Klutzes of the world should rejoice Friday, as Samsung officially starts sales of its new water-resistant Samsung Galaxy S7 and Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge. The phones, which the company first unveiled last month, are now widely available in all their dunkable glory.
The latest two Samsung's high-end smartphones are supposed to be able to withstand submersion up to five feet for as long as 30 minutes. So you're in luck if you drop your phone in the drink - as long as you fish it out reasonably fast.
Samsung provided me with a review unit of the Galaxy S7, a 5.1-inch smartphone. Once I opened the box, I duly dropped the high-performance, expensive phone into my sink while doing the dishes. Apart from the mild palpitations I gave myself, there was no damage at all. The phone's touchscreen didn't work under water, but it continued on without a hiccup and was unharmed and still working perfectly when I pulled it out. It was just as impressively zippy as ever and no worse for wear.
Of course, there's more to this phone than its ability to withstand water. Overall, I'd also say that the design of the S7 is better than its direct predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S6. The new phone feels a little stockier, likely due to its big battery. But its shape is also a little sleeker, thanks to engineering that's shaved some girth from the Galaxy line's unsightly camera bump. At any rate, I'm not worried about the camera getting caught on the lip of a pocket or the edge of a table - something that has happened with my S6. And, with its metal and glass construction, it feels like a high-end phone. It's also a little curvier than the Galaxy S6, more like the latest versions of the iPhone, which makes it fit a little better in your hand.