YouTube user “PhoneBuff” has created a model that has become one of the better methods for testing real-world performance. It’s in no way scientific and we’ve explained the various issues with this methodology in the past, but it’s a good way to get a feel for the experience users can expect from a phone during actual everyday usage. As we all know by now, benchmark testing isn’t always a good representation of real-world performance.

In his new test, the vlogger pits the reigning champion iPhone 6s Plus against Samsung’s latest and greatest, the Galaxy S7 edge, which is my new favorite phone in the world despite the fact that I’ll never ditch my iPhone for one.

Since Samsung is one of the world’s top component makers in addition to being a smartphone vendor, its devices often are the first to feature exciting technological advancements across a number of key areas. Does all that great new tech add up to killer performance? Can the cutting-edge Snapdragon chipset make up for the fact that the S7 edge has far more pixels to power?

You’ll have to watch the video to find out, and I bet you’re going to be surprised at the results.

Eoin Treacy's view

Samsung is a highly diversified company so its phone sales don’t move the needle the way the iPhone does for Apple. However it is noteworthy that the S7 is receiving very positive reviews. What the above article does not mention is that a Samsung Gear Virtual Reality Headset comes free with the S7. In fact, so keen is the company to sell these phones that T-Mobile is running a buy one get one free deal right now in the USA. 

Samsung may well be in such a hurry because the main players in the virtual reality space i.e. Facebook, Steam/HTC and Sony have better user experiences but are much more expensive and have yet to go on full release. 

The UK listed GDR found support above its December low in January and is now testing the region of the trend mean. It will need to sustain a move above $600 to signal a return to demand dominance beyond short-term steadying. 

This report from USC’s Institute for Creative Technologies highlights how virtual reality is being used for treating post-traumatic stress and there are other studies into how it can be used to treat chronic pain. These are major considerations when assessing what the medium to long-term potential of VR is. 100 million people suffer from chronic pain in the USA and they spend upwards of $600 billion a year on treatment. A non pharmacalogical solution to these issues could be truly ground breaking.