Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is due to unveil its next range of flagship smartphones in early 2016, as is the company’s tradition. With the Galaxy S6 now old news and the Galaxy S6 edge+ almost a non-event, everyone is waiting to see what the Korean tech giant brings to the table to compete with Apple’s new iPhones.

We won’t really know until we know, but, as is usually the case, a slew of rumors have surfaced to help us form a picture of what we can expect. Below is a roundup of the most recent rumors surrounding the Samsung Galaxy S7.

Exynos and Snapdragon processor variants

While the Galaxy S6 shipped exclusively with Samsung’s Exynos 7420 chip, a report from SamMobile appears to confirm that the company will ship two variants of the Galaxy S7, one with the company’s new Exynos 8 Octa 8890 processor and one with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 processor.

According to model numbers published online, the Snapdragon 820 powered Galaxy S7 will ship to China, Verizon, Sprint and US Cellular, while the Exynos 8 Octa 8890-powered version will feature in handsets destined for international unlocked handsets, T-Mobile, AT&T, Canada and Korea.

Cheaper than Galaxy S6

In early November, G for Games reported that Chinese analyst Pan Jiutang expects Samsung to peg the price of the Galaxy S7 around 10 percent lower than the current retail price of the Galaxy S6. When it was released, the Galaxy S6 retailed for around $679 before Samsung reduced the price to $579 following slowing demand.

Release date

Despite rumors suggesting an early release date, it appears Samsung will stick to its traditional timeframe and launch the Galaxy S7 at an Unpacked event said to be set for February 21, 2016, just one day ahead of Mobile World Congress.

Camera upgrade

Due to make its way into consumer devices next year, Samsung’s new BRITECELL camera sensor, which enables brighter images in low light conditions, may debut in the Galaxy S7. The new sensor is said to be 17 percent smaller than previous units and incorporates Samsung’s new Smart WDR (wide dynamic range) technology, as well as phase detection autofocus.

Additional rumors suggest the Galaxy S7 may feature a 20-megapixel rear camera with RAW support.

New material, stronger body

A report from Korean publication iNews24 (via G for Games) suggests that Samsung may switch to magnesium alloy for the construction of the Galaxy S7’s body instead of using aluminum alloy as it does for the Galaxy S6.

3D Touch-like display

According to a “leak” on Chinese microblogging site Weibo (via BGR), Samsung has enlisted human interface solutions developer Synaptics, Inc.’s ClearForce technology to bring 3D Touch-like functionality to the display of the Galaxy S7.

Return of the microSD card slot

Samsung ditched the microSD card slot in its 2015 lineup of flagship smartphones – a decision that turned out to be unpopular with consumers. Now, rumors suggest that the company may have seen the error of its ways and will reintroduce the micorSD card slot on the Galaxy S7.

Image credit: Maurizio Pesce, Flickr