Samsung Galaxy S II Pro Reviews

If it's just a matter of which of the two phones we'd like to have in our pocket, the answer is a straightforward "Galaxy S III, please". The S II was a trusted companion, but it no longer tickles our inner geek, while the S III feels like it comes from the future. At the checkout, we started having second thoughts - the Galaxy S II will easily remain a great phone for another year, even if not quite as good as its successor. So, if you already have it and are not too keen to spend, it will easily last you till the Galaxy S IV, which is sure to come some time next year. Things are murkier for those who don't already have a Galaxy S II though - sure, the phone is cheaper now, but is it worth spending money on a phone that already has a few gray hairs? In the long run, a Galaxy S III (if you can afford it) is the better choice - it won't have aged that much by next year (when the S II will be old and creaky) and you would have gotten to use the better smartphone of the two during that time. Also, its resale value will be higher after a year, so the cash you've spent for owning the phone might not be much more than getting an S II now only to sell it dirt cheap later on. Okay, this conclusion will shock no one - the newer phone is better and that's hardly a surprise. But the thing is, if you had to choose which one to buy just now, the S III is better by just enough to make spending the extra cash worthwhile.

To sum it all up, there are a number of reasons why upgrading to the Galaxy S III would be good for you. The most important one is the bigger, higher-resolution screen, which will make consumption of multimedia that much more enjoyable. The other reason is the quad-core Exynos processor, which is basically future-proof right now. Although the dual-core CPU found on the GS II is still pretty good, with these quad-core SoCs around, it might soon find itself lacking enough power to provide smooth performance with heavier apps and games. The third reason is the refined software on the GS III, in the form of TouchWiz Nature UX. The new UI looks and runs better, while adding a few cool features to further enhance your experience of using the phone. Still, with the Galaxy S II running Ice Cream Sandwich, and with many third-party launchers being available on Google Play, GS II users aren't really missing too much in this respect. If you can live without those features, well, we guess you can stick to your trusty Galaxy S II for a little longer, until even more capable smartphones start showing up. However, if the Galaxy S III turns out to be as successful as its predecessor, we have the feeling that you might have to wait quite a bit until something better arrives on the scene.

The Sony Xperia S can successfully take on the best current-gen droids and come out the winner in several key areas. Its biggest problem, however, is that the flagship trend has moved on to quad-core packing, Android 4.0 ICS running phones and Sony isn't there yet. The OS update is coming soon, which will neutralize one of the two major complaints. The second complaint - the number of CPU cores - is not necessarily a deal-breaker as not all tasks require that many cores and games are often more limited by the GPU than the processor (even the new iPad sticks with just 2 CPU cores, but packs upgraded graphics). The 12MP camera is definitely a key selling point for the Sony Xperia S and luckily for it, it's practically alone in its field (except some Japan-only or obscure phones). It did very well in video capture too.

If you're asking whether it's worth updating your Samsung Galaxy S II from Android 2.3 Gingerbread to 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, the answer is an unequivocal yes. The user experience improves in multiple areas and there's nothing lost after the update. Ice Cream Sandwich will extend the Galaxy S II's life and it will continue to be a highly popular device. We certainly saw plenty of competitors at the MWC compare their devices to the S II. Looking further ahead, an upgrade to Android 5.0 Jelly Bean is less certain. We hope the S II will have more luck than the original Galaxy S, which Samsung couldn't update to ICS, but we'll just have to wait and see. Anyway, the Samsung Galaxy S II is one of the first phones out there with Ice Cream Sandwich and will continue to enjoy near premium status (though not flagship status after the S III finally arrives).

The HTC One S is the more sophisticated handset out of the comparison with the Galaxy S II. It has the better design, faster camera and processor, and Sense 4.0 is much better woven into Android ICS than TouchWiz. The Samsung Galaxy S II compensates very well with its removable battery and regular SIM slot, as well as the expandable storage it offers. For a lot of people this added flexibility will make it the better handset, despite that the HTC One S excelling in almost every other department. As far as pricing goes, both handsets cost roughly the same now. Granted, we are on the verge of the next Samsung Galaxy S version launch, which might see discounts in the S II price, but the HTC One S tag will only be heading downwards from here as well.

At $130, the Samsung Galaxy S II is officially U.S. Cellular's priciest phone. It's also its best, and its flagship, and the one I'd recommend in a heartbeat for customers of the nation's sixth largest carrier. Even as the next wave of superphones begins to flood the market, the Galaxy S II is a handset that can go the distance. The only caveat is that U.S. Cellular is planning to build out a 4G network, and when it does, the GSII won't be able to access those faster speeds. If you're a current customer with a good chunk of time left on the contract, it could behoove you to wait for LTE.

One of the best Android phones available, with a great screen and fast processor

All this, and the Galaxy S II is a great phone, too. Its battery will easily go a day between charges (more if you go easy on video usage) and call quality is fine. It all adds up to a stunning package – one already available free on contract from many providers. If Apple’s forthcoming iPhone 5 (due in September) is to beat the Samsung, it’ll have to be truly extraordinary.

amsung’s original break in smartphones was due to the Galaxy S hardware platform, and it is clear that Samsung took it to the next level with the Galaxy S2. The hardware has been improved on many points, including additional horsepower, faster graphics and faster HSPA+ “4G” access. The chassis has been improved too: it’s much thinner and lighter. Detractors will be quick to point out that the manufacturing is “cheap” and “fragile”. It is true that there is a “plastic” feel, especially in the back, and I can understand where the criticism comes from. However, that’s also the price to pay to get an extremely light phone. In the end, I found the Galaxy S2 to be an excellent phone. It is light, very fast, can capture great images and has a good battery life. These attributes are what most users would want in a modern Android smartphone. Wouldn’t you? I hope that this review has given you a good overview of the Samsung Galaxy S2 (for AT&T). I tried to cover most of the areas that one may want to know, but if there is something else that you would like to ask, or if you simply want to provide some feedback, please leave a comment below. I’ll try to reply as soon as I can.

That said there are still a few lingering areas which the SGS2 wavers. Audio quality from the Yamaha codec in the SGS2 isn’t up to the level of quality the Wolfson was capable of, and there are some potentially frustrating baseband instability issues we ran into as well. There’s also the notable omission of NFC in all but the Korean version of the SGS2, and it looks as though only certain variants coming to the USA will have NFC. The international market is a whole lot more efficient than the situation we have to deal with here in the USA. Phones launch in largely the form the manufacturer originally intended them to, and as a result there’s a single target for both enthusiast ROM modders and the handset vendor to build and test software on. More and more, it’s really that kind of long-term support that makes a handset valuable, and SGS2 is such a huge success already that it isn’t likely to be obsolete in just a few months, even with Kal-El phones and a new Nexus looming on the horizon. I really have to admit that I went into this review expecting to be massively underwhelmed with Galaxy S 2. Here we are at the end though, I find my thoughts about the device completely changed. Even taking into account the near term Android roadmap, Galaxy S 2 is the Android smartphone I’d absolutely buy today.

With a risk of making things sound overly simple, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus is the better phone. And it should be, because it made it to the stores only recently, while the Galaxy S II has been around for the better part of the year. With technological advantages like a higher-resolution screen, as well as a much better software platform in the form of Android 4.0, the Nexus is currently holding the lead in the Android race. However, the Galaxy S II is not too far behind. Thanks to its simplistic and lightweight design, along with outstanding system performance, it has managed to fight a lot of rivals during the year and keep its status of being one of the best Android smartphones around. And with an upcoming update to ICS, we expect it to retain this status for a while longer. Ultimately, if video recording is too important to you, or you don't feel like putting a 4.65” monster in your pocket, you'll be better off staying with the Galaxy S II, until a more suitable candidate appears on the horizon. In every other case, grab the Galaxy Nexus and enjoy the best of Android right now.

There is nothing much to dissuade those looking for a high-performance smartphone from getting the Samsung Galaxy S II. You are practically looking at one of the better Android mobile devices out there that comes with the complete package, offering a good balance of performance, features and battery life. Its plastic build might not sit well with some users, but it is a small price to pay in exchange for an extremely lightweight and ultra-thin body. Besides, most users would end up protecting the device with some form of case anyway.

Seldom do we rate a phone a full 5/5, but the Galaxy S II is one of the most advanced, well-rounded, and powerful smartphones we've ever tested. Samsung truly delivered on its second-generation Galaxy S. We can't get over how thin the Galaxy S II is, and it's a true joy to be able to browse the web with such smoothness and speed. There certainly is room for improvement here. Samsung ought to work on making TouchWiz as lean as possible, and it'd be nice to turn it off entirely and revert back to stock Android for maximum speed. We also wonder whose idea it was to have the device make a beep when the battery is fully charged...if you like waking up at 3AM, this won't be a problem for you, but for those of us that like to sleep soundly, it's a big annoyance.

Faced with the challenge of the popular and capable iPhone, Samsung pulled out all the stops with the Galaxy S II, summoning its vast technological prowess in so many areas to produce a phone that really shines. From the "insanely great" monitor with its vibrant color and deep blacks, to its powerful processor that allows smooth animations and impressive capabilities, the Galaxy S II presents a winning alternative. Its 8-megapixel camera is what we were interested in, though, and that did fairly well too, especially as a simple everywhere camera. It has a lot more options than the iPhone 4, more than we mention in the review, in fact, allowing the savvy user to take more control if they want, or else stick with full auto modes. The latest iPhone 4S adds a few options of its own, which we'll have to look at soon, but there's no question the Galaxy S II offers more control than the iPhone 4. Color was a bit muted with the Galaxy S II, but that actually means it was accurate, which is remarkable given the incredibly vibrant screen on the camera. Vibrant screens often deceive you about the color, but not the Galaxy S II. Instead, its screen gives you a pretty true rendition, even when you're in direct sunlight. It's surprising. The Galaxy S II's matrix metering needed a little help now and then, often blowing out white objects in a scene, but that help was readily available in the form of exposure compensation, so we were pleased with that. Digital zoom is pretty bad, so we stuck to full-frame shooting. We also liked that the camera was able to add a GPS tag to images, which is great in social media for telling your friends about a restaurant you really liked, offering them not just a picture, but a map so they can find and try it themselves. Its a new digital world if you choose to take part, and the Samsung Galaxy S II is well-suited to the task for the right type of person. While we don't recommend the Samsung Galaxy S II as a camera to rely upon in important photographic situations, like taking the money shots at a wedding, we do think it's a pretty good camera for sharing photos on the Web and even for making reasonably sized prints, making it a Dave's Pick.

You can’t go wrong with any of these two Android powerhouses, as they both offer top class specifications, with large and vivid Super AMOLED displays and capable dual-core processors packed in slim bodies. The Samsung Galaxy S II is a tad narrower than the RAZR, which makes it more comfortable to operate for some. It is able to capture very good pictures and video with the 8MP camera module, and has the DivX/Xvid video codecs hardwired. The Motorola DROID RAZR, on the other hand, is extremely thin, but rigid with its metal frame and unique with the Kevlar-woven back. It sports excellent call quality with its distinct and strong earpiece, and uncompromising microphones, but the pictures and video from its own 8MP camera are lacking in comparison with the Galaxy S II. The handsets are running in a comparable price range, so the choice could very well boil down to personal preferences involving the designs and interfaces.

The folks at Samsung clearly focused on the design and performance of this device. When this phone was launched at MWC, it was said to carry a 1GHz CPU. That clearly didn't work out so well back at HQ, where Samsung delayed the phone long enough to get a faster 1.2GHz dual-core processor in there. Furthermore, the chassis itself is lighter and thinner than the iPhone 4. It's been tough for handset makers to match or beat Apple in many areas, so for Samsung to beat it in a handful of categories proves Samsung's mettle.

This is my third Android smartphone I've used through T-Mobile and the Samsung Galaxy S II is by far the fastest and most complete Android-based phone I've used to date. The combination of Gingerbread and TouchWiz made my entire experience with the Galaxy S II more immersive and user friendly. The phone was very responsive when I was using multiple applications and the battery life was on par with what I would expected for a 4.52" phone. My only beef with this phone is the construction and materials used on the Galaxy S II felt a bit flimsy and cheap for my personal taste. I was also frustrated with T-Mobile for making me pay a tethering and wireless hot spot fee. Other than that, I give the Samsung Galaxy S II our gold award for its blistering speed, custom user interface, and gorgeous AMOLED display.

The HTC Amaze 4G and Samsung Galaxy S II are superphones that take a different approach. HTC comes at you with blunt force, with a bold and brash design. The Galaxy goes about it with sleek and sexy. With nearly identical hardware and similar performance what separates these phones is software and personal preference. HTC does a better job with their Sense 3.0 overlay, but Samsung manages not to mess things up with TouchWiz 4.0. Our personal preference is for the larger Super AMOLED Plus display, thinner body and better battery life on the Galaxy S II, but then again we couldn’t fault you for choosing the Amaze 4G for its higher resolution and more sturdy construction.

T he Samsung Galaxy S2 smartphone is currently high up on the lists in terms of the ´Most Popular and Best Smartphone´. That is not unexpected, as this Galaxy smartphone is very user-friendly, has a fantastic crystal clear 4.3" touch display and has all the advantages that the Android 2.3 Gingerbread has to offer. The digital camera function in the Samsung Galaxy S2 also delivers stunning photos that are truly better than some digital compact cameras. The Samsung Galaxy S2 has a retail price of about € 500.00 Euros. That is not cheap, but this gets you a top smartphone that has almost everything you could wish for.

It’s been a long wait for the Samsung Galaxy S II, but it’s been worth it. For those on AT&T, this phone is better than the Infuse 4G, HTC Inspire, LG Thrill 4G, and Motorola Atrix. The battery life is solid, Samsung has spruced up its TouchWiz interface, the specs are best in class, and the camera is as good as ever. We highly recommend the Galaxy S II. More powerful phones will come out, but this will remain a great option for some time. At $200 with a two-year contract, we can’t complain.

Thankfully, the Galaxy S II hits so many right notes with its distinct hardware and software touches that it becomes that much sweeter. Quirks with Samsung-made apps and the uncanny Apple-like design elements notwithstanding, the S II feels like a best-of-all-worlds smartphone.

All this, and the Galaxy S II is a great phone, too. Its battery will easily go a day between charges (more if you go easy on video usage) and call quality is fine. It all adds up to a stunning package – one already available free on contract from many providers. If Apple’s forthcoming iPhone 5 (due in September) is to beat the Samsung, it’ll have to be truly extraordinary.

The Samsung Galaxy S II is the most exciting smartphone we've seen for a long time. Expensive, yes - but it sits right at the top of the specifications tree. If we had the cash to hand, we'd buy one in a jiffy.

There’re phones to look for, phones to talk about, phones to be seen with. The Samsung I9100 Galaxy S II is all that and more. Android is the smart platform of choice these days. With phones like the new Galaxy, Samsung is set on becoming the brand to beat.

In short, if the Samsung Galaxy S II is the light and fast coupe, driven by the concepts for simplicity and raw power under the hood, the HTC Sensation is the more refined and distinctive luxury ride, which is less capable in certain core aspects, but carries with it additional perks that make for a more sophisticated experience. Frankly, in the land of the little green robots, you can’t go wrong with any of these two.