Samsung Galaxy S7 release date, specs & features: the 5 things to expect before its release on February 2016 [rumors]

The Samsung Galaxy S7 is rumored to be unveiled come January of next year, just in time for its release the following month. While the South Korean company has yet to finish it's line-up launch for this year, people are already showing interest and anticipation about its upcoming flagship smartphone. Because of this, numerous rumors about its specs and features started circulating on the Internet, adding more excitement to its official debut.

Here is a list of the most-buzzed speculations to help fans and gadget aficionados get a good idea of what to expect from the Samsung Galaxy S7.

1. The Galaxy S7 will come out in two variants - curved and flat.

According to Sam Mobile, Samsung will release two variations of their latest smartphone under the model numbers SM-G930 and SM-G935, of which the company has referred to as "Hero" and "Hero 2" respectively. These variants will follow the trend of their predecessors, which means a regular flat screen for an apparent Galaxy S7 and dual-curved-edge display for the rumored Galaxy S7 Edge. Furthermore, the site confirms these variants will be available in Korea, China, US, Canada and Europe as soon as an official unveiling has been announced.

2. The Galaxy S7 will come in either Samsung's Exynos / 8890 SoC or Qualcomm's newest Snapdragon 820.

Phone Arena writes that the Exynos 8890 is rumored to provide the similar performance that Apple A9 chipset can do, getting a whooping 8038 points when tested on multi-threaded cross-platform. As for the Snapdragon 820, Samsung is rumored to have the privilege to be the first mobile manufacturer to test it. No details have been provided yet about Qualcomm's latest chip but if rumors are true, it is said to have a customized CPU design, Adreno 530 GPU, a built-in malware protection and a new DSP chip.

3. The two Galaxy S7 variants will have UFS 2.0 internal storage with a microSD card slot.

Android Geeks shares that similar to the Galaxy S6, the new Galaxy S7 will come with the amazing UFS 2.0 internal storage. But most importantly, Samsung is apparently thinking of bringing back the microSD card to increase external memory capacity of the smartphone. This will work great with the rumored 20 megapixel ISOCELL sensor or dual-camera setup being tested that includes optical image stabilization, optical zoom and laser autofocus.

4. The Galaxy S7 will be made from magnesium alloy, making the flagship smartphone as light as a feather.

Tech Gadget claims that the S7 will be thinner and lighter, as it will be made from magnesium, which also makes it more heat-resistant. Magnesium is a better heat conductor than aluminum.

5. The Galaxy S7 will have a heart rate sensor, better battery life, front-facing dual stereo speakers and an accessible fast wireless charging.

Tech Gadget adds that Samsung is adding these features to make the S7 its best flagship smartphone yet. The heart rate sensor is said to rival that of Apple Watch, while the speakers will be better than HTC. Of course, battery life has always topped the list of Samsung's "Need to Improve on Features" because frankly, consumers are getting fed up with easy-to-drain battery life.