It wasn’t too long ago that upgrading to a new phone every year wasn’t something carriers wanted you to do. The two-year contract was still engrained into the system, so keeping up to date on all the new stuff meant spending a bit more. For most people that really wanted to make sure they had the best possible device at any time, that meant paying full price for the device you wanted.

It was a pain, to be honest, and I’m genuinely happy that carriers are moving away, or have already moved away, from the two-year ball-and-chain. Companies are making exciting devices every year, so we shouldn’t be penalized or kept from getting those things!

Of course, it’s not like upgrading every year is for everyone. Some folks out there love holding onto their devices for a while. Or maybe just don’t see a reason to upgrade to the “next big thing.”

Speaking of the next big thing, I’m wondering about the Galaxy S6 owners out there. Actually, to be specific, I’m thinking about all the folks out there that, last year, upgraded from whatever phone they had and picked up Samsung’s flagship. In doing so, I don’t think they made a mistake, because the Galaxy S6 was a good device! If someone had a Galaxy S4, or even the Galaxy S5, I don’t think it was a wrong move in picking up Samsung’s premiere handset for the year.

Sure, you would have missed out on the removable battery and expandable storage, but if you were okay with that, every other upgrade would’ve certainly been worth it.

Can the same be said for the upgrade between the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S7? Let’s not beat around the bush: Samsung made some noteworthy changes with this year’s flagship, especially in including expandable storage this time around, and the new camera system is probably almost worth it all on its own. Unlike previous years, I believe Samsung really pulled “an Apple” here, and made the year-over-year upgrade truly worth it for someone who upgraded to the Galaxy S6.

Or maybe they didn’t, and that’s what I’m curious about. We have all become accustomed to the fact that companies like Apple, Samsung, HTC, Motorola, and LG are going to release something new, and, probably, something better the following year after announcing their new flagship. So we make the conscious decision to not wait, to get the next big thing, and then try to make the decision all over again in 12 months’ time.

In the case of the Galaxy S7, and upgrading from the Galaxy S6, I’m wondering if Samsung made enough changes to make that particular move worthwhile to Galaxy S6 owners. If you owned the Galaxy S6, did you upgrade to the Galaxy S7? And if so, what made you make the decision to change things up and get the newer handset? Was the pull of expandable storage just that powerful? Or was it something else?