Samsung Galaxy S II

“It’s impossibly hard to find fault with. Forget just grabbing the limelight, it makes it brighter”

Samsung Galaxy S II

Despite technically being a serious rival to the iPhone 4, the Samsung Galaxy S was dismissed by many as a mere imitation of Apple’s iconic handset. The second time around, Korean challenger Samsung is way ahead of the game, launching a full-blown sequel within the space of a year.

In Hollywood, second instalments rarely live up to the first, but at the top end of the smartphone market, the Samsung Galaxy S II goes above and beyond what its predecessor had to offer. Thanks to a breathtaking 4.3in display, everyday phone screens are a joy to behold.

A dual-core 1.2GHz processor means multi-taskers never have to wait. An occasional tendency for slowdown on the Samsung Galaxy S is removed without trace in the follow up. But despite beefing up the tech specs, Samsung performed a miracle when designing the S II’s outer appearance.

Weighing in at just 116g, it’s considerably lighter and thinner than its forebear. In fact, at 8.49mm in places, Samsung claims it is the world’s thinnest smartphone. And, with a first-class selection of features to boot, it might just be one of the best too.

Galaxy S2(black) £0.00

100 min Unlimited texts

£18.50

Dynamite display

First impressions of the Samsung Galaxy S II are dominated by that irresistible 4.3in screen. Noticeably bigger than both the iPhone and original Galaxy S displays, it makes basic tasks - from viewing a webpage to scrolling through contacts - an absolute pleasure and a breeze.

Although it really comes into its own with high-definition (HD) video playback, the Super AMOLED screen also lends itself nicely to a vibrant set of animated wallpapers. No doubt a massive drain on the battery, they’re visually quite stunning and change according to the weather.

But pretty as the sun-kissed beach and crashing waves may be, perhaps the best thing about a screen so big is the supreme agility it affords even the chubbiest and clumsiest of fingers. Laid on its side in landscape view it feels more like a mini-tablet than a phone.

Sharp shooter

Camera and video recording functions are superb

The Samsung Galaxy S II would also comfortably replace most digital cameras and camcorders in the casual photographer’s kit bag. With an eight megapixel sensor and super bright LED flash, it delivers detailed shots in practically any light conditions.

It also provides a wealth of fun effects - like automatically snapping when the person in focus smiles - and video is shot at 1080p for breathtaking HD results. The camera integrates beautifully with one of the many neat little apps, the Mini Diary. This allows you to keep a journal of your adventures and publish the pages to Facebook to be the envy of all your friends.

Highlighting individual applications seems almost pointless, though, as there are thousands of great tools and games available from the Android Market. Having said that, the pre-installed Social Hub - gathering emails, Twitter updates and Facebook messages seamlessly - is really quite good.

Dream phone

Like most Android phone manufacturers, Samsung adds its own twist to the standard Android 2.3.3 software, named Gingerbread by its creator, search giant Google. Samsung’s overlay, with its own weird nickname - TouchWiz - adds some wonderful extra levels of detail.

Swipe your finger down the homescreen, for instance, and you not only see all your notifications but can also turn WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS on and off with a single tap. This makes managing the Galaxy S II’s battery life an absolute doddle.

Then again, battery performance is rarely an issue. The battery is quite capable of lasting the whole day through, at least with moderate usage. Heavier users may need to switch off GPS and WiFi when not in use, but it still has an impressive lifespan for a top end smartphone.

Another sweet little nugget emerges whenever you end a call - up comes the option to message, call back or email your contact, just in case you forgot something or need to continue your conversation in privacy. It’s quite a handy little way to streamline a common task and save some time.

Slicker than the average

Samsung Galaxy S II

There’s no point denying it’s impossibly hard to find fault with the Samsung Galaxy S II. It’s a sleek and slight handset that packs an enormous weight of content and courageously departs from the well-trodden smartphone track.

Perhaps the most notable of its very few weaknesses is the frustratingly clumsy keyboard, though it does handle much better with two thumbs in landscape mode. There is also the plastic casing, which of course keeps it lightweight but in some ways undermines the premium price tag.

By no means does it look cheap, but it does seem lacking in brushed aluminium - or any other hallmark of techno brilliance - and the wafer thin battery casing’s awfully flimsy when detached. But this is splitting hairs to find a balance of good and bad. These “faults” would probably warrant no mention in the average mobile phone review.

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