The upcoming Samsung Galaxy S7 will feature a pressure-sensitive display and high-speed charging port, according to recent reports.
People familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal that Samsung may also add a retina scanner to some versions of its flagship lineup of smartphones.
The high-speed charging port, also known as a USB Type-C port, can provide a phone a full day’s charge in as little as 30 minutes – LG and Huawei already offer the feature on some of their smartphones.
The pressure-sensitive display gives users the ability to control their phones by pressing their phone – the screen can interpret different touches depending on how much pressure is used on the touch screen. Apple recently rolled out its own pressure sensitive 3D Touch tech on the iPhone 6S.
Samsung Galaxy S6.
The innovative features are being introduced in an effort to boost the South Korean company’s market share after the relatively lacklustre sales of the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge compared to previous generations.
One analyst was quoted by Computerworld as saying that the Galaxy S7’s most significant improvement will be its faster Snapdragon 820 processor.
Patrick Moorhead, an analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy, said that the fast charging and a pressure-sensitive display may not be “compelling enough to pull anyone over from an iPhone,”
He added: ”The processor improvement with Qualcomm Snapdragon could, however.”
The new smartphone is expected to come in two versions: the Galaxy S7 which features a standard display and the Galaxy S7 Edge which will have a curved screen.
According to CNET, the Galaxy S7 is rumored to also bring back the microSD card slot and launch at least 10 percent cheaper than the S6.
The Galaxy S7 is expected to be unveiled on the day before the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, on February 21, and launch the following month in March.