What ’s the greatest smartphone of them all ? Answer : not the iPhone . At least that ’s whatConsumer Reportsis saying after crown theSamsung Galaxy S7the top - rated phone on the market . The iPhone 6s did n’t even make No . 2 : that lead to the S7 ’s slightly larger sibling , the S7 Edge .

To   add revilement to wound for Tim Cook & Co. , it looks like the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge areselling like hotcakes , and they ’ve only been out for a month . Consumer Reportscalls out cardinal features like the H2O - resistant aim and a battery life that ’s more than two-fold that of the 6s ' – but countenance ’s see what else makes the   Galaxy S7 arguably the " next best matter " since , well , every other iPhone . We love a ripe underdog story , do n’t you ?

It charges faster. And wirelessly. And holds a charge for twice as long.

reckon , we all knowbattery life on the iPhonesucks . To be fair , Galaxy devices have n’t fare any better over the years . But they recently stepped up their secret plan with Quick Charge technology , which , as the name suggests , is orchestrate to hike charge time . Samsung ’s wireless charging dock push the Galaxy S7 from 0 - 100 % within an hr ( added bonus , no crappy charging cables ) . A big battery ( 3,000 mAH ) and power - saving modes all add up to over 24 hours of talk time ; more thantwice that of an iPhone 6s , agree toConsumer Reports . Not too ratty .

It’sverywater resistant

Compared to the iPhone , some people would call this affair straight - up raincoat , but Samsung act it safe by labeling it " piddle - resistant . " Either style , the Galaxy S7 is pretty compelling if you ’re one who constantly finds theirphone submerse in a puddle(coughtoiletcough ) . Recent tests show the twist fares well in wetter conditions than the iPhone and can stay on inundate in 5 ft of water for 30 minutes without sustaining any damage . All the more reason to shoot emails and take calls while lathering up in the cascade .

More camera controls and better photo quality in low light

There ’s no denying the iPhone 6s captures amazing shots . It just lack the full-bodied feature set and computer hardware of the Galaxy S7 . Low - light picture taking is the camera ’s outstanding military strength , with the f1.7 aperture and optical image stabilisation producing bright , more elaborated images in disconsolate environments . The 12MP Dual Pixel sensor utilize the same technology detect in DSLR cameras like the Canon 70D to instantly centre on aim without any blur effects . Manual controls also open up the lane to customise the shot experience , with a " Pro " mode for adjusting shutter speeds and shooting RAW files .

It has a special “one-handed” mode

The struggle to hold and operate a smartphone with one hand likely takes the bar for biggest first - public problem , but hey , we ’ve all been there . The S7 is no elision , but this is where the Samsung ’s " One - Handed " mode becomes worthful . start the lineament reduce the screen size and moves the keyboard to one side of the instrument panel for easier function . Progress , people .

Expandable memory = no “not enough storage” alerts

Besides battery life , the other biggest beef with the iPhone ismemory . you’re able to either drop $ 849 on a 128 GB model , settle for an iCloud monthly package , or accept the effect ofthose insufferable " not enough reposition " alerts . Meanwhile , Samsung uphold to make the SD card slot a mainstay for the Galaxy series , granting users the opulence of expatiate remembering up to 200 GB via microSD card . That ’s more than enough infinite for your iTunes program library .

It has superior call quality

Apple ’s been criticized for its feeler placement on the iPhone , which has frequently led to some not - so - great issues like dropped yell and fallible signal strength . Samsung incorporate Qualcomm ’s TruSignal Antenna engineering science into its later phones to increase call coverage and data speeds , withoutswallowing shelling life . An improved earpiece and the plus of an " redundant intensity " modality help hand over louder , clearer calls ,   especially on Verizon ’s breakneck LTE mesh .

It boasts the more widely accepted mobile wallet

As you may have noticed because you have n’t been living under a rock ‘n’ roll , we ’re moving towards a cashless future . And whileApple Paymight be the most popular name on the fluid defrayment block , Samsung Pay is proving to be the most resourceful . Both services support NFC , but Samsung ’s payment solution is programmed to cultivate on terminals that consent veritable magnetic stripes add-in as well . Not to remark it ’s accepted at 95 % of retailers , whereas Apple Pay is specify to sealed stores .

It features optimized tech for gamers

The Galaxy S7 is n’t built to interchange your Nintendo 3DS or PS Vita , but it ’s unquestionably loaded with ton of pecker to enhance on - the - go play . Samsung ’s insert the Game Launcher , a sandboxed surface area that stores all your mobile deed of conveyance and offers built - in screen recode , while temporarily forget notifications so nothing interrupts your gambling sessions . It even double over as a stamp battery - saving mode , optimizing titles to use less juice by lowering the frame pace and processing power .

Samsung’s still beating out Apple in VR accessories

Hate it or love it , virtual reality is here to remain . We ’re seeing more VR content rolling out onto mobile platforms with Samsung spearheading the front . The company ’s Gear VR headset stay a consumer staple thanks to its integration with the latest Galaxy smartphones . Then there ’s the coming Gear 360 , a golf game ball - same action cam that wants to redefine the direction we record home videos and stream that footage onto the Gear VR and Galaxy S7 . Neato !

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Samsung Galaxy S7 is water resistant

Flickr/Jared Hersch/Jennifer Bui/Thrillist

Samsung galaxy s7 wireless charging

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Samsung Galaxy s7 water resistant design

Flickr/John Biehler

Samsung Galaxy s7 camera settings

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Samsung Galaxy s7 memory card

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Samsung Pay

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Samsung Galaxy S7 Gaming

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Samsung Galaxy S7 virtual reality

Flickr/Joao-Pierre Ruth