The most interesting feature on the Samsung Galaxy S7 may not a better camera, or some new gimmick, but a piece of software that could change the way you take actual phone calls. The manufacturer announced a plan to integrate smartphone caller ID service Whitepages to the S7 at the system level, layering public listings on top of user contacts, making unknown calls feel a lot less random.
In other words: No more staring a phone lock screen, trying figure who’s on the other end based on the area code.
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To minimize the number of unwanted calls, Whitepages adds a call-checking spam filter. Users can flag and block calls from telemarketers or other aggressive calls as spam, which builds a database of unwanted numbers to warn others. When users get a call from a known “spam” number, they will see a stop sign with an X, with a warning that explains why the number has been flagged.
On the other hand, Whitepages integration adds searchable public listings to your contact search bar. No more switching to Chrome for a business listing to grab a number, it’s all “in” your contacts. The search can also draw on geo-based services, such as Yelp, to help local business in a pinch.
Obviously, caller ID has been around forever. Whitepages, in fact, already offers this service via an app available on iOS and Android. However, integrating it at the system level makes it easier to use and cultivates a larger, more effective database to draw on.
The Galaxy S7 will offer Whitepages support 15 in countries as part of the Samsung integration; Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Philippines, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, the U.K., and the United States.
The Samsung Galaxy S7 will be available in 11 countries March 11.
