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Samsung Galaxy S II

8.3 User Score Write Review
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Tech Specs

Also Known As...

Alias i9100

Hardware

Height 4.93 inches
Width 2.6 inches
Thickness 0.33 inches
Form factor Slab
Primary orientation Portrait
Color White, Black, Pink
Noise cancellation Hardware (multi-mic)

Display

Screen size (diagonal) 4.3 inches
Technology Super AMOLED Plus
Resolution (Y) 800 px
Resolution (X) 480 px
Touchscreen type Capacitive
Multitouch Yes

Connectivity

3G Connectivity Yes
GSM Yes
GSM frequencies supported 1900, 1800, 900, 850
UMTS / HSPA Yes
UMTS frequencies supported 900, 2100, 1900, 850
WWAN data standards supported UMTS, EDGE, HSPA+, HSUPA, HSDPA, GPRS
Max WWAN downlink speed 21 Mbps
Max WWAN uplink speed 5.76 Mbps
Wi-Fi Yes
Wi-Fi support 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, 802.11a
802.11n frequencies 5GHz, 2.4GHz
GPS Yes
Bluetooth Yes
Bluetooth version Bluetooth 3.0 + HS
Media streaming DLNA

Processor

Brand / family ARM
Model Cortex A9
Clock speed 1.2 GHz
Number of cores 2

GPU

Model Mali-400 MP

Memory

RAM size 1 GB

Storage

Internal size 16 GB, 32 GB
External Yes
Max external size 32 GB
External type microSD

Front Camera

Resolution 2 megapixels

Rear Camera

Resolution 8 megapixels
Flash LED
Focus type Autofocus
Video resolution 1080p
Video framerate 30

Software

Operating system Android
Skin TouchWiz
Launch OS version 2.3
Current OS version 4.0
Notable apps Google Mobile Services

Ports

Headphone jack 3.5mm
Other ports Micro USB, MHL

Sensors

Sensors Compass (Magnetometer), Proximity, Ambient light, Gyroscope, Accelerometer

Battery

Capacity 1650 mAh
8.3

Average User Review

of 15 total reviews
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  • Design 8
  • Display 8
  • Camera(s) 8
  • Reception / call quality 8
  • Performance 9
  • Software 8
  • Battery life 7
  • Ecosystem 8

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  • 9.0
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    Reviewed by cuckfupertino (Currently owns)

    March 20, 2012 12:06 pm

    The Galaxy S2 is Android and Samsung's best entrant in to the smartphone foray. I've previously owned a Captivate, iPhone 3g, HTC Desire HD (aka Inspire), Nexus S, and currently own the GS2 (international, i9100 variant). By far the best phone I've owned, but that goes without saying. I bought the phone unlocked from Newegg.com. It was between this, the iPhone 4S, and the Galaxy Nexus GSM version. Ultimately, I went with the GS2 over the iPhone 4S because I'm entrenched in the Google "system" (Gmail, Gcal, etc.) and the Google Nav app is irreplaceable. It was a tough choice between the GNex and the GS2, but the deciding factor was the GS2's superior camera. The Exynos processor is also arguably better than the hardware in the GNex, and since it's made by Samsung I expect it makes the GS2 theoretically faster. Of course, software ultimately determines that. The first thing I did when I got the phone was to flash a custom ROM (can't stand TouchWiz or any other manufacturer ROMs). Used CM7 for a little while, and eventually settled on MIUI which ran beautifully on the phone for a long time. Recently I've opted for the CM9 Alpha nightlies, which for the uninitiated is basically vanilla ICS (4.0). ICS looks awesome on this phone's screen. Why did I go with the i9100 instead of AT&T's version? The home button. It's really, really useful. I don't know why the American versions don't come with it, but if you're going to get this phone unlocked, I'd really suggest you get the international version. My biggest complaints about the phone? Right now, the state of CM9 is not where I'd like it to be, so the lack of a viable ICS ROM is a pretty big complaint. The screen gets very oily. Also, I have the white version, and the back battery cover is smooth unlike the black version (textured), so it is slippery. Highlights? The camera is unbeatable, arguably the best screen on the market (SAMOLED Plus and a 4.3" screen > Retina display IMO (too small), and SAMOLED Plus > HD SAMOLED (the GNex) bc of Plus' lack of Pentile), the Exynos processor has to be the fastest/most efficient processor out there, and the phone gets fantastic battery life. Finally, since it's Android's poster child (alongside the GNex) it gets a lot of ROM development, meaning you can really tweak the software and find a great version to run!

    The Breakdown

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    • Camera(s) 9
    • Reception / call quality 6
    • Performance 8
    • Software 7
    • Battery life 8
    • Ecosystem 8
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  • 8.0
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    Reviewed by francisco.horta (Currently owns)

    January 21, 2012 03:00 pm

    Owning a Galaxy S II for about 5 months I can tell that it's a pretty good phone. It has it's flaws like every other phone (specially android ones). One advise I could give to anyone buying of wanting to buy this phone... Go and get a bigger battery!! It will make a huge difference, because it allows you to use it really heavily and have enough battery for a full day!

    The Breakdown

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    • Camera(s) 8
    • Reception / call quality 9
    • Performance 9
    • Software 8
    • Battery life 8
    • Ecosystem 6
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  • 9.0
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    Reviewed by dolphonia (Currently owns)

    January 5, 2012 01:41 pm

    I moved to the Samsung Galaxy S II having previously had an HTC Hero and before that an iPhone 3G. The Galaxy S II really takes everything I loved about the HTC Hero and improves it giving me better battery life, performance and a stunning screen. The android ecosystem is really maturing now and I'm eagerly awaiting the upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich. One of the things I like about the Galaxy S II is the wide variety of games available and great graphics, It came with a bit of bloatware but hidden within are some really cool apps like the media server.

    The Breakdown

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    • Camera(s) 9
    • Reception / call quality 8
    • Performance 10
    • Software 8
    • Battery life 7
    • Ecosystem 9
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  • 7.0
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    Reviewed by Aaron Souppouris (Currently owns)

    December 27, 2011 06:09 pm

    What can I say about the Galaxy S II?

    It's my favourite Android device thus far, but it's crippled by bad software and a low resolution screen.

    It's extremely light but well made. Despite being pretty much all plastic in construction, the build quality is very solid. I've dropped mine so many times i've lost count and there's nary a scratch to be found. In contrast, the phone that i'm currently using as my daily driver, the iPhone 4S, cracked (only slightly, on the corner) on it's 3rd trip to the floor.

    Its Exynos processor offers by far the smoothest Android experience i've ever had, and there are a million customisations out there on xda and other sites. Reception is always stellar, call quality just 'ok', the Cameras perform well in good lighting but have way too much noise in low lighting.

    Software wise, there is way too much bloatware, and some persistant processes that drain the battery. The App launcher is upsettingly bad as well. Nothing that can't be solved by Launcher PRO, but still, it's not good. Points are gained for amazingly smooth performance, and the fantastic hardware-accelerated browser. I know of no other browser that can play in-frame Flash content whilst still allowing me to pan and zoom without a hiccup. Compared to any other browser i've used on a mobile device, it's just legendary.

    Battery Life on the stock ROM just about gets you through a day, with the right ROM and UI you can get through a day and a half

    If you're happy to root and replace ROMs, and don't mind about the paltry screen resolution, then I couldn't think of a better Android phone right now. If you need a HD screen, and don't mind the drop in performance, then you'd be better off with a Galaxy Nexus.

    The Breakdown

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    • Display 7
    • Camera(s) 8
    • Reception / call quality 8
    • Performance 10
    • Software 6
    • Battery life 8
    • Ecosystem 8
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  • 8.0
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    Reviewed by Ryan Autry (Previously owned)

    December 20, 2011 05:13 pm

    One of the best phones I've owned to date. It's extremely thin and light which makes it disappear. in any pocket. The Exynos processor is blazing quick. The SAMOLED Plus screen is gorgeous even at last years spec'd resolution. If this phone had the 720p resolution of the Galaxy Nexus, Samsung wouldn't ever sell the Nexus.

    The Breakdown

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    • Camera(s) 8
    • Reception / call quality 8
    • Performance 8
    • Software 8
    • Battery life 7
    • Ecosystem 8
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  • 8.0
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    Reviewed by augustofretes (Currently owns)

    December 20, 2011 02:46 pm

    The Samsung Galaxy S II was probably the best Android smartphone when it launched, and it can still hold a fight against the newer top tier devices. The screen and the lack of fast updates are its only (albeit important) flaws. The Super AMOLED+ screen looks good, but its pixel density is not high enough, and Samsung obsession to oversaturate makes it suffer from banding.

    Software updates have been relatively smooth, but no major revision were released in its life time until now, and it seems like S II owners will need to wait until late Q1 2012 to get their hands into a heavily skinned version of ICS: TouchWiz is among the best (or less bad) Android skins, simply because it's smoother than any other launcher (ICS on the Nexus included), and some other TW additions are fairly welcomed, like an impressive video codec support, or the smoothest web browser.

    The internal hardware is still unmatched, the build quality is good (despite having a "cheaper" feeling, it's an extremely endurable device, it's hard to break), there's little reason to upgrade to a Galaxy Nexus, unless you are tired of the screen resolution, can't wait for ICS, and don't care about camera or the GPU, current owners should hold to it until the new avalanche of devices (perhaps the S III) starts coming.

    The final score is 8.25, which I think puts the device where it belongs against the newer phone (The Galaxy Nexus, I wouldn't recommed an iPhone 4S over the SGS II or many other devices, since its buid quality is just mediocre, it breaks too easily).

    The Breakdown

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    • Camera(s) 9
    • Reception / call quality 9
    • Performance 9
    • Software 8
    • Battery life 7
    • Ecosystem 8
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  • 9.0
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    Reviewed by galaxys2 (Currently owns)

    December 20, 2011 02:45 pm

    Touchwiz isn't the best but it does have some improvements over gingerbread, dialler for example. And I personally use go launcher anyway which is very fast. The design may feel a bit cheap and breakable but it isn't when put into practice. I wouldn't recommend dropping the phone but if you do, it still comes out great most of the time. The display is great, point knocked off for not having a higher resolution and it's a bit outdated in this sense. The battery life isn't too good after using the phone for 4 months, you are stretching a day out of it really on normal use. The performance in web browsing(with samsungs hardware acceleration) and gaming is great, if only it was allowed to have GTA natively. With ICS, this could be better than the galaxy nexus, but even with gingerbread it's a great phone and something you can rely on for a while and not feel outdated.

    The Breakdown

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    • Display 9
    • Camera(s) 9
    • Reception / call quality 9
    • Performance 9
    • Software 8
    • Battery life 7
    • Ecosystem 9
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  • 6.0
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    Reviewed by Todrick (Previously owned)

    December 20, 2011 12:08 pm

    The Super AMOLED Plus display used in this phone is horrifically bad.
    I gave it a 1 because it can in fact display an image... monochrome would have gotten a higher score.

    It is so over saturated that in certain apps it is painful to look at(Handcent SMS for instance). I found it so detestable that I returned this phone after a week because when it would ring, I would sometimes not answer because I didn't want to have to look at it. Put it this way, Whites are Blue... Green is Neon Green... If your TV at home looked like this you'd know it was broken. Not sure why so many people think this is acceptable or even desired in a phone.

    The design of the phone feels cheap and plasticy.

    The performance is good, this is a snappy processor for sure.

    The Battery life is pretty good, but it strangely take hours to charge.

    Samsung's Touchwiz is almost as bad as the display... the simple fact that it is android saves it a bit here... but TW is really horrible.

    The Breakdown

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    • Design 4
    • Display 1
    • Camera(s) 7
    • Reception / call quality 8
    • Performance 9
    • Software 6
    • Battery life 6
    • Ecosystem 9
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  • 9.0
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    Reviewed by kalikot (Currently owns)

    December 20, 2011 11:45 am

    I've had the Samsung Galaxy S II i9100 for 6 months and it's been a pleasure as my daily driver.

    The Exynos processor really powers this beast and it's pretty much the smoothest Android experience due to the hardware accelerated touchwiz 4.0 and browser. It's unparalleled in performance and not even the latest from the competition such as the Rezound or Razr can match it when it comes to it. Touchwiz doesnt have the best customization options, but the smoothness and ease of use, along with the Toggles and options make it top notch, even better when you customize it with the mods over at XDA.

    The camera is excellent. It's probably the best camera on a smartphone right now (unless you compare it to the N8) and It's performed favorably compared to the iPhone 4s. The shutter speed is decent but it would help if it focused faster.The 2mp front camera is the best front camera i've used so far and it surprises me with its results.

    Viewing media on this thing is a pleasure due to the codecs. Flash has never performed this well on a mobile device. It doesnt have ANY hiccups, and it's amazing to see the Exynos SoC in action.

    The battery life could be better but it's better than most smartphones especially compared to those HTC ones. It could better and the iPhone 4 outlasts it by a good amount but it's usually enough for a workday and sometimes more.

    The Super AMOLED plus is a joy to behold and the 4.3 inch screen makes colors lively and it's really wonderful to read things compared to an LCD screen. The resolution is not the best compared to the current crop of smartphones but it's not really a huge deterrent as the RGB nature of the Super AMOLED plus works wonders. It's a miracle

    The plastic housing is very light and durable, but it can indeed feel cheap compared to an iPhone, but in turn you get a very slim profile, very light and easy to grip. And adding a case to it remedies the cheap feel. There is always something to improve though.

    One of the major annoyances is that the i9100 (and Note) tends to heat up when performing processor intensive things. It hasnt damaged my phone but it's annoying especially after using it and placing it in my pocket. Also, sound quality isn't the best compared to the iPhone 4 and the first Galaxy S. I would say it's mediocre

    What I really love about the i9100 is the developer community and massive support over at XDA. I've been customizing my phone since I got it and been very happy with the constant official and unofficial updates from the community and Samsung. It's never been faster and the battery has become better with age.

    The Breakdown

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    • Performance 9
    • Software 8
    • Battery life 7
    • Ecosystem 8
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  • 9.0
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    Reviewed by Iumentum (Currently owns)

    December 20, 2011 10:27 am

    Best mobile investment i've ever done. Bought this back in may, and still one of the best mobiles on the market more than 6 months later. Samsung did a great job on this devise and deserve the success it had. Will consider Galaxy 3 when it hits the streets next year.

    The Breakdown

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    • Display 9
    • Camera(s) 9
    • Reception / call quality 10
    • Performance 10
    • Software 9
    • Battery life 8
    • Ecosystem 9
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