A man uses a 360-degree virtual reality device during the Mobile World Congress Wireless show in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo: AP)
A man uses a 360-degree virtual reality device during the Mobile World Congress Wireless show in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo: AP)
Apple and Samsung phones, which have been looking more and more alike over the past few years, are much closer to virtual twins with Samsung's latest Galaxy S7.
The convergence began two years ago when iPhones got larger, mimicking Samsung's once-innovative, plus-sized -"phablets.-" Last spring, Samsung started emphasizing higher quality materials and sophisticated design, just as Apple had for years. And last fall, Apple boosted the resolution on the iPhone camera, narrowing one of the major gaps it had with Samsung.
With the S7, Samsung is lowering its camera's resolution — you read that right — to match the iPhone's 12 megapixels.
To be sure, there are key differences. Only the latest iPhones have special features you activate by pressing harder on an icon or link, while Samsung is among the biggest boosters of virtual reality.
It's too early to say which phone is better. Though Samsung announced the S7 on Sunday at a wireless show in Barcelona, Spain, the phone isn't coming out until March 11. My hands-on time has been limited to controlled settings.
And for most users it may end up being a draw — Samsung leads the pack among Android phones, while Apple has its own self-contained ecosystem, iOS. For many, a choice between the two could come down to preference for one system or another — and the apps available for each.
For now, here's how Apple and Samsung phones stack up:
For both, the rear cameras are now at 12 megapixels — up from 8 for iPhones and down from 18 for Samsung.
Samsung's 5.1-inch Galaxy S7 is slightly larger and heavier than the 4.7-inch iPhone 6s, but not much so. There's a premium version of the S7 called the S7 Edge; both sides curve like a waterfall, such that the screen flows over the side to the back of the phone. The Edge screen is 5.5 inches, but much of that comes from the curvature. The phone itself is taller, but just a tad wider and heavier. Compared with the 5.5-inch iPhone 6s Plus, though, the S7 Edge is smaller.
Neither the iPhone nor the S7 phone lets you replace the battery with a spare. But the S7 does let you add storage. And the base model is 32 gigabytes, double what the iPhone offers for starters.
Unlike the iPhone, the S7 is waterproof. There's no need to keep USB and other ports sealed, as past waterproof phones did. The S7 also offers wireless charging; you simply lay the phone flat on a charging base. However, wireless charging is typically slower than plugging in a USB charger.
