Samsung Galaxy S II

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ZesPak

Original Poster:

24,430 posts

196 months

Monday 14th February 2011
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Announced yesterday (13 feb 2011):

- 4.3" Super AMOLED Plus display
- Android 2.3
- 1Ghz Dual Core
- 1GB RAM
- 16/32GB (SD expansion -> up to 32GB)

http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/13/samsung-galaxy-...

This could well be a candidate for my next smartphone, but maybe I'll wait what Apple has to say smile.
Personally, I'm not buying another iphone if they keep their 3.5" display as I found 4" much nicer to browse, and it's available on phones that aren't even bigger than an iPhone.
I'm curious as to how (physically) big the phone will be with a 4.3" display, but to my guess it will be about as big as a phone should get for me.

Very curious to have a play!

PS: I really don't like the "design" of this one, much nicer (to look at) phones around. But looks is just a small part, as my phone is a an important part of my business

What do you guys think?

ZesPak

Original Poster:

24,430 posts

196 months

Monday 14th February 2011
quotequote all
Just read:
wiki said:
Dimensions
125.3 mm (4.93 in) (h)
66.1 mm (2.60 in) (w)
8.49 mm (0.334 in) (d)
HOWLY fk THAT IS ONE THIN PHONE

I wonder why this trend is to keep it that thin?
Agreed, a phone should not look like the over 2cm thick keyboard sliders HTC had in its WinMo days, but the iphone 4 is 9.3 mm (0.37 in), and that's thin enough.

Why would Samsung try and make it THAT thin, instead of using the extra mm for a (much) bigger battery?

ZesPak

Original Poster:

24,430 posts

196 months

Monday 14th February 2011
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JD said:
I don't think it is that thin, that's just the measurement at the thinnest point

and why make it that thin? so they can try and take the claim of "worlds thinnest smartphone" from the iphone, also it's a samsung, great on paper, but rubbish to own!

it will be very interesting to see what the battery life with a big screen, dual core processor and super thin form factor will be like!!!
1) It's at it's THICKEST point
2) It's not that big overall, as it has very, very narrow edges next to the screen
3) Have you owned a Galaxy S? Or just your iphone.

Take your fanboyism to the Apple threads please.

ZesPak

Original Poster:

24,430 posts

196 months

Tuesday 15th February 2011
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JD said:
...
and no, I don't own a Galaxy S, I'm not sure how that is relevant?
JD said:
also it's a samsung, great on paper, but rubbish to own!
You made that statement based on:
1) "internet rumours": Really? Based on that, you can't even make a phonecall with the iPhone 4
2) Personal experience with Samsung: Ok, what phone? A comparable high-end phone (like the Galaxy S) or some of the £70 phones they chuck out


I've had a couple of cheap samsungs and most of them were good value for money, I know some people with a Galaxy S who have been very happy with them, although their wide range of phones does work in both directions:

1) Galaxy S is a top model and does very good for the entire range and image, much like for example the Mercedes SLS
2) The lower ranges could have some turds in them, which might put people off the higher ranges (for example the Mercedes A)

That said, making a statement like that (like it's a general truth) is pretty bold, esp about a phone that isn't even out yet.

ZesPak

Original Poster:

24,430 posts

196 months

Tuesday 15th February 2011
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okgo said:
Surprised they bothered with the poor sales of the first one.
I understood that, with all the versions combined, it was actually a success for such a high-end phone?
Any numbers to show for?

The sources I've found is that they sold about half the volume of the iPhone 4 (not counting the Nexus S). So not a bad feat imho.
It also outsold the iPhone in South Korea, while the iPhone thrives in North America (Their countries)

ZesPak

Original Poster:

24,430 posts

196 months

Tuesday 15th February 2011
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Mr Will said:
CommanderJameson said:
Oh dear god, phones with Facebook buttons. We truly are in the end times.
Oh noes, a phone with a button that acts as a short-cut to a communication technology. How will we cope.
hehe

Maybe he's a touchscreen-kinda-guy, as it can really bring out the blue in the FB logo.

ZesPak

Original Poster:

24,430 posts

196 months

Tuesday 15th February 2011
quotequote all
CommanderJameson said:
You can bugger off if you think that your smooth talkin' can get you a touch of my screen.
hehe

I agree that the button is daft though, but I can imagine that the twitter/facebook icons are amongst the first shortcuts of a lot of smartphones, so a smartphone with a physical FB button is just the next step.

Would never want it though, but it's not as daft as a "facebook phone".

ZesPak

Original Poster:

24,430 posts

196 months

Tuesday 15th February 2011
quotequote all
Mr Will said:
ZesPak said:
I agree that the button is daft though
Having read a little about it, it's not quite as daft as it first sounds. It doesn't just launch the facebook app, it is context sensitive and it's action depends on what you are looking at on your phone. For example, when you are looking at a picture, pressing it will share the picture on facebook. When you are looking at a contact, pressing it will take you to their profile, etc.
Wooow.

Nope, sorry, still think it's daft hehe, not because of the functionality, but because of the "focus" -> it assumes you are on Facebook and you want to use it quite often (all the time). On top of that, there is no "dial button". But there is a FB button? That's daft to me smile

ZesPak

Original Poster:

24,430 posts

196 months

Monday 2nd May 2011
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One of both will deffo be my next phone, unless apple comes up with something good meanwhile.

I'll be curious at the "best" screen, as they are totally different, in both resolution as execution. From what I've seen from design, the HTC looks better, but the SGS2 has the promise to be the thinnest phone on the market, and with a 4.3" screen, that could give for an interesting "feel".

ZesPak

Original Poster:

24,430 posts

196 months

Wednesday 4th May 2011
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Tycho said:
I just picked mine up from Phones4u. £32pm, 24mth contract with 600mins, unlimited texts and internet. £50 for the phone so I'll just sell the Milestone to Cex and get £80 for it.

First impressions?

Bloody hell it is thin!!!! Screen is amazing and the thing is fast. Will post more when I've stopped playing with it! (and the phone)
I just noticed today, I could still easily get €150 for the milestone eek. I'll get me a Samsung II or a HTC Sensation in a couple of months.

ZesPak

Original Poster:

24,430 posts

196 months

Tuesday 17th May 2011
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AyBee said:
HTC Sensation anyone? Or shall I start a new thread? tongue out
Nah, you can do it here.

I think there are a lot of people waiting for the Sensation, including me. But I can understand that a lot of "early adopters" jump on the SGS2 if the Sensation is released that late.

From what I've seen with the previous SGS and similar HTC phones, the HTC phones have a much more solid feel to them.

ZesPak

Original Poster:

24,430 posts

196 months

Wednesday 18th May 2011
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Tycho said:
I had the Sky News website open with 2 flash videos running on the same page, both visible and it didn't miss a frame...
What is this "flash" thing you are talking about?


posted from my iPhone

ZesPak

Original Poster:

24,430 posts

196 months

Wednesday 25th May 2011
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K50 DEL said:
This is what's stopped me getting any sort of Android phone so far.... they're all far too big.
A friend has a Galaxy S and it's just massive.

If someone would release a standard size phone running Android then I'd go for it, but I simply don't want to carry something that size around all the time.
Well, aren't there? I swapped my 3,5" iphone 3 for a 3,7" Milestone, and the outer dimensions were identical, just the screen was ever-so-slightly bigger.

I can't imagine there not being any sub-4" android phones...

ZesPak

Original Poster:

24,430 posts

196 months

Wednesday 25th May 2011
quotequote all
K50 DEL said:
I currently run a Nokia C5 (a larger phone than I had before, sadly my 6630 died after 8 years of service)
the C5 is 112 x 46 x 12.3

the smallest Android I can find is the HTC Aria at 104 x 58 x 12 so the height is fine, but it's over 10mm wider - doesn't sound like much, but in practise it makes the phone not really pocketable in my mind.
for reference, the Galaxy S 2 is 125 x 66 x 9 - a whole 20mm wider.

I'm going to try out a Sansung Galaxy Europa when I'm next in the mall, at 108 x 56 x 12 it's probably my best bet.
'scuse me, is an iPhone 4 48mm wide?

Edit: ignore my last, I thought you were comparing with the iPhone 4, then I read your complete post.

ZesPak

Original Poster:

24,430 posts

196 months

Thursday 26th May 2011
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TameRacingDriver said:
The S2 is one of the slimmest smart phones on the planet, so its no brick, its also lighter than the iphone.

Personally, one of the reasons I got rid of the iphone 4 was the screen was too damn small. Small screens are an utter ball ache on a touch screen device, making typing a very inaccurate affair, and everything on the iphone just looks so damn small.
Agreed on the small screen size, I love my Milestone, but the 3.7" screen is just too small frown.

Oh, and iirc, the SGS2 is THE slimmest smartphone on the planet.

ZesPak

Original Poster:

24,430 posts

196 months

Friday 27th May 2011
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^^ that looks ace!
Won't the holes get "clogged up" with dust/dirt though?

ZesPak

Original Poster:

24,430 posts

196 months

Thursday 9th June 2011
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lord-of-creation said:
And one other thing. If you have a full signal/reception, should this mean you have 3g reception too or they competely seperate?

Reason I ask is that in work this morning I have a full signal but have no 3g/data signal so can't access the internet (can't obtain wifi password)
No, they are seperate. The easy way to think of it is that the providers need to "update" their antennas to provide 3G. So you can be sitting next to an antenna, full signal, but if it doesn't provide 3G, it's not going to happen.

ZesPak

Original Poster:

24,430 posts

196 months

Thursday 9th June 2011
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lord-of-creation said:
Fair point

Is there a decent call/phone app that is an improvement on the stock one
I use Dailer One on my milestone, it's great and very configurable, but it takes some skill working out how the "themes" work hehe.

I chose it because it had the "T9 contact search" I was used to from the BB, very good feature.

ZesPak

Original Poster:

24,430 posts

196 months

Tuesday 28th June 2011
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LawrenceOfArabia said:
No problems as of yet - though I did read on another forum that Samsung have announced the possibility of a Galaxy S 3 sometime later this year?!?
I'd take "later this year" with some salt, maybe by the end of the year/beginning next year?
Don't forget, the Galaxy S is Samsung's flagship, it's quite normal for them to update it every 9 months or so, it won't make the SII redundant.
I'm still on my 1st milestone, it still works brilliant and they have announced a third. A lot of people I know still use their iPhone 3G (though I know almost nobody with the first iphone?)

ZesPak

Original Poster:

24,430 posts

196 months

Tuesday 28th June 2011
quotequote all
TameRacingDriver said:
The yanks haven't even got the s2 yet so I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for a replacement this year (other than the oft touted nfc version)
Just read of a rumoured new Nexus phone in November, built by Samsung. Of course, google branded.
Rumoured to have 720p eek

http://www.bgr.com/2011/06/27/googles-first-ice-cr...

Of course, with these things, the next new thing is always around the corner. It's how Apple make their money: get to sell their phones with year-old hardware is an amazing marketing feat!