Galaxy S7 Rumored Features Will Help Samsung ‘Catch Up’ To Apple’s iPhone

Samsung’s new Galaxy S7 smartphone will include an array of new features such as a pressure-sensitive display, a high-speed charging port and an external memory card slot, according to sources who talked to The Wall Street Journal.
The features on the phone, rumored to be ready to release in March, would pit it as a competitor in the premium segment against Apple’s iPhone, as well as help turn around Samsung’s struggling mobile business.
A Samsung spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on the Galaxy S7 rumors before publication.
“With battery life and charging time being a few of the more common challenges end users have with mobility, Samsung’s high-speed charging port will be a nice addition to its device set,” said Jay Gordon, vice president of sales at Plano, Texas-based Samsung partner Enterprise Mobile. “As it relates to the announcement of a pressure-sensitive display, this is an absolute requirement in an effort to ‘catch up’ to this innovation already in place on Apple products.”
Pressure-sensitive display is the hallmark of of Apple’s 3-D Touch, prevalent in Apple’s iPhone 6s, which facilitates how users interact with their smartphone interfaces. In addition to these UI-specific features, the Galaxy S7 could also include a retina scanner, to scan eyes for authentication, as well as an improved camera enhanced for low-light photography, according to The Wall Street Journal.
“The world of smartphone innovation is perceived to be minimal as new devices are introduced to the market,” Gordon said. “At this point, any OEM that can bring material enhancement to its device platform will take market share from other players in the space. As with many OEMs, Samsung’s slower-than-expected sales have accelerated the pace of new device offerings in the market.”
The Galaxy S7 rumors come after Samsung hired a new mobile division head, D.J. Koh, to help bolster the company’s struggling smartphone sales and drive mobile innovation. Koh replaces longtime director of mobile products J.K. Shin, who led the South Korean company’s mobile division as it developed its trademark Galaxy 6 smartphones.
The leadership change comes on the heels of disappointing sales of the upgraded Galaxy S6 and the curved-screen Galaxy S6 Edge, released in April. Analysts speculated that the launch, led by Shin, failed in part because of limited supply of the Edge models, which did not keep pace with demand for the new curved handset, leading to a 38 percent drop in profits for the company’s mobile division in the second quarter.
“Samsung needs to re-evaluate their product line, and determine where they can be the most effective and what they need to adjust,” said devices analyst Jack Narcotta of Hampton, N.H.-based Technology Business Research. “Apple has a lock on the smartphone market. … These features in the Galaxy S7 take a direct shot at Apple.