Thoughts: Samsung Galaxy S2

Until recently trends had shown Apple innovating and coming up with new devices with every other manufacturer out there immediately following suit and trying to get their share of the pie - a pie that's all crust and no filling. 

But for Samsung playing second fiddle doesn't cut it anymore. Being the OEM manufacturer for most of the top-selling devices seems to have driven them to put an end to their copycat days with the recent launch of the Galaxy S2.

The Galaxy S2 boasts Samsung’s very own Exynos chipset, the unmatched Super AMOLED Plus display and the ultra-slim body. And this is just the beginning of it's amazing spec sheet.

Some amazing features:

•  Android OS v2.3.3 with TouchWiz 4 launcher
•  1.2 GHz dual-core Cortex-A9 CPU, Mali-400MP GPU, Exynos chipset, 1GB of RAM
•  8 MP wide-angle lens autofocus camera with LED flash, face, smile and blink detection
•  1080p HD video recording at 30fps
•  Dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 b, g and n support
•  Extremely slim waistline at only 8.5mm and low weight (116g)
•  2MP secondary video-call camera
•  Full Flash support and GPU-acceleration for the web browser permit 1080p flash video playback
•  NFC support (optional, not without a software update)

Main Disadvantages:

• All-plastic body
• No dedicated camera key
• Super slim body has poor grip when taking pictures
• Non-hot-swappable microSD card

The absence of the microSD can be partly offset by the generous inbuilt NAND memory being offered. The all-plastic body and the slim profile of the phone looks good when you have the device on a table - but that's where it ends. The plastic feels tacky and even though I've got small hands the thin body makes holding it a sore. I can't imagine how it will be for people with bigger hands.


But as always there's a way to make the most out of this :)


Usher in the Galaxy S2 i9100 covers. Putting on covers for the usual bulky phones might make it look obese, but the Galaxy S2 just asks to get dressed. This extremely thin phone becomes far more easier to hold and use when you use a case. The added protection is definitely a bonus that would you give you some serious peace of mind. Especially in the case of Samsung phones where durability is a serious setback due to it's congested design.


If you're the athletic kind then you could check out the Belkin armband as well - I have no idea how it actually works out but Belkin seems to know what they're doing. Personally I'd never run around sweating all over such an expensive phone.

Specs from gsmarena.