Samsung Galaxy Nexus vs Samsung Galaxy S II

Introduction:

Let's face it – even after so many months on the market, it's safe to say that the Samsung Galaxy S II is still one of the hottest Android smartphones available. That said, we're now beginning to see that it's actually past its prime, considering some of its aspects like the WVGA screen, for example. On the other hand, the just launched Galaxy Nexus seems to be the perfect candidate to claim the title of being the most desired Android handset. Why? Well, the reasons are many – starting with the incredible HD Super AMOLED screen, and ending with the fantastic Ice Cream Sandwich software. With that in mind, it only makes sense for us to compare the two handsets here and now, and see if the Galaxy S II still has a chance to survive this fight, or rather, the new Nexus is here to smash all competition coming from the once glamorous S II.

Please note that in this comparison, we'll be looking at the international versions of the Galaxy Nexus and the Galaxy S II.

Design:

While both handsets are manufactured by Samsung, they have taken very different paths in terms of their appearance. On one hand we have the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, which is somewhat larger, compared to the S II, which is to be expected with its bigger screen. However, it's interesting to note that there's almost no difference in the width of the devices. The most important difference as far as dimensions go is in the height, as the Nexus is 0.4” higher (almost 1 cm). Finally, examining the thickness of these two phones is an interesting endeavor, as the Nexus is actually thinner in its upper part, and thicker in its lower part. Love it or hate it – such is the case with the Samsung design. Overall though, the Galaxy S II definitely feels like the more compact phone of the two.


Sadly, neither the Galaxy Nexus, nor the Galaxy S II utilize any premium materials in their construction. Both are made from plastic, and have incredibly flimsy back covers. In our opinion, the Nexus has a slight edge here when it comes to build quality, but unfortunately, it's not able to separate itself much.

The screen is one of the very strong points of the new Google phone, and it should come as no surprise that it's able to trump the Galaxy S II with ease in this respect. What makes the Nexus' display so good is its HD (720x1280 pixels) resolution, which allows it to have this spectacular 316 ppi pixel density, while the Galaxy S II simply can't compete with that, due to its significantly lower 218 ppi. In terms of color quality, both are using the Super AMOLED technology, which means you'll enjoy very jolly, saturated colors, as well as deep contrast levels. Of course, the Nexus' screen is a bit bigger at 4.65”, compared to the 4.3” panel of the S II. Currently, the benefit in this isn't very big, since most apps (like games, for example) aren't optimized to hide the on-screen navigational keys and use all of those 4.65 inches, but we guess that with time developers will take advantage of this.

Interface:

Right now, software is the most important differentiating factor for these two handsets. As you know, the Galaxy Nexus is running on the newest Android software – Ice Cream Sandwich – whereas the Galaxy S II is still loaded with Gingerbread. Now, Samsung has promised an official ICS update for the Galaxy S II, but of course, no exact date is given yet, and current expectations gravitate towards an early 2012 timing frame (which doesn't mean much either). For users who can't wait to experience the Ice Cream Sandwich goodness, however, the update for the Galaxy S II can't come soon enough.

This is pretty unfortunate for the S II, because there's a world of difference when you compare ICS and Gingerbread side by side. In terms of visual presentation, pretty much the whole OS has been redesigned in ICS, so that it looks much more appealing and eye-catchy. Of course, the S II is using Samsung's TouchWiz UI on top of Android, but that specific UI has never been much of a looker too, so the Galaxy Nexus easily takes the lead in this department. Not only does the Nexus' software look way better, it's also more streamlined and approachable, which is a big plus.

Messaging:

So, we made it clear that ICS on the Galaxy Nexus is more beautiful and better structured than Gingerbread on the Galaxy S II, but what about the actual functionality of these systems? Make no mistake, the Galaxy Nexus is better in this respect as well. For example, typing on its on-screen QWERTY keyboards is more convenient due to the screen's larger size, and the redesigned layout. The mail applications have also been updated with new features, while even the calendar app has been improved thanks to the addition of pinch-zooming in week view. Googe has touched every single app and menu in Android 4, and the result is a cleaner, and at the same time richer user experience.




Internet:

If you thought that the SGS II delivers an exceptional browsing experience, you should think again, as the browser in the Nexus is faster and smoother in every aspect of its operation. Here, however, we notice an area where the S II actually gains the upper hand – Flash. The same way the S II is to get ICS later, the Galaxy Nexus is currently deprived of the Flash Player plug-in, which is still heavily utilized by the web. Of course, this situation will change (hopefully soon), since Adobe will optimize Flash Player for ICS, but for now, there are places on the web, where only the Galaxy S II can go to.

When it comes to radio connectivity, both are pretty equal, due to their HSPA+ radios with go as high as 21.1 Mbit/s on the downlink and 14.4 Mbit/s on the uplink for the Nexus, and 5.76 for the S II. However, when the Galaxy Nexus hits Verizon, it will do so sporting a speedy LTE radio inside. On the other hand, the Galaxy S II Skyrocket on AT&T has LTE right now, but of course, the carrier's 4G network is still in its infancy.

Camera:

The 5MP camera is considered to be among the Nexus' few weaknesses. In our testing, side by side with the 8MP one of the S II, we actually found that both handsets have almost equal potential to take great photos outdoors.

Color reproduction is an interesting aspect of these snappers, because we actually can't say which handset handles it better. In some images, the Galaxy Nexus manages to produce the more natural looking colors, while in others, it's the Galaxy S II which steps up and takes the lead with better overall color presentation, but the difference usually isn't significant.

When it comes to details, it turns out the handsets perform identically – neither is able to capture more than the other. Exposure is handled almost equally good on both, but here we can safely say that the Nexus wins by a small margin.

As a whole, indoor photo quality is better with the Galaxy S II. It manages to capture more detail, and less noise. In lower-lit conditions, the images coming from the Nexus' sensor are somewhat terrifying, due to nasty color alterations and very weak LED flash. On the other hand, the LED of the Galaxy S II shows its superiority by skillfully illuminating the scene.

Both devices record 1080p video, but we've already said in our Galaxy Nexus review that the handset is incapable of producing decent footage. It just lacks any fine detail and appears very jerky. On top of this, it doesn't live up to today's standards of being perfectly smooth. Performing noticeably better, the Galaxy S II shows that it's still one very competent camcorder, with much clearer details and more stable image overall.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus Sample Video:



Samsung Galaxy S II Sample Video:



Samsung Galaxy Nexus Indoor Sample Video:



Samsung Galaxy S II Indoor Sample Video:

Performance:

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus and Galaxy S II may not the best handsets you can find when it comes to call quality, but are not bad either. The earpieces of both produce similar tones – averagely loud and a bit deeper than usual, which is good. On the other end of the line, your callers will be treated to a slightly more robotic sounding with both phones, but it's still more than tolerable. No big differences here.

However, when it comes to loudspeakers, the Galaxy S II is noticeably better, due to its more powerful output, while we found the one of the Nexus to be quite weak.

Battery life should be a bit better on the Samsung Galaxy S II, according to the official specs provided by the manufacturer, but the reality is that your experience will vary greatly, depending on your usage pattern.

Conclusion:

With a risk of making things sound overly simple, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus is the better phone. And it should be, because it made it to the stores only recently, while the Galaxy S II has been around for the better part of the year.

With technological advantages like a higher-resolution screen, as well as a much better software platform in the form of Android 4.0, the Nexus is currently holding the lead in the Android race.

However, the Galaxy S II is not too far behind. Thanks to its simplistic and lightweight design, along with outstanding system performance, it has managed to fight a lot of rivals during the year and keep its status of being one of the best Android smartphones around. And with an upcoming update to ICS, we expect it to retain this status for a while longer.

Ultimately, if video recording is too important to you, or you don't feel like putting a 4.65” monster in your pocket, you'll be better off staying with the Galaxy S II, until a more suitable candidate appears on the horizon. In every other case, grab the Galaxy Nexus and enjoy the best of Android right now.