Samsung Galaxy S2 vs iPhone 4S Comparison

The Samsung Galaxy S2 and the iPhone 4S are two incredibly powerful smart phones which significantly raise the bar in the cell phone market. Read on with our Galaxy S2 vs iPhone 4S Comparison!

As we near the end of 2011 there are two smart phones that are standing out from the crowd, the Samsung Galaxy S2 and the iPhone 4S. In this comparison I will be placing these two amazing cell phones head to head in a battle to find out which one is really the best, and why some people might prefer one over the other.

In this review you wll see no Apple fan boy, nor any Apple hatred. I will be taking you through an impartial honest comparative review of these devices!

If you currently own a lot of apps for either android or Apple phones then you do have to remember that these are non-transferable, so switching brands can cause problems, especially if you paid for those apps!

• Size: 115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3mm
• Display 3.5" 960 x 540 Resolution fingerprint resistant screen
• A5 Chipset 1ghz Dual Core
• 16GB, 32GB, 64GB Storage
• 512MB Memory
• Connectivity: 3G, WiFi, HSDPA/HSUPA, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, Digital Compass
• Battery: 8 Hours Talk Time
• Camera: 8 megapixel rear, VGA Front

• Size: 125.3 x 66.1 x 8.49mm
• Display 4.3" - 4.5" Super AMOLED Gorilla Glass Screen
• Dual Core 1.2ghz Processor
• 16GB Storage (can upgrade with MicroSD by a further 32GB)
• 1GB Memory
• Connectivity: HSPA+/HSUPA (21Mbps), 4G, 3G, WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, USB
• Battery: 1650mAh - 1800mAh (8 Hours Talk Time)
• Camera: 8MP Rear, 2MP Front

The look and feel of the two phones are very different. To start with the overall feel of the iPhone 4S is sturdy and high quality. The light weight Galaxy S2 on the other-hand can feel a little cheap, but don't be deceived.

The real difference between the Galaxy S2 and the iPhone 4S is the size. The Samsung Galaxy S2 is significantly larger than the iPhone 4S, although it is also thinner.

When it comes to the quality of the construction both are very well made, and while the overall feel of the iPhone 4S is better, the Samsung Galaxy S2 uses Gorilla Glass, which is much, much tougher than the screen of the iPhone S4. The evidence of this is in the testing, and this video shows just how much better the structure of the Samsung Galaxy S2 really is at withstanding damage.

The performance difference between the iPhone 4S and the Galaxy S2 is pretty similar. The biggest downfall you will really find in the iPhone S4 is that it contains 512Mb of RAM, half the amount of the Samsung Galaxy S2.

This large difference gives the S2 a much greater advantage, especially when it comes to memory intensive applications.

While the A5 chipset used in the iPhone 4S is slightly less powerful than the Galaxy S2, it is still twice as powerful as the original iPhone 4. This means that while the difference between the S2 and the 4S is pretty small, you will definitely notice the difference if you are upgrading your iPhone!

When it comes to connectivity the Samsung Galaxy S2 bring the benefit of 4G to the table. This means you actually get decent connection speeds, which are much faster than those of 3G (Which is as fast as the iPhone 4S goes). While 4G is a huge advantage in speed, 4G coverage is still a little low in many areas. So it may still be a while before you will see the benefits of this regularly.

Both devices come with Bluetooth and WiFi, however the iPhone 4S actually beats the Galaxy S2 on this one, bringing Bluetooth 4.0 to the table over the 3.0 version used by the S2. The difference between the two protocols is mostly down to Bluetooth 4.0's power saving technology.

The Galaxy S2 also comes with WiFi direct, allowing it to communicate directly with other WiFi devices. At speeds of up to 250Mbs, this is around 10x faster than Bluetooth and a great option for data transfer.

When it comes to utility you cannot really judge what comes on the phones anymore, but more what is available to them. The base utilities on both phones are different, but when it comes to the basics, it only takes a few minutes to fix the problem.

While the list of Android apps is growing fast, it is still a long way off matching the huge amount of iStore apps that can be downloaded. If you are looking for niche apps for your smart phone, you may have more luck with the iPhone for a while longer yet!

When you use both these phones there are some minor differences, however I think it is important to point out here that most of this comes down to a mild learning curve on both devices, both of which you will get used to pretty quickly.

One of the big features is that both devices now come with 8 Megapixel cameras on the rear. The Samsung Galaxy S2 comes with a 2MP front facing camera, which beats the VGA camera on the iPhone 4S. But I personally don't think this is a huge deal either, since not many people ever really make much use of the front facing camera.

Both the cameras are great quality, and while they don't really compare to a stand alone camera, they are fantastic from a smart phone standpoint.

The web browsing on both these phones is pretty similar. The biggest difference has to be that the Galaxy S2 supports flash, something sorely lacking in the iPhone for quite some time now.

In many ways I prefer the web browsing abilities on the iPhone. The touch screen is a little more intuitive alough I also find it just a tad slower than the Galaxy S2. It's a trade off, but only a small one.

While I have had hands on with both devices i have to admit that my favorite has to be the Samsung Galaxy S2. The iPhone 4S is a great device, but the S2 jsut seems faster and more responsive. I actually like this phone so much that I will soon be trading in my aging iPhone 3GS for the Samsung Galaxy S2.

Overall I think the Galaxy S2 manages to beat the iPhone 4S in most ways that matter to me, although I did find it a little difficult to adjust to the Android interface after so long on iOS.

In reality this comparison shows one big thing however. Both devices are great smart phones, both of them are much more powerful than any smart phone we have seen before, and both of these would be an amazing upgrade from your existing cell phone. While I do think the Samsung Galaxy S2 comes out on top, it is by a marginal amount. I think one big factor you may want to consider which I cannot review is how much you like iOS. Do you like the iPhone interface? It might be worth sticking with it!

While I prefered the Samsung Galaxy S2, T3 actually leaned more towards the iPhone 4S. I disagreed with quite a few points on their review, for instance their main issue is with the fragility of the Galaxy S2, however testing such as the video I included definitely shows that the S2 is a more sturdy device.

Many other reviewers have also sided with the Galaxy S2 noting faster speeds, a more vibrant screen, and less technical issues. All of them agree though, both phones are great!

Don't forget, there are plenty more Samsung Galaxy S2 Accessories and Galaxy S2 cases to get the most out of your phones!