Samsung Galaxy S II HD LTE Review

Update: You can now read our Galaxy S III review!

Introduction:

Nearly a year of making its presence known in almost every single corner of the globe, the Samsung Galaxy S II has accomplished its goal by proving itself to be one of the most polarizing smartphones in recent memory. Keeping up with the times, the Korea-only Samsung Galaxy S II HD LTE sprinkles some much wanted upgrades to keep the beloved handset’s prestige glowing even more as it faces a never-ending wave of competition. It's actually very interesting for us to take a look at this handset, knowing that its U.S. variant, the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket HD, will be making its way to AT&T’s lineup soon.

Please keep in mind, that the Galaxy S II HD LTE is a Korean model which is offered unlocked by some U.S. retailers online. However, its LTE and HSPA are not usable in the U.S., due to different bands, so it is 2G only.

Design:

Almost an exact facsimile to the original model, the only impressive thing this time around with the handset’s design is the fact it manages to retain a streamlined . Specifically, it’s only a hairline thicker at 0.37” (9.5mm), which is still regarded as being skinny by today’s standards.


Bigger seems to the trend nowadays, and rightfully so, the Samsung Galaxy S II HD LTE is outfitted a larger 4.65” HD (720 x 1280) Super AMOLED display, just as the Galaxy Nexus. Despite its choice of sticking with a PenTile matrix arrangement, it’s still sharp looking with its details – while enthralling us with its vivid colors, high-contrast, and exceptionally wide viewing angles.


As for the rest of the handset, everything remains intact as we find its microUSB port, volume rocker, dedicated power button, 3.5mm headset jack, and noise cancellation microphone in their usual locations. Additionally, it features the same 2-megapixel front-facing camera above its display, while its 8-megapixel snapper with flash is positioned in the rear.

Interface and Functionality:

Hardly a surprise, yet perplexing at the same time, the Samsung Galaxy S II HD LTE runs the same good old TouchWiz interface on top of Android 2.3.6 Gingerbread. Folks, there’s nothing different whatsoever with the experience since it’s the same as before, but our guess is as good as anyone’s as to why Samsung couldn’t pack Ice Cream Sandwich from the onset.


Blessed with even more real estate, it’s such a pleasure typing up messages thanks to the spacious layout of both the Samsung and Swype keyboards. Plus, it helps that it maintains the same lovable peppy response that we’re all too accustomed of experiencing.



Processor and Memory:

Packing along a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8660 processor that’s coupled with 1GB of RAM, it’s effective in providing us with that typical responsive performance with most operations. However, we’re a bit disgusted to find it struggling to maintain its speedy performance when it’s tested by live wallpapers.

Out of the box, we’re given 10.96GB of free internal storage for media, while another 1.81GB is reserved for apps. Of course, we can supplement its capacity by adding a microSD card of some sort.

Camera:

Not skipping a beat for one moment, we’re again treated to some better than average photos taken by its admirable 8-megapixel camera, since it continues to excel in almost all shooting conditions. Furthermore, we’re remarkably impressed by the 1080p videos it’s able to capture since they’re filled to the roof with some eye-catching visuals that no doubt prove to be great for preserving precious memories.




Samsung Galaxy S II HD LTE Sample Video:



Multimedia:

Although we’re not surprised to find the same boring TouchWiz music player with the handset, our attention is actually stirred by the poppy and distinctive tones its speaker is able to muster up. Furthermore, there are various equalizer settings available to fine tune its quality even further.


Perhaps it’s the iridescent glow of its Super AMOLED display, or the fact that it’s larger in size and higher resolution than before, but one thing is certain, and that it doesn’t flinch in playing our test video that’s encoded in DivX 1920 x 1080 resolution.

Internet and Connectivity:

Although its name suggests it features an LTE connection, it is not usable in the States, as it is a Korean band. Being an unlocked GSM smartphone, we’re able to test it out with AT&T’s network – though, we’re only presented with the carrier’s EDGE connection, as the HSPA is also not U.S.-friendly. Along for the ride, it features aGPS, Bluetooth 3.0, 802.11 b/g/n/a Wi-Fi, and mobile hotspot functionality.

Aside from speed, it complements its speedy nature by coughing up an exciting web browsing performance with its buttery smooth operation in navigating complex sites filled with heavy Flash content.

Performance:

Just as before, calling quality is pretty darn good on the Samsung Galaxy S II HD LTE – though, its speaker won’t blow your mind away. Nevertheless, its quality is ample enough on both ends of the line to comprehend voices with minimal effort.

As we’ve comes to realize, battery life is a constant concern for the majority of LTE devices out there, therefore, we can only speculate that it would be no different for this one. Of course, seeing that we’re able to connect via EDGE, its battery life is handsomely generous in getting us a few days of juice on a single charge.

Conclusion:

No doubt we take a fancy to seeing a higher resolution display, but in all honesty, you’re better off picking up that other Samsung device, you know, the one they call the Galaxy Nexus. There is no reason to buy this Korean only model, as the unlocked carrier-free penta-band Nexus has similar price and everything it offers plus Ice Cream Sandwich and usable 4G. If the Galaxy S II HD LTE had usable 4G connection, it would have been an alternative for those who want something “different”. However, it is ridiculous to pay premium price for a “2G phone”. The upcoming Galaxy S II Skyrocket HD on AT&T will not have this issue and will come with a carrier-subsidized price, making it a model to consider.

Software version of the reviewed unit:
Android Version: 2.3.6
Build Number: GINGERBREAD.EL07
Kernel Version: 2.6.35.11-E120L.EL07.0011-CL718581

Samsung Galaxy S II HD LTE Video Review: