Samsung Galaxy S II is the biggest competitor for Apple iPhone 4s till date. Samsung Galaxy S II was released almost 6 months earlier than iPhone 4S. It was released in May 2011 where iPhone 4s was released on October 2011. Though iPhone 4S is the newer toy, Galaxy S II is still competing with it; even after almost a year now. Both of this mobiles have its own pro and cons but choosing the best from this two is really tough.
Look and Feel
Apple all the way of course. iPhone is a trend and style statement for anyone. If you have an iPhone and the person next to you has a phone covered with diamonds and gold, you will still get the attention because it is an iPhone. It is not just a phone it is a symbol and so no comparison here.
Verdict – iPhone 4S 1 – Galaxy S II 0
Price
The first thing that comes in to mind when comparing iPhone 4S and Galaxy S II is its price. iPhone 4S has a price tag of $749 for its 16 GB model where as Galaxy S II comes at a much lower $600 price. Some may say this $149 is worth paying for the “Apple” fell but is it really?
Verdict – iPhone 4S 1 – Galaxy S II 1
Hardware
Anyway moving ahead, lets see the hardware of this two. iPhone 4S is powered by dual core Apple A5 1 GHZ CPU where Galaxy S II is powered by dual core ARM Cortex-?A9 1.2 GHZ CPU. Samsung again beats Apple in terms of RAM because Galaxy S II has 1 GB of RAM but iPhone 4S has 512 MB RAM.
Talking about internal and external memory available for these devices, both have the same 16 GB inbuilt memory but Galaxy S II has the facility to use external microSD card and that can increase the memory to 48 GB total. 16 GB internal + 32 GB external. So Galaxy S II again.
Verdict – iPhone 4S 1 – Galaxy S II 2
Operating System
iPhone 4S runs on iOS ?5 version where Galaxy S II runs on Android 2.3. Here Apple beats Samsung. iOS 5 is the latest version of the mobile OS from Apple but there are advance versions of Android those are released after Android 2.3.
Verdict – iPhone 4S 2 – Galaxy S II 2
Display
Galaxy S II has 4.3 inch super AMOLED display and iPhone 4S has 3.5 inch Retina display. iPhone 4S supports 960 x 640 display resolution where S II display resolution is much lower 800 x 480. Though Galaxy S II contains scratch resistant glass but iPhone 4S is the winner here.
Verdict – iPhone 4S 3 – Galaxy S II 2
Connectivity
iPhone 4S has Bluetooth 4.0 + Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n) + DLNA but it lacks microUSB, HDMI and Near field communication (NFC). Galaxy S II has 3.5 mm TRRS, Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n), Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 3.0, micro USB 2.0, Near field communication (NFC), DLNA, MHL, HDMI, USB Host (OTG) 2.0
Verdict – iPhone 4S 3 – Galaxy S II 3
Camera Sensors and others
Both of these devices have a 8 Mega Pixel rear camera with LED flash that can record 1080p videos. Samsung Galaxy S II contains a 2 MP front camera where iPhone 4S has a 0.3 MP VGA front Camera.
Ambient Light Sensor, Proximity Sensor, Accelerometer, Digital Compass, Gyroscope are available on both of them but iPhone 4S lack FM receiver and gives Galaxy S II an edge.
Verdict – iPhone 4S 3 – Galaxy S II 4
iPhone 4S vs Galaxy S II comparison table
| Item/Model | Apple iPhone 4S | Samsung Galaxy S2 |
|---|---|---|
| Price (without contract) | $749 | $600 |
| Hardware | ||
| CPU | Apple A5 | ARM Cortex-A9 |
| CPU Speed | 1.00 GHz | 1.20 GHz |
| Processor Cores | Dual Core | Dual Core |
| RAM | 512 MB | 1 GB |
| Memory | ||
| Storage | 16.0 GB | 16.4 GB |
| Removable Storage (maximum) | N/A | 32 GB |
| Operating System | ||
| Operating System | iOS | Android |
| Operating System Version | iOS 5 | Android 2.3 |
| User Interface | Android | |
| Display | ||
| Screen Size | 3.5 inch | 4.3 inch |
| Display Technology | LED | Super AMOLED |
| Screen Resolution | 960 x 640 | 800 x 480 |
| 3D Capable | No | No |
| Scratch Resistant Glass | No | Yes |
| Ambient Light Sensor | Yes | Yes |
| Multi Touch | Yes | Yes |
| Proximity Sensor | Yes | Yes |
| Network | ||
| 3G (HSPDA/CDMA) | Yes | Yes |
| 4G (HSPA+) | No | Yes |
| 4G (LTE/HSPA+) | No | Yes |
| Edge/2G (GSM/GPRS) | Yes | Yes |
| GPS with Navigation | Yes | Yes |
| Connectivity | ||
| Bluethoth | 4 | 3.0 + HS |
| WiFi | Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n) | 3.5 mm TRRS; Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n); Wi-Fi Direct |
| Mobile Hotspot Tethering | Yes | Yes |
| Headphone Connection | 3.?5mm | 3.?5mm |
| HDMI | No | Yes |
| USB | No | No |
| MicroUSB | No | Yes 2.0 |
| Near field communication (NFC) | No | Yes |
| Camera | ||
| Camera Quality | 8 Mega Pixels | 8 Mega Pixels |
| Maximum Video Capture Resolution | 1080p | 1080p |
| Flash | LED | LED |
| Front Facing Camera | 0.3 Mega Pixels | 2 Mega Pixels |
| Sensors | ||
| Accelerometer | Yes | Yes |
| Barometer | No | No |
| Digital Compass | Yes | Yes |
| Gyroscope | Yes | Yes |
| Others | ||
| DLNA | Yes | Yes |
| FM Receiver | No | Yes |
| HD Playback | Yes | Yes |
| Battery | ||
| Talk Time | 14 hours | 9 hours |
| Maximum Standby Time | 200 hours | 620 hours |
| Battery Capacity | - | 1,650 mAh |
| Battery Technology | Li Ion | Li Ion |
| Dimensions & Weight | ||
| Dimensions | 4.50" x 2.31" x 0.37" | 4.93" x 2.60" x 0.33" |
| Weight | 137 grams | 116 grams |
| Review by Others | ||
| CNET Rating | 4 out of 5 | 4 out of 5 |
| PC World Rating | 4 out of 5 | 4 out of 5 |
| PC Magazine Rating | 4.5 out of 5 | 4.5 out of 5 |
| Price | ||
| Price (with contract) | $199 | $100 |
Conclusion – Samsung Galaxy S II is undoubtedly the best value for money mobile device. It has all the features whether you need or not. It is powered by Android OS which is backed by Google so the possibilities with it is unlimited. In the same time if you don’t want just a phone, if you want a lifestyle then you have to buy iPhone 4S. There nothing better than iPhone in the market till date.
Both of these devices have a 8 Mega Pixel rear camera with LED flash that can record 1080p videos. Samsung Galaxy S II contains a 2 MP front camera where iPhone 4S has a 0.3 MP VGA front Camera.
Ambient Light Sensor, Proximity Sensor, Accelerometer, Digital Compass, Gyroscope are available on both of them but iPhone 4S lack FM receiver and gives Galaxy S II an edge.
Verdict – iPhone 4S
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