Report: Samsung Galaxy S7 to have software optimization that rivals the iPhone

This year’s Samsung Galaxy S6 finally brought the major shakeup in design that many had long been hoping for, alongside tweaks and improvements to Touchwiz that made it a bit more streamlined than in years past. While the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge weren’t without their faults, there’s no denying that their arrival signaled a new era for Samsung. Now the question is where Samsung will go from here.

• Galaxy S7 to go on sale in March
• Galaxy S7 to have mostly same design as predecessor

The rumor mill has been churning with increased intensity as of late and we are starting to get a clearer picture of what the Samsung Galaxy S7 will bring to the table. First, we can reportedly expect only minor changes in design this time around, though the microSD slot could be making a much desired comeback.

Where the Galaxy S7 could really shine is in the software. A new report out of China suggests that Samsung is taking a software-centric approach to their Next Big Thing, and no that doesn’t mean throwing on a bunch of unnecessary extra software features (that’s what the Galaxy S4 and S5 were for).

Reportedly, Samsung has actually teamed up with Google engineers to help optimize and reform TouchWiz in a way that goes above and beyond the positive steps we saw with TouchWiz in 2015. Supposedly Samsung is aiming for optimization levels that would rival or even exceed what Apple has accomplished with iOS.

A lofty goal to say the least. After all, Apple is able to achieve its level of optimization due to its tight control of iOS, an advantage Samsung simply doesn’t have. Regardless, if the rumors prove true, that means we could be looking at a slimmer, faster, and more optimized software experience with the Galaxy S7.

You might be wondering if Google would really lend its engineers to Samsung in such a manner. While the legitimacy of this claim is unknown, we can say that it makes sense on some level. For many casual consumers, there are two accepted choices for smartphones if you want to be trendy: a Galaxy or an iPhone. That means the first taste of Android for many users comes from those who buy a Samsung Galaxy device, and so it isn’t surprising that Google would want to work with Samsung to ensure that the experience is a pleasant one.

For now, we’d take the entire report with a healthy dose of skepticism, but we can’t help but be a little excited over the prospect of a ultra-optimized Samsung Galaxy software experience.

What do you think, would you purchase a Galaxy S7 with more optimized TouchWiz onboard? Do you think that Samsung could achieve the kind of optimization it is hoping for? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Looking back – Samsung Galaxy S6 review