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New in our buyer's guide: All the phones (just the good ones)
It took us a while, but now that we've reviewed the Moto Z, we think we're done testing flagship phones until the iPhone 7 or next Galaxy Note come out (whichever arrives first). With that in mind, we can now confidently say that the following phones belong in our buyer's guide: the Samsung Galaxy S7, the HTC 10 and the iPhone SE. (Sorry, LG, maybe next year.) While we were at it, we also inducted the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive VR headsets, since we likely them more or less equally. And, in the less-expensive realm, we added the Roku Streaming Stick in the A/V category. Head over to our buyer's guide hub for all the details on these and many more. That's it for now, but stay tuned -- who knows what we'll add after the next gadget-reviewing frenzy.
Mini review video: Our verdict on the Galaxy S7 in about a minute
Didn't have time to get through our 4,000-plus word review of the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge? No problem. Here's what you need to know: We like them. A lot. The S7 in particular feels like a refined version of the already-great S6, with an easier-to-hold design, improved camera, waterproof build, more powerful innards and the return of a microSD slot (back by popular demand). There's not much we would change, though a bigger jump in battery life next time around would be nice. That's the gist, as you'll see in our mini review-video above, and hey, if you need some weekend reading, you know where to find our review.
Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge review: Samsung's finest get more polished
After years of trafficking in plastic flagships, the glass-and-metal Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge proved Samsung still knew how to make jaw-dropping phones. Ah, but there was a rub -- a few of them, in fact. The expandable memory slots were gone. Neither phone was waterproof. The S6 Edge's flat back and slim sides felt awkward. Curvy screens aside, both phones were identical. The shortcomings were few, but they were notable. Rather than start anew, Samsung's designers instead set about refining last year's formula, smoothing rough edges and making the new S7 and S7 Edge feel meaningfully different. Spoiler alert: It worked, and anyone even considering a new Android phone needs to consider owning one of these things. And yet, for all the polishing Samsung has done, these S7 siblings fall short of game-changer territory -- this is a year of careful, logical upgrades.
