Samsung Galaxy C7 Pro preview: A closer look

Camera

The Galaxy C7 Pro has a 16 megapixel camera on the back with f1.9 aperture, phase detection autofocus, and two-tone dual LED flash. The camera can also record 1080p 30fps video.

Camera app

The camera software on Samsung phones has been refined over the years and remains one of the best out there. However, the app on the C7 Pro is a bit too simplified, as is often the case with non-flagship phones.

There is a Pro mode, but it doesn't offer shutter speed control or manual focus adjustment.

Fortunately, there aren't too many compromises in image quality and photos taken with the C7 Pro generally come out looking good.

Photos taken by the Galaxy C7 Pro

Daylight images have good level of detail and accurate colors. Closer inspection reveals some smearing of finer details and occasional patchiness, but it does help keep the noise level down and isn't too distracting.

The dynamic range isn't great and the center-weighted average metering often blows highlights to keep the center of the frame well lit.

The HDR mode works really well most of the time, dialing just the right amount control for the shadows and highlights depending upon the scene. Unfortunately, it doesn't offer live preview or auto mode.

In low light the image processing gets a bit more aggressive, and we see more of the smearing and patchiness in finer detail. But again, it's not particularly problematic. The phone does come with a very capable Night mode, which takes multiple shots and combines them, much like the HDR mode, to clean out the noise and restore some of the lost detail.

The video capturing doesn't come with Slow motion mode, a 60fps option or electronic stabilization (EIS), with the latter being its biggest drawback.

The video quality is also quite good. The dynamic range isn't great but the level of detail, colors, and the focusing are perfectly fine. The lack of stabilization does make the video quite shaky, though.

Battery Life

One of the most impressive things about the C9 Pro was its incredible battery life. The C7 Pro has a smaller 3300mAh battery, but the chipset is also more efficient. The Snapdragon 626 is extremely frugal, which meant we ended up getting roughly the same excellent battery life with the C7 Pro as we did with the C9 Pro.

Battery life times

The C7 Pro supports fast charging, but like we mentioned before, the phone tends to get very hot while charging and it is recommended that you don't use it at the same time.

Verdict

The C7 Pro inherits almost everything from its elder sibling, including the great design, excellent display, good performance, terrific battery life, and a decent set of cameras. Being smaller and cheaper, it is also generally more likable, as not everybody wants a giant, expensive smartphone.

So while it may not be as good in value as the OnePlus 3T or the upcoming Xiaomi Mi 6, it is still a solid option for those who want an all-around smartphone and the peace of mind that comes with a big brand like Samsung.