Samsung’s first round of accessories for the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge include some very clever additions
Accessories for smartphones these days are generally an after thought. You might see the odd overly pricey case or a dull battery pack, but they’re normally nothing to write home about.
But, it seems Samsung is trying to change that. Alongside the downright gorgeous Galaxy S7 Edge and equally impressive Galaxy S7, the Korean company showed off an array of pretty weird, interesting and actually quite useful add-ons.
Here are a few of our favourites
WATCH: Samsung S7 Edge Hands-on
Wide-angle and telephoto lenses
Easily the coolest accessory Samsung showed off, this pair of clip-on lenses give the already impressive Galaxy S7 camera a few extra skills.
Related: Galaxy Note 6 release date
There’s two to choose from – a wide-angle and telephoto – with each giving you a different effect. The wide-angle lens will let you fit more action into your shots, while the telephoto lets you capture photos further into the distance.
They both clip on to an included, slightly rubberised case and can be swapped in and out by just twisting it off.
As you can probably tell by the example above, the results look rather impressive. What’s more, you don’t need to fiddle about with settings or options they just work automatically when connected.
Back Pack – battery case
You might think it’s tricky to make a simple battery charging case stand out – well, we guess Apple did it for all the wrong reasons with its iPhone version – but Samsung has managed to with its one for the Galaxy S7 thanks to a neat trick.
Related: LG G5 vs LG G4
Instead of plugging directly into the microUSB port, the Back Pack uses a Qi wireless charging coil to transfer power to the phone. Wireless charging is much slower than having a wired connection, but it does let the case be a tad thinner by not needing a big chin on the bottom to house the connectors.
The case will give your Galaxy S7 an extra 2,700 mAh, while the S7 Edge gets a slightly bigger 3,100 mAh version.
Gaming Controller
Samsung has made a big play for mobile gamers with the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge. It’s the first phone to support the brand-new Vulkan API and there’s a special Game Launcher that lets you conserve power and block out annoying notifications while you’re deep in a round of Clash of Clans.
Related: What is Vulkan? The future of mobile gaming
But, Samsung has also made its very own game controller. This extending gamepad gives you a raft of physical buttons – which are always better than the touchscreen versions – and a place to dock the phone while you’re gaming.
Keyboard cover
Ah, the keyboard cover. Just like Samsung did with the launch of the Note 5 and S6 Edge, it’s releasing a Blackberry-esque keyboard add-on for both the S7 and S7 Edge.
This dinky accessory slips over the lower portion of your phone’s display and gives you a full keyboard to play with. It’s certainly an acquired taste design wise, but might be a welcome addition if you spend a large portion of your day knocking out emails on the go.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
