Motorola DROID RAZR vs Samsung Galaxy S II

Introduction:

For the umpteenth time it’s going to be tough as nails to choose a smartphone this holiday season, since the companies again saved their most potent gunpowder for the last quarter.

The excellent Motorola DROID RAZR is guilty as charged, since it appears in the busiest shopping month of the year, and that’s why we are pitting it against another Android gem – the Samsung Galaxy S II - in order to ease your choice. Read on for the help file...

For the purpose of this comparison, we are using the Motorola DROID RAZR in its GSM variant. It is identical to the one available on Verizon, except featuring different radio.


Design:

The Motorola DROID RAZR and the Galaxy S II leave a very similar impression when held – that of thin and feathery handsets, which go barely noticed in your pocket despite the generous 4.3” display.

The Galaxy S II is lighter and less unpretentious with its all-plastic chassis, whereas the  RAZR throws in a Kevlar back and steel frame, which add to the weight, but somehow don’t contribute to a premium feeling - Kevlar actually feels like lino to the touch,. The RAZR is slightly wider than the Galaxy S II or other 4.3” handsets, due to a thick bezel, and will beuncomfortable for some to operate with one hand.

The RAZR is unbelievably thin, though, with a 0.28” (7.1mm) profile, except for the about 0.41” (10.6mm) camera part at the top. It’s undeniably a great design achievement by Motorola. Not that the Galaxy S II is fat with its 0.33” (8.49mm) for the most part, and 0.39” (9.91mm) at the thickest.


Another feature that sets the two apart is the display technology – we have the Super AMOLED Plus on the Galaxy S II with a standard RGB matrix and 480x800 resolution, and the qHD Super AMOLED Advanced in the RAZR with 540x960 pixels, achieved via the PenTile arrangement.

The 218ppi pixel density on the Galaxy S II is not as high as the 256ppi one on the RAZR, but it is achieved with a standard RGB matrix and does the job, whereas the PenTile pixel arrangement of the RAZR’s screen is visible when you look up close, despite the qHD resolution. That’s only if you examine the display closer, though.

The AMOLED colors are more saturated, even gaudy in the case of the RAZR, whereas the Galaxy S II is toned down in comparison, but both have the typical for Super AMOLED cold colors that make white seem blueish. Samsung's handset has a brighter display, that also seems slightly less reflective outside, and these help with outdoor visibility.

The volume rocker on the Samsung Galaxy S II is more comfortable to find and press, compared to the one on the RAZR, which is too short and flush with the right side. The microUSB port sits at the bottom on Samsung's handset and doubles as an MHL connector for mirroring the display. The RAZR has all the ports stuffed at the top at its widest part, and sports the more standard microHDMI port for TV connectivity.