Part 1
Getting Started with the Samsung Galaxy S7
Review the capabilities cellphones and what sets smartphones apart.
Navigate your phone for the first time.
Turn off your phone and managing sleep mode.
Make sense of mobile data technology.
Chapter 1
Exploring What You Can Do with Your Phone
IN THIS CHAPTER
Reviewing the basic capabilities of just about any mobile phone
Understanding what sets smartphones apart
Mapping out what makes Samsung Galaxy S7 phones so cool
Getting you prepared to enjoy your phone
Whether you want just the basics from a mobile phone (make and take phone calls, customize your ringtone, take some pictures, maybe use a Bluetooth headset) or you want your phone to be always by your side (a tool for multiple uses throughout your day), you can make that happen. In this chapter, I outline all the things your Samsung Galaxy S7 can do – from the basics to what makes Galaxy S7 phones different from the rest.
Discovering the Basics of Your Phone
All mobile phones on the market today include basic functions, and even some entry-level phones are a little more sophisticated. Of course, Samsung includes all basic functions on the Galaxy S7 model. In addition to making and taking calls (see Chapter 3) and sending and receiving texts (see Chapter 4), the Galaxy S7 sports the following basic features:
❯❯ 12MP digital camera: This resolution is more than enough for posting good-quality images on the Internet and even having 8 x 10-inch prints made. There is also a front-facing camera that is useful for videoconference calls.
❯❯ Ringtones: You can replace the standard ringtone with custom ringtones that you download to your phone. You also can specify different rings for different numbers.
❯❯ Bluetooth: The Galaxy S7 phone supports stereo and standard Bluetooth devices. (See Chapter 3 for more on Bluetooth.)
❯❯ High-resolution screen: The Galaxy S7 phone offers one of the highest-resolution touchscreens on the market (2,560 x 1,440 pixels).
❯❯ Capacitive touchscreen: The Galaxy S7 phone offers a very slick touchscreen that’s sensitive enough to allow you to interact with the screen accurately, but not so sensitive that it’s hard to manage. In addition, it has an optional setting that steps up the sensitivity for special circumstances, like when you want to use one hand!
Taking Your Phone to the Next Level: The Smartphone Features
In addition to the basic capabilities of any entry-level phone, the Galaxy S7, which is based on the popular Android platform for mobile devices, has capabilities associated with other smartphones, such as the Apple iPhone and the phones based on the Windows Phone 8 operating system:
❯❯ Internet access: Access websites through a web browser on your phone.
❯❯ Photos: The Galaxy S7 comes with a very intelligent camera that has millions of combinations of settings, filters, and resolutions and also has the capability to manage photos.
❯❯ Wireless email: Send and receive email from your phone.
❯❯ Multimedia: Play music and videos on your phone.
❯❯ Contact Manager: The Galaxy S7 lets you take shortcuts that save you from having to enter someone’s ten-digit number each time you want to call or text a friend. In fact, the Contact Manager can track all the numbers that an individual might have, store an email address and photo for the person, and synchronize with the program you use for managing contacts on both your personal and work PCs!
❯❯ Digital camcorder: The Galaxy S7 comes with a built-in digital camcorder that records live video at a resolution that you can set, including UHD (ultra-high definition, which is just now becoming available on the newest televisions).
❯❯ Mapping and directions: The Galaxy S7 uses GPS (Global Positioning System) in your phone to tell you where you are, find local services that you need, and give you directions to where you want to go.
❯❯ Fitness information: The Galaxy S7 automatically tracks important health information within the phone and with external sensors.
❯❯ Business applications: The Galaxy S7 can keep you productive while you’re away from the office.
I go into each of these capabilities in greater detail in the following sections.
Internet access
Until a few years ago, the only way to access the Internet when you were away from a desk was with a laptop. Smartphones are a great alternative to laptops because they’re small, convenient, and ready to launch their web browsers right away. Even more important, when you have a smartphone, you can access the Internet wherever you are – whether Wi-Fi is available or not.
The drawback to smartphones, however, is that their screen size is smaller than that of even the most basic laptop. On the Galaxy S7 phone, you can use the standard version of a website if you want. You can pinch and stretch your way to get the information you want. (See Chapter 2 for more information on pinching and stretching. For more information on accessing the Internet from your Galaxy S7 phone, turn to Chapter 7.)
To make things a bit easier, many popular websites offer an easier-to-use app that you can download and install on your phone. This is discussed in detail in Chapter 8. Essentially, the website reformats the information from the site so that it’s easier to read and navigate in the mobile environment. Figure 1-1 compares a regular website with the app version of that website.
FIGURE 1-1: A website and the app version of the main site.
Photos
The image application on your phone helps you use the digital camera on your Galaxy S7 phone to its full potential. (It would almost make sense to call the Samsung Galaxy S7 a smartcamera with a built-in phone!)
Studies have found that cellphone users tend to snap a bunch of pictures within the first month of phone usage. After that, the photos sit on the phone (instead of being downloaded to a computer), and the picture-taking rate drops dramatically.
The Galaxy S7 image management application is different. You can integrate your camera images into your home photo library, as well as photo-sharing sites