Still, with the number of models running Android 2.3 Gingerbread continually increasing, the Galaxy II S needs to stand out in any way for your choice worthwhile. I spent a week with him to find out what the device offers to stand out from the crowd. Here are my conclusions.
Display and design
Right away you notice that the screen S Galaxy II is higher than any smartphone you're used to. In fact, it is even a little exaggerated. But it is still well used. Samsung used the technology of AMOLED Super Plus, it can be brighter than their predecessors while at the same time, can be more energy efficient.
This regulation of energy, in fact, works well thanks to the ambient light sensor unit and the energy saving customizations from Samsung. The latter is so efficient that when the battery is in the past, the screen is so dark it is almost impossible to see anything in it. She also loses a bit of visibility when there is reflection of sunlight, but nothing that does not let you view the screen.
Leaving aside the screen, the design of another item that stands out it is the thickness. With 8.5 mm, the S Galaxy II is very thin. Thin enough to be played within any one pocket and promptly forgotten. Its rounded edges provide a good grip, but the button for sleep / wake on the side of the screen can be turned off by accident more than normal.
On the other side are the volume buttons above the screen and get the plug for headphones along with a noise canceling microphone, which is on by default for all connections. The speaker is on the bottom rear of the cell and at the bottom of the cable for USB and power.
Needless to say the rear of the unit, specifically the battery cover, I did not like much, right?
Interface and navigation
Shown in this screen version is nothing spectacular 3.0 4.0 Samsung's TouchWiz interface, which was considerably improved with the feedback from customers. The organization of widgets easier and management of home screens as well, which you can access by doing the ring clamp.
Besides showing by default shortcuts for power savings, Samsung also put five of them in the notification area for quick access. But the interface is really innovative in the use of the accelerometer sensor. You can jump from one screen to another with a lighter thrown from the phone to the left or right, or with two fingers on the screen, zoom in on any image by tilting the phone forward or backward.
Navigation on Android's default browser without many failures occur. Adobe Flash is installed, then you can interact with content like this if you want. Just remember to activate plugins in your browser before anything else. And not just animation and games, the browser also ran Flash videos from YouTube without any noticeable slowdowns. But I open a flash website expecting a noticeable drop in battery life.
The method of text input pattern is the familiar Swype, which was a little easier to use because of the larger screen size. Oh, and a bonus for those who like to share screenshots on Android: This model also comes with native screenshot. Just hold the home button and sleep at the same time to capture an image that is saved in the gallery.
Multimedia
To take advantage of all the 27.4-inch screen, nothing like a good media player. Although Samsung has given it in S Galaxy II, there is nothing spectacular in it. It's the same default player of Android, which supports various video formats like DivX, MP4 and MKV. This last, most commonly used format in high-definition video, has also performed flawlessly, taking full advantage of dual-core processor.
Support for music remains the same, nothing innovative here. You can load music with a drag of a finger from right to left and vice versa to back songs. One problem that this version of Android decided, however, is a mixture of album covers and the inability to detect Android ID3 tags on m4a files.
The headphones that come with the device left a little to be desired in terms of audio quality, the main function of this accessory. They may even have a good design and come with three sizes for the rubber in-ear, but the sound coming out of them is low and muffled, even with volume on top.
A speaker on the back of the Galaxy II S plays the role of the media play the sounds on the screen, but does it in any way exceptional. It's a good speaker and nothing else.
Camera
Like its predecessor, the camera still sins in relation to pictures in low light. Even with the night photo option enabled, the image still had enough grain. Effect that is repeated in video capture mode. The LED flash unit to help, but it is not enough.
But when the light is sufficient, the camera exceeds expectations, something that is difficult to do in terms of CMOS sensors used in mobile phones. The image quality is what you expect from an 8-megapixel camera, but not an 8 megapixel camera on a phone. Below are some examples of photos.
Another highlight is the front camera, used in videoconferencing applications. It has 2 MP quality, then it also serves to eventual self-portraits that you might want to take when it finds a celebrity.
The video mode is another factor that impresses. The quality of the camera lets you record up to 1080p, which produces video with 1920 x 1080 pixels, which are not used to seeing on phones today.
Connectivity and accessories
Included in S Galaxy II are support for 3G and WiFi standards b, g and n. Now standard in Android 2.3 is the functionality of the router, which distributes the 3G connection to other devices via WiFi Setup is simple, but misses the point: there is no where to see a list of connected devices.
About GPS, some say he has the same flaw as its predecessor, is inaccurate and slow to find satellite signals. I had a very varied experience. Some times, applications that use GPS to find me slow, while others have opened with my blinking dot on the map. And that both the data network connected and disconnected.
For computer connection and data transfer, there are three alternatives. The pattern is by Samsung Kies. It has been updated over the months and you can tell that with each new version seems to be more like Apple's iTunes. But instead of copying the good things, Samsung copied the bad as well.
Both in terms of design and in terms of slowness, the Samsung Kies is a monster. Sometimes the program crashed and left me waiting longer than normal to recognize the phone, even with the drivers already installed. But it is a necessary evil if you want to watch movies or listen to music on the device.
Fortunately, there is an alternative to it, which is offered up by Samsung itself. This is the Air Kies, an application that comes in the Galaxy and S II lets you transfer files directly via WiFi is not as fast as a cable connection and still requires the installation of a java application, but at least is some thing.
Besides the two, there is the possibility of connecting the device as USB storage mode, which is ideal for those who like to organize your own folders inside the device. Just change a setting in the settings menu and activate the plug when the unit.
Inside the box the Galaxy S II included a USB cable to connect to the computer and headphones, I've said up there that are not exactly ideal. But Samsung will also sell an dock to connect to TVs, an HDMI adapter cable and even leather covers for the device.
Applications and games
A mobile platform is only as good as the applications it has available. And not to let the new owners waiting Galaxy S II, Samsung has included some programs on the device. Among them are the book reader application bookstore culture, the application and an application sheet of Samsung news and weather.
Two other programs, which I think are considerably more useful than those mentioned above, is the photo editor and video editor. They are very simple to use, just do not expect a professional editing of any of the two.
In terms of games, the Galaxy S II could be better-served. The game would serve as a centralized hub that these games still offers few options for the device, then it is best to refer it to the Android Market.
A demo version of Hero of Sparta comes installed on the machine and the graphics are pretty decent, but takes to load a new game can leave some impatient users. Because the processor used in the S Galaxy II is an owner of Samsung, do not expect to see games optimized for Tegra 2, Nvidia, running on the device.
Battery
If there is a point of perfection in terms of battery life, I can say that with the Galaxy S II Samsung came as near it as possible. The device's battery is nothing short of exceptional, something that surprised me because half of your screen nothing giant and its powerful processor.
With moderate use of WiFi and 3G, and occasionally a few links or other text message, the S Galaxy II survived for two days in a row before needing to be plugged into the outlet, with still 10% battery left.
With a little research because I found it: the Samsung processor optimized for the device operating at full power when running multiple tasks while in standby mode it is downclockeado. In addition, the ambient light sensor it also regulates the brightness of the screen very efficiently.
At the other end of the spectrum, the result was quite different but did not fail to impress. Using the S Galaxy II with intense activities of the chips for 3G, GPS, BlueTooth and still playing music on headphones, the battery lasted almost 6 hours before needing to be recharged. A performance that very distance this model from the other Androids.
Negative points
High price;
Bad camera for night shots;
Headphones that are lacking.
Strengths
Good camera for photos and videos with light;
Screen spectacular;
High battery life.
Conclusion
Costing U.S. $ 1,800 on average in the Brazilian operators and $ 2,000 online stores, the Galaxy S II is still a little out of the Brazilian financial reality, as much as the financing options available. But there are options for those who want to escape this high-value, which involves selling your soul to sign a contract with an operator for 12 months and get a discount in price.
Earlier this review I said the S Galaxy II needs to stand out from the crowd of Android devices. And its combination of screen, camera and battery life makes him get just that. Moreover, he proves that Samsung is learning from mistakes and offering Android increasingly powerful without forgetting that they need to last a long time connected.
Galaxy S II is not perfect, has flaws and a room for improvement. But those who choose to pay the price that Android is taking without a doubt the best in the market today.
