Announced along the Samsung Galaxy C5 is the bigger model, the Samsung Galaxy C7 with the same sleek and metal build. For a larger battery, wider display, and faster processor, is it worth it to go to the latter and spend an extra cash? We find out on this in-depth and full review the Samsung Galaxy C7.
Table of Contents
Design and build
There’s no denying that the Galaxy C7 and C5 share the same rounded and metal design language. Due to the larger display and battery capacity, the Galaxy C7 is a bit unwieldy and hefty on the hands. But we’re impressed as the company is able to keep the very thin chassis.
Along the 5.7-inch curved display is a backlit navigation key and snappy fingerprint sensor embedded on the home button. Across are the LED notification, 8MP selfie camera, and set of proximity and ambient light sensor.
The flexibility of having a hybrid microSD and dual SIM card slots is still present and accessible on the right while standard ports are positioned at the bottom beside the loud mono speaker.
On the back is a familiar affair with rounded corners resembling the back of iPhone 6s and antenna bands of the OnePlus 3. The 16MP camera protrudes on the back and is paired with a dual tone LED Flash.
Despite the familiarity to iPhone and some Android devices, the Galaxy C7 is a gorgeous and sleek device to hold. Perhaps, more premium than the glass Galaxy A series. Of course, we can’t wait to put the two series in a comparison soon.
Display
Our favorite feature on most Samsung smartphones is none other than the punchy and bright Super AMOLED panel. Rocking with 5.7-inch Full HD and unknown scratch-resistant protection, expect the same vivid, sharp, and clear display output here as to the premium Galaxy line of the company.
Camera
Another pride that the Galaxy C7 puts on the table is the new 16MP f1.9 main sensor that produces really good daylight photos. The color reproduction is a bit saturated, but overall detail handling and dynamic control are pleasing enough. Add the extra saturation from the AMOLED panel and you get a more popping photos.
The color vividness on the night and low-light shots are retained but the noise level is poor. The photos look to be funky and edgy too in night shots.
With an 8MP front-facing camera, the Galaxy C7 takes snappy selfie photos with bright and pale colors. As usual, the selfie camera is intended for those who like to take selfie much without worrying the skin blemishes and toning.
Surprisingly, you can only record up to full HD on the back camera which is not a deal breaker for a mid-ranger. Meanwhile, OIS is missing here and we think Samsung is only reserving it to the more expensive Galaxy A and S series.
The camera of the Galaxy C7 is nothing spectacular, but thanks to the fast shutter speed and bright shots, we still able to appreciate the overall camera quality.
Android 6.0 Software and Touch Wiz UI
The bloatware apps are still here but software experience is a bit refreshing thanks to the new version of TouchWiz UI on top of Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Perhaps the most noticeable addition and changes on the UI are the streamlined drop-down menu and settings.
Performance, Gaming, and Benchmark
Powering the Galaxy C7 is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 octa-core, 4GB RAM, and 64GB expandable storage with an option for 32GB on some regions.
Like the Asus Zenfone 3, the Galaxy C7 tops the mid-ranger benchmark test and was able to handle graphic-intensive tasks like playing NBA 2K16 game on the highest settings.
On day to day and real life usage, the Galaxy C7 is fast and did not leave us hanging.
Battery and Charging
With an efficient chipset and relatively ample 3300mAh non-removable battery, the Samsung mid-ranger was able to last more than a day in our endurance test, which is impressive for a capable hardware.
Charging time took about 1 hour and 35 minutes using the 2A fast adaptive charger.
Audio and speaker
What we miss here is a high-res audio feature but with an FM Radio RDS similar to its mid-range counterpart. Meanwhile, we’re stuck at a satisfactorily loud mono speaker at the bottom. Both bass and treble are  convincingly okay, leaving room for power improvements.
Pricing and Verdict
For about P19,990 or $430 USD price for 64GB model, the Galaxy C7 sits between the prices of the Galaxy C5 and Galaxy A9. Still an expensive mid-ranger, but nonetheless it’s a capable and better-looking hardware at the same time. Overall, the Galaxy C7 is not only a bigger version of the C5 but a better option too if you were to ask us.
We’re pretty sure you can’t wait to see this beast compared with other devices. Let’s know in the comments on what phones specifically you want us to compare with.
Samsung Galaxy C7 Pros and Cons
+ Vivid display
+ Premium design
+ Really good battery life
+ Solid hardware performance
– Unrealistic camera process
– Bland selfie photos
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Samsung Galaxy C7 Full specs, Official price, Release date in the Philippines
- Display: 5.7-inch 1080p Full HD Super AMOLED, 386 ppi
- Design: All metal, curved screen
- Size: 6.7mm thick, 165g weight
- Chip: Snapdragon 625 octa-core chip
- RAM: 4GB RAM
- Memory: 32GB or 64GB internal storage, microSD card up to 128GB
- Main camera: 16MP f1.9 main shooter, LED flash, 1080p video
- Front camera: 8MP f1.9 selfie shooter, 1080p video
- Connectivity: WiFi 802.11a, 4G LTE, Dual-SIM (hybrid), Bluetooth 4.2, NFC, GPS
- OS: Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, TouchWiz UI
- Battery: 3300 mAh non-removable, Adaptive Fast Charging
- Port: microUSB 2.0
- Audio: ANT+, mono speaker, FM Radio
- Colors: Gold, Rose Gold, Gray
- Release date:Â August 2016 in the Philipines, India, USA, Middle East
- Price:Â $425 (P19,990)Â pesos price for 64GB, $400 (P18,000)Â official SRP from Samsung Philippines
hi! feedback on its connectivity?
Pretty standard and good which true to most mid-range phones today.
Battery life??
On normal use the battery lasts atleast 3 days very easily. If you are a power user than max 2 days it can survive.
C7 supports UHQ, so its kinda support high resolution music files