Samsung Galaxy Nexus vs Samsung Galaxy S II
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Let's face it – even after so many months on the market, it's safe to say that the Samsung Galaxy S II is still one of the hottest Android smartphones available. That said, we're now beginning to see that it's actually past its prime, considering some of its aspects like the WVGA screen, for example. On the other hand, the just launched Galaxy Nexus seems to be the perfect candidate to claim the title of being the most desired Android handset. Why? Well, the reasons are many – starting with the incredible HD Super AMOLED screen, and ending with the fantastic Ice Cream Sandwich software. With that in mind, it only makes sense for us to compare the two handsets here and now, and see if the Galaxy S II still has a chance to survive this fight, or rather, the new Nexus is here to smash all competition coming from the once glamorous S II.
Please note that in this comparison, we'll be looking at the international versions of the Galaxy Nexus and the Galaxy S II.
Design:
While both handsets are manufactured by Samsung, they have taken very different paths in terms of their appearance. On one hand we have the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, which is somewhat larger, compared to the S II, which is to be expected with its bigger screen. However, it's interesting to note that there's almost no difference in the width of the devices. The most important difference as far as dimensions go is in the height, as the Nexus is 0.4” higher (almost 1 cm). Finally, examining the thickness of these two phones is an interesting endeavor, as the Nexus is actually thinner in its upper part, and thicker in its lower part. Love it or hate it – such is the case with the Samsung design. Overall though, the Galaxy S II definitely feels like the more compact phone of the two.
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Samsung Galaxy Nexus (left, bottom) and Samsung Galaxy S II (right, top) | ||
Sadly, neither the Galaxy Nexus, nor the Galaxy S II utilize any premium materials in their construction. Both are made from plastic, and have incredibly flimsy back covers. In our opinion, the Nexus has a slight edge here when it comes to build quality, but unfortunately, it's not able to separate itself much.
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Right | Left | Top | Bottom |
The sides of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus (bottom) and Samsung Galaxy S II (top) | |||
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Samsung Galaxy Nexus | Samsung Galaxy S II |
The 316 ppi of the Galaxy Nexus compared to the 218 ppi of the Galaxy S II | |
Drag the picture or use the keyboard arrows to rotate the phone. Double click or press keyboard Space to zoom in/out
Drag the picture or use the keyboard arrows to rotate the phone. Double click or press keyboard Space to zoom in/out
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83 Comments
1. ledbetterp3 posted on 01 Dec 2011, 09:30 10 3
Also, there is stock android vs. touchwiz, I definetely prefer stock.
3. networkdood posted on 01 Dec 2011, 09:32 5 3
TW has been improving - but, for a lot us, the UI is no big deal and not a deal breaker as it can be changed.
5. ledbetterp3 posted on 01 Dec 2011, 09:39 8 2
But phones are rated based on the UI they come with, not everyone wants to root their phone, or knows what a launcher is. Anyways, that was another thing to throw in the battle, I know the UI itself is not going to win anything.
15. roldefol posted on 01 Dec 2011, 10:44 6 2
Amen. It's great that Cyanogen ports quickly to the Galaxy lines, but I'm never going to root my phone. TW may have improved functionally, but looking purely at the visuals, it's still too iOS-ish for my taste. So it was always down to Sense or stock ICS for me, because at least they have a unique look and feel.
57. wakingup posted on 01 Dec 2011, 15:55 2 1
Totally agreed. Never gunna root ma phone. But contrary to you guys, I actually go long lengths for a good looking UI. And the ICS UI seems so good. But sadly, Im running 2.2.1 and cant afford an upgrade, so I just got to sit this one out...
80. moosa.mahsoom posted on 25 Dec 2011, 01:25 0 0
galaxy s2 has support for more video and audio codecs. a strong plus for me. s2 has microsd card slot.(i will be swapping my friends cards many times). touchwiz has a lot of features. it has become better in the latest iteration. but, lacks eye candy. needs more transitions.
4. hunted posted on 01 Dec 2011, 09:36 5 2
i like the original SGS2 design than they designed for US
6. lex700 posted on 01 Dec 2011, 09:42 8 6
Faster Processor???
Erm...Exynos vs TI OMAP 4460 both featuring two A9 cores clocked at 1.2ghz
The main difference is the GPU which is the Mali-400mp for the Exynos and the SGX540 for the OMAP (and as I have been led to believe the Mali has the upper hand here)
So how do you come to the faster processor conclusion for the G Nexus then?
From reading this article it seems that apart from the screen (which still uses the horrible old pentile matrix) the only advantage the G Nexus holds is the software, which the GS2 will end up getting anyway.
13. kshell1 posted on 01 Dec 2011, 10:31 3 4
the exynos is better if you OC it ;) also the only reason the G nexus is faster is because of ics has hardware acceleration. i oc'd my gs2 and got 7500 on antutu benchmark and completely crushed the nexus
23. ph00ny posted on 01 Dec 2011, 11:46 6 1
Since i own both Galaxy SII and Galaxy Note, I'm going to have to disagree with you on the pentile issue. Note's screen is much sharper than the SII. It's a non-issue blown out of proportion due to the first SGS experience.
I don't know how PA got the idea that ti OMAP 4460 is quicker when TI OMAP 4430 isn't quicker than exynos
25. kshell1 posted on 01 Dec 2011, 11:53 0 1
the exynos shall be the master of dual-core until the next exynos quad-core releases :) saving up $ for the summer/fall of 2012 when the monster known as the sgs3 releases ;D
79. RamyAbdelbadea posted on 08 Dec 2011, 16:10 0 0
so you own galaxy SII and Galaxy Note .. can you tell us the better screen ??
in images , videos , web , ... etc
32. HTCiscool posted on 01 Dec 2011, 12:09 1 1
In terms of I/O, the 4460 is definitely faster than the Exynos, but the Mali-400 crushes the SGX540 here.
39. bucky posted on 01 Dec 2011, 13:00 4 4
thats absolutely ridiculous to say dude. The Exynos absolutely creams it in every test.
51. kidtronic posted on 01 Dec 2011, 14:15 3 2
The tests (benchmarks) that aren't even remotely optimized for the ICS software? I'd expect so. I think performance is a better test of speed, wouldn't you agree?
52. bucky posted on 01 Dec 2011, 14:33 1 1
The lag I have been seeing on the nexus tells me enough, youre right.
59. Dark4o90 posted on 01 Dec 2011, 16:11 0 2
soo what do you mean?? Both have cortex a9 1.2ghz the difference is in the GPU of the SoC and if Mali is quicker then Exynos is the best
61. Ray.S posted on 01 Dec 2011, 17:00 2 1
Thanks for your comments, guys, we removed the part about the "faster processor" of the Nexus.
