A lot of rumors are surrounding the handheld market these days. One of the more exciting ones revolves around the release of the Samsung's next flagship, the Galaxy S7.
So many rumors, mostly fan-made, of the alleged device are currently circulating within the Internet. Almost every other week, new speculations regarding the technical specifications of the upcoming device are thrown into the mix that it's quite hard deciding which to believe.
Sometimes, however, a rogue rumor that has so much sense comes along and makes the alternatives feel like lesser options. Such is the case with SABRE 9018 DAC from ESS Technology, an established company that designs and markets analog and Hi-Fi devices for audio systems.
The LG V10 is also fitted (PDF) with an ESS 9018 DAC, which was coupled with the SABRE 9602 headphone amplifier. The result is astounding. Reviewer Juan Bagnell says the LG V10's audio playback is a market improvement over the LG G4.
"The V10 now moves up to the premier tier of audio playback," says Bagnell. "LGs in the past have been plagued with mid-pack to outright poor audio playback, but the V10 catches up with the best [the] market has to offer."
The 9018 DAC has a dynamic range of up to 127dB and THD+N (total harmonic distortion plus noise) of 120dB. It also supports high resolution and lossless audio formats including FLAC, ALAC, AIFF and WAV.
Another rumor that has been talked about in the recent days is Samsung's choice of material. Instead of the usual aluminum, it is alleged that the company will opt for a magnesium alloy with glass, which is sturdier. Moreover, some claim that the magnesium alloy feels more "premium" than aluminum.
It is yet to be cleared what system on chip (SoC) the rumored Galaxy S7 will use — whether it would be a SnapDragon 820 or a member of Samsung's Exynos 7 line up. The 3D Touch/Force Touch/Clear Touch feature is also highly rumored along with a USB Type C connector.
Note that every rumor discussed here is purely skeptical and the official confirmation regarding the specs and material should come when Samsung unveils the Galaxy S7 next year.
