Galaxy S7 to Feature Pressure-Sensitive Screen?

The Wall Street Journal has released a new report today, stating that Samsung, one of the leaders in the smartphone game, will be adding a Force Touch-like technology to the screen of their 2016 flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge. There’s also whispers about a high speed USB Type-C port for charging and other I/O.

But getting back to the screen, Samsung is reported to feature a technology very similar to Apple’s Force Touch found in the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. It’s said that the feature will bring access to bespoke features, but these particular elements are still a mystery, at least at this point in time. However, we could begin to assume that Samsung will be adding another layer to their TouchWiz UI to bring pressure sensitivity to life in their upcoming handsets.

The WSJ also states that the new phones will feature a new high-speed USB Type-C charging port, like the one found on Google’s newest smartphones, the Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X. Apparently, Samsung will be packing in a “proper” Type-C port, which basically means that you’ll be able to access other I/O elements such as speedy data transfer between say a USB flash drive and your phone. Plus, it’s supposed to get quick charge capabilities, meaning you’ll allegedly be able to get a full-day’s charge (or more) in just thirty minutes. That’s pretty cool, right? And, frankly, we’d be surprised if the GS7 lineup didn’t have this feature.

And, following in the footsteps of the Lumia 950, the GS7 is also rumored to feature a retina scanner. This would work in conjunction with the fingerprint scanner to offer an added level of security to the smartphone. As it suggests, the retina scanner will scan your eye as authentication. However, reports have been released about how the Lumia 950’s scanner isn’t very good, so we’ll have to see how Samsung does with their take on it.

Other rumored features of the upcoming smartphones include a Snapdragon 820 processor, an improved camera, a similar build to this year’s flagships (GS6 and GS6 Edge), high-resolution audio support, a February debut (specifically during Mobile World Congress), and a mid-March launch in the U.S.