The iPhone 4 and the Samsung Galaxy
S2
are two of the most exciting and premium smartphones available to
man. Find out which one them is worthy of your cash...
The
smartphone market is reaching a point where it’s hard to determine a
clear winner. Now built with a much brawnier and brainier architecture
than ever before – and with better design and more premium build - the
current breed is hard to separate.
Here we have two prime examples: the iPhone 4 and the Samsung Galaxy S 2 - both already prime candidates for T3's 2011 Phone of the Year. But which one should you buy? We’ve pulled them together for a head-to-head. Reading time? About 10 minutes. Deliberating time saved in the phone shop? Limitless. Read on, smartphone pioneer…
Here we have two prime examples: the iPhone 4 and the Samsung Galaxy S 2 - both already prime candidates for T3's 2011 Phone of the Year. But which one should you buy? We’ve pulled them together for a head-to-head. Reading time? About 10 minutes. Deliberating time saved in the phone shop? Limitless. Read on, smartphone pioneer…
iPhone 4 vs Samsung Galaxy S2: Build
Samsung Galaxy S 2 | Samsung Galaxy S 2 Review
Pick up the phone and the first thing you notice is how light it is –
it’s just 116g. Measuring 8.49mm, it’s incredibly slim in comparison to
9.9mm for the original Galaxy S; 9.3mm for the Apple iPhone 4 and 8.7mm
for the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc. While the Galaxy S2 will certainly
fit into the tightest jeans pocket, the compromise is build quality -
the body just feels cheap and uninspiring.
Things don't improve when you remove the wafer thin back to insert a
sim - we’d be seriously worried about snapping it. Controls are limited
to volume on one side, power on the other, MHL port, which serves a dual
purpose of charging via USB and outputting to HDMI, and a 3.5mm jack on
the top, Samsung includes a range of streaming options including DLNA.
iPhone 4 | iPhone 4 Review
Antennagate, anyone? Our findings are that when you hold the iPhone 4
with your hand covering the bottom left corner, there is a loss of
signal. However, we have not found that this has caused us to drop calls
or lose data connections when out and about actually using the handset.
Whether this is because we’re subconsciously moving our hands to avoid
the issue developing is hard to say. That aside, there is no denying
that the iPhone 4 is a stunning piece of tech. It’s 24 per cent slimmer
than the 3GS at just 9.3mm thick, beautifully compact and elegantly
designed with a stainless steel band separating the handset’s
scratch-resistant glass covered front and back.
It’s this steel band, which is also the aerial, which seems to be
causing the problems. Presumably it’s something to do with contact
between the metal band and human skin causing conductivity issues as
putting a casing on the iPhone seems to alleviate the problem. Bizarre
reception flaws aside, the iPhone 4 is a great showcase for Apple’s
technological and design prowess.
iPhone 4 vs Samsung Galaxy S2: Screen
Samsung Galaxy S2 I Samsung Galaxy S2 Review
A larger screen sizes means that the phone is bulky, but it’s a joy
for movies. When playing back our test HD movie clips, detail is sharp
and action smooth. We found that whites aren’t as pure or bright as
those on the iPhone 4, although blacks seem darker and colours are
bolder and warmer. It handles action smoothly too.
iPhone 4 | iPhone 4 Review
The new 3.5-inch Retina Display is another big improvement over the
3GS – and all other mobile devices for that matter. With an 800:1
contrast ratio and 960x640p resolution – according to Apple, that’s more
than the human eye can process at that size of screen – the Retina
Display sets a new benchmark for mobile screens.
The Retina Display is a joy to use indoors and at most outdoor light
levels, although it becomes reflective and difficult to admire when in
direct, bright sunlight such as we’re having recently. Although adding a
gratifying pop to images and videos, older applications and their icons
can also appear dated and grainy on the new high-res screen – app
developers will have to improve their wares for the iPhone 4.
iPhone 4 vs Samsung Galaxy S2: Processor
Samsung Galaxy S 2 | Samsung Galaxy S 2 Review
The Galaxy S2 has a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm processor. In use the
phone feels incredibly quick – one of the fastest smartphones we’ve
used. Indeed, whether you’re browsing a web page or swapping between
applications it never feels slow and seems to manage all your tasks with
gusto. During our tests it loads web pages over WiFi quicker than the
iPhone 4 - loading a content-rich website like T3.com - replete with
Adobe Flash banners and carousels - in just 15 seconds. This isn’t an
Nvidia Tegra 2 chip, so we couldn't download games designed specifically
for this (such as Samurai II: Vengence THD), but there are a decent
selection of games to play on Android as is, and it won't sturggle to
run any of them.
iPhone 4 | iPhone 4 Review
Bringing the iPhone 4 to life is the same sprightly Apple A4
processor found in the original iPad. You’d think that packing this
hefty workhorse under the bonnet would drain the battery, but the new
iPhone’s battery life is not noticeably diminished from the 3GS, and
Apple claims it actually lasts longer. When playing back HD content,
motion is fast, without judder and free of lag or distortion when
rotating the screen. It’s a slicker, quicker experience than the iPod
Touch.
iPhone 4 vs Samsung Galaxy S2: Camera
Samsung Galaxy S 2 | Samsung Galaxy S 2 Review
Samsung has boosted the camera resolution from 5-megapixels to
8-megapixels, instead of a dedicated shutter; you tap the virtual
shutter, which is fairly quick if not quite as nippy as the offering on
the iPhone 4. Stills results are pleasing; the S2 is pretty good at
controlling noise and colours are very natural. The S2 shoots HD video
at 720p and 1080p at 30fps and results are good; it’s smooth, with
natural colours, although perhaps lacking a little definition.
iPhone 4 | iPhone 4 Review
Following repeated cries from consumers, the iPhone 4 now offers
flash. No, not the Adobe version for viewing web video – that’s just not
gonna happen, so get used to it – but a scorchingly bright LED flash to
accompany the improved camera. Stills are not suddenly of compact
camera quality, but they are undeniably better, and bigger at five
megapixels. Video is much improved, with 720p HD video offers pristine
and sharp detail on the Retina Display, though some detail seems to be
lost when compressing for direct uploading to YouTube. In-camera editing
is also straightforward, and you can add the iMovie app (£2.99) if you
want more sophisticated editing of your clips.
In addition to the main, rear camera there’s a second, front-facing
one. This offers decent picture quality, but it’s there for more than
just vanity’s sake. Apple, you see, is attempting to transform video
calling from its current status as the forgotten starlet of the tech
world into a must-have feature. To this end, it’s included the
Skype-style Face Time app. Given that this works only over Wi-Fi and
only between one iPhone 4 and another, we can’t see it reviving video
calling’s fortunes, somehow, but it does work nicely enough, with much
better video quality than on earlier mobile systems.
Video | Apple iPhone 4 vs Samsung Galaxy S 2 "Face Off"
Review | iPhone 4 vs Samsung Galaxy S 2 | Video
9out of 10 based on 100 ratings. 9 user reviews.
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