Ladies and gentlemen, we have the official invite and launch date of the Galaxy S7, Samsung's next big phone: February 21!
OK, OK, so Samsung didn't exactly say that it's revealing the Samsung Galaxy S7 at its Unpacked event, so that's still officially Rumorsville, but let's be real -- the timing is right for an annual unveiling, and the launch event takes place at Mobile World Congress (MWC), a show completely devoted mobile tech, with phones at the apex.
As the date rushes toward us headlong, there's growing list of Galaxy S7 scuttlebutt gathered up for you below. But here's the gist: the Galaxy S7 (and S7 Edge) aren't expected to change design too much after last year's major overhaul, but they might include a microSD card slot again (yes!).
The camera should add more low-light support, and Samsung looks like it's back in the thick of processors with Qualcomm again.
This list of gossip and leaks originally published December 9, 2015, and updates frequently. It was last updated February 9, 2016, at 4:10 p.m. PT.
This is when we'll know everything:
Official! Samsung launch event set for February 21
Confirmed: January 31, 2016
We have the time, the date and the official, purposely inscrutable invitation to prove it. There aren't many other hints to go on from Samsung's communique, apart from the 7 p.m. local Barcelona start time.
And this is when it could arrive:
Galaxy S7 could sell in the US on March 11
Rumored: January 22, 2016
That's the extent of the rumor, really, which hails from tech product leaker Evan Blass, who has built a reputation for reliably breaking news through his Twitter handle @evleaks. There's no indication when the phone would arrive for other markets. Still, that puts the S7 onto shelves about two and a half weeks after it's announced, which is a fairly speedy turnaround time that encourages preorders.
More rumors for you:
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge battery could jump by 38 percent over the S6 Edge
Rumored: February 9, 2016
An FCC filing reveals the proposed battery size of the Edge 7 phone, which is also expected to be larger than last year's S6 Edge model.
Samsung could bring back the microSD card slot
Rumored: November 23, 2015
The Galaxy S6 caught flak for losing its popular microSD storage slot (and removable battery) when Samsung switched from a plastic body to metal. This rumored return of the microSD tray is one that I genuinely hope comes true.
Galaxy S7, S7 Edge, S7 Edge+ might launch together
Rumored: January 12, 2016
An image of what appears to be Samsung marketing material shows the names of these three unannounced phones in a single line, suggesting (without any commentary) that the three phones -- the straight-sided Galaxy S7, curved S7 Edge and larger curved S7 Edge+ -- will be unveiled together. This totally unsubstantiated image does support other rumors that point to Samsung announcing more than one S7 version.
The image once again comes from tech product leaker Evan Blass of Twitter handle @evleaks.
Its screen could get a smidge bigger
Rumored: December 28, 2015
For the last couple of years, the flagship S-series phone has kept its 5.1-inch screen. Now we're hearing it could bump ever so slightly to 5.2 inches. No word yet if the body size will grow, shrink or stay the same.
The S7 will cost less than the S6
Rumored: November 9, 2015
An analyst based in China suggested that Samsung could lower the price of its premier phone by 10 percent in order to stay more competitive with rival phones. Think of this as more of a prediction and less of a leak. Samsung's decline in marketshare and profits is real and the company has just appointed a new mobile leader -- something needs to change.
The S7 will have its own version of Apple's 3D Touch screen
Rumored: October 17, 2015
The rumor that the Galaxy S7 will have a pressure-sensitive screen like the 3D Touch display on theApple iPhone 6S and 6S Plus makes more sense to me than a January launch. The hype over the 3D Touch feature, which surfaces secondary menu items when you press and hold the screen harder than usual, is one that makes 2015's new iPhones seem more tactile and interactive than any other phone.
It's true that the iPhone is alone with this type of pressure-sensitive display, but I have to admit, I don't love it. All that pressing gives you an express ticket to sore thumbs.
And also its own version of Apple's Live Photos
Rumored: January 22, 2016
One of the Apple iPhone 6S' new features, Live Photos, "awakens" the thumbnail image of a photo you've taken with about a second-and-a-half of video that was captures right as you took the still. Vivid Photo or Timeless Photos are allegedly possible name of Samsung's version, still under development and potentially bound for the Galaxy S7.
Galaxy S7 could get an eye-scanner
Rumored: Dec 14, 2015
A retina scanner, also known as an iris scanner, is already one way for device owners to unlock their gadgets. Right now, the Microsoft Lumia 950 and 950 XL are the most high-profile phones to have it, though Microsoft also uses the technology (which it calls Windows Hello) in its Surface tablets. The Galaxy S7 could possibly get it, too. Iris scanning is an alternative to unlocking the device with a fingerprint read, an unlock pattern or a PIN code.
Low-light camera shots will get a big boost
Rumored: November 19, 2015, January 24, 2016
This part is undisputed: Samsung used an investor conference in Korea to announce new camera technology, including a sensor, called Britecell, that's designed to make low-light camera shots look even better. The rumor -- an educated guess, really -- is that Samsung will use the new sensor in the Galaxy S7.
More specifically, one claim is that a 12-megapixel rear camera will have a larger sensor than the Galaxy S6's 16-megapixel camera, and an f/1.7 aperture that's designed to improve low-light photos.
Qualcomm is coming back
Rumored: November 19, 2015
The Galaxy S6 didn't use a Qualcomm chip to power the phone, it used a homegrown Samsung Exynos processor. This made everyone gasp because here was Samsung snubbing long-term partner Qualcomm in a way that some thought could indicate the relationship was over (both sides insisted it wasn't). Seeing a return of some phone models with Qualcomm chips and some with Exynos chips gets the two tech giants back where they started. (Where you live determines the chip Samsung would use.)
It'll have a USB Type-C connector port
Rumored: October 12, 2015
Like the Google Nexus 6P, OnePlus 2, Microsoft Lumia 950 and many other phones of 2016, the Galaxy S7 is rumored to have the reversible, USB Type-C port for plugging in your charger. (Read up onUSB Type-C here.)
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