Samsung Galaxy S2 or Iphone 4

[CoolBug]

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.

Are you using the Samsung launcher? that's the only thing I hate about any phone from Samsung, I assume you've tried LauncherPro and ADW Launcher? definitely worth a check.

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

What's the point of leaving your Bluetooth / GPS / Internet / Wifi on if you're not using any of those features?

That's part of the definition of a smartphone, the ability to choose when you want to enable such features.

 

[Spizz]

Are you using the Samsung launcher? that's the only thing I hate about any phone from Samsung, I assume you've tried LauncherPro and ADW Launcher? definitely worth a check.

I rooted and updated to 2.3.5 using KI4 but everything else is still as it came from the box. I tried a couple of MIUI roms when I was at home which were pretty nice, but now I'm in north Africa for another month or so, and although I have unlimited data on my sim, I can't download anything much as my connection is too unstable. But I'll check them out when I have the means.

The site office here has a 128kb/s line for about 12 of us, so that's completely useless, so it's a bit frustrating not even being able to even look at the app store most times never mind download the feckers

 

[iDenTiTy]

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:



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

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk

Don't bother trying to one-up the iphone with hardware specs.
It's a totally dfifferent Ecosystem, and cannot be compared.
Those users with iOS5 and WP7.5 look at Android and laugh at its inconsistency.

For Android, SGS2. No other option IMO.
For iOS5 - the iPhone 4S.
For WP7.5 - The Nokia Lumia 800.

This attitude of selecting phones to match an OS is pathetic. No two Android phones will operate alike.
Rather choose a platform and get what you want from there.

My own experience with the SGS2 is one of absolute disappointment. Why should I with a top end phone, experience a number of forced closures from a number of applications?
My experience with iOS (4+5) is much better. Never an application error. What about WP7.5? The same as iOS. Never a problem.
So much for Dual core + 1GB ram....

 

[CoolBug]

Don't bother trying to one-up the iphone with hardware specs.
It's a totally dfifferent Ecosystem, and cannot be compared.
Those users with iOS5 and WP7.5 look at Android and laugh at its inconsistency.

For Android, SGS2. No other option IMO.
For iOS5 - the iPhone 4S.
For WP7.5 - The Nokia Lumia 800.

This attitude of selecting phones to match an OS is pathetic. No two Android phones will operate alike.
Rather choose a platform and get what you want from there.

My own experience with the SGS2 is one of absolute disappointment. Why should I with a top end phone, experience a number of forced closures from a number of applications?
My experience with iOS (4+5) is much better. Never an application error. What about WP7.5? The same as iOS. Never a problem.
So much for Dual core + 1GB ram....

rofl, wondering why you highlighted 3 x faster internet? iOS does not increase your download speed or was this during the last update?

I have experienced a couple "force closes" but it never irritates me enough to change OS.

It's not like a PC when you've just done a whole batch of work and something bombs out and you lose all your work.

I don't work on my phone or program on my phone so when I see a "force close" I shrug my shoulders and reopen the app, 2 seconds later I'm back where I was, the better the apps become and the more they update them, the less "force close"s we'll see, we'll also see this as the OS progresses.

Like I said, with the apps I use (and I assume this for most people) the odd force close here and there are not enough to make me go to jail, I'll miss the widgets.

And hardware does indeed matter when it comes to mobile devices. Some tasks require lots of power regardless of OS, like playing 1080p video for example or playing high end games. Why do you think the standard frequency is now 1GHz?

One last thing

For Android, SGS2. No other option IMO.

Motorola RAZR might take it's spot, but the 3 big Androids for a while will still be the SGS2, the RAZR and the Galaxy Prime. It's between those 3 although even it's an older phone, the SGS2 is still more powerful and has Super AMOLED Plus

 

[phoneJunky]

Don't bother trying to one-up the iphone with hardware specs.
It's a totally dfifferent Ecosystem, and cannot be compared.
Those users with iOS5 and WP7.5 look at Android and laugh at its inconsistency.

For Android, SGS2. No other option IMO.
For iOS5 - the iPhone 4S.
For WP7.5 - The Nokia Lumia 800.

This attitude of selecting phones to match an OS is pathetic. No two Android phones will operate alike.
Rather choose a platform and get what you want from there.

My own experience with the SGS2 is one of absolute disappointment. Why should I with a top end phone, experience a number of forced closures from a number of applications?
My experience with iOS (4+5) is much better. Never an application error. What about WP7.5? The same as iOS. Never a problem.
So much for Dual core + 1GB ram....

Okay, I have a high spec Android device and an iOS device. I have experienced 3 forced closes on the android but I also had trouble with some of my iOS apps. But overall the iOS apps are a bit more refined in terms of looks etc, but I do like the openness of Android more. Will hopefully be able to jailbreak soon and then things might change, but currently I do feel a bit limited on iOS.

But both are super devices, so don't think you will be disappointed with either.

 

[Fudzy]

Don't bother trying to one-up the iphone with hardware specs.
It's a totally dfifferent Ecosystem, and cannot be compared.
Those users with iOS5 and WP7.5 look at Android and laugh at its inconsistency.

For Android, SGS2. No other option IMO.
For iOS5 - the iPhone 4S.
For WP7.5 - The Nokia Lumia 800.

This attitude of selecting phones to match an OS is pathetic. No two Android phones will operate alike.
Rather choose a platform and get what you want from there.

My own experience with the SGS2 is one of absolute disappointment. Why should I with a top end phone, experience a number of forced closures from a number of applications?
My experience with iOS (4+5) is much better. Never an application error. What about WP7.5? The same as iOS. Never a problem.
So much for Dual core + 1GB ram....

Nice post. I think it narrows down to business models as well. A guy buys a Windows machine because there is probably some things he can't do on a Mac. He is afforded afforded more functionality and a much wider choice of hardware at the cost of having to know a little bit more about how it works and getting things TO work.

Another guy would buy a Mac because he can just take it out the box and it's up and running, plugs in anything and it just works without any funny driver crap. This comes at the expense of being narrowed down to one manufacturer and more limited functionality (though this is decreasing day by day). It's not as customisable but it does exactly what it needs to do.

The same can be applied to phone choice here.

 

[Fudzy]

And hardware does indeed matter when it comes to mobile devices. Some tasks require lots of power regardless of OS, like playing 1080p video for example or playing high end games. Why do you think the standard frequency is now 1GHz?

Stop relying on paper-specs...

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4951/...rks-800mhz-a5-slightly-slower-gpu-than-ipad-2

 

[iDenTiTy]

I have experienced a couple "force closes" but it never irritates me enough to change OS.

It's not like a PC when you've just done a whole batch of work and something bombs out and you lose all your work.

I don't work on my phone or program on my phone so when I see a "force close" I shrug my shoulders and reopen the app, 2 seconds later I'm back where I was, the better the apps become and the more they update them, the less "force close"s we'll see, we'll also see this as the OS progresses.

Like I said, with the apps I use (and I assume this for most people) the odd force close here and there are not enough to make me go to jail, I'll miss the widgets.

And hardware does indeed matter when it comes to mobile devices. Some tasks require lots of power regardless of OS, like playing 1080p video for example or playing high end games. Why do you think the standard frequency is now 1GHz?

Are you saying you would be as happy on Android with a Samsung Galaxy Gio, as you are with a S2?

The point is, you should not experience a forced closure anytime. Never.
This is not an attack on the S2. On its own, its brilliant.
Can you guarantee that your S2 will get Android 4.2 when it is released? (Judging by how often Google culls generations - it's not inconceivable that it won't).

Also, would you like to explain how it is, that an iPhone 4 runs as fluidly iOS5 on its hardware as a (seemingly) more sophisticated S2 does on Android 2.3.4?
It can't be the hardware, so therefore it is the software. No?
So therefore, the more efficient platform is iOS. No?

 

[sand_man]

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.)
Resale value
High quality app market
Intuitive UI
Responsive and accurate UI
iOS firmware updates compatible with earlier models
Customizable after jailbreak
Free of bloatware
iOS frugal on resources, efficient, 512mb of ram surplus to one's needs

 

[CoolBug]

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.)
Resale value
High quality app market
Intuitive UI
Responsive and accurate UI
iOS firmware updates compatible with earlier models
Customizable after jailbreak
Free of bloatware
iOS frugal on resources, efficient, 512mb of ram surplus to one's needs

I don't see the point of listing things that both phones have

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.)
Resale value (No one's going to want to resell a S2 )
Responsive and accurate UI - (True, iOS is slightly more responsive, the S2's hardware makes it also very responsive, not quite there with Apple though. I don't see how the Android OS is inaccurate? I've never clicked Skype and have YouTube open)
iOS firmware updates compatible with earlier models (A root can fix this but a half an hour of phone admin is inconvenient to many people)
Free of bloatware (A root can fix this but a half an hour of phone admin is inconvenient to many people)
iOS frugal on resources, efficient, 512mb of ram surplus to one's needs (Actually the iPhone4's hardware limitations is what's preventing it from doing things like capturing or playing 1080p video)

 

[Fudzy]

I don't see the point of listing things that both phones have

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.)
Resale value (No one's going to want to resell a S2 )
Responsive and accurate UI - (True, iOS is slightly more responsive, the S2's hardware makes it also very responsive, not quite there with Apple though. I don't see how the Android OS is inaccurate? I've never clicked Skype and have YouTube open)
iOS firmware updates compatible with earlier models (A root can fix this but a half an hour of phone admin is inconvenient to many people)
Free of bloatware (A root can fix this but a half an hour of phone admin is inconvenient to many people)
iOS frugal on resources, efficient, 512mb of ram surplus to one's needs (Actually the iPhone4's hardware limitations is what's preventing it from doing things like capturing or playing 1080p video)

You're excluding the 4S from your notes here right?

 

[iDenTiTy]

Nice post. I think it narrows down to business models as well. A guy buys a Windows machine because there is probably some things he can't do on a Mac. He is afforded afforded more functionality and a much wider choice of hardware at the cost of having to know a little bit more about how it works and getting things TO work.

Another guy would buy a Mac because he can just take it out the box and it's up and running, plugs in anything and it just works without any funny driver crap. This comes at the expense of being narrowed down to one manufacturer and more limited functionality (though this is decreasing day by day). It's not as customisable but it does exactly what it needs to do.

The same can be applied to phone choice here.

Absolutely.
Unfortunately, the uneducated don't think like this.

 

[CoolBug]

Are you saying you would be as happy on Android with a Samsung Galaxy Gio, as you are with a S2?

The point is, you should not experience a forced closure anytime. Never.
This is not an attack on the S2. On its own, its brilliant.
Can you guarantee that your S2 will get Android 4.2 when it is released? (Judging by how often Google culls generations - it's not inconceivable that it won't).

Also, would you like to explain how it is, that an iPhone 4 runs as fluidly iOS5 on its hardware as a (seemingly) more sophisticated S2 does on Android 2.3.4?
It can't be the hardware, so therefore it is the software. No?
So therefore, the more efficient platform is iOS. No?

It's admirable that all Apple devices can all be on the latest update, that's awesome.

But on one hand, generally most people have a phone for no longer than 2 years, many actually upgrade much more frequently, my current HTC Desire will not get ICS but I'm about to upgrade so my next phone will so I'm not too sad about the Desire not having ICS. It's almost a 2 year old phone and the current 2.3.7 allows it to do everything that it's hardware is capable of.

You're excluding the 4S from your notes here right?

Evidently

 

[CoolBug]

Absolutely.
Unfortunately, the uneducated don't think like this.

Oh great this thread has gone to insulting.

Don't worry, I won't retaliate.

 

[MattyW]

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 > A big plus for apple but for me the Super Amoled + display is worth the lower PPI
Receive direct updates from Apple > This is a super big plus for apple and my biggest gripe with Android
Has 7% more apps than Android > Honestly at this point all truly relevant apps can be found on both platforms
Resale value > This is also another major plus for apple, thier phones tend to sell for almost the price you pay for them
High quality app market > I wouldn't say the android app store is lower quality, maybe not as easy or intuitive
Intuitive UI > I moved from a Iphone and Touchwiz is very easy as well maybe 10%-20% more complicated.
Responsive and accurate UI > I think this applies only to old androids mine is responsive and accurate
iOS firmware updates compatible with earlier models >This isn't a good thing always my iphone 3G crawled and lagged heavily after getting IOS 4 and I have heard the same about 3GS users on IOS 5 {Through some say it's fine}
Customizable after jailbreak > True and with an Iphone almost necessary but Root gives far more power to an android user
Free of bloatware > Another big plus for Apple, But then again Root and you can remove anything you want
iOS frugal on resources, efficient, 512mb of ram surplus to one's needs > This is bad in my opinion because when iphone 5 comes out and has a gig of RAM the 4s won't be nearly as future proofed as the newer models, through maybe I tend to think of my phone as a mini PC so want to get the latest and greatest specs wise.

Just my opinion.

 

[CoolBug]

iPhone 4 Pros

Intuitive UI > I moved from a Iphone and Touchwiz is very easy as well maybe 10%-20% more complicated.

True, TouchWiz sucks hard, I don't like any of the manufacturers crapping on the OS, This is where we prayer to the makers of things like Launcher Pro and ADW there are more.

 

[iDenTiTy]

Oh great this thread has gone to insulting.

Don't worry, I won't retaliate.

It was not an insult. Also, not directed toward you.

 

[DCS]

Does anyone here know where the cheapest place is currently to get the Galaxy S2 on contract? Hopefully someone knows of a special currently running, otherwise does R320 pm sound about right?

 

[CoolBug]

Does anyone here know where the cheapest place is currently to get the Galaxy S2 on contract? Hopefully someone knows of a special currently running, otherwise does R320 pm sound about right?

I'd go with Vodacom, 249 rand a month.

 

[DCS]

Cheers! Though how did you find that? Ive searched there website/online shop and am rather dismayed by how **** it is.
Guess I will be going into the Vodashop then... Do you know off hand what contract that is for R249 pm? Is it one of those pre-paid contracts?