Having owned over half a dozen Android smartphones in the past year, I thought I’ve seem them all. The Samsung Galaxy S II (S2 i9100) brings it up a notch — a powerful and sexy Android superphone that comes with all the bells and whistles.
The very thin frame of the Galaxy S II gives it that sexy appeal. Just like its predecessor, its mostly made out of polymer making it very light and almost unnoticeable in the pocket.
Yes, it sometimes looks like an iPhone, both in design and UI (though I’d wish the iPhone 5 would very much have an exact form factor) prompting Apple to file a lawsuit against Samsung. Still, it’s admirable that Samsung is able to pull it off and somehow retain a little bit of design signature.
The large 4.3-inch display is surrounded by a thin, dark bezel with a front-facing camera on top, a couple of sensors and earpiece beside it. At the bottom end, the usual physical home button is sandwiched by a touch panel button for Menu and Back.
On the left side is the volume rocker while the power/sleep button is on the right side. On the top end is the 3.5″ audio jack while the micro-USB port for data and power is situated at the bottom. The absence of a dedicated camera button is a little disappointing.
The bright and crisp display of the Galaxy S II is one of its best feature. Just like the first-gen Galaxy S, the AMOLED Plus display is among the best screens we’ve seen on a phone — deep contrast, vivid colors and smooth display quality. I’m not able to discern the difference between AMOLED and AMOLED Plus but I guess the benefits are all behind the scenes (like low-power consumption).
At the back panel is the huge 8MP camera and there’s a little protrusion at the bottom end (perhaps to give it a good grip) is where the audio speakers are placed. The entire back cover (for the battery compartment) has a rough mesh-type finish.
Contrary to what we’ve posted before here and the specs that we’ve gotten earlier, the Galaxy S II unit that we’re using has a slightly lower specifications. It still even has the dual-core 1.0GHz processor instead of the recent announcement that it’s going to be 1.2GHz. That’s probably due to the fact that it’s just an engineering unit and not the final release.
The battery is also rated at 6.11Wh (and a voltage rating of 3.7V), which translates to roughly 1651mAh. That gives us about a full 2 days with mostly calls and SMS with light WiFi browsing. We’re not able to test out 3G usage since I could not figure out the settings (copied the one from the old Galaxy S but that didn’t work either).
Based on the System Info App, here’s the partial internal specs of the unit we got:
CPU Frequency Range: 200MHz – 1,000MHz
SD Card Storage: 11.5 GB
Internal Storage: 1.97 GB
System Storage: 504 MB
Memory: 833 MB
System Cache: 92 MB
Sensors: 9
OS Release: 2.3.3
Resolution: 480×800 pixels
Density: 240 dpi
Refresh Rate: 60Hz
That does not include the external SD card (A2SD) slot found at the back, behind the battery, which can accommodate an additional 32GB of storage.
The Galaxy S2’s camera is among the best ones we’ve used and is at par with the likes of Nokia N8 and the iPhone 4. The camera takes great photos — images are crisp and well saturated. There’s far less blurry images since the shutter speed is quite fast. Oh, and it’s got an LED flash now, too! Would have been nice if they added a dedicated camera button. See sample shots taken below (or see full album here in raw).
What makes it better than all the other cameraphones out there is that the Galaxy S II can record up to 1080p videos (full HD!) without even breaking a sweat. It can also play the 1080p videos effortlessly, something my 11″ Macbook Air is having a hard time to do.
See sample video footages take using the Galaxy S2 (select 1080p on the dropdown menu).
The handset performs really well, thanks to the improved CPU, more generous RAM and graphics chip. Apps load faster, games run more smoothly and even web browsing is much more efficient and pleasant.
The Galaxy S II uses Samsung’s TouchWiz UI on top of Android Gingerbread. It comes with 7 panels or home screens and navigates just like the old Galaxy S. There are a number of very noticeable improvements, especially with the additional of more functional and eye-candy widgets (reminds me of HTC Sense). See video demo below:
Samsung i9100 Galaxy S II specs:
4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus @ 480×800 pixels
Gorilla Glass display
Dual-core 1.0GHz ARM Cortex-A9 proccessor
Mali-400MP GPU, Orion chipset
833MB RAM
2GB + 12GB internal storage
up to 32GB via microSD
HSDPA 21 Mbps, HSUPA 5.76 Mbps
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, DLNA, WiFi Direct, WiFi hotspot
8MP autofocus camera w/ LED Flash
Stereo FM radio with RDS
GPS with aGPS support
Bluetooth 3.0 + HS
1080p video recording
2MP front-facing camera for video calls
Li-Ion 1650mAh battery
Android 2.3 Gingerbread
I was not able to test out other integrated features such as 3G/HSDPA and WiFi-Direct due to compatibility in the settings. Samsung PR stressed that this is not the final unit which is the reason why we’ve encountered numerous system and app errors.
The Samsung Galaxy S II definitely brings new excitement to the Android smartphone line-up. The souped-up specs, dual-core processor, sexy form factor and large AMOLED screen certainly elevated the Galaxy S2 i9100 to the top of the heap.
It’s probably going to be the first dual-core Android smartphone to hit the Philippines this May (unless of course LG will beat it to the punch). Samsung is yet to release this handset in the Philippines (although I hear it’s definitely going to be this May) and we’re still guessing what the suggested price will be.
If it’s going to be anywhere near the price of the first Galaxy S (~Php32k), then it’s going to be another hot item once again. See our closer comparison between the SGS2 and the SGS here.
Update: The Samsung Galaxy S2 will have a retail price of Php29,990.
Thanks for your information… Nice post
how much po na po ang samsung galaxy SII
I’m currently using Nokia N8 and thought of getting a new phone. I’m torn between Apple iPhone 4S & Samsung Galaxy S2. My Nokia N8 withstand my toddler’s dropping & throwing. Got yery little scratches that are not really visible unless you stare at them for a long time. Plus I love the camera, 12MP Carl Zeiss with Xenon Flash.
With all the drop tests I’ve watched, definitely I’m not buying for Galaxy S3. I blog, take pics & vids. I go online most of the time and my N8’s batt doesn’t stand that long.
Now I don’t know which of the two smartphones fits my needs. Is Nokia Lumia 900 competitive enough?
Help pls. Thanks. :)
Hi
Sir will u tell me the price and freight to Bahrain
For Samsung s2 and tell me made in where Ur mobile
And original and copy both price I want pls
Salman
pag sa samsung store – 23,600
discounted nila at 22,900
magkano na po ba yong S2 ngayon?
jamre****@****.***
try to google kimstore, look for the multiply account.
The Black Samsung Galaxy SII retails at 18,900.
The White Samsung Galaxy SII retails at 19,400.
The Hot Pink Samsung Galaxy SII (not available in stores) retails at 21,100.
This prices are not the store price… But the units are totally brand new.
Just last 07/10/12, I bought my Samsung Galaxy SII. I totally love the phone. Its fast even its not rooted. It already comes with ICS 4.0.3.
tell me, where can i buy s2 worth 18900??? jamre****@****.***
hi, can you please mail me where can I buy the samsung galaxy s2 at your said price?
Thanks :)
hxh.killua****@****.***
how much na po ang galaxy SII?
sure??????????????? how much???
ask ko lang po kapag ginagamit ko ang s2 sa portable wifi may bawas ba yunb sa load ko?
i found that the s2 has a different type such as S2 4G, Duos 1929, HD LTE, 19100, 19100G, etc… what is the best s2 that we can have here in the philippines. thanks
Is there any Samsung branch in Batangas??.How much is the lowest price given??…Wahahah XD
i love galaxy
The ICS update is out already for gs2 here!! FINALLY! (Nung isang araw pa actually)
I got to try nova launcher na, hehe!
just an alternative, try the apex launcher… closer ang ui nya to the stock ics launcher than nova.
im a s2 user!!haha ..best of all the best
plus ung GPS ng Samsung s2, it really work well… if ul have this phone u can really say its definitely be your last phone.,..
Share ko lng din experience nmin kasau iphone4s and samsung s2 talaga ung competitive sa market sa ngayon. me and my husband actually bought two different phone sakin iphone 4s since talagang grabe ung panghatak nya sakin with regards sa Siri siri reviews, sa kanya nman samsung S2 binili nya since hes really Samsung User eversince, actually with physical appearance they are likely the same mpagkamalan mo nga na iphone ung Samsung…kaso disapointed ako sa iphone ko when it comes to camera kasi mas maganda iung mga picture quality ng samsung,..disapointed din with battery issue kasi mas more lasting ung sa Samsung. I envy my husband’s phone really got disapointed coz to think my iphone is more expensive by 5k compared to his cellphone… given chance i would swap my iphone 4s with s2… kung mag FB ako before i could play the video i have to ask permision sa Itunes unlike sa husband ko pagplay nya play agad. same thing pag magdownload n upload… =(
Hi po mga sir/ma’am,
Tanong lang po kung saan pwede makabili mas mura s2 ngaun at kung magkanu updated price ngaun feb.
I’m planning to buy kasi ngaun march.
Try ko lang sana gumawa ng android application using eclipse(sdk). at eto gawin kong tester sa pag kakareview ko mabilis xa. please help po.
hi po. may mga nakakaexperience po ba sa inyo ng signal problems with your galaxy s2 na nagcacause ng message delays. i usually have this with my galaxy s2 pag nasa 1st floor ko ng bahay namin pero hindi ko naman sya naeexperience with my previous phone na samsung galaxy mini. same network and number yun gamit ko under globe. please help or advise po. :)
haha.. like this one… i really really like the quality and style of this one.. so loving it!!
How much is this?
Great specs, features… it depends on how u used it but i loved it except the Batt performance.
mga ate at kuya. san po ba kaya makakabili ng samsung galaxy s2 ng mas mura? yung tipong mga 20k-25k lang. sa greenhills po kaya? please help! :)
Haha ako nga din eh naghahanap. I’ve asked alot of people. Gusto ko din ng SG S2 kaso yung presyo niya. Hopefully this year eh medyo bumaba. I’m stuck here at house kaya hindi ako makacanvass ng mga prices. I’m planning to go to Baguio especially minsan they unhold their prices down. Yung Xperia arc ngayon 15,000 to 16,000 nalang sa mismong Sony Ericsson dealer sa Baguio and sana pati Galaxy S2 ganun na din. I asked one time sabi eh mga 17,000 DAW ang S2. Haha. Well lucky me if I find that new phone with that price. Balitaan mo naman ako kapag nakahanap ka na or nakabili XD Gusto ko din eh yung medyo mura lang. Hehe. Hope Greenhills eh ganun nga.
joe_****@****.***
hmm . for me hindi ko ma cocompare ang s2 sa iphone4s when it comes to build quality , you cant compare a High Class Retina Glass front and back . to a plastic high end phone . maganda tlga sila nasa sayo na ang pag hawak . kung gagayahin mo ang drop test malamang masisira tlga yan .
bigay ako link san maka download ng games para sa s2
http://downloadandroid.weebly.com/
Anyone can give me an update kung magkano na ang price ng S2? sa greenhills kaya mas mura? thanks.
Hello Yuga! I’m planning to buy this instead of the Galaxy Note but I’m thinking whether I can use it as an ebook reader. I need your suggestions, thanks!
hi Noel, yes you can use the S2 as an ebook reader, Kobo reader is actually pre-installed in the phone if you have huge collection of ebooks in epub format just save it to you SD card and import them to the kobo reader :) one thing i noticed with the S2 pag thru USB ka nagcharge ang bilis talaga ma-drain nung battery pero kung sa AC ka nag-charge matagal madrain.
2 problems for me, 4.3 in . is not big for me, some claim it’s too big, i can’t set up google tv remote ,cause my country limitations, stupid is in it? however overall performance is outstanding.
Is Galaxy S2 able to get 4g signal from globe?
Will I get faster mobile Internet on a Galaxy S2 than Xperia Arc?
inform ko lang kayo na ported na ang Samsung Galaxy S II sa Android 4.0 Ice cream sandwich. :)
More info here:
http://www.technofuse.com/2011/11/android-40-ice-cream-sandwich-ported-to.html
fixing issues here.. tanong lang po.. bakit orion chipset ang gs2 dito sa atin sa pinas..? the worldwide says na ang totoong cpu feautures nya ay 1.2ghz dualcore processor, cortex A-9, EXYNOS chpset..! at tska po ang totoong internal size nya ay 16gb or 32gb.. with 8gb microsd cardslot included.. bakit dito sa yugatech iba ang info na nakalagay.. im so confused..
@fudge
Since true ang multitasking ng Android syempre in background may naka open and mostly ay mga integrated social apps (like facebook) at iba pang apps na nangagailangan ng updates. Furthermore sa touchwiz kasi marami talaga unnecessary apps na nagaru run…well it can drain your battery. Pero maraming paraan para maiwasan at mas ma boost ang battery life nito. Sa akin it takes 2 days kasi. No offense meant pero mas maganda ibalik mo na lang yung iyo at mag iphone ka na lang. Palagay ko kasi di pede sayo ang android eh.
ay ganon? hehe gustong gusto ko sya eh. hmm kaya lang battery problem talaga eh. made in where ung sayo ? made in korea din ba ? ung sa friend ko made in vietnam eh 2 days din battery nya. hmm any tips how can i save battery? uhm nagtataka lang ako sir kasi laging may mga applications na bukas like gallery mga games na hnd ko naman nilalaro pag chneck ko ung advance task killer. un lang naman main prob. cguro lang panget ung battery na napunta sakin i just need to buy a spare bat cguro thanks anyways sir!
and btw sir, umiinit ba sya? ung sakin kasi nag ffacebook lang ako thru wifi umiinit sya and pag naglalaro ng mga 30 mins or more.
Sir we can discuss it here http://www.symbianize.com/showthread.php?t=523491 . Marami mo po tutulong sa dyan to maximize the use of Galaxy S 2.
BTW use Juice Defender for the meantime. I will help you to save the battery juice, I believe it prevent synchronization of several app which oftentimes use a lot of battery juice.
fudge most android users dont advice to use advanced task killer, there’s a pre installed task manager in SG2 yun na lang gamitin mo. got my white SGS2 last Nov. 1 and im loving it so far. yung battery ko umaabot ng 2 days with minimum web browsing, few calls and games. i have juice defender ultimate installed BTW helps a lot in prolonging the battery life ;) my flatmates are all iPhone users and they envy the large screen of SGS2 hehe. what i love about the phone is that it supports multitasking at flash :)
ay ganon ? baka nga ibalik ko ung sakin eh. ang bilis kasi malowbat. less than 5 hrs lang ung gamit and ung ram nya pag fnfree ram ko 18 applications closed daw eh kaka on ko palang nung phone wala pa akong inoopen na application nakakaloko ung phone, hahaha .. pero guston gusto ko sya eh. nakakains lang kasi snasabing ang daming naka open na applications kahit wala. hmmmm
and one more thing bilis malowbat and UMIINIT sya sobra.
Guys im having problems with my S2 can someone help me please..
this is about task manager, advanced task killer… how come im having applications used even if im not using them . like gallery facebook real player and other apps. eh kaka kill selected apps and kaka clear memory ko lang then pag check ko wla pang 5 secs andun sila ulit. labo…. help please :)
Guys, share ko lang may available na din nito Pink version check it here :)
http://www.technofuse.com/2011/11/samsung-galaxy-s-ii-pink-version-now.html
Maganda toh, at compare sa iPhone 4S mas matibay toh.
Try nyo panuodin dito ang drop test ng iPhone 4S and Samsung Galaxy S2.
http://www.technofuse.com/2011/10/iphone-4s-and-samsung-galaxy-s-ii-drop.html
Masasabi nyong high quality ang material na ginamit sa S2 kesa 4S
planning to buy this next week. i know its a very high end phone as in sobrang AWESOME nya. haha
im reading alot of very good reviews as in a LOT. out of 100% 90% good reviews 10% negative. and mostly battery issues and umiinit? so, sobrang OA ba talaga mabilis maubos ung battery and umiinit ba talaga sya? if sobrang oa nung issue i think mag iiphone 4 nlng ako .. since this is my first time to buy smartphone ayaw ko naman ma sayang pero i doubt naman na masasayang. what i mean is ayaw kong mag sisi.
so u guys out there that has used the phone already? worth it ? not worth it? how much na to ngaun ? im buying it this Thursday na. so thats 11.10.12 november 10 2012 update ng price pls thanks!
i mean november 10 2011
@fudge, i was in greenhills yesterday and price is 26,500 with samsung warranty. try ko pa maghanap reviews from owners of sgs2, plan ko din kasi bumili before the year ends..
been using this for more than a month, my 1st touchscreen and android phone. great all around phone, can almost replace a netbook but the battery issue is true. using it mostly for just surfing the net and in a full charge, i think it can only last for approx 6-8 hrs with non-stop net surfing and the lowest setting on backlight display. but i think its functionality makes up for the battery prob.
I’ve been using the phone for 2 weeks.
So far I have no issues…
Kahit may installed na ibang launcher di naglalag.
Pag sobra gamit ng wifi at packet data mauubos talaga agad ang battery. Lahat nmn halos ng smartphone un ang issue.
By the way, mime’s a white version.
ok tong galaxy s 2, walang lag, it perform well, 2days old pa lang from me but this phone impressed me so much. this is my last phone & definitely keep it. i-update ko na lang palagi to enhance the performance. all in one device na rin and magagamit ko ito sa work ko. it is up to you if you buy it or not but i recommend it. mine is a pearl white version. put another white casing & screenguard, definitely a looker na especially from ladies hehehe…
btw, i installed games also from nintendo ds & super nintendo, astig hehehe..
damn.ugly hands and unkempt fingernails… could’ve cleaned them before the video review though. ugh.
Im still thinking hard between an iphone4, samsung i9003, i9000, or go all-out with the S2. Hmmmm.
i got SGS1 the the features and application is good but any idea or upgrade the batteries?coz you can’t really enjoy..speacially for wifi..battery very quick drain…
It is also provided with an 8 mega pixel blistering camera with a dual flash so I like it very much,
was trying to use the voice command feature of the SGS2, and noticed that if my connection was through the Cell Network it would work fine, but if it was through Wifi.. connection problems occur.. is this normal? do you guys experience the same thing? thanks!
I have s2 is soo cool ;)
The front looks so much like the iPhone… haha
Its UI is even iOS-like (although I’ve never had an iPhone).
No wonder Apple sued Samsung.
Still, it’s a great phone!
Hi po… should I get plan to go with the phone or is it ok standing alone? (for internet and download purposes when wifi is not around)
Since when does a mitsubishi lancer have wooden trim on the dashboard?
Great phone though.
Since the Lancer EX.
1 of my consideration in buying new phone is kung merong flash player :)
im into online/fb game kase.
pls help.
ty
can somebody please tell me how long can the battery of sgs2 last for the ff:
talk time: up to __ hours on 3G
up to __ hours on 2G
standby time: up to __ hours
internet use: up to __ hours on 3G
up to __ hours on Wi-Fi
video playback: up to __ hours
audio playback: up to __ hours
hehe thanks. :D
nagkaproblema ba kau sa battery? battery disconnected, i had it when i first charge my phone using the supplied charger. the phone is awesome! but when i try to tap the back of the phone hard enough there will be a springy feeling, do u guys happen to experience that too?
Thanks :-)
using SGS2, which came from Singtel. I can’t seem to go online via 3g/hspa/hsdpa. Is there any special thing/configuration I should do to fix this issue?
Ive been using this phone for more that 2 weeks already. I love it. Everything is perfect except for the battery life. I dont mind coz I got one of those Energizer Energi To Go.
sobra nman yan…
MAG 3210 n lng kau… ang dami ng n ggutom yan pa ang bbilhin nyo.. sobra n yan.. parang gamak anak nyo n c gloria and mike nyan
So far I have been using the Samsung Galaxy GT-I9000T for two weeks and find it to be an awesome phone. The phone’s built quality is superb for a plastic enclosure (the construction quality of an iPhone 4 is clearly superior). The phone is light, slim and it sports a gorgeous super amoled 4 inch display that is the best thing about this phone. The quality of the camera is also great, however it does not have flash which I don’t miss much but maybe for some, having a flash is a must.
This is the Galaxy S2 (i9100) not the Galaxy S (i9000)
It has flash for it’s 8mp rear camera.
Just bought one. so far im liking it… flash player doesnt make the browser lag anymore even while im playing 720p flash. havent tried 1080p though coz buffer is slow. cheers
Hi Abe / Yuga!
What’s the best tool for net monitoring for time instead, for S2?
I currently have a Traffic Monitor (Radio Opt) widget but it only measures data (MB, GB, etc.) Is there one Android app you’re aware of that counts the time consumed?
Thanks for your help in advance. (^_^)
Have you tried 3G Watchdog?
I just bought an S2.. I already upgraded the firmware but I’m still disappointed with the battery life. Most people say it will be taken care of upon the release of 2.3.4 but Kies or Samsung Phils. doesn’t offer the upgrade yet. Now I’m opting to do those manual installation just to get the upgrade.
Is it safe? Will I be able to revert the installation in case something goes awry?
My sentiments exactly!
I’m trying to upgrade my firmware rin though whenever I do that from my phone, it hangs. :(
My battery life is also not so good. I used to charge once a day though (still not good coz I was expecting, maybe, after 2-3 days charging hehe) and now I do 2x a day (within 24 hrs). I have to admit though that I’ve been playing a lot of games though thru wifi hehe. But still, battery life is low.
I’m not sure how to upgrade the version properly though.
naku kuya if i were you hintay mo nlng marelease d2 saten ung 2.3.4.. prng delikado kc ung manual upgrade na un tsaka mavovoid ung waranty.. naiinis nko sa s2 ko kc grabe kung uminit as in OA talaga! i tried upgrading thru kies pero palpak!! mga 80% na yata un tpos bgla cnabi phone cannot be detected ek ek tpos aun. kylngn daw idisconnect then reconect.. nung nireconect ko na nawala na ung notification ng latest firmware!!! haaay nku kainis tlga… guys if ever nmn available na 2.3.4 sa pinas paupdate nmn po… katamad kc mgcheck thru kies kakabadtrip lng.. tpos nearest service center saken is MOA which is almost 1.5 hrs byahe pa… hay.. powerful phone sana kaso di kaya isuport features nya… kainis
S2? not that great, promise. mag-iphone 4 na lang, HTC or Experia Arc.. I used to have a samsung S2 last last week pero hindi sulit,, so binenta ko na lang at nagchange phone ako…. that’s my opinion.
What?! If you compare those with sgs2 side by side..you will actually see sgs2 is greater :) i know it! believe me
why hindi sulit? i’m torn between the xperia arc and the s2…i know spec wise better ang s2. but it seems like mas bet ko yung xperia
Haha i suppose every one has their own opinion. Mine is that the SGS2 is easily the best android phone on the market, T3 & Stuff magazines place it 2nd to iphone 4, don’t know why as it’s defo #1 smart phone!
It smells like stuff and T3 magazine writers are iphone4 fanatics, Galaxy S2 (i9100) got a dual core processor, flash enabled browser, full HD 1080p video recording, 8mp rear camera, 2mp front camera and a 833ram + voice talk compared to the lowly specs of the IPhone4. And that’s why IPhone4S was released to catch up with the specs. I Got the Iphone4 and the Galaxy S2, and using the iphone4 just because of itunes. Upgraded my iphone4 contract to the 4S but will only have the 4S by November because of the massive pre-order line here. But until then Galaxy S2 is better than the iphone4 and in par with the new 4S (spec-wise and only because of itunes).
how much is samsung galaxy sII in Philippines? thanks
Php29,990.00
thanks… i’m in thailand now and this phone cost 18900 baht, around 27k in php. i’m still making decision if i will buy it or not. pero parang walang international warranty dito ang mga cp so i think it is better to buy when i go home.
P29,990 is the standard retail price, mine cost P28,300, same place is now selling for P28,000 which was in SM Clark which had dedicated Samsung sales ladies. i see quite a lot of dedicated Samsung stores being opened in SM & Marquee malls but unfortunately they will always sell products at retail price with no discount even for cash. i bought my wife the Galaxy tab 10.1 from same place i got my phone for slughtly less ths Samsung store. on a side note we can now do skype video calls SGS2 – SGT10.1 when i’m working overseas. On another note i’m not an apple fan boy..
Thanks for the nice review, it really helps a lot of people like me to appreciate this new smart-phone. like the Samsung galaxy S2. Can’t wait for December to have it.
same here. December needs hurry cuz i really want it.
Thanks for the review. I bought one of these today but it didn’t come with a micro SD card or a mini HDMI cable, is it supposed to come with these?
i love s2 so much.. But the batteries are dropping low easily.. it cant even last in a day.. but nothin’ s perfect it is how you enjoy and love it..
Samsung i9100 Galaxy S II 16GB and 32GB 2.3 Android Smartphone.
Package Contents:
* Samsung phone Galaxy S II
* 1500mAh Li-Ion Battery
* Headset
* Instruction Manual
* Meet brochure
* Travel Adapter
* microUSB cable
* Screen Saver
32GB and 16GB available.
Interested buyers should contact us at: alejandro_sanch****@****.***
m considerin to buy the white version of this but my concern is Im hearing some things like cellphone companies are releasing brand nu phones that august/sept is the season for new set of gadgets sumthin like that. and one more thing am not really techy so is it gonna worth it? i like browsing the internet, taking pictures, listenin to music but not into games, though likes to show off. lol. so do u guys think a not so techy like me could get use of or maximize the utilization or usage of the features of this phone or not and stay wit my Nokia 1280? =)
Has anyone tried the voice talk as shown in this commercial:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FUZs-4RB7I
How was it? Is it that responsive like in the video?
I noticed that the back / battery cover can be opened, does this mean that the battery of the Samsung Galaxy S II replaceable?
damn,if you only like games you can get it for free on mobilegamesarena.net!..for me moto atrix is way much better than this.the downside though is it doesnt have a radio!well,you cant have it all i guess..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FUZs-4RB7I
Got it here in KL,Malaysia. I am loving the features plus the applications running on android are cool and plus the swipe keypads capacity rocks :) There’s no way apple user can do this, best of all angry birds for all levels are free, I bet apple users pay for the other levels :))
i recently bought an S2 and so far, the only problem i have with it is the battery life. i can’t seem to make it last through a whole day. I read somewhere that a system update is available to somehow make the phone more efficient but whenever i’d update my software, it says there aren’t any available. Is it possible that the software update is not available in the country yet?
I’m not sure about the system update, but your problem may be with an application called “Wifi Sharing”. It randomly turns on by itself and eats up a lot of battery.
Whenever your battery starts dropping rapidly, go to Settings -> About Phone -> Battery Usage. If you see something running called “Wifi Sharing”,click on it and then click the “Force Stop” button. That should keep it from draining your batt.
This is only a temporary solution though, but at least it’ll work until you get the proper update.
One problem I had since I opened the box is … familiarization with its features. I’ve been a long-time Nokia user and its interface is really confusing for me. LOL. I’m not a geek in techie items hehe.
I looked for a manual. Sad to say, there’s none. I have to self-study. I got my package thru Globe’s new postpaid line subscription by the way. So now, I just research online for reviews and other user feedback.
The first thing I worried about was its initial charging time. Some folks say 16hrs. Some folks say 8 hrs. Some folks say it should be unplugged the moment the phone says so, when battery is completely charged. Care to shed light, anyone? I did the latest step – but it extended a bit longer coz I fell asleep. Now, I dunno which one is true.
I also couldn’t find any Samsung Contact #s in the pamphlet included, at least to validate the initial charging. Tsk tsk! Only the website is there. Globe couldn’t answer my concern. The website Contact Us shows 1800 #s I couldn’t even reach (though it’s already in Samsung Philippines’ page).
I’m yet to discover what this phone has to offer for me. I was looking forward to having more free apps / games already though. Sad to say, there’s none. LOL. :p
i bought my galaxy s2 here in korea but it doesnt have a simcard slot…can i still use it in the philippines? or make it a postpaid phone perhaps?
If you’re absolutely sure that there’s no sim card slot, then I think you may have bought a CDMA version.
There’s no way you can use that here in the Philippines. CDMA is a type of network that doesn’t use sim cards. All our networks here are GSM. Sorry dude.
If you’re still in Korea, maybe you can still exchange it for a GSM version or sell it second hand.
This will be my next phone
Does anyone know where we can buy cases for the s2? Good quality ones, not like the fake ones
So how much is the price of Samsung SII in the Philippines?
Bad display, they are all defective. Look for yellow tint on one side, its very annoying. AMOLED is an immature technology when in mass production, the original Galaxy S was totally blue where it should be white, and most Nokia N8 had purple screens. So out of 3 famous AMOLED fones, 3 are delivered with defective displays, for the two Samsungs the failure rate is 100%, right out of the box from day 1. Get other brands with SLCD displays instead, they cost less and have correct colors with no tint, and while the contrast is not as good as AMOLED its still very acceptable and a big step forward from older TFT displays.
hello sir yuga,
i’m a newby to androids but on reading the reviews about the sgs2 i’d like to have 1. can i buy an original sgs2 i9100 here in shanghai?
I really want this phone…
there are rumors of quad core cpu’s in the making and rumors of apple submitting patents and for iPad3 :) by the time u got this phone samsung and apple will release their latest toys.
those aren’t rumors, the ipad 3 will be running on the quad core a6 processor, so 4core phones should be following soon. also you forgot to mention 3d phones. technology is moving way too fast now that people arent given time to breath in between :)
Hi,
I am keen to know if the S2 will last even one day with talk and internet browsing. Most of the 4.3 inch displays like the Desire HD seem to have bettery problems. Also does an overheating phone cause any health issues? My current phone does and I want to change to S2 only because it seems to have a stronger battery. Does anyone know if this is a better choice than an iPhone 4? Am not an iPhone fan and hope the S2 is better. I was going to buy it like right now, online, but am holding off until I am sure. I have suffered with a Sony Xperia X2 mishap and don’t want to repeat that.
Thanks,
Dinesh
if 24 hours is good enough for you then this is your phone. the s2 does have more battery than the ip4 but it has power-hungry android. overnight my s2 can go down by 60% with all connections running, so including my calls and text messages i could get a good 20 hours before i have to charge it again, which is pretty good considering 1.2ghz cpu and 4.3 super amoled+, but comparing it to the iphone 4, the s2 doesn’t have the best power saving features (it takes 3 days before i have to visit my charger).
btw, charging the s2 takes forever so i have to close all connections (airplane mode) if i want it to charge fastest.
wow, why some people say “oh, it’s plasticky gadget”
let’s throw both iphone and SGS II,
What happened to SGSII? hmmm,,,nothing
OMG! iphone breaks into pieces,,,sorry mah bahd :(
ive dropped my iphone several (SEVERAL) times and it’s still good as new :) 0 screen/back scratches bc of protectors, and minor scratches on the metal sides (you’ll need a microscope to see them though). but yeah, not broken in the slightest.
I’m just joking around, dude. Lol
I’m having daydreams about it (iphone)….to become android hahaha!
i think there is. just heard it from friend she got her iphone for jailbreak at her friends house and she noticed here friend ip4 has “live wallpapers” like the once in android devices, then she asked her friend where he got the app. her friend replied and said he got his iphone flashed to android 2.2 froyo and that its now an android os not iOS anymore.
i heard 3gs has the only iphone that can flash to android, not available for ip4
I’m a gadget enthusiast and neither a freak nor a show off. If everyone was like you, who the hell would be buying BMWs, Cartier products, etc etc???
If you can’t afford it, shut up and suck it =)
no way will I buy a 30k+ phone. This is ridiculous. A 20k phone will do just fine and perfect. This is a waste of money. Unless you are are really a freak and show-off
i beg to differ. this is not a waste of money and you don’t have to be a freak to buy one of these superphones. 1) the price justifies the product (you get what you’re paying for) and 2) some of us are willing to spend the extra cash for the extra features.
anung variant kaya ng sgs2 irerelease dito sa pinas sir yuga? ung 1.2 ghz exynos proc ba with super amoled plus?
may NFC ba yung ire release na SGS2 dito sa pilipinas?
NFC units are only available in South Korea, and that’s only because a LOT of their stores use NFC as a payment method anyway. for the rest of the world the NFC chips won’t be added til later in the future and they’ll probably come up with a newer better phone by then.
PS: South Korean SGS2s are not unlocked
wala bang promo?
@dubya: I’m going crazy about these two phones!!!
@dubya: I’m going crazy about these two phones!!!
===========
YouTube – HTC Sensation – A Closer Look | http://bit.ly/kcSefG
Clash of the titans – HTC Sensation vs. Samsung Galaxy S II | http://bit.ly/h6odz1
===========
ive been waiting for htc sensation but now im not so sure after reading about galaxy 2. has anyone compared the two phones?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3axSZX1R_s
HTC Sensation vs Samsung Galaxy S II
htc sensation has the better screen resolution (almost as good as retina display of the iphone 4) but that’s about it. in other fields the s2 seems to trump the htcs according to the specs on their site, but ofc it hasn’t been released yet. i might be getting the htcs if apple doesnt release a new iphone this year, would love to compare htcs v s2 v iphone :)
Thats IT!! ill have this one.. hahaha.. its an all in one phone. I dont have to buy an Itouch with this. Kelan ba labas nito? cant wait!
Good things:
– Awesome screen – all the greatness of OLED (perfect blacks, high contrast, looks good in direct sunlight) without the ugliness that was PenTile. Here you just get the bright, popping colors. Oh, and at 4.3″, it’s a pleasure to look at from any distance. The resolution is still 800×480, though. Wish they’d up it to match iPhone.
– Very light. I mean, VERY light. Samsung wasn’t kidding when they stressed that point. Considering the size of this thing, it’s very hard to believe. When you put the phone into someone else’s hand for the first time, they usually are confused because they expect it to feel more “solid”, and not so featherweight.
– Fairly thin. Good if you wear your phone in the pocket of your pants.
– The UI is buttery smooth, with no hiccups that are common on all other Android phones I’ve seen. Not sure if it’s Samsung’s new powerful GPU (Exynos), software optimizations that they did, or a combination of both, but overall this thing is just as slick as iPhone 4.
– It can be rooted, and custom ROMs already exist. No signed bootloaders or other similar malarkey.
– It comes with Android 2.3. That means better perf, WiFi tethering/hotspot out of the box, and the ability to tilt and rotate the map in Google Maps – among other things.
– It comes with Polaris Office. It is a very nice Android office suite – from what I’ve seen so far, more full-featured than Docs to Go, QuickOffice etc – especially when it comes to supporting advanced MS Office features such as charts. It cannot be purchased from the market, and only comes bundled with select devices, such as this one or Asus Transformer.
– MicroSD card slot, for all those gigabytes of music.
Bad things:
– Battery life doesn’t seem to be so good. It gets through the day, but if you forget to charge it in the evening it won’t last you a second day (except if only on standby).
– It heats up quite a bit when in active use. More so than any other phone I’ve used. It’s not exactly a surprise considering 1.2GHz dual-core CPU and a powerful GPU, and I suspect that ultra-thin form factor makes cooling less efficient than it could have been otherwise. Overall it’s tolerable, but very noticeable.
– Some applications seem to be showing images in 16-bit color rather than 32-bit (particularly the browser). This leads to nasty dithering artifacts, especially on bands of clear colors and gradients. Head to XDA-developers forum for Galaxy S II for more details on this. It seems to be a software issue, so future updates may solve it.
Things to be aware of:
– Front is full glass, back is textured plastic. I love the back for the texture, which looks pretty nice and gives a good grip when held, but it’s not as “oh, shiny” as iPhone 4. Lack of metal seems to be what makes it so light, among other things. On the other hand, I didn’t notice any creaking, so assembly is high-quality.
– It runs Android 2.3.3, not any later version (as of this writing). This means no voice/video chat in Google Talk. Google Voice can be installed (in US) and works fine. There’s no clear schedule on official updates so far.
– Android is not stock, but Samsung’s TouchWiz. This is much less invasive than what you typically see on HTC Android phones, and some changes are fairly nice. But many people prefer stock.
– No CyanogenMod (as of this writing). There is a thread on XDA forums where you can pledge $$$ for the first person to make CM run on this if you care.
i’d like to add to the battery life comment. for 1650 mAh it drains really fast. sometimes faster than it charges. and yes it does have an overheating problem. my only fix is turning off wifi and 3G when not in use, which makes it really weird that samsung didn’t look into better power saving methods other than turning off all connections. at least it has a task manager and free memory button. but still..
@mikey- could you please tell me where did you order yours online? please send the link? how many days for the phone to arrive here? thanks!
i got it from expansys. shipment is blazing fast but this is just for international buyers afaik. unfortunately this is the only way to get it this early, so otherwise might be best if you wait for a local supplier to release it with cheaper tags.
I ordered mine through expansys as well. Ordered it May 9 and still waiting to this day, and their website says I have to wait 8 more days. Sounds like you’re lucky it was blazing fast for you haha
it depends, i ordered mine early but i did have to wait 1 week before it became available. shipped on friday got it on monday. they get thousands of orders so im guessing they ship on a first come first serve basis. plus, the s2 supplies are limited. i19100 units werent mass produced by samsung, so once stock is out ppl will get i19103 units, almost the same thing but without super amoled+ :)
Hi mikey, magkano yung binayaran mo na Duty Free tax pagkadating ng package? Bale magkano lahat-lahat, Thanks.
sorry i forgot to mention i live in canada, they shipped through fedex and i did not have to pay any taxes so the total cost was just the s2+shipping ~ $794 CAD. i have to mention that this unit does not have NFC yet though, apparently samsung would delay the NFC units til later this year or early next.
currently waiting for this beauty to hit the stores.. tagal! :) when is the exact date..
i know, is there really still no word on its official release date?? :p
don’t know about you guys but we got ours a couple weeks ago, and i just love this! being new to android i am very impressed by the os, especially widgets, but most especially because of how much power this phone has. 1.2 (can be oc’d to 1.5) ghz, 1650 amh battery, and such a bright screen (even at lowest brightness the screen is b-e-a-utiful). my ONLY issue is that my iphone 4 has the better display, but that’s only noticeable when watching videos. other than that, this is the BEST phone to date!
Mikey, where’d you get yours? Greenhills? How much? :D
no sir, i got mine online for just below $800 CAD
oh. That’s expensive. Fine.. I’ll wait for globe to bring it out.
11 days and I’m still loving it!
iPhone 4 loses this fight. Let’s wait ’til autumn!
Did you buy the unit locally? Where and how much please :)
iphone 4 still has the better display. the super amoled+ is amazing and really bright, but the retina display still has the better resolution. it only becomes noticeable when watching videos or viewing pics. for movies and youtube i use the ip4, but for everything else i use the s2.
IPhone 4 white looks better than this one. This could be another buggy phone :p
This is an awesome gadget. Love this.
Damn!! I lurve it. Im really searching for a phone so i could replace my stolen iphone 4. Im thinking of Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro, yet to be released in the Phil. cause of the HD Bravia thing going on the phone or this one. Same thing. but less the additional pumps that sony provides. cant decide.. huhuhu
between the upcoming Xperia Pro & the S2, that really is a tough decision.
It all boils down to what you FEEL would be the best phone for you.
Feel the force brotha! :D
Hi, anyone out there who knows when is this going to be available in our local stores? Asked Samsung reps yesterday in CyberZone-Mega about the release date of the GSII but no one had a ready answer. Also, I had a good time playing with the functionalities of the sample test phone Galaxy SL 9003(low-end version of the GalaxyS). So now, my expectations for the G SII went up.
Has there really been no official statement on this phone’s release date? I’m getting confused if it’ll be this august or june or even as early as this month. haha!
hello po mga tao dito;
ano kayang phone ang bilin ko white iphone 4 or mag recommend nga po kayo ng comparable price na android phone.salamat.
iPhone 4 white because you can install a lot of cool apps :-)
iPhone user Guide
if youre talking about the same price point:
white or black iphone 4 (they’re both almost the same, just white is more expensive and has a few tweaks to its structure) OR any of the new and upcoming android dual core phones. tbh a newer iphone should be coming later this year or early next so buying the ip4 might just disappoint you. a better alternative would be any dual core android phone, such as this one (s2) or motorola atrix 4g or the upcoming htc sensation. all these phones are ~$200 cheaper than the iphone 4 (which is about $1000). you first have to decide if you’re an android or ios person :)
Awesome gadget! I’m really looking forward for the release of this one. Kudos to Samsung! :)
This gadget is just so awesome! I’m really looking forward to this!
I still like my SE Xperia Arc ;)
I know several friends who pre-ordered it from the UK. Shipping starts May 2nd to 3rd depending on the shop. Would’ve ordered too but decided to wait for actual user feedback from my friends. By far, this looks like the most promising phone from Samsung.
best smartphone as of now
-engadget
it costs 500pounds in uk
I can’t wait till Samsung throws a party ni the PH too! | Samsung Galaxy S II launches in South Korea and the UK | http://bit.ly/mry4z1
nice blog man.. you write pretty well.. i will follow you on twitter.. keep us updated..
@ mlkey
Where’d you pre-order man?
already pre ordered one. easily one of the best and most awaited phones of the year next to the iphone 5. this’ll be my first android phone too, always been an ios user.
yah where u did pre-order
www.expansys.ca since im from canada, but they do have other sites for other regions. costs about $800 CAD. another reliable website is www.mobilecityonline.com, and theirs is ~$150 CAD cheaper (not sure about taxes). i chose expansys because they have an ETA while mco doesn’t, and expansys confirmed their S2 units come with Exynos and not Tegra 2, so yay to Super Amoled+!
Hi, what’s the music in the youtube video ?
Thanks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_VWEZ5tZtw
Train – Hey Soul Sister – David Choi Cover
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_VWEZ5tZtw
If iPhone is open-source. I’ll but it. But’s it’s damn not. Waste of money! Android FTW! :)
Wow! Yuga have it!
I want!
It’s soooo pretty! I think I’m in love… :x LOL! :))
Wow, I just bought it yesterday, why couldnt i waited for the S2, the camera being 1080 is amazing.
Wow awesome 1080p quilty!!
currently having the GALAXY S, bought it 2 days ago, feel sorry for not waiting for the S2 ;(
Hi! When is thus phone gonna be released? Sana naman di lalagpas ng 32k ang price.
why make a review if its not the final released unit? not that i mind :)
wow sa pilipinas ung video recording so nasa philippines na ang galaxy s2 sa moa ba to ….
wew im going to buy this ..
but my galaxy s bricked and it takes alot time to fix it!!!
… so whos going to be the first that out in market galaxy s2 or optimus 2x???
wow sa pilipinas ung video recording so nasa philippines na ang galaxy s2 ….
wew im going to buy this ..
but my galaxy s bricked and it takes alot time to fix it!!!
… so whos going to be the first that out in market galaxy s2 or optimus 2x???
http://i.imgur.com/aLGOQ.jpg
Samsung Galaxy wins specwise to almost all of the phones. The only thing lacking with Android is improved power management and it’s still not that snappy if you comapre it to WP7 and iOS
acutaly, hardware acceleration yun..
to all android users, try to go to xda forum, be sure na HINDI na ka compact view, im sure kahit SGS2, gagapang dyan..
while yung iphone 3gs(600mhz) ay smooth, at yung wp7(first gen 1ghz processor)
The wallapaper used on the phone during the review does that come standard with it?
If not could you send the link please?
Another plasticky gadget from
SAMSUNG..
try it before you buy..
bakit 1.0GHz lang? di ba dapat 1.2GHz?!
don’t tell me 1.0GHz lang ang ididistribute dito sa Pilipinas. Unfair.
Unless, hindi updated ang mismong blogger, lOl!
In fact, there’s a inconsistency sa review, look the 4th paragraph, “large 4.2-inch display” daw, e 4.3-inch diagonal display kaya. Fail.
Makapag-blog lang? Paki-ayos. Salamat!
“It still even has the dual-core 1.0GHz processor instead of the recent announcement that it’s going to be 1.2GHz. That’s probably due to the fact that it’s just an engineering unit and not the final release.”
“Samsung PR stressed that this is not the final unit which is the reason why we’ve encountered numerous system and app errors.”
paka-reply lang? Read wiser bro.
huwaw, parang iphone lang! no wonder apple sued samsung, lol
Its a thing of beauty and that’s why Apple it suing Samsung. Samsung just make it affordable please and within the range of the first one.
Am i the only one who likes the new touchwiz 4? UX is absolutely beautiful. Hope to buy one soon!
the backplating, meshg typw design, is it metal? or plastic. because i have a Samsung Captivate i bought form AT&T US and it has got a metal backplating.
read it at Gsmarena super thin textured plastic daw yung likod sana metal n lang ginawa nila sa likod
dying for this one if that’ll be the price :D HAHAHAHAHA .. please Samsung, make it 32k .. grrr
looks similar to iphone. a no no move for this device
Optimus 2x versus Galaxy S II should be an interesting match-up. It all boils down to the price though.
how about the sound quality? music? calling? speakers? mic? headset?
If you can’t beat them SUE them! Hahahaha
Apple would not sue those china touch pad that totally imitates their unit for they are not a close rival…since samsung is closing in…filing a law suit would delay them from going up…
Anyway I love this phone, I’d prefer Samsung than Apple…yet for the price…will think about it…hehehehe
nice phone might get one if the price is not that high
> Samsung Galaxy S 2 i9100 Review
> i9100
Nappa: Vegeta, what does the scouter say about Samsung’s power level?
Vegeta: It’s over NINE THOUSAND!
Want the specs on a 7-inch Tab!
BTW, what’s the battery life like on it? You did a review and didn’t test the battery life?
I have been waiting for this phone! I believe a correction is needed:
The CPU is a Tegra 2. A big disappointment. Samsung’s production of Exynos chips (the 1.2ghz ones) is short. So they announced that in some locations they will be replacing the Exynos for the Tegra.
If this is the case for the RP, screw that. I’m getting it from somewhere that has the Exynos.
Also, any news on whether the 32GB version will be available at launch? Samsung has only confirmed the 16GB, worldwide, at this time. I want the 32GB one and will wait but I would like to know how long a wait it will be.
I am so in the same page as you, bro! If the local Galaxy S II is going with the Tegra 2, then I guess I’d rather wait for the 2GHz dual-core phones on the following.
It’s ok coz I just upgraded my 9-month old Galaxy S to Gingerbread.
ano po ba pinagkaiba ng exynos sa tegra 2?
Exynos – 1.2GHz dual core processor made by Samsung
Tegra 2 – 1GHz dual core processor made by Nvidia
Tegra 2 – Super LCD display
Exynos – Super AMOLED Plus
Super AMOLED Plus>Super LCD
I got an Exynos. Really responsive phone, I must say. Way better than iPhone 4. Really, I don’t get the point of buying an iPhone.
fix your sources, S2 i9100 has Exynos, S2 i9103 has Tegra 2. they are different units, so you have the option.
Excited for Nexus S2, if it will be from Samsung again. :)
Better than before maybe. http://learner-spot.blogspot.com/
Optimus 2x versus Galaxy S II. This will be a nice fight
the s2 actually beat the lg2x in every single way
it looks hot. i might get one
This thing is crazy expensive although it looks really elegant. I would really buy one if not for the low quality of android apps. An iPhone is still the best way to go if you really want a smartphone.
Not an iPhone user here but I gotta agree with you. If you have a lot of choices, whether apps or games, then that is a great smartphone. But Android is not as bad as it looks. It can suffice some people’s needs and even do more for others.
Have you tried comparing the performance of angry birds or cake mania in SGS and iPhone?