iPhone 4S vs Samsung Galaxy S2

The Samsung Galaxy S2 has some stiff competition with both fellow Android smartphones and Apple’s most recent offering, the iPhone 4S.

In this review, we take a quick, comparative look at the major features and possible weak point of the iPhone 4S and the Samsung Galaxy S2.

Build and Design

 

• iPhone 4S measures 114 mm x 58 mm x 9.3 mm and weighs 138 g
• The Samsung Galaxy S2 measures126 mm x 66 mm x 8.5 mm and weighs 116 g
• The size of Samsung Galaxy S2 is the bigger device but it is also the device that is both thinner and lighter
• Because it is so thin and light, the Galaxy S2 fits nicely in your hand and is quite convenient to hold
• The Galaxy S2 has a textured rear cover which also adds to the nice feel and serves to protect the phone from scratches

 

• The speakers of Galaxy S2 are found on a slight curve on its back. The camera is also located on the back and it protrudes a bit.
• Samsung removed most of the hardware buttons in the Galaxy S2, leaving only the home button. This means we get a cleaner and unobstructed view of the phone screen.
• The iPhone 4S doesn’t have any new design features, it practically looks identical to the iPhone 4.
• The only difference Apple seems to have made is to make the iPhone 4S a few grams heavier.
• Nonetheless, the Apple iPhone 4S is still a good looking device and feels nice to hold in your hand.

Screen and display

 

• The iPhone 4S’s screen size is 3.5 inches
• The screen technology Apple uses in the 4S is IPS LCD
• The screen resolution of iPhone 4S is a 960×640
• The Samsung Galaxy S2’s screen size is 4.3 inches
• The screen technology Samsung uses in the S2 is Super AMOLED Plus
• The Galaxy S2 has a screen resolution of 800×480
• Because of its smaller screen size and higher resolution, the iPhone 4S has the higher pixel density between the two devices
• The displayed graphics on the 4S screen are sharp and crisp. Of course, the screen can display high-definition images
• Despite its lower resolution, the screen of the Galaxy S2 has a wide range of colors, great contrast levels, and detailed edges and has improved its outdoor visibility. This is because of its use of Super AMOLED Plus technology
• The use of Super AMOLED Plus also ensures that the screen of the Galaxy S2 consumes less power than others
• The Samsung Galaxy S2 also has the wider screen which means more space for viewing videos and browsing the web

Phone Power

• The iPhone 4S’s processor is a dual-core Apple 5 which clocks at 1.0 GHz and has 512 MB RAM
• For an operating system, the 4S has the iOS 5
• There are three available variants for onboard storage: 16 GB / 32 GB / 64 GB. In contrast, there is no option in the iPhone 4S for external storage
• The battery of the 4S is a 1,420 mAh which is non-removable
• You get a talk time of around 8 hours on 3G with the iPhone 4S
• The Samsung Galaxy S2’s processor is a dual-core Samsung Exynos which clocks at 1.2 GHz and has 1 GB RAM
• For an operating system, the S2 has Android 2.3 Gingerbread
• There is only one option for onboard storage with the Galaxy S2: 16 GB. However, it does have microSDHC expansion
• The battery of the Galaxy S2 is a 1,650 mAh which is removable
• You get a talk time of around 8 hours and 30 minutes on 3G with the Galaxy S2
• While both these smartphones have dual-core processors, the Galaxy S2 is the faster one. Because of its fast and powerful processing speed, the Galaxy S2 is known for being very responsive
• The iPhone 4S has only around half of the RAM that the Galaxy S2 offers

Connectivity

• The Galaxy S2 will support near field communication.
• An NFC chip will allow a phone to be used for short-range and wireless transactions.
• This means a phone can be used in credit card payments and to redeem coupons and gift cards.
• The Galaxy S2 also has a microUSB MHL port and can support Wi-Fi tethering.
• There is also DLNA which allows wireless HD video streaming.
• The Galaxy S2 has 4G connectivity while the iPhone 4S is exclusively 3G.

Applications

 

• The Apple iPhone 4S has Siri which is a pre-installed voice-recognition software.
• With Siri, you can activate many common phone functions using voice commands.
• Samsung Galaxy S2 has Say and Go which also allows you to execute functions with a voice command.
• The iPhone 4S uses Apple App Store for downloadable apps.
• The Galaxy S2 can download apps for Samsung Media Hub, Amazon Appstore, Android Market, and more third-party app stores.

Battery

• The battery life of both these devices is around the same.
• Samsung’s battery is the slimmer one.

Camera

 

• The iPhone 4S’s primary camera is an 8-megapixelThe secondary camera is a VGA
• The 4S’s video recording is1080p at around 30 fps
• There is no flash support for the iPhone 4S
• The Samsung Galaxy S2’s primary camera is also an 8-megapixel
• The secondary camera is a 2-megapixel
• The S2’s video recording is1080p at around 30 fps
• There is flash support for the Galaxy S2
• If you are looking for a phone that can be a pocket-sized camera, go for the iPhone 4S
• The Samsung Galaxy S2 can be slow to take pictures
• The Galaxy S2 has the better front camera and gets better picture quality during video calls.

 

A big draw of the Samsung Galaxy S2 is its 1,650 mAh battery that manages to fit in a thin 8.5 chassis. Another advantages are the ability to expand its memory and wider screen.

While the wider screen of the Galaxy S2 is a good thing, the iPhone 4S’s higher pixel density is also a draw as it allows for a sharper display with crisper images.

Phone manufacturers often try to produce a perfect phone, but perfect doesn’t really exist. Both these devices are close, though. In the end, the choice between the two comes down to what you personally like better.

So what do you think? Galaxy S2 or iPhone 4S?

JR

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