The Galaxy S2 is Samsung’s first venture into dual-core smartphones and is set to launch running Google’s Android 2.3 mobile operating system, Gingerbread. Samsung is placing a lot of emphasis on the Samsung Galaxy S2 – which is touted to be the flagship product for Samsung for 2011 - and they will undoubtedly hope to emulate the success of its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S, with the current iteration of the Galaxy S family.
With the official announcement of Samsung Galaxy S2 during MWC 2011 (Mobile World Congress 2011), we finally have some detailed specs of the Galaxy S2 to work with. First off, the Samsung Galaxy S2 is a big jump in terms of hardware specifications and performance as compared to the Galaxy S. The question then is how does it fare against other non-Android smartphones? Looking around, the only real non-Android competitor out there at the moment is the iPhone 4. How will the Samsung Galaxy S2 matches up against the iPhone 4?
Samsung Galaxy S2 vs iPhone 4: Dimensions and Weight
Samsung Galaxy S2: 125.3 x 66.1 x 8.49mm, 117g
iPhone 4: 115.2 x 58.7 x 9.3mm, 137g
In our opinion, there are only 2 questions that really count and they are:
For both questions, the latest flagship mobile from Samsung comes out on top. With just 8.49mm as its thickness – which claims to be the world’s thinnest – and with a weight of 117g as compared to iPhone 4, it’s pretty impressive how Samsung can design a smartphone that has a wider screen display than the iPhone 4 but is lighter at the same time.
- How thin is it?
- How heavy is it?
Definitely a winner for Samsung Galaxy S2 for this category.
Samsung Galaxy S2 vs iPhone 4: Storage
Samsung Galaxy S2: 16/32GB, support of microSD up to 32GB
iPhone 4: 16/32GB
Both phones offer the same amount of flash storage but the support of microSD cards from the Galaxy S2 effectively doubles its storage capacity as compared to iPhone 4. The lack of microSD support has always been a weakness of the iPhone although iPhone fans might argue that 32GB is more than enough for the average user.
However, with the ramp up in base specifications of the current batch of high end smartphones that are scheduled to release in the next quarter (dual processor, better graphics, 1GB ram), the demand for storage space will surely increase due to increased usage and functionalities of the smartphones themselves.
Samsung Galaxy S2 vs iPhone 4: Battery Life
Samsung Galaxy S2: 1650mAh
iPhone 4: 1420mAh
Although we know that the Galaxy S2 will come with a higher capacity battery, there has been no mention of how long the battery will last between charges. However, we can go ahead and make some assumptions here.
Bearing in mind that the bigger battery in the Samsung Galaxy S2 will have to support the dual-core processor and other performance enhancements, the gain in battery life might not be that substantial. However, we know that a huge factor in power drain is the display screen of a smartphone and for this, we understand that the Super AMOLED Plus display of the S2 is highly power-efficient, thus balancing out the equation.
All the same, it is unheard of that a battery for a high end smartphone can last an average user longer than a day and we anticipate that the battery life of Samsung Galaxy S2 will be similar to that of the iPhone.
Samsung Galaxy S2 vs iPhone 4: Display
Samsung Galaxy S2: 4.3 inch, 800x480px, Super AMOLED Plus
iPhone 4: 3.5-inch, 960x640px, LCD with IPS
The Super AMOLED Plus is a significant step up from the straight Super AMOLED of the first Galaxy. On the spec sheet, it brings with it a wider colour gamut, superior contrast, sharper edges, much better outdoor visibility and lower power consumption than any other screen on the market. If it really performs as promised, the Super AMOLED Plus screen is likely to be even better than the Retina display of the iPhone 4.
Samsung Galaxy S2 vs iPhone 4: Performance
Samsung Galaxy S2: 1GHz Tegra 2 dual core, 1GB RAM / 1.2GHz Dual Core Exynos chip, 1GB RAM
iPhone 4: Apple A4, 512MB
For this category, the iPhone 4 does not stand a chance against the Samsung Galaxy S2. The CPU for both smartphone runs runs at 1Ghz. However, the Tegra 2 dual core for the Galaxy S2 is built for multitasking with the added core. In addition, the RAM for the Galaxy S2 has been doubled.
Samsung Galaxy S2 vs iPhone 4: Conclusion
To many people, this review will seem to be very lopsided and it is rightly so. Comparing the Samsung Galaxy S2 with a iPhone that is more than halfway into its product lifecycle isn’t what we considered as fair. The upcoming iPhone 5 is likely to have dual-core, and perhaps, feature improvements in nearly every notable department and will be a much better comparison for the S2. However, the iPhone 5 is still a work in progress at this moment in time.
The iPhone 4 is an excellent device and has been the device to beat for most of 2010. Having said that, what we have here in the Samsung Galaxy S2 beats it in nearly every department that counts. The S2 is lighter, thinner and significantly more powerful than the iPhone 4.
If you are currently thinking about upgrading your handset, it might be worth to hold back for a while and wait for the release of Samsung Galaxy S2 rather than getting the iPhone 4 that is out on the shelf. It will also be interesting to see what kind of specs iPhone 5 will debut with and whether it will score any improvements over the Samsung Galaxy S2.