•    The phones come with world's first dual-pixel sensors to take photos faster
•     Handsets also feature bigger batteries and an expandable memory slot
•     Samsung's reintroduced water resistance feature as seen in 2014 flagship
•     Those who pre-order in the US and Europe will get a free Gear VR headset 

 After countless leaks and teasers, Samsung has officially launched the new Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge phone at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona - with a little help from Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg.

The S7 Edge has a 5.5-inch (14cm) screen, while the S7 has a smaller 5.1-inch display, with both handsets boasting water resistant features that were missing on the S6 and S6 Edge.

As rumours suggested, the phones feature an 'always-on' display so users can see basic phone information, such as time, date and notifications, without having to wake it up and use up battery life.

 While the technology is new to Samsung handsets, the Nexus 6P and Motorola Moto X both use always-on ambient displays.

The ambient display works by only showing the pixels that are needed to display a particular notification at the top of the screen.
While the technology is new to Samsung handsets, the Nexus 6P and Motorola Moto X both use always-on ambient displays.

The ambient display works by only showing the pixels that are needed to display a particular notification at the top of the screen.

 When it comes to the camera, Samsung claims both the S7 and S7 Edge smartphones are the first in the world to feature dual pixel sensors.

The addition of an extra sensor means the phone’s camera can focus in on an object much quicker, 'the same way your eyes work together to focus quicker,' Mr O’Neill said.

There’s also a brighter lens and bigger pixels in the S7 and S7 Edge’s camera so that they let in more light to improve aperture and therefore work better in low light conditions.

The company said the handsets have the largest aperture of any smartphone camera, to let more light in, meaning it can be used to take great shots in low light.

'The pixels on this lens are bigger by 1.5 micrometers, so lets in 56 percent more light, making it work better in low lighting,' he added.

As part of the presentation, the company showed a comparison between the S7's camera and that of the iPhone 6S Plus, and the demo seemed to show Samsung's being faster, brighter and sharper.

Samsung also showed off a 'motion panorama' mode and optional clip-on fish eye and wide angle lenses for budding photographers.


The camera in the Galaxy S6 had a slightly protracted lens that stuck out of the back, but it is less noticeable in the new handset.

Samsung said it has shrunk this a little in the S7 and S7 Edge, making it more in line with the shell of the device.

Both of the new handsets have larger batteries than their predecessors.

The S7 now features a 3,000mAh and the S7 Edge a 3600mAh battery, which promises longer