Samsung Galaxy S II AT&T Review
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The package contains:
- AT&T Samsung Galaxy S II
- microUSB cable
- Wall Charger
- Quick Start Guide
- Health & Safety and Warranty Guide
Design:
So what more is there left to say about the design of AT&T’s version of the Samsung Galaxy S II? Well, for starters, it’s a bit more faithful to the original GSM model with its squared off corners and overall size – albeit, it’s a smidgen thicker at 0.35” at its thinnest point and omits the original’s physical home button. Sleek and sexy, it’s absolutely a wonderful thing to behold, since it’s deceptively light weight (4.3 oz.) thanks to its svelte all-plastic construction. The rear cover employs a textured plastic design that’s chic, but doesn’t come off as being as durable as the Captivate’s solid metal plating. Lastly, it’s still a wide looking handset that might seem too gargantuan in size for people with smaller hands to hold, but nevertheless, Samsung does a banging job in keeping it considerably hug fitting than its rivals.
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The Samsung Galaxy S II AT&T is deceptively light weight thanks to its svelte all-plastic construction | ||
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You can compare the Samsung Galaxy S II AT&T with many other phones using our Size Visualization Tool.
After seeing the Infuse 4G pushing the threshold with screen sizes, AT&T’s Samsung Galaxy S II decides to keep it true to the original with its 4.3” WVGA (480 x 800) Super AMOLED Plus display. Nowadays, we’re kind of spoiled thanks to the qHD displays out there, but with the WVGA resolution of the handset, it’s beginning to show its age when we’re finding ourselves zooming in to properly view text within the web browser. Yet, its galvanizing beauty is most prevalent with its oversaturated color production, which can easily win over most people. Combining its great viewing angles and decent brightness out, we’re mesmerized by its polarizing display.
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The Samsung Galaxy S II AT&T keeps true to the original with its 4.3” WVGA Super AMOLED Plus display | |||
With its usual suspects of capacitive Android buttons, we’re glad to find accidental presses kept at a minimum. Meanwhile, a 2-megapixel front-facing camera is perched above the display ready for video chatting – with the thin and narrow earpiece close by.
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Front side | Capacitive Android buttons | The front-facing camera |
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Bottom edge | Left | Top | Right edge |
The sides of the Samsung Galaxy S II AT&T | |||
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Back | The hump at the bottom | The SIM card slot | microSD card slot |
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65 Comments
1. nyamo posted on 27 Sep 2011, 06:44 1 0
i thought the ATT version was supposed to have an NFC chip? did something change a long the way?
6. vette21man posted on 27 Sep 2011, 08:41 0 0
Seconded, does it have NFC? What other abilities does it have out of the box rather than Google wallet in the UK?
24. baldilocks posted on 27 Sep 2011, 14:40 2 0
Didn't you see the 'Near Field Communication' that was printed on the battery??
2. GJanee posted on 27 Sep 2011, 07:00 4 3
"...with the WVGA resolution of the handset, it’s beginning to show its age when we’re finding ourselves zooming in to properly view text within the web browser."
ohh cmooon. this is ridiculous. who could see a single pixelation (especially at texts) on a 4,3" 480x800 samoplus display? browsers don't even let you zoom in that much. :D and WVGA is a con? this is just pure casuistry.
STILL this statement could well be true in case of pictures. but text? fonts? meh...
9. remixfa posted on 27 Sep 2011, 08:52 2 0
i think they were commenting more on the inability to read small text, not the ability to zoom in on text so big it looks pixelated.
i cant read that small anyways, so doesnt bother me. :)
69. NeXoS posted on 08 Oct 2011, 00:13 0 0
I have a QHD screen and even though it's higher res, I'd rather have a lower res SAMOLED+.
All things being equal, I'd take SAMOLED+ over 300+ppi any day. 300+ppi sounds nice on paper, but it's just a spec and in the real world, most people aren't holding the phone 2 inches from their faces.
But, the Nexus Prime gives us both!
11. vette21man posted on 27 Sep 2011, 08:56 3 3
I stand by PhoneArena on this one. Witnessing web browsing on qHD and Retina displays, WVGA is definitely lagging (especially on a large 4.3" display).
I also think that your argument should be reversed. Text is annoying when it's fuzzy. Ever watch the news in standard definition with the ticker scrolling across the screen? Much easier to read on an HDTV.
Some would say photos are equally important to view in high-resolution. In general, it makes sense to leave the WVGA resolution as a con. In fact, I would be interested if the Exynos/graphics processor would exhibit equal performance if the resolution was upped to qHD.
14. WirelessCon posted on 27 Sep 2011, 09:58 2 0
I have yet to see a qHD screen that is as vibrant or more vibrant than the WVGA on the Infuse. Pixelization on text is just as evident on qHD.
qHD is a waste of time. 720p is the next step that matters. Then 1080p, which is overkill, but tech- geeks love overkill.
1080p color e-ink with optional LED backlight. BRING IT ON!
19. vette21man posted on 27 Sep 2011, 10:51 3 0
What you list as "vibrant" is actually color saturation, which is really a debatable pro/con. Some people prefer more natural looking colors, some prefer the pop of saturated colors.
When I see WVGA on a 4.3" screen next to a Retina or 4.3" qHD display I see a world of difference in pixel density and text readability on the same web page. Not sure if you have done this type of comparison before.
720p will be awesome and just about overkill. Agreed 1080p will be overkill, and marketers will plaster the FULL HD marking all over ads.
30. taz89 posted on 27 Sep 2011, 20:03 1 0
screen resolution is great and is better than qhd pentile...and to be honest do many people read on the web when its fully zoomed out?most people zoom in using text wrap...
66. vette21man posted on 07 Oct 2011, 13:41 0 0
In either case, it sounds like your argument is saying, "It's good ENOUGH," which is another way of saying it's lagging. It's still a con.
82. beefalo posted on 10 Nov 2011, 03:42 0 0
uhh have you actually used an iOS device with the retina display?? it makes a huge difference when reading text. don't get me wrong, colors etc look amazing on super amoled plus, but high res and high PPI is key for readability on phones.
i literally brought up the main phone arena page on a 3.5" iPhone 4s and a 4.3" focus s(super amoled plus). Fully zoomed out i could just read the text on the iPhone 4s, yet it was too blurry on the focus s. This alone proves that the retina display was not a gimmick, and it serves more of a purpose than just getting rid of jaggies. It truly hits the limit of what the human eye can make out on the screen, anymore resolution would not have made the text anymore readable IMO because at that point it would be too small for my eyes.
if you are just looking at pics and video, i think the colors and contrast on the super amoled plus will be better. but if you are looking at text or browsing the web, you will realize that a bigger screen does not mean easier reading. at 4.3" i think you would need around a 1280x720 screen to again hit the mark where you are seeing as much detail as the human eye can handle(obviously using the same resolution as the retina will give you just as clear text, but with a bigger screen your eye could see even more detail given more resolution) this is one reason i am very interested in the htc rezound!
3. rwolf1984 posted on 27 Sep 2011, 08:14 1 0
Disappointed that AT&T handicapped TouchWiz...I'Ve played with the Epic Touch and it's the screen, the thin form factor, cameras, the gestures, the speed and the UI widgets etc that differentiate this device from the other android devices. I am debating on ordering the international Galaxy S II or checking out the next iPhone...the Captivate turned out to be a major disappointment...ready for a new phone.
4. henrickrw posted on 27 Sep 2011, 08:14 3 0
Dear Phonearena. Definetly all your reviews on the GS2 will be 9 because you don't have a choice. This handset is very cool & it's the best on the market. I own the international version and I'm very happy with my purchase.
i just wonder which grade you will give to the IPhone 5?
68. NeXoS posted on 07 Oct 2011, 23:13 2 1
Dear iPhoneArena, you guys are real app holes.
Flimsy cover? Nice choice of words there guys, it's actually highly flexible and will not break when you remove it, it's made to flex:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErXqnQKs-tA
Also, the WVGA Super AMOLED Plus looks better than the Retina$$ display any day!
5. qdz (unregistered) posted on 27 Sep 2011, 08:32 3 0
Why not try out what everyone who has owned a Samsung android device wants to know about...the GPS!
8. rex0422 posted on 27 Sep 2011, 08:51 1 1
I am not the biggest fan of the design, but I have the international version and it is pretty darn fast, despite its design, you know, is only THIN and LIGHT. Also, the ridiculous WVGA display on 4.3-inch device NOW!? Samsung should knock their heads against the wall! THEY NEED TO WAKE UP! I love the speed, I really do, but something like the HTC Sensation and LG Optimus 2x (T-Mobile G2X) are better, in my opinion.
10. remixfa posted on 27 Sep 2011, 08:53 2 0
so, what exactly gets a 9.5 or a 10? you say this thing is the best power, camera, performance, beauty, ect ect..
what exactly is a 10? if the iphone5 scores higher, im calling foul.
12. vette21man posted on 27 Sep 2011, 09:04 3 0
My interpretation of their review:
- TouchWiz stinks: -0.5
- WVGA is lagging: -0.5
Maybe TOGETHER those cons equal -.5, but not sure it should be knocked a whole point. This GSII may not be a perfect 10, but man it's close...I think 9.5 is more appropriate.
