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Engadet galaxy s2 review

henrikrox

henrikrox

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Feb 3, 2010
1,219
2
From engadet: it's the best Android smartphone yet, but more importantly, it might well be the best smartphone, period.

What do you guys think. I have one on order. Should be here within two weeks. Do you think it will hurt apple in the long run not releasing the iphone 5/4s (whatever) before autum.

Ive actually tried this in barcelona and the speed of the thing is sick. Also i love the widget stuff from android. I probsbly go back to iphone after they release ios 5.0. For me the iphone has had the same gui in its software for years now. And i want something refreshing.

Please no fanboyism. If you love apple the sgs2 is still a great phone. Like the iphone is a great phone.
 
I think the phone looks amazing. Specs looks ridiculous. Make this phone with stock android and you have yourself a winner. I'd like the to try the overseas version...the states version is only single core right?
 
Read the review earlier. The phone looks amazing. I have a Droid Incredible now, which I love. The only thing that I like better about iOS is how it syncs with iTunes and it's iPod music player app. Handling music on Android, by dragging it onto an SD card, is horrible in my opinion. Besides that I think Android OS is great.
 
jason2811 said:
. Handling music on Android, by dragging it onto an SD card, is horrible in my opinion. Besides that I think Android OS is great.
Click to expand...

Check out DoubleTwist AirSync. Also Moto phones sync with Windows Media Player with single click over USB.
 
It's a great phone; will be trumped in a few months no doubt.

I'm sure it'll serve you well! I use an original Galaxy S when I'm in Korea, and it serves me fine (although I personally still prefer iOS).
 
I've yet to see a bad review on this thing. Everything I've read has been nothing but praise as the best smartphone period. And most importantly for me the phone is great at making calls with great call quality (incoming and outgoing). After all, it's a phone. I've already decided to get one as soon as it hits US shores. I've never been so excited about getting a gadget since I first got my iPhone. This thing just does everything right, and I just can't get over how beautiful that display is. I think Apple is making a big mistake for delaying the iPhone 5 and also sticking with LCD. OLED is the future and Samsung has a massive head start now. This thing about seamless operation of iOS over Android is way over exaggerated. Not to mention the old argument of specs don't mean anything. Everything is a spec these days. The display is one of the first things that hit you when you look at a phone. And guess what? That's a spec.
 
I think the specs look brilliant, and this is certainly the direction I'd like to see the iPhone go - a bigger screen, louder speaker and micro-USB. But, it's still not a winner. There are several problems inherent with the phone.

  • It runs Android. I don't need to explain this. The argument goes round in circles. I just don't like it. Having used a Windows Phone 7 device recently, I think this is the only real competitor to the fluidity and pleasantness of iOS.
  • It is not an 'all-in-one' unit. While there are certainly some customers who want a removable battery, plenty have shown with the iPhone that they don't. I personally think they create a hideously creaky back and make the build-quality feel poor. HTC have made strides in improving this, but alas, other manufacturers still have crappy housings.
  • The placement of the power button looks fairly awkward.
  • Samsung customer service is awful. I've had several dealings with them and it has been a nightmare.

I'm sure it's fine for what it is. But not for me thanks. :)
 
I agree this phone does look like a real powerhouse and im getting very tempted into selling my iphone4 for the switch to andoid,

The only thing Stopping me from the switch at the momment is the hope that ios 5 will get a much needed gui update
 
Last edited:
henrikrox said:
What do you guys think.
Click to expand...

4.3 inch screen?

No thanks. I'm pretty sure 4.0 is as high as I'd go.

I have an iPad when I want a big screen. I use my iPhone when I want a smaller screen. I don't need both of those devices to try and meet in the middle.

But what am I saying... It's all irrelivant since I'd never buy an Andoird phone. But something like this with Microsoft software on it could be very compelling.
 
This is the first android device that actually tempting me to switch. The screen looks absolutely killer.
However most of the samsung products I have owned in the past have broken down on me after the warranty period. Makes me hesitant to buy another Samsung product.
 
Looks like a really slick phone, and varying screen sizes (from Palm's smaller ones, to the iPhone's, to the Droid X) have never been a problem for me (especially when using Swype, as the experience is better).
 
Narco220 said:
The only thing Stopping me from the switch at the momment is the hope that ios 5 will get a nice gui update
Click to expand...

Same for me. I'm really hoping iOS 5 is a nice step forward for the OS. I'm not expecting a leap, it's not something apple does often, but certainly a nice intuitive notification system is a must for me now. I know there's jailbreak, I used to jailbreak, I'd just prefer not to. I'm getting sick of the big blue interruptions and no visual indication of emails without unlocking the phone. I originally didn't mind but seeing how other phones present information leaves me wanting more from iOS.
 
henrikrox said:
From engadet: it's the best Android smartphone yet, but more importantly, it might well be the best smartphone, period.

What do you guys think. I have one on order. Should be here within two weeks. Do you think it will hurt apple in the long run not releasing the iphone 5/4s (whatever) before autum.

Ive actually tried this in barcelona and the speed of the thing is sick. Also i love the widget stuff from android. I probsbly go back to iphone after they release ios 5.0. For me the iphone has had the same gui in its software for years now. And i want something refreshing.

Please no fanboyism. If you love apple the sgs2 is still a great phone. Like the iphone is a great phone.
Click to expand...

Yes, it will hurt the iPhone overall, especially if Google announces Android 2.4 with Hardware UI Acceleration in two weeks at Google I/O, Galaxy S II gets the update and becomes as smooth or even smoother than the iPhone.

As for the iPhone 5, actually Galaxy S III is the one meant to be competing with it.

There are already rumours going around from Eldar Murtazin that Galaxy S III will be out around the same time as the iPhone 5(Yes, spring 2011), targeting specifically it... the following has been rumoured/mentioned:

New, 4.5" Ultra-AMOLED screen with 300+ DPI
New, even better camera
New design - metal possible
New software
Front screen buttons gone

Samsung is moving to 6-8 months between flagships and no other manufacturer can match that, if Google keeps up, Apple should be worried.
 
I cannot share the excitement of some of the previous posters. I am sure that the Galaxy is a good phone, but to call it the best there are some things that the phone should have:
  • Great design. I don't think that it has something special..
  • Great build quality. Even Engadget said that the quality could be better.
  • Great screen. I still believe that the iPhone 4 has a better display.
  • Great battery life. Nothing revolutionary here...

So, yes, it is a good phone but it doesn't compare to the iPhone. Another problem is Android. The OS is still not as polished as iOS. Having used it on many devices I still do not like it. It seems awkward to use and I don't like it. Of course this is my opinion and I understand that many people would feel otherwise.
 
yea it looks decent however it doesn't compare to the quality of the iPhone.
 
you know, its impossible trying to keep up with all of these phones. It gives me that feeling, the you know like when you buy a phone and then another better one comes out and you feel like crap with a outdated phone. Technology moves too fast. I keep with apple because their quality is good enough (materials) that I get great use out of it, and when the next model comes out, I can sell the old one (sometimes unsuccessfully) and get the new one. I will never have another phone other than the iPhone. Quality is probably the biggest factor for me.
 
Vitruviux said:
Yes, it will hurt the iPhone overall, especially if Google announces Android 2.4 with Hardware UI Acceleration in two weeks at Google I/O, Galaxy S II gets the update and becomes as smooth or even smoother than the iPhone.
Click to expand...

That's already been done - My Atrix is on 2.2 and if you don't believe me, hardcore iPhone fan Josh Topolosky of Engadget has switched to a Atrix and had this to say in his review of the Atrix -

To put it simply, this is one of the fastest (if not the fastest) Android phones we've ever used. Getting around the phone doing even complex tasks was insanely speedy, and we rarely if ever found ourselves waiting for something to load. Scrolling between homescreens or managing apps and widgets was silky smooth, and feels competitive with the likes of the iPhone 4 or EVO 4G. The phone absolutely blazes as a standalone handset, and we were consistently impressed with how deftly it was able to take on whatever we threw at it; even when playing new 3D game titles like Gun Bros, we didn't see a hint of lag.
Click to expand...
 
Vitruviux said:
Yes, it will hurt the iPhone overall, especially if Google announces Android 2.4 with Hardware UI Acceleration in two weeks at Google I/O, Galaxy S II gets the update and becomes as smooth or even smoother than the iPhone.

As for the iPhone 5, actually Galaxy S III is the one meant to be competing with it.

There are already rumours going around from Eldar Murtazin that Galaxy S III will be out around the same time as the iPhone 5(Yes, spring 2011), targeting specifically it... the following has been rumoured/mentioned:

New, 4.5" Ultra-AMOLED screen with 300+ DPI
New, even better camera
New design - metal possible
New software
Front screen buttons gone

Samsung is moving to 6-8 months between flagships and no other manufacturer can match that, if Google keeps up, Apple should be worried.
Click to expand...

Did you see how many iPhones Apple sold last quarter? 18.65 million with 113% YoY growth bring in $12.3 billion dollars in revenue. Add in the iPhone 4 is the best selling phone of ALL TIME and the 3GS is still a top seller, Yeah Apple should be worried :rolleyes:

I sure Apple has a great reason why if they do push back the iPhone 5 until September, and those rumors could be false so lets wait and see what Apple has planned
 
lsvtecjohn3 said:
Did you see how many iPhones Apple sold last quarter? 18.65 million with 113% YoY growth bring in $12.3 billion dollars in revenue. Add in the iPhone 4 is the best selling phone of ALL TIME
Click to expand...

Blanket statements about the iPhone being the best selling phone of ALL TIME without fact checking isn't good.

Since its launch in late 2003, the Nokia 1100 has sold over 200 million units worldwide, making it the best-selling mobile phone to this date.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL0262945620070503?pageNumber=1&sp=true

On March 2, 2011, at the iPad 2 event, Apple announced that they have sold 100 million iPhones
 
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