This is the phone which Samsung hoped to be its best. It is not disappointing. The phone is so fast, slim and runs smoothless on the Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS. Other phones like the Motorola Atrix, iPhone 5, LG Optimus 2x and HTC sensation are its closest competitor but it just impresses.
The phone retails at Ksh 60,000 at FoneXpress outlets but might be lower at Safaricom and others when it launches. The phone will be officially launched in Nairobi on Wednesday 7th September.
The Samsung Galaxy SII is very thin measuring 125.3 x 66.1 x 8.5mm meaning that it’s one of the thinnest smartphones on the market now with the likes of iPhone 4and Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc fighting for the title. The phone is very light too weighing just over 100g (116g to be exact). Samsung managed to keep the weight to a bare minimum by shedding lots of the metal finish seen in the likes of Motorola and iPhone.
The next thing to greatly impress on the phone is the 4.3 inches Super AMOLED screen under the toughened Gorilla Glass. LG claimed how Super AMOLED consumes more power but this phone consumes far much less power compared to the Nokia N8 and iPhone 4. The Super AMOLED is flawless clear, vibrant and classy. It is one thing which whenever you look at the phone tells you that your money was well spent.
The Galaxy S2 sits much better on my hand which I think is much because of the slimness. The only key on the front of the phone is the home with the menu editing and back soft keys only visible through illuminating backlight.
The phone has the volume “+” and “-” located on the left-hand side, while the power or lock key is on the opposite flank. This is an improvement on from the Galaxy S’s power button which was much harder leading to accidental drops.
The Galaxy S2 comes with a 8.0 MP camera which has a very powerful LED flash. The Super AMOLED just makes the photos comes out clearer than even the Nokia N8 photos from the 12MP camera. The flash works even better when you try using the “Colour Flashlight” app. The slight bulge on the camera and back does not interfere with the phone lying well on the table.
The battery life is great. The phone was able to hold much longer when I did live tweet of events including in areas like Dandora where I spent whole days just tweeting.
Samsung makes it easier for you to update the android using the OTA or over the air updates. Just go to the “about the phone” setting menu and do an update. You will though need a Samsung account.
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