There’s a feature for that: the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge are pocket-proof and bag-proof

The Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge are the finest devices Samsung has ever crafted, and two of the top devices on the market for 2016 (yes, we’re confident of this though it’s quite early in the year), but you’ll still find smartphone reviewers have their share of problems with them. Some criticisms are what you’d expect, such as “it doesn’t run as fluid and fast as vanilla Android,” “there isn’t much customization for the Always On Display,” “battery life is excellent though you’ll still need to charge the device at night,” “the edge still isn’t functional enough,” or “there is still some yellowish tint that appears in photos taken with the 12MP back camera.”

Claims of lag in the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge are rather unjustified with the fluid smooth experience on the Galaxy S7 series, but this is to be expected from Nexus fans who believe vanilla Android offers a faster, better-performing experience than Samsung’s TouchWiz. As for battery life criticisms, the case can always be made that battery life is dependent upon a number of factors (network strength, and home Wi-Fi performance, among others). Despite these devices’ premium build, many of the same reviewers who complained about Galaxy S5 plastic are now criticizing these devices because they’re made of glass and can be “somewhat slippery in the hand,” one reviewer said.

Whether or not these criticisms are valid will be left up to you to decide, but some reviewers are misinformed and haven’t done their homework. One criticism I’ve heard from a video review of Samsung’s latest is that “the Galaxy S7 edge’s screen turned on while in my pocket, which burns battery life even more, and I wish Samsung would do something about that.” The most humorous part of it all is that Samsung has already done something about it – and the answer is closer to the reviewer than even he knew.

The Galaxy S7 and S7 edge are already waterproof (broadly water-resistant), meaning that they can survive up to 1.5 meters of water for 30 minutes, and dustproof, as we’ve said numerous times, but these two devices are element-proofed in yet another way. Yes, for those who need a pocket-proof and bag-proof Galaxy S7 or S7 edge, “there’s a feature for that.” To find the pocket-proofing and bag-proofing feature, you need only perform the following steps:

First, visit your Settings, then select “Display and Wallpaper.”
Next, in your display and wallpaper settings, scroll to the very bottom of the page and select “Keep Screen Turned Off.” As Samsung says with this feature, it’s designed to prevent your Galaxy S7 or S7 edge from turning on while in your pocket or bag.

That’s it. That’s all you need to do to ensure that your Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge is pocket-proof and bag-proof. We’re glad that we can advise you on how to get the most out of the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge (read our review for more details), but we also want reviewers of these devices to be fair and do their homework. Students who don’t study don’t get good grades; reviewers who don’t give due diligence to reviewing devices can’t evaluate them fairly. The logic is simple.

Deidre R.

Opinion Galaxy S7 Galaxy S7 edge