quickly. Especially when your battery charges from the 0% - 50% range. It does charge a little slower after the battery percentage reaches 50% or 60%. -Camera is amazing. I could write a whole book on the camera. Basically it focuses faster than any other phone or stand-alone camera I have seen. I am by no means a camera expert but Samsung did an excellent job on this upgrade. The picture quality in low light is better than the S6 Edge for sure. Pictures taken in regular lighting conditions look pretty much the same to me however. There were so many times I would try to focus and take a picture in low light but would miss the moment because the picture was blurry or the moment passed because the picture wasn’t taken in time. I haven’t had that problem with the S7 Edge yet, it’s FAST. -IP68 waterproofing. I love that the S7 Edge is waterproof and doesn’t have port covers like the S5 did. I don’t worry about water damage on this phone. -Micro SD storage. This is a big one for me, you can buy a fast 64GB micro SD card on Amazon for dirt cheap. I bought a SanDisk Ultra 64GB and installed it in my phone, I don't notice any slowdown when accessing my pictures and videos. Now I have so much space and can always upgrade my micro SD card if I need more. Cons for S7 Edge: -Price. The Galaxy S7 Edge is expensive right now, and rightfully so. It’s a premium device and if you want to own one, you will pay a premium for it. -Edge Screen sensitivity. Sometimes when I'm using the phone with one hand, part of my palm will touch the right side of the phone and click things I don't want. I heard a patch was being pushed out to fix this issue but this is the Verizon version and I haven’t received it yet (4-18-16). All in all, the Galaxy S7 Edge is definitely worth the upgrade from the Galaxy S6 Edge in my opinion. Samsung took all the minor annoyances about the S6 Edge and improved upon them or added much needed/desired features. I would recommend anybody to upgrade to this phone whether you are using an iPhone, different Android device, or a Windows phone.