Samsung Galaxy S2 – Is it an iPhone Killer ?

So the Samsung Galaxy S2 is finally here. And some people are crazy for it. The big questions comes – Why ? Is it going to give iPhone a run for its money, or is it just another Android based over hyped phone. Well, let’s take a closer look at the Samsung Galaxy S2.

The reviews of Galaxy S2 are out and as per the reviews it performs very well. Infact, some reviews even claim this phone as one of the best smartphones till date. The features and functionalities which this phone offers are indeed worth taking a look at and one word that definitely comes out of the mouth is – impressive.

What makes this phone so special is its 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus screen and Android 2.3.3. This Super AMOLED screen provides enhanced readability, slimmer design, and better battery consumption, so that your battery lasts longer.

Technical Specifications of Samsung Galaxy S2

Network: 2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G Network HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100
Dimensions: 125.3 x 66.1 x 8.5 mm
Display: Super AMOLED Plus capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors with 480 x 800 pixels, 4.3 inches screen size
Memory: 16 Gb inbuilt memory
CPU: Dual-core 1.2GHz ARM Cortex-A9 processor, Mali-400MP GPU, Exynos chipset
RAM: 1 GB
Card slot: microSD, expandable up to 32GB
WLAN: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n
Bluetooth: Yes, v3.0+HS
USB: Yes, v2.0 microUSB (MHL), USB On-the-go
Camera: 8 MP, 3264×2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash
Video: Recording at 1080p @30fps
Operating system: Android OS, v2.3 (Gingerbread)
GPS: Yes, with A-GPS support
Edge: Class 12
Battery : Stand-by – Up to 710 h (2G) / Up to 610 h (3G)
Talk time – Up to 18 h 20 min (2G) / Up to 8 h 40 min (3G)
Other features:
– 3.5 mm Jack
– MP3/WAV/eAAC+/AC3/FLAC player
– MP4/DivX/XviD/WMV/H.264/H.263 player
– Organizer
– Document editor (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF)
– Image/video editor
– Voice memo/dial/commands
– TV-out (via MHL A/V link)
– SNS integration
– Digital compass
– Predictive text input (Swype)
– Adobe Flash 10.1 support
– Camera features: Geo-tagging, touch focus, face and smile detection, image stabilization

Take a look at this interesting video: Samsung Galaxy S2 vs iPhone4

Noticed anything in this video, SGS2 (short for Samsung Galaxy S2) runs and performs tasks faster as compared to iPhone 4. And that’s because the Dual Core Application processor in SGS2 which helps in faster loading of Applications, quicker multi-tasking, a smoother UI and efficient gaming. This dual core processor also improves the encoding/decoding ability for video playing and recording. The 8MP camera captures images in 3264×2448 pixels. Camera also has autofocus and LED flash. Flash comes in handy when capturing images in dark conditions. The 4.3″ screen means bigger and better then iPhone, and it gives more room to read or to work. The design of SGS2 is also really sleek with its 8.49mm form factor. And it doesn’t looks bulky.

There’s also a dispute going on between Apple and Samsung. Apple has filed a lawsuit against Samsung and wants Samsung to stop the launch of Samsung’s Galaxy S 4G, Infuse 4G, Droid Charge smartphones, and the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in the US. So the heat is really on between Apple and Samsung. That’s not all. Apple has also cut off its contracts with Samsung, which currently provides A4 processors to Apple. Samsung will now not be supplying future processors to Apple. So who wins the battle – only time will tell.

So the question that may be coming to the mind. Is Samsung Galaxy S2 really an iPhone alternative. Well, its hard to tell that. Because these two run on different operating systems – iPhone runs on Apple’s iOS and Samsung runs on Android. For iPhone one is its plus points is its applications market, which includes many applications, for gaming, for work, for entertainment, etc. Large choice of Apps for its users is definitely a plus point for Apple. One thing is worth mentioning here is that the tech specs of Samsung Galaxy S2 are really good. And if we just compare the tech specs of Galaxy S2 to iPhone 4, then Galaxy S2 wins the battle.

What I really like is the 4.3″ screen size, Dual core CPU (for faster applications), 8 MP camera and video recording at 1080p. These features really make this model stand out from the crowd. The Android market is also currently expanding at a very fast rate, and there is also a rumor that it will surpass Apple’s App store soon. More and more Apps are added in the Android Market everyday. So if a developer is only developing Apps for iOS, he’s doing it the wrong way. Developers must build applications for Android market also, to get their share.

Price of Samsung Galaxy S2 in India is Rs. 29000 and in US is $700 (USD).

Also check out Samsung Wave 525 review.