The Galaxy Note 7 has exited the flagship scene, but two names stand out as viable replacements for the explosive Samsung phone. We are pitting Samsung's Galaxy S7 edge against Google's Pixel XL, so you know which fits you best.
Design
Both handsets feature premium materials and design, with the S7 edge being slightly smaller and lighter, and also being a tad better at water resistance (IP68 vs. the IP53 of the Pixel XL).
Both sport fingerprint sensors. Google placed it on the back of the device, while Samsung embedded it into the main button on the S7 edge front.
Display
The S7 edge and Pixel XL are identical in screen size and resolution, as both rock AMOLED displays that are protected via Corning Gorilla Glass 4. However, the S7 edge sports a curved screen.
The curved display brings a slew of extra features, but no radically future-proof ones.
Camera
Mobile photography-wise, the Pixel XL has the upper hand thanks to its front snapper, which trumps the one on the S7 edge. The S7 edge does have a bigger aperture and optical image stabilization, while the Pixel XL has both phase detection autofocus and laser detection autofocus, and relies on electronic image stabilization.
Both sport 12-megapixel main cameras.
Thanks to the increased number of controls on Samsung's flagship phone, users get more versatility. Meanwhile, the Pixel XL offers basic settings for users to toy with, as most mobile photographers are satisfied with point-and-click mechanisms.
Technical Specs
Both the Pixel XL and S7 edge pack 4 GB of RAM. Google's device offers more internal storage but trades in the microSD support. The S7 edge features a bigger power source, but the Pixel XL makes use of USB Type-C.
Processing power comes via a Snapdragon 821 in the Pixel XL, while the S7 edge comes packing a Snapdragon 820 or an Exynos 8890 SoC, depending on region.
The S7 edge offers wireless charging, something missing from the Pixel XL.
Software
The Pixel XL comes with Android 7.1 Nougat and unique software features reserved for made-by Google phones. Reviewers are commending the optimization of the Nougat on the Pixel XL.
Samsung taps into Android 6.0 Marshmallow and ramps it up with the TouchWiz UI. A bit of bloatware is visible, but overall it does not hinder the performance of the device.
Price
The Google Pixel XL's entry price is £719 ($881), while the S7 edge price starts at £639 ($783).
Google offers two color options for the Pixel XL, Quite Black and Very Silver. Meanwhile, the S7 edge has no less than five options, including Pink Gold, Silver and Gold, with a Blue Coral option coming on Nov. 5.
Wrap-up
Both devices perform excellently when looking at performance or quality. Samsung has the edge (pun intended) in pricing, microSD support and low-light camera, but Pixel XL offers more in terms of clean OS and unique features.
