Samsung Galaxy S2 Plus

Best Price: Starting from Rs.17,488 - Rs.24,057 
 

 Samsung now relies on just this proven means for the Galaxy S2. Almost two years after the actual release, the manufacturer refreshes the smartphone as Galaxy S2 Plus. But what is behind this name? Many things have been adopted at first glance. The AMOLED screen still features a size of 4.3 inches and a resolution of 800x480 pixels; the dual-core SoC clocks with 1.2 GHz and pictures are shot with an 8.0 megapixel camera. However, Samsung has reduced the storage from 16 to now only 8 GB, which can be tolerated owing to a micro SD slot. The new features, such as the (optional) NFC support or the updated Android operating system (4.1.2 Jelly Bean) alongside the TouchWiz 5.0 user interface, are much more interesting. But is that enough to justify the purchase price of approximately 300 Euros (~$390)?

Case

Samsung has largely adopted the casing's design from the Galaxy S2 precursor. A simple yet quite high-quality plastic dominates the looks. The buyer can choose between the colors blue and white. Stylish details, such as the display's glossy metallic rim let the smartphone look both elegant and unique. The design is in no way stale even after two years. However, one drawback of the glossy surfaces is that every tiny dust particle is seen and makes regular polishing inevitable.

The casing convinces with good stiffness although light metals are not used. Nothing creaks or crackles despite the S2 Plus' thickness of just 8.9 millimeters (~0.35 inches) (without NFC: 8.5 millimeters/~0.34 inches) and a weight of 121 grams (~0.27 pounds). This is insignificantly heavier than the Galaxy S3 Mini (112 grams/~0.25 pounds), which also sports a smaller, 4-inch screen. Unlike Google's Nexus 4, the back cover can be removed without tools. This should however be done with care in view of the fragile-looking clip design.

In terms of build, Samsung has done a great job. We did not find any interfering gaps or sharp edges. The screen covered with Corning's Gorilla Glass closes flush with the bezel and underlines the high-quality claim of the entire device. The S2 Plus can easily compete with the S3 Mini. The iPhone 5's unibody casing is even a bit better due to its design. However, we do not want to use it for direct comparison in view of its much higher price.

Connectivity

Like most other Android smartphones, the Galaxy S2 Plus does not feature many hardware buttons. The power button is on the casing's right and a longish volume rocker is on the other side. Both buttons feature an accurate and firm pressure point and are easy to access with only one hand. The familiar home, menu and back buttons are also available. Both latter buttons are implemented as touch keys.

As usual, the smartphone can be synchronized or recharged over the PC via a micro USB port (USB 2.0, MHL standard). The 3.5 millimeter jack for headsets or headphones as well as the integrated card reader is just as standard. The latter supports micro SD cards up to 64 GB and is a very important extra in view of the tight internal storage.

Software

The Galaxy S2 Plus includes the latest Android 4.1.2, code name "Jelly Bean" version ex-factory. Various innovations have been incorporated with Android 4.1. Some improve the performance ("Project Butter") or supplement new features. For example, the user can now look forward to a virtual, intelligent assistant like Apple's Siri. It offers an increasing scope of features starting with weather forecasts up to browsing through emails. However, a permanent Internet connection is imperative for this service dubbed "Google Now".

The features of Samsung's TouchWiz interface, version 5.0, are just as convenient. One feature that we particularly liked was that video could be placed on the screen as a small pop-up while working with other applications; real multitasking barely known from a smartphone to date.

Communication & GPS

First a minor downside. Similar to the Nexus 4, the S2 Plus unfortunately does not feature mobile Turbo LTE technology. Apart from this flaw, the smartphone's connectivity can be called decent. Gross data rates of up to 21.6 Mbit/s in downlink and 5.76 Mbit/s in uplink are possible in UMTS networks with HSPA(+). Owing to quad-band support (GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz; UMTS: 850/900/1900/2100 MHz) and W-CDMA, the user can make calls and browse almost everywhere in the world.

Besides the compulsory Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n and Bluetooth version 3.0 standard, a few versions of the Galaxy S2 Plus offer NFC (near-field communication). Samsung adds a "P" at the end of the model name (i9105P) and offers these devices for virtually the same purchase price. Although this standard is not yet very widespread in Germany, the diversity of application fields, such as micro-payment, key lock, general data sharing over short distances, should not be underestimated for the future.

The smartphone can use both the signals from the American GPS satellites as well as the Russian Glonass system for position finding, which is particularly important for navigation applications. Thus, the likelihood of determining the exact position coordination increases when the reception conditions are poor.

Telephony

The clearly arranged telephone application will not cause problems for new smartphone users and impresses with sophisticated operation. Swiping over contacts from the left to right automatically prompts a call; swiping in the other direction opens the message screen. Calls using enabled "Direct Call" are even easier. The phone is simply held to the ear and the opened contact is automatically called.

Cameras & Multimedia

The rear-facing camera in the S2 Plus has a decent resolution of 8.0 megapixels (3264x2448 pixels) and surpasses the company's own competition, such as the Galaxy S3 Mini (5.0 megapixels). The result is focused pictures featuring balanced colors that can compete with the compared contenders. Of course, an LED flash and video feature, which records in a Full HD resolution, is also included. The autofocus could be a bit faster, but this is insignificant to the overall good impression.

Our verdict about the front-facing camera is more negative, as expected. With 2.0 megapixels (1600x1200 pixels) and accordingly low details, it is mainly thought for video chats. These are however limited to a lower resolution of 720x480 pixels.

Input Devices & Controls

Users who have dealt with other Android devices will quickly be accustomed to using the Galaxy S2 Plus. The touchscreen as the main input can be used precisely and without delays. It is also big enough to accurately hit every letter even on the selected QWERY keyboard. Apart from minor differences, the layout corresponds to the usual Android standard. Nostalgists can also choose a classic mobile phone layout with large number buttons.

Display

The smartphone world has gone pixel crazy. The manufacturers are quickly closing in on 500 dpi, Full HD screens like in the new HTC One. Such high resolutions can naturally not (yet) be expected from a 300 Euro (~$390) device. However, the 800x480 pixels displayed by the Galaxy S2 Plus seem rather outdated nowadays. We would appreciate at least qHD (960x540 pixels) in a 4.3-inch screen. It not only improves the font quality, but also increases the comfort while browsing because more information can be displayed at the same time. At least Samsung does not use the so-called PenTile matrix that works with a reduced sub-pixel count.

The great picture quality on the Super AMOLED Plus screen compensates the user for the somewhat disappointing resolution. OLED screens are traditionally known for brilliant colors and a virtually perfect black reproduction; strengths that the S2 Plus once again confirms. Our gauge even failed to measure a contrast rate simply because no remaining brightness was measurable in black picture components. Pictures, movies and games are rendered accordingly saturated and plastic. The higher the contrast in a scene, the bigger the advantage over a normal IPS screen.

One of the most important qualities of a smartphone is outdoor use. Consequently, it must have sufficient brightness in addition to good image quality. The Galaxy S2 Plus cannot completely convince us with its average brightness of 240 cd/m². Most models on the market easily achieve 400 to 500 cd/m². Since the screen's surface is reflective like all smartphones, direct sunlight should be avoided where possible. The same is true for the Galaxy S3 (Mini) and many other contenders.

IPS screens already offer a largely undistorted content representation even at very acute angles. Nevertheless, the AMOLED screen in our test device clearly excels that and maintains its great contrasts and colors from every thinkable position. Although the equally expensive Nexus 4 is superior in many things, this plus point goes to the S2 Plus.

Performance

The S2 Plus showed up for our benchmark tests with an apparently unmodified 1.2 GHz SoC featuring two processing cores. However, a few differences are noticed when looking closely. After using chips from its own Exynos range (Exynos 4210 in the S2 i9100) and Texas Instruments (TI OMAP 4430 in the S2 i9100G), Samsung now relies on a Broadcom BCM28155.

The new SoC should hardly feature any surprises on the CPU side. The cores are still based on the Cortex A9 architecture (ARMv7 including NEON extension) and can access the 1 GB LPDDR2 memory via two 32-bit channels. However, the manufacturing process has been improved from 45 nm to 40 nm LP, which lets us hope for a lower power consumption and consequently longer battery runtimes.

A big stranger is the graphics card named "VideoCore IV". There were significant performance differences between both former SoCs, which partly attested the Exynos chip to have twice the power of the TI derivative. We will now examine how the Galaxy S2 Plus fares in comparison to midrange contenders, such as Google's Nexus 4 (Snapdragon S4 Pro, Adreno 320, 2 GB RAM)



 Main Features: 4.3 inches super AMOLED Display | Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS | 1GHz Dual Core Processor, 1GB RAM | 8GB internal memory, Expandable | 8.0 MP rear camera, 2.0MP front camera | 3G, WiFi, GPS, USB, GPRS, Bluetooth connectivity | 1650 mAh Battery

Display, Configuration, OS

Samsung Galaxy S II Plus I9105 is a smartphone, featuring with 4.3 inches Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display with 480x800 pixels resolution. It runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system and has been powered with 1GHz Dual Core Cortex-A9 Processor paired up with 1GB RAM.

Camera and Memory

Samsung Galaxy S II Plus I9105 packs an 8.0MP rear camera with Autofocus and LED Flash and also has a 2.0MP front camera for video conferencing. The mobile also houses an 8GB internal storage capacity with an expansion of up to 64GB via Micro SDHC Card.

Connectivity and battery

This new device comes with multiple connectivity options like 3G, GPS, USB, GPRS, Bluetooth etc. It runs on a 1650 mAh Battery.

Samsung Galaxy S2 Plus Reviews

• Direct Call
• Powerful Performance
• Stunning looks
• Good Connectivity
• Great camera

• Average battery

Verdict: Samsung Galaxy S II Plus I9105 is a smart device with a standard display size along with some decent features. Its powerful configuration, its high resolution camera along with great 3G capability are some smart features which are ready to attract buyers. It carries a highly sensitive screen. Its simple and clean looks stylish and also its Nature Inspire UX and sound that brings a comfortable feeling. Its Direct call facility help users to easily make a call just by raising phone to their ears. A nice phone to flaunt.