Samsung Galaxy S2 or Iphone 4

[CoolBug]

Do you actually use your phone? Every person I know that own S2s say they're daily chargers as well.

It depends on the user, battery life will greatly vary depending on the user, some people keep the internet off most of the day or play less games or what ever their preferences are.

Especially once you start getting lots more charge cycles and are slightly less infatuated with your device, your battery will start lasting much longer, my Transformer can last between 1 - 2 weeks which isn't bad.

Sent from my ASUS Transformer, rooted with Revolver ROM, 1.6GHz

 

[Fudzy]

I have yet to find any review that says the original iPhone 4 has better photo's or video than the SGS2. Not only that, there is youtube, and google, see for yourself which video is better between the 2 phones, youtube has many users uploading stuff from their phones, the same for the photos the phones take,

The iPhone 4S might be slightly better but that's like comparing Nikon to Cannon, if you buy a high end Cannon or Nikon, both will be extremely good with only slight advantages over the other.

True, though the Galaxy did come out almost a year after the iPhone 4. From the reviews I've read, the iPhone 4S is the new defacto in cameraphone.

http://www.gsmarena.com/piccmp.php3?idType=1&idPhone1=3275&idPhone2=4212&idPhone3=3621

 

[MattyW]

Do you actually use your phone? Every person I know that own S2s say they're daily chargers as well.

Yeah quite extensively in fact but I do leave mobile packet data off {drains to much money} unless I need something, I am sorry your friends arn't getting thier expected battery but my cousin who also has a galaxy s2 also manages to get about 2 days life out of it so it's not just me.

As for...

True, though the Galaxy did come out almost a year after the iPhone 4. From the reviews I've read, the iPhone 4S is the new defacto in cameraphone.

http://www.gsmarena.com/piccmp.php3?...&idPhone3=3621

I understood it was quite the opposite...

Link: http://www.pcworld.com/article/241955-2/smartphone_camera_battle_iphone_4s_vs_the_android_elite.html

At any rate I don't want to start a whole fan war my point was just it's unfair to bash the android platform because you had a poor battery experience on one out of about 200 devices, just as it's unfair to bash the apple platform for the few devices which are experiencing extremely poor battery life after IOS 5 update and the update patch which has seemingly not resolved the problem.

Link: http://www.dailytech.com/Apple+User...ter+iOS+501+Update/article23266.htm#cmt730892

 

[iDenTiTy]

True, though the Galaxy did come out almost a year after the iPhone 4. From the reviews I've read, the iPhone 4S is the new defacto in cameraphone.

http://www.gsmarena.com/piccmp.php3?idType=1&idPhone1=3275&idPhone2=4212&idPhone3=3621

That unfortunately, still lies with the Nokia N8...

 

[Jola]

That unfortunately, still lies with the Nokia N8...

And the Sony Xperia Arc

 

[iDenTiTy]

And the Sony Xperia Arc

Lol. The Arc may claim to play with the big boy, but still comes second.

 

[Fudzy]

Yeah quite extensively in fact but I do leave mobile packet data off {drains to much money} unless I need something, I am sorry your friends arn't getting thier expected battery but my cousin who also has a galaxy s2 also manages to get about 2 days life out of it so it's not just me.

As for...



I understood it was quite the opposite...

Link: http://www.pcworld.com/article/241955-2/smartphone_camera_battle_iphone_4s_vs_the_android_elite.html

At any rate I don't want to start a whole fan war my point was just it's unfair to bash the android platform because you had a poor battery experience on one out of about 200 devices, just as it's unfair to bash the apple platform for the few devices which are experiencing extremely poor battery life after IOS 5 update and the update patch which has seemingly not resolved the problem.

Link: http://www.dailytech.com/Apple+User...ter+iOS+501+Update/article23266.htm#cmt730892

Yes there seems to be a bug with the latest firmware, I was experiencing it on my iPad until I did the update.

Re: camera

http://www.gsmarena.com/8mp_shootout_2011-review-673.php

If we had to recommend a cameraphone, it would be the iPhone 4S. The still camera was either the best or a close second in each category we tested. Also, it stole the show when it came to video recording. It goes to show that when Apple put their hearts to it, they can quickly climb to the top (and it was a steep climb too, if you remember the cameras on the early iPhones).

In a typical Apple fashion, the 4S focused on being perfect and wouldn't care for anything less - things like 720p or lower quality setting for stills.

Even so, the things that were included are highly desirable - native HDR mode, AE/AF lock and video stabilization can certainly make a difference.

The Samsung Galaxy S II is the runner up when it comes to overall performance

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk

 

[MattyW]

Yes there seems to be a bug with the latest firmware, I was experiencing it on my iPad until I did the update.

Re: camera

http://www.gsmarena.com/8mp_shootout_2011-review-673.php

Guess it's quite subjective as

The T-Mobile MyTouch Slide 4G remains the best phone camera we've ever tested for still-image quality, but it now has some serious competition. The Samsung Galaxy SII (we used the Epic Touch 4G version for Sprint in these tests) and the new Apple iPhone 4S finished right on its heels. In fact, the results were so close in our lab tests--only 0.7 point separates the top-ranked MyTouch Slide 4G from the third-place iPhone 4S--that you could argue for any of those three phones as the best overall

Link: http://www.pcworld.com/article/241955-2/smartphone_camera_battle_iphone_4s_vs_the_android_elite.html

 

[Fudzy]

The Android battery issue isn't something that's popped up overnight either.

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk

 

[Fudzy]

Guess it's quite subjective as



Link: http://www.pcworld.com/article/241955-2/smartphone_camera_battle_iphone_4s_vs_the_android_elite.html

True, guess it comes down to the experience of the judges.

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk

 

[MattyW]

The Android battery issue isn't something that's popped up overnight either.

True but my point was that it was only your experience, As I pointed out earlier in the post I used to have an iphone and will be the first to admit they do have absolutely brilliant battery life BUT after getting my galaxy s2 and after the new novelty factor wore off I found that with mobile packet data off my battery lasts about as long as my iphone did +- 2 days. Now it could be that the galaxy s2 has the best android battery {I don't know} but I doubt it and assume thier are androids out thier that can match and even surpass the battery life of the galaxy {could be wrong through}.

 

[MattyW]

True, guess it comes down to the experience of the judges.

Yeah I must say personally I disagree with them I find I like the way the colour comes out in the 4s's photos and find the ones of the S2 they put thier a bit colourless but others may think differently as they said the top 3 are pretty much the same thing less than a 1 point difference.

 

[Jola]

Lol. The Arc may claim to play with the big boy, but still comes second.

AFAIK the Arc has the same Exmor R sensor as the iPhone 4s.

 

[iDenTiTy]

AFAIK the Arc has the same Exmor R sensor as the iPhone 4s.

Yip. You absolutely correct.

 

[Fudzy]

True but my point was that it was only your experience, As I pointed out earlier in the post I used to have an iphone and will be the first to admit they do have absolutely brilliant battery life BUT after getting my galaxy s2 and after the new novelty factor wore off I found that with mobile packet data off my battery lasts about as long as my iphone did +- 2 days. Now it could be that the galaxy s2 has the best android battery {I don't know} but I doubt it and assume thier are androids out thier that can match and even surpass the battery life of the galaxy {could be wrong through}.

Well it would be pretty naive of me to base my comments purely on personal experience.

CNet has done some extensive testing on batteries, results can be found here:

Along with call quality, a cell phone's battery life is one of the most important considerations when choosing a handset. It's never fun to watch your cell phone die when you're in the middle of an important call. And it's no fun either to have little power when you're nowhere near a charger. While manufacturers make lots of promises about a phone's battery life, the rated times don't always hold true to real-world use. That's why CNET tests every phone we review for its talk-time battery life.

In the following charts, you'll find the tested talk-time battery life for hundreds of cell phones and smartphones, past and present. Models are grouped by manufacturer, so be sure to check your phone's corresponding chart to see our test results. We'll update our lists periodically, so if you have a new handset and don't see it here, please refer to our review to see how much power it delivers.

http://reviews.cnet.com/2719-11288_7-290-1.html?tag=

 

[MattyW]

Well it would be pretty naive of me to base my comments purely on personal experience.

CNet has done some extensive testing on batteries, results can be found here:

http://reviews.cnet.com/2719-11288_7-290-1.html?tag=

Some of those CNET numbers are wrong...

Glaxy S2

A&T Version

The Samsung Galaxy S II ships with a 1,650mAh lithium ion battery with a rated talk time of 8 hours and up to 16 days of standby time. The Galaxy S II provided an impressive 10 hours of continuous talk time in ourbattery drain tests. According to FCC radiation tests, the Galaxy S II has a digital SAR rating of 0.36W/kg and a Hearing Aid Compatibility rating of M3.

International Version {Exactly the same minus cosmetic changes and carrier bloatware}

The Galaxy S II has a 1,650mAh lithium ion battery. Battery life seemed on par for a smartphone. We were able to go a full day with moderate-to-heavy use before needing a recharge. Our tests showed a talk time of 6 hours and 24 minutes.

Im not quite sure how the same phone with the same battery managed to achieve about 50% more battery output than the other, I also find it quite suspicous that only apple phones {that I could see} were listed with and without 3G and all other samsung phones merely had a time listed next to them...

At any rate I reckon it's quite pointless dragging this debate further, apple has good battery life and depending on how you use your droid so does android.

 

[Fudzy]

Some of those CNET numbers are wrong...

Glaxy S2

A&T Version

International Version {Exactly the same minus cosmetic changes and carrier bloatware}

Im not quite sure how the same phone with the same battery managed to achieve about 50% more battery output than the other, I also find it quite suspicous that only apple phones {that I could see} were listed with and without 3G and all other samsung phones merely had a time listed next to them...

At any rate I reckon it's quite pointless dragging this debate further, apple has good battery life and depending on how you use your droid so does android.

Android has good battery life so long as you turn off everything you mean? Why does one have to dumb down a smartphone?

Regards to why both were tested, I'm not sure. I think it would have to do with the fuss that was kicked up at the time of the iPhones release (iirc, was more like you guys in terms of Apple vs. Android back then).

 

[MattyW]

Android has good battery life so long as you turn off everything you mean? Why does one have to dumb down a smartphone?

Regards to why both were tested, I'm not sure. I think it would have to do with the fuss that was kicked up at the time of the iPhones release (iirc, was more like you guys in terms of Apple vs. Android back then).

I am not quite sure what you mean?? These were tests you linked into on CNET regarding talking time on the phone after following the link I found that two phones which are practicly identical have a 50% difference in battery life, now call me crazy but I say that is impossible the battery size, processor, screen size everything is identical on the A&T Galaxy s2 and the international one yet by some divine intervention {or perhaps blatant bias or error} somehow the A&T model in the same test managed to use 50% less battery.

As to the other section all I did was query why in the links you provided only apple phones have talk time with 3G on and with 3G off and all the other phones have absolutely no explanation of wether it was tested with 3G on or off either showing a blatant bias for apple products or lack of an objective testing method.

Android has good battery life so long as you turn off everything you mean? Why does one have to dumb down a smartphone?

I am not sure what you mean?? As stated way earlier I leave packet data off because it costs too much and I don't have a data bundle, I am sure many iphone users without data bundles do the same and when I want something on the net or to check mail or update widgets exct. I turn it on use it and turn it off.

 

[CoolBug]

The decision of which phone to buy in this case should have nothing to do with camera because both are extremely good, even as good as some point and shoots without the zoom factor.

Any differences regarding the camera will be so small that it should not affect your decision.

One thing I wish more android phones had though is a trackpad like on the desire, maybe it's personal Ill miss it when I upgrade to the razr.

Edit: imho I think you could say the same about the battery, they are both good. If you play with any one of these phones too much they won't last a day, and if you use either one sparingly, you could probably get 2 - 4 days. (depending on how sparingly)

I don't see the point in arguing / politely discussing the arguably negligible and slight differences in the camera and/or battery when comparing these 2 devices. (IOS might handle battery consumption better but the S2 compensates by having a 16% larger battery)

I think what's more important is the following:

SGS2 Pros:

Best value for money smartphone at R6000 for an extremely high spec device.
Has Widgets
Plays Flash
Super AMOLED Plus is currently the best screen technology for a mobile device
3 x faster internet
Micro SD
You can use as a mass storage device
Has a radio
Thinner
Lighter
Uncomparably more durable with Gorilla Glass
Bigger Screen
Double the RAM
Faster browser
You can buy apps from the market with out having to commit fraud
Dual Core 1.2 GHz (iPhone 4 0.8GHz iPhone 4s Dual Core 0.8GHz)
Completely customisable thanks to the openness of Android
You can install custom roms

iPhone 4 Pros

Slightly higher resolution
Receive direct updates from Apple
Has 7% more apps than Android (Android will soon have more, there is no doubt.)

Cant really think of any other reason.

It's hilarious that people will reply to this thread (without being sarcastic) saying:

Obviously iPhone

How on earth do you come to that conclusion looking at all the advantages of the S2?

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk

 

[Spizz]

I am not sure what you mean?? As stated way earlier I leave packet data off because it costs too much and I don't have a data bundle, I am sure many iphone users without data bundles do the same and when I want something on the net or to check mail or update widgets exct. I turn it on use it and turn it off.

Excuse going OT, but if you haven't used it already, have a look at the widget that comes with Juice Defender. Toggles data of and on with your lock screen, great little tool imho.

On topic and back to the OP, it is impossible to consider a phone without looking at the OS's of course, but I'm a fan of both and for me the decision pretty much came down to the screen size on the S2. That extra size for using fb and tapatalk, playing the odd game and watching the odd movie/tv show while on the move, is priceless.

I bought one less than a month ago while going through the same decision process for a few weeks, and I'm so glad I chose the S2. After a few initial days of tweaking and fiddling about getting to know what was going on inside it, I now have what I would consider and excellent battery life while still using the phone a lot during this honeymoon period. From an evening charge to through the night and then home from work the next day, I'm usually about still on about 50-60%, and as I say, I'm playing with it a lot during the day just now.

But take nothing away from the iPhone though, if you pick that, you'll also love it, I have an iPad 2 and the OS is seamless.