Here's what we know about Samsung's next Galaxy phone

Samsung is expected to announce its newest phone, the Galaxy S7, late next month at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

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And we're already hearing a lot of rumors about the company's next flagship.

Here's a quick roundup of what you can expect to see:

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It'll be called the Galaxy S7.

samsung galaxy s6 packaging
Antonio Villas-Boas/Tech Insider

We don't know that for a fact, but we can assume it'll be called the Galaxy S7 based on the names of the previous generations, including the Galaxy S6, S5, S4, SIII, SII, and S.

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There will be three different models.

galaxy s6 phones
Maurizio Pesce/Flickr

The earliest rumors from Chinese social media network Weibo, showed two models. The first was a flat model with a 5.1-inch screen called the Galaxy S7, and the other a curved model with a 5.5-inch screen called the Galaxy S7 Edge.

A more recent leak from notorious device leaker Evan Blass suggests that Samsung will release an additional model, called the Galasy S7 Edge+.

With that in mind, it's likely we'll see a  Galaxy S7 with a regular flat 5.1-inch screen screen, a curved S7 Edge model also with a 5.1-inch screen, and a larger curved 5.5-inch model called the Galaxy S7 Edge+.

It's a similar lineup as the S6 line, which includes both a flat and curved smaller model and a larger curved model. 

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It'll look a lot like the Galaxy S6.

galaxy s7 leaked CAD design
Twitter/@onleaks

According to leaked computer animated designs obtained by notorious leaker Evan Blass and uSwitch, the Galaxy S7's design won't be that much different than the current generation's.

 

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It'll have a microSD port.

HTC One A9 micro SD SIM port
The microSD port on the HTC One A9. Antonio Villas-Boas/Tech Insider

According to the Wall Street Journal, Samsung will re-introduce the microSD port to the Galazy S7 line. The port lets you insert a memory card for extra storage.

Samsung fans were outraged when the company removed the feature on the Galaxy S6 line as a compromise for using premium materials like glass and metal. By using those materials, the S6's back couldn't be removed like previous models, which is how you'd reach the microSD port in the past.

If Samsung does bring back the microSD port, it'll probably be on the side of the device.

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It'll be water-resistant.

samsung s5 water resistant
Samsung announcing the Galaxy S5's water resistance. Business Insider

According to SamMobile, the S7 line might be water resistant.

Water resistance was another feature Samsung removed for the S6 line, as it was present in the Galaxy S5. It's not a must-have feature, but it could save your phone for "that one time" it meets a pool or toilet.

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It will use the latest USB standard for charging, USB-C.

oneplus 2 usb-c
The OnePlus 2 uses a USB-C port instead of microUSB. OnePlus

The Galaxy S7 lineup will feature USB-C ports, according to SamMobile.

USB-C is the new standard for connecting devices to each other. It also allows for faster charging and faster data transfers.

It's also omni-directional, meaning you can plug a USB-C cable into a USB-C port without worrying which side is up or down.

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It'll have a pressure-sensitive touchscreen like the iPhone 6s.

iPhone 6S 3d touch
The iPhone 6s' 3D Touch screen lets you make a call without even going into the Phone app. Steve Kovach/Tech Insider

According to the Wall Street Journal, the Galaxy S7 line will have pressure-sensitive touch screens similar to the 3D Touch screens on the iPhone 6s.

If it's going to work anything like it does on the iPhone 6s, the S7's 3D touch screen could give you shortcuts to useful and often-used features when you press hard on the screen.

 

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It'll have an eye scanner for security.

zte grand s3 eye iris scanner
YouTube/WSJ

Samsung might introduce an iris scanner for security in addition to a fingerprint scanner, according to the Wall Street Journal. 

If it's anything like the iris scanner on the ZTE Grand S3, an iris scanner on the S7 could unlock your phone using the front-facing camera. 

 

 

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It'll have better battery life.

fake motorola phone battery
A rather chunky battery from a fake "Motorona" phone found in China. Dom Esposito/YouTube

One of the main complaints about the S6 generation of Samsung smartphones was its poor battery life.

Hopefully, that'll change when Samsung releases the S7. It'll supposedly have a large 3,000mAh battery, up to 600mAh more than the Galaxy S6 line, according to Evan Blass, in a report on Venture Beat

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It could have a camera with fewer megapixels.

Samsung galaxy s6 edge+ camera
Steve Kovach/Tech Insider

According to specs leaked on Chinese social media network Weibo with information obtained from benchmarking site AnTuTu, the Galaxy S7 line might have 12 megapixel cameras compared to the 16 megapixel cameras in the Galaxy S6.

That doesn't mean that the S7's camera would be worse, as a good camera doesn't rely on megapixel count.

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Samsung will release it in late February during the MWC event.

samsung galaxy note edge and galaxy note 4
AP

Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S6 at last year's MWC and the S5 at MWC 2014, so it's likely it'll unveil the S7 at the same event this year.

And like the S6, Samsung might release it for sale in early April 2016.

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It'll cost less than previous Galaxy flagship smartphones.

Galaxy S6 stack
Flickr/Maurizio Pesce

According to Chinese analyst Pan Jiutang via Times of India, the Galaxy S7 will cost less than the previous generations of Galaxy flagship smartphones. 

The rumored cost is $600, which is $50 less than the Galaxy S6's $650 starting price.

It wouldn't be too surprising if the S7's price is lower than the S6 considering there are several cheaper options that are just as premium and tempting as the Galaxy flagship lineup, like the Moto X (2015) and Google's latest Nexus smartphones, both of which cost under $500. It would be one of the ways Samsung remains competitive in the smartphone market.

Samsung
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