Samsung Galaxy S vs Samsung Galaxy S II
Samsung's Galaxy S (I9000) made headlines when it was released back in June and thanks to timely software updates and hardware that was way ahead of its time it's just as relevant now – 8 months on.
Last week at MWC however, Samsung added to its Galaxy range with the I9000's heir apparent, the I9100, otherwise known as the Galaxy S II (I9100), and the launch of this new device has convinced us to put the original Galaxy S up to its stiffest test yet – that of taking on its new, and highly evolved baby brother.
Screen - When it was released the original Galaxy S featured what was arguably the finest display on any smartphone, a 4-inch Super AMOLED Gorilla Glass screen which, along with being tough as old boots, offered amazing colour rendition and reassuringly low power demands.
The new and improved Galaxy S II, again features some of Samsung's greatest craftsmanship, this time in the form of a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus display, again with Gorilla Glass. So while the original device is still quite a way ahead of the curve, it isn't able to hold its own against its successor, which comes packing a screen that sits at the bleeding edge of smartphone tech.
Winner - Samsung Galaxy S II
Internals - The Galaxy S II is a monster of a device. It runs on a dual-core 1GHz 'Exynos' CPU with a Mali-400MP GPU thrown in to the mix for rip-roaring graphics fun, and also packs a huge 1GB RAM, so you'll never notice so much as a stutter, even when you're using the device for the most arduous of tasks.
The Galaxy S however, packs a single core 1GHz chip and 512MB RAM which, although it pales in comparison to the I9100, is still on par with the even the newest high-end Android devices that are being produced by the likes of Sony Ericsson or Motorola and its worth remembering that the Galaxy S packed all these features in when 600MHz CPU's and 256MB RAM was the standard, so it's still one hell of a device.
Winner - Samsung Galaxy S II
Optics - Comparing the cameras on these two devices gives us a sense that, no matter what we put up against it, the Galaxy S II will come out on top. With an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash, face and smile detection and image stabilization, capable of 1080P movie capture and a 2-megapixel front-facing cam for video calling, you aren't likely to miss your compact for a while.
Still images taken by the Galaxy S are truly brilliant, with little noise and pin-sharp colour reproduction. The Galaxy S features a highly impressive 5-megapixel camera, with face and smile detection, which won't let you down when you want to memorialise a moment for your scrapbook, but again, it fails to compete with the better, faster, stronger mantra of the Galaxy S II.
Winner - Samsung Galaxy S II
Software - Both devices run on the perennially appealing Android platform, with the older device utilising version 2.2 and the new kid on the block version 2.3. While both are solid, stable platforms it doesn't take too much of a stretch to see that the newer iteration of the software is the better of the two.
Android 2.3 offers speed fixes, graphical improvements and stability and security improvements, making it arguably the finest smartphone operating system in existence at the moment.
Android 2.2 is still an attractive premise, mind you, and we have no qualms in recommending the software whole-heartedly, but it just isn't as sharp as the newer release. The Galaxy S II also features version 4.0 of Samsung's own TouchWiz UI, compared to the Galaxy S's version 3.0, meaning that the Galaxy S II benefits from new widgets, icons and other features, that the older device does not.
Winner - Samsung Galaxy S II
Build Quality - Seeing as both devices are made by the same manufacturer, Samsung, it isn't going to be easy to separate them when it comes to build standards.
Both smartphones are made of durable, super light and strong advanced plastics, which feel neither too heavy nor too light in the hand. Both devices are well balanced and comfortable to use, though the original Galaxy S may prove more comfortable for people with smaller hands.
Both devices are light, weighing in at 116g for the newer Galaxy S II, and 119g for the Galaxy S and thin, though the new Galaxy S II takes the tape, coming in at a positively wafe-like 8.5mm thick compared to the far from bulky 9.9mm of the original.
While we could sit here and laud the Galaxy S II for its thinner chassis and 3g lighter frame, we'd find it hard to hold any of its dimensions against the Galaxy S, as its far from bulky.
Winner - Tie
So, unsurprisingly it's a clean sweep for the new kid on the block, but there can be no shame in defeat for the Galaxy S. It is still a stellar device and hold its own against the growing tide of top quality Android devices coming to market, it just happened to come up against something special in the Galaxy S II, a device which would strip even the most advanced devices bare, and one which is a dead-cert for the phone of the year gong.
It's worth remembering that now the newer device is out, great deals can be had on the original Galaxy S, and with an upgrade to Android 2.3 in the offing, you'd be well advised to look it up if you're shopping for a new device but don't want to be tied into a potentially pricey monthly plan.
However, If you're more a 'to hell with it, I've gotta have it!' sort of person you'll want to get your wallet out in earnest and treat yourself to a slice of gadget future courtesy of the new king of the smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S II.