Samsung GALAXY S II Plus Pro Reviews

First and foremost, there's no denying that the Samsung Galaxy S II Plus is a capable and well-made mid-range smartphone. It has preserved many of the traits that made the 2-year-old Galaxy S II land in the pockets of over 40 million people worldwide, such as the slim profile, the great performance, and the high-grade camera gracing its back. But at the same time, we can't hide our disappointment from the fact that there's nothing to justify the “Plus” in the smartphone's title. In other words, the Samsung Galaxy S II Plus isn't a true upgrade to the Galaxy S II, rather just a refreshed version meant to replace the older model, and even a downgrade in some aspects, such as on-board storage availability. Nevertheless, the Samsung Galaxy S II Plus is still a smartphone that can offer plenty of bang for the buck, so give it a try if you're out looking for mid-range Android device. Alternatively, there are several similarly priced devices that you might also find worth buying. The HTC One S, for example, should cost about the same, but looks even more appealing with its ultra slim metal body. Or you can also try the Sony Xperia SL, which has a display of much higher resolution. And if you're a fan of large-screen smartphones, there's the Samsung Galaxy Grand for you with its 5-inch display. The LG Nexus 4 is also a worthy pick, as long as it is available at a reasonable price in your country, for it comes with a better screen and a much faster processor.

We mentioned at the start that it's the software where the S II Plus will make the most sense over the original Galaxy S II, due in large part to the near-identical hardware of the two devices. However, with Jelly Bean for the Galaxy S II already available in some markets and probably in many more soon, even that advantage goes away. One theory on what exactly Samsung was thinking when it released this device is the phasing out of the old flagship with a newer (and cheaper to manufacture) model. Scaling the onboard storage to 8 GB aligns to this, as flash storage is one of the most expensive components found in a smartphone. Also, by outsourcing to Broadcom for the chip manufacture process, Samsung would be able to free up its own factories for making more Galaxy S III and Note II SoC's. But what does all this mean to the consumer?

We admit, since Google offered a premium smartphone for a giveaway price with its Nexus 4, other manufacturers have a hard time scoring with their midrange models. Nevertheless, Samsung's Galaxy S2 Plus largely convinced us, which we would like to summarize here. We will start with the casing. Its build, feel and stability do not give reason for complaint although the smartphone is extremely slim and light. The 4.3-inch screen is a perfect compromise between image size and pocket-suitability. Only the resolution is no longer quite up-to-date. However, the AMOLED technology excites with its brilliant image quality that is not excelled by any IPS screen.