Consumer Reports tests new Samsung Galaxy S7, S7 Edge

Samsung is promoting its new Galaxy S7 with a celebrity-filled ad campaign. Consumer Reports has just completed its testing of the S7 and the larger S7 Edge.

Samsung's ads tout that its new S7 phones have a long battery life, a great camera in low light and they're water resistant.

"Why doesn't my phone work after I pour this expensive champagne all over it? How am I supposed to show how rich and carefree I am?" the ad said.

Consumer Reports tested those claims on the Galaxy S7 and the S7 Edge, running them through the same tests it does for all smartphones.

To test water resistance, Consumer Reports dropped the phones in a pressurized tank, which simulates submersion in 5 feet of water for 30 minutes.

Both phones passed.

On the S7, you don't have to worry about the flaps over the ports like you did on the S5.

Next came the low-light camera test.

Both phones do create clearer images than the previous Galaxy S6 and the iPhone 6S, although the colors aren't as accurate.

Consumer Reports also tests another feature that's very important to people - battery life.

"Both phones delivered over 24 hours of talk in our tests. The Edge performed a bit better because frankly, it has a bigger battery," Consumer Reports' Mike Gikas said.

Another plus is that the S7s also have expandable storage, which is not available on iPhones.

"Battery life, the camera, water resistance, all of these things helped propel the S7s to the top of our ratings and ahead of iPhones," Gikas said.

Like other premium smartphones, these can be a bit pricey. The S7 costs $650 and the S7 Edge goes for $750.

Consumer Reports will be testing the new Apple iPhone as soon as it goes on sale.

Consumer Reports is published by Consumers Union. Both Consumer Reports and Consumers Union are not-for-profit organizations that accept no advertising. Neither has any commercial relationship with any advertiser or sponsor on this site.

(All Consumer Reports Material Copyright 2014. Consumers Union of U.S. Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)