Samsung Galaxy S2

[Billhouse]

The Samsung Galaxy S2 is officially out in the UK as of today. However its currently a Phones4U exclusive until May 1st. Has anyone here picked it up? I managed to get a SIM free one from my local branch. It cost £529.99.

First impressions are that its amazing. The phone is very light but it doesn't feel cheap, apart from the crap battery door. The screen is beautiful at 4.3 inches and the colours are incredibly vibrant thanks to the Super Amoled Plus technology.

Its the fastest phone I have ever used. Only the iPhone 4 comes close. Viewing flash-heavy sites, the phone is as smooth as butter. The cameras are really good even the front facing one which actually produces some really nice photos as well.

Its my first time using a Samsung phone with Touch Wiz. In many ways its similar to the iPhone but no where near identical. Its a nice interface with lots of customisation options such as resizing widgets and it includes its own file browser too. If you dont like Touch Wiz you could just install ADW or Launcher Pro which I have tested and both work.

As a phone, the call quality is up there with the best. A noise reduction mic is present. The speaker is also above average and I found it louder than my old Nexus S. Finally the battery seems to be really good too but I cant make a full judgement until I use it for a full week. At 1650mah it should last you close enough to two days on moderate usage.

Overall i'm really impressed with this phone. Its the best Android phone on the market. In terms of spec it wont be beaten for quite a while at least. The only omission is the NFC chip which sadly isn't present in the UK models. But since hardly anywhere uses it now or in the near future it's not a major loss.

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Hopefully get mine from O2 this weekend (Bank Hols permitting)

Cant wait

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[blaggard]

I'm still going to hold off to check out the Sensation, I have a couple of concerns (build quality etc) and really like Sense and the general feel of HTC handsets

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Bah just phoned O2, wont be getting it till next week

Billhouse, Can it still be rooted?

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[Billhouse]

From what I have heard on XDA the phone has an unlocked bootloader so yes I believe it can be rooted. Its just a matter of time I assume before the big guys like Cyanogen get on the Galaxy S2.

[flumperino]

I'd love to get this, but I don't like the build and feel of Samsung products.

[blaggard]

I'd love to get this, but I don't like the build and feel of Samsung products.

Sensation for you my lad!!

[ant3b]

£399.99 on 02 apparentley

http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/sams...tariffs/928615

[Billhouse]

£399.99 on 02 apparentley

http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/sams...tariffs/928615

Oh WTF?! Man I knew I should have just waited lol!

[flumperino]

Sensation for you my lad!!

Already an HTC man......new desire owner ;o)

[Billhouse]

9/10 from Engadget.

[raelmadrid]

its good to have competition from another player - keeps the rest of them on their toes

just watched a youtube vid of it browsing some flash sites - quick!

[Geko]

I want it. But am happy with my current Galaxy S until I am due an upgrade. With the Darky Rom it does everything I need and more.

We need the software to start using the power the new hardware possesses.

[4me2]

Samsung Galaxy S2: No NFC for UK confirmed



By Mat Smith on Thursday, 28th April 2011




We noticed while reviewing the Galaxy S2 that the NFC chip promised at Samsung’s big launch in February was conspicuously absent from both the spec sheet and the smartphone settings menu.
It’s now been confirmed that the NFC feautre, available and active in Korean models, won’t come to the UK
NFC technology is already in use in some touch-to-pay Barclaycards, Oyster cards, and can be found the Google Nexus S several other smartphones. Nokia have recently announced an NFC-edition of Angry Birds, where new levels will be unlocked by interactions between the user and other NFC-capable phones.
Phone retailer Clove, who had talked to their Samsung distributors, told Know Your Mobile that, “‘UK stock will NOT feature NFC as standard. Also there will NOT be an NFC chip within the device so there will be no ‘software upgrade’ available in the future to enable this.”
There was a bizarre rumour floating that there was a ‘disabled’ NFC chip inside the phone that Samsung would simply enable in a future software update.
We’re divided over NFC. Half of Team Recombu think its premature, lacking uptake in businesses, and are unwilling to show off their £300-plus phone to would-be thieves. The other half likes the convenience, convergence, and the lack of weighty change.
What do you think? Is no NFC a deal-breaker?


http://recombu.com/news/samsung-gala...ed_M14202.html

[4me2]

I'm still going to hold off to check out the Sensation, I have a couple of concerns (build quality etc) and really like Sense and the general feel of HTC handsets

HTC Sensation vs Samsung Galaxy S II

Tony Crammond

We pit the HTC Sensation against Samsung's newly released Galaxy S II. Will it be tough enough to take-on the Korean firm's new powerhouse?

Published on Apr 26, 2011



It's been a good year for the smartphone obsessed so far, with releases from LG and Motorola raising the bar with dual-core architecture and adding other cutting-edge features to the mix, but even those powerful new devices stand in the shadows of today's competitors: Samsung's amazing Galaxy S II and HTC's Sensation.
Which one will come out on top in today's head-to-head though?


Build

HTC Sensation - 126.1x65.4x11.3 mm, 148g.
Samsung Galaxy S II - 125.3x66.1x8.5mm, 116g.
HTC is known for high quality devices and we expect the Sensation to be no different. Expect top quality materials, solid construction and sleek good looks to be the order of the day when the device goes on sale later in the month.
Samsung has kicked things up a notch with the Galaxy S II and the device is a beauty to look at. It's thin (maybe too thin) and the weight is never going to be an encumbrance if you're one of the many people who choose to pocket your device. We'd avoid the back-pocket though, as we aren't sure whether the Galaxy S II will tolerate being sat upon.
The use of lightweight plastics in the construction will likely divide opinion though and while some people prize lighter weights above all else we personally like a touch of the premium in our devices, and the minor weight gain that it brings, which leads us to put our cross next to HTC on this rounds score-card.
Winner - HTC Sensation


Screen

The HTC Sensation features a 4.3-inch Super-LCD display, which is fronted with Corning's Gorilla Glass (to give the ham fisted among you a little extra reassurance).
Operating at a resolution of 540x960 pixels, the Sensation brings vibrant colour and lively performance to the user. It may not be cutting edge, like Apple's fabled Retina Display, but it will do what it's intended to well.
Samsung's Galaxy S II however, comes fitted with the latest Super AMOLED Plus screen from the Korean giant.
Measuring 4.3-inches with 480x800 pixels, the Galaxy S II's screen brings low power demands, rich colours, deep blacks and super snappy performance to bear on the market, as well as pin sharp detail and amazing performance. Not to mention a healthy dose of Gorilla Glass of its own!
Not only does the Galaxy S II beat the Sensation in this round, but Apple had better watch out too, as the Samsung is arguably a better performer than the much lauded iPhone 4.
Winner - Samsung Galaxy S II


Optics

If snapping photos is one of your favourite pastimes then prepare to be impressed by both of today's contenders.
The Samsung Galaxy S II ships with an 8-megapixel primary camera with LED flash and 2-megapixel front-facing camera for video-calling support.
The primary snapper also offers geo-tagging, touch focus, face and smile detection and image stabilisation, which should allow even the most amateur photographer to turn out some impressive results. Or if taking video is more your thing you can enjoy support for full 1080p capture.
Similarly the HTC Sensation comes with an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera with dual-LED flash, geo-tagging, touch-focus, image stabilisation, face detection and instant capture as well as support for 1080p video recording.
Secondary duties will be performed by the included front-facing VGA camera which, although it isn't up to the same standard as the Samsung, will be more than adequate for most.
Winner - Samsung Galaxy S II


Software

Both of our contenders run on version 2.3 of Google's Android OS, which features myriad improvements over the previous iterations of the software, including a new on-screen QWERTY, VoIP integration, security enhancements and vastly improved power management to help you milk the most out of your battery.
HTC has also added the latest version of its well regarded Touch UI overlay to the Sensation, version 3.0, which brings new eye-candy, widgets, applications and social network integration to the device. It's business as usual for the Touch UI on the Sensation making it, in our view, the very best custom overlay available in the Android eco-system.
Samsung hasn't sent its baby out into the world ill-equipped though, and the latest version of its TouchWiz UI, version 4.0, is certainly an upgrade over the previous releases. You'll find new additions to your software such as music and game hubs and improved visuals on board, as well as cool new features like the motion-zoom function, which zooms in to text and content as you move the device further away from your eyes!
Winner - HTC Sensation


Power

If you're considering springing for one of these two great devices then power is certainly a criteria that has crossed your sphere of interest and both of these super smartphones have brains in abundance.
The Samsung Galaxy S II is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 CPU and also features a Mali-400MP GPU, which should power your eye-candy and games to perfection without breaking sweat.
If you thinking about the possibility of lag or slow-down on the Galaxy S II, which was an affliction which its predecessor was touched by on the odd occasion, think again. The device not only comes with the aforementioned cutting-edge Orion chipset, but also a whopping 1GB RAM.
HTC's Sensation packs plenty of punch too, with the 1.2GHz dual-core CPU and Adreno 220 GPU of Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8260 processor on-board.
The 768MB of installed RAM, while perfectly adequate at the moment, may come back to bite HTC in the ass though as future OS updates and software advancements may weigh heavier on devices in terms of resource usage.
Winner - Samsung Galaxy S II

The HTC Sensation has taken the Samsung Galaxy S II to the wire but unfortunately it doesn't have enough to tip the balance, making the Samsung the first device to defeat the amazing Sensation.
In all honesty they are both astoundingly powerful and attractive smartphones with heaps of virtue and personality but if you're looking for the perfect device, for the time being at least, it's the Samsung Galaxy S II.

http://www.knowyourmobile.com/compar...laxy_s_ii.html

[Mooncat]

Fucking postman mine turned up today and then was taken away. I was on the roof of my house and the postman nodded and said hello. I went down 20 minutes later and the knobber had left me a card saying i'd missed them what a prick he never said anything to me when when he left. I cant pick it up till Saturday from the delivery office as they are shut tomorrow.

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Im pissed off the bitch at o2 said that its not on the system and wouldnt go live till the 1st or the 2nd due to the bank hols.

But ppl on HotdealsUK are reported to have ordered them. Gonna phone and complain tomorrow. :/

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[Mooncat]

Got mine from Phones4u they had them a day early even though I still don't have it because of Postman Twat

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Being delivered on Tuesday...

£32 for 800 mins, unlimited txt, unlimited o2 to o2 and 500mb data.

Not bad concidering i was on £40 for 900 mins, unlimited txt and unlimited data on my old Iphone contract.

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[Mooncat]

Playing with mine now, its stunning