The Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge Review: Part 2
by Joshua Ho on July 5, 2016 8:00 AM ESTVideo Performance
Of course, the other part of the overall camera equation is video performance, which provides unique challenges for OEMs as things like encoder performance may have to run for a theoretically infinite amount of time as opposed to the burst workload that a single photo represents. Frames also have to be committed by a hard deadline rather than completing at some point in the future which means that there is a hard limit on the number of clock cycles that can be spent before moving on to the next frame.
Other than these basic challenges, it’s also important to be able to handle things like hand shake and other types of motion as people use their smartphones in dashcam applications or simply just walking around. As a result a good camera should be able to properly stabilize the video in all of these situations. In order to test this we rely on a simple side by side camera rig that holds both cameras pointed at the same object in order to see how the same subject looks on two different cameras simultaneously.
| Samsung Galaxy S7 Video Encode Settings | ||||
| Video | Audio | |||
| 1080p30 | 17 Mbps H.264 High Profile | 256 Kbps, 48 KHz AAC | ||
| 1080p60 | 28 Mbps H.264 High Profile | 256 Kbps, 48 KHz AAC | ||
| 4K30 | 48 Mbps H.264 High Profile | 256 Kbps, 48 KHz AAC | ||
| 720p240 | 76 Mbps H.264 Baseline | 256 Kbps, 48 KHz AAC | ||
To start with the basics we can look at the encodings used by Samsung for the Galaxy S7. For the most part there's nothing too interesting here other than the 720p240 encoding, which uses AVC's baseline profile rather than the high profile. I suspect we’re looking at a limitation of the Snapdragon 820’s encode blocks here rather than a deliberate decision by Samsung to use the baseline profile, as the high profile provides better quality compression in every scenario. Given that the Snapdragon 820 version of the Galaxy S7 also has a time limit for 4K video recording that the Exynos version doesn’t I suspect that Qualcomm’s encode blocks are just not as capable as those shipping in the Exynos 8890 and Apple’s A9 SoC, which is interesting given how hard Qualcomm has pushed for a focus on parts outside of the CPU or GPU on an SoC.
| 1080p30 Video |
Regardless of SoC, it seems that Samsung has chosen fairly sane encode settings for their video, so we can move on to 1080p30 output. Samsung continues to have issues with stabilization here, which is weird when you consider the fact that the HTC 10 actually has zero problems with the sort of jerky OIS reset behavior that I’ve come to associate with Android phones. However, the HTC 10 has less dynamic range here and less detail, although it doesn’t have very obvious sharpening halos the way the Galaxy S7 does. In fairness to Samsung, they are clearly ahead of the LG G5 here in terms of overall detail and dynamic range, as well as better wind noise removal.
Relative to the iPhone 6s Plus, the Galaxy S7 actually maintains its detail lead, but the iPhone 6s Plus is just clearly better at stabilizing the camera properly, which seems to be a combination of OIS and EIS. The Galaxy S7 does have a video stabilization setting toggle, but it doesn’t really help here and it’s turned off by default.
| 4K30 Video |
Moving on to the 4K30 output we see some interesting changes, likely brought on by the previously mentioned Snapdragon 820’s image processing deficiencies. The HTC 10 seems to have smooth motion by using EIS and OIS together for 1080p30, but when recording 4K30 it goes away and we’re left with the familiar jerky behavior that occurs when OIS hits its travel stop. However for some reason in 4K the HTC 10 has noticeably better dynamic range and resolved detail becomes on par with the Galaxy S7. Colors are also slightly more realistic as the Galaxy S7 overemphasizes the effect of the sunset resulting in a bit too much yellow in the sky and in general. The G5 might have slightly better detail than the GS7 here, but in general it just does worse in terms of color reproduction and dynamic range, as well as stabilization. There’s also a lot more wind noise that can be heard.
Relative to the iPhone 6s Plus, the superior stabilization of the iPhone 6s Plus is evident, and next to the iPhone 6s Plus it becomes pretty obvious that Samsung is just oversaturating some colors to try and get higher contrast. However, detail on the Galaxy S7 is slightly better when you look at a video frame by frame, but not really enough to notice in general. Wind noise is also better suppressed on the iPhone 6s Plus.
| Slow Motion Video |
In slow motion the Galaxy S7 does have better detail and higher frame rate than the HTC 10, but still over-emphasizes the effects of the sunset on lighting. Relative to the iPhone 6s Plus detail is better, but again colors are more natural.
In video performance overall, the Galaxy S7 is respectable for an Android device, but next to the iPhone 6s Plus it’s not really the greatest. Even the HTC 10 has better color reproduction, better stabilization in 1080p30, and better audio. Overall I’m not really blown away by the camera on the Galaxy S7. I’m not sure how most people came to their conclusion that the Galaxy S7 is the best Android camera, but I suspect that the logic behind it may not be a sound heuristic. The Galaxy S7 is the fastest Android camera by far, but the results it puts out are not necessarily the greatest. The HTC 10 is actually better than the Galaxy S7 in a number of cases, although not necessarily all the time and is let down by its focus and capture latency. The G5 is just flat-out better in still photography, but worse in video. Like the HTC 10 it's somewhat slow as well, but only when compared to the Galaxy S7. If I had to weigh everything together I would argue that the HTC 10 and LG G5 are at least the equal of the Galaxy S7, although this is after both devices have had numerous OTA updates through the months since release. I suspect that at launch there may have been bigger deltas, but after release everything has basically evened out. The iPhone 6s Plus is still the most well-rounded, but this is basically on the basis of video performance in 4K and 1080p60. If these things don't matter the HTC 10 is the next best thing in my eyes due to the more natural post-processing, but if you don't worry about these things the Galaxy S7 is fine.
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ray_cheeno - Sunday, July 10, 2016 - link
Dear Joshua, it's very fine that you point out that the Samsung S7 too expensive compared to One plus 3 and Xaomi Mi5. I have not seen a comment to your favored Apple IPhone 6 and 6S. Therefore I would like to see a Part 3 and more objectivity. Thank you.Lau_Tech - Sunday, July 10, 2016 - link
I feel that going forward Josh should do the Iphone reviews and Andrei should do the Android phone ones.I don't doubt the objectivity of either writer, but Josh's tendency to downplay and undersell android phones and features, as well as to produce late reviews, has undoubtedly contributed to Anandtech's reputation as an pro Apple site.
Splitting up the phones (perhaps android phones require 2 writers, given their volume) will allow for faster and greater variety in reviews.
Ranger1065 - Tuesday, July 12, 2016 - link
Now taking bets on whether Anandtech will have a proper Geforce 1080 review within 6 months of release...My bet is NOT.
Even if they do who will care?
As the clicks decrease....
Bye Bye Anandtech.
_Aaron_ - Tuesday, July 12, 2016 - link
--- Anandtech Galaxy S7 Review: "Although the G5 seems to have started an AF run in the middle of the capture, the areas where the photo is actually focused are arguably better than what the Galaxy S7 can put out. Even next to the G4, the Galaxy S7 falls short. I’m honestly not sure why LG doesn’t get more credit here, because next to Apple they seem to have the best image processing algorithms in the industry.Unfortunately, the Galaxy S7 is just a bit disappointing here. The LG G5 is just clearly better here as noise reduction is better in pretty much every way and it looks a lot more natural due to less obvious sharpening halos. I would also argue that the HTC 10 is also better here due to its better texture detail and better handling of shadow detail, even if edges are softer.
However, with that said the output of the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge’s camera is not that impressive. I would argue that while it’s not worse than the iPhone 6s Plus, it is basically comparable. The real competition in this space comes from the HTC 10 and LG G5, the two of which manage to deliver arguably better still image output ".
--- Anandtech LG G5 review: " When it comes to noise in bright outdoor conditions, the G5 sits about in the middle of this pack the G5 sits about mid pack, with the iPhone 6s Plus, Huawei P9, and Galaxy S7 edge all performing just a little better.
In both scenes, the Galaxy S7 edge takes the brightest picture despite using the fastest shutter speed. The G5’s images are a little darker than the G4’s because it favors a shorter exposure, but it still produces brighter images than the Moto X and Nexus 6P.
The Galaxy S7 edge shows no vignetting, while the Nexus 6P suffers from this issue to a mild degree. All of the other phones, including both of the G5’s cameras, show negligible vignetting.
In bright daylight, the G5 equals the Galaxy S7 edge, producing excellent looking photos. When there’s less light available, like on cloudy days or when moving indoors, the G5 starts to struggle. It still does pretty well setting white balance and exposure, although the iPhone 6s Plus consistently does better. Image noise, however, is a serious problem for the G5. Its images show significantly more noise grain than other flagship devices, degrading image quality ".
Ok, now, I'm confused: should I follow Anandtech's words, or Anandtech's words?
isik - Tuesday, July 12, 2016 - link
www.egemenweb.com thankspeterApinto - Tuesday, July 12, 2016 - link
The whole review spells "NOT BIASED!" in every part.Why? Because the author is actually able to document his allegations, transforming them into arguments.
In fact, this review is really close to being an actual analysis, where the author breaks down all the relevant parts of the S7 and its functions, in order to produce a solid evaluation. And he does this by using solid test tools and techniques, so the results can be recreated by others. This is as close to science as I imagine any tech site is able to get.
So - you can disagree on his conclusion, but calling this review biased just shows that it is you who is biased. Really.
KoolAidMan1 - Thursday, July 14, 2016 - link
Reality is biased for emotional ideologues who worship Android as their god.IDGI
StimulatedBoy - Wednesday, July 13, 2016 - link
Thx, Joshua. This kind of analyses, eye for details and objectivity is what has drawn me to Anandtech for the last 10-15 years. Keep up the good work!Aaight - Thursday, July 14, 2016 - link
Lol, er du her og grupperunker også :D Synd du bommet på 3 av 3, hehe!pukemon1976 - Wednesday, July 13, 2016 - link
I see the comments mention bias a lot. Me? I think the author is trying to get a job at apple like Klug and Shimpi. Geez. Can you not make it anymore obvious? I think some of us that are fanboys of android pretty much know that apple makes a good all around overpriced phone. Cpu? Winner by efficiency and architecture. GPU? Not necessarily winner but powerVR uses different method of drawing graphics and that is drawing what is only shown. Nonetheless, powerVR makes a damn good efficient GPU. A lot of things are just details. Like battery life? Author gets away with mentioning but x phone has a bigger battery. What about iPhone uses less lines of resolution in both their models so battery life comparison is just details. Cameras? I can't comment really on quality of s7/s7 edge but do know they focus really fast and process fast. Especially exynos version. Iphone camera? I've seen some really.bad pictures from my friends as of late. And some admittedly know their camera isn't all it's cracked up to be. If I'm taking pictures with my note4 at some memorable event usually my friends and family want copies of my pictures, no matter what phones they have. And work just issued us iPhone 6+ a few months ago. Geez. Impressed with sunny day shots. But I work in dark environments often. I'm pulling out my note4 camera or somebody is asking me to take an important picture if only iphones around most of the time. And I wish author and company would take a better approach to wifi and lte battery tests. My note4 with the first modem to use power enveloping for LTE is noticeablyore efficient than WiFi. I've proven it over and over and over. Even my geek friends are befuddled by it. And how come author never mentions iPhone dropping frames or lagging? I do admit though iPhone does have great memory management, not to mention noticeably faster internal storage. My micro SD though... oh wait... have to pay super premium for extra storage. Really wish author and friends were less biased. I'm fine with opinions. Anand wrote great articles and his iPhone bias didn't ruin it for me. Methinks, the reviews take so long because anandtech isn't anandtech anymore. Me also thinks author and friends so jealous they meticulously spend a ridiculous amount of time making apple proud of their review so they too can go work in Cupertino one day. Unbelievable how shoddy this review was. Really? When you couldn't say apple was the best bar none in a certain department you digressed to other Android phones, probably meaning apple isn't even close to the top, since you have to resort to that. And some of you apple fanboys need to lay off the apple look aid. It has been so obvious as of late. I know apple does a lot of things well. And some they don't. And then there's so much customization in amdroid, especially with root, even moreso with unlocked bootloader. I think some of you guys never read Klug's and shimpi's reviews. Even though they showed their apple bias, they did some really good reviews. Reviews I would come back for. Even read the iphone reviews. I know why I've hardly been coming to anandtech lately but this review I know I'll be coming even less. No more bookmarks or waiting g for the other stuff l liked to read about like Intel, nvidia, and, ssd tech. Until next time, might be awhile, and hopefully better reviewers, peace out.