Samsung Galaxy S2 I9100 vs HTC One S: Specs Comparison

Compared to the comparison that we just did for the Galaxy S2 I9100 vs HTC One X, we could say that the toughest competitor of the Samsung Galaxy S2 is the HTC One S.

The specs and features of both phones are very similar. Thus, we have decided to make a comparison between these two Android smartphones. The Samsung Galaxy S2 may not be a newcomer to the mobile market but it is still very capable of competing against today’s hottest gadgets.

Just keep in mind that you the outcome of this comparison may not go according to your personal taste or preference. Still, we would like you know that we will be comparing the Samsung Galaxy S2 I9100 against the HTC One S according to price, availability, form factor, display quality, operating system, performance, camera quality, connectivity, battery, memory and storage. We believe that these are the most important factors to consider when choosing the best handset. If you want to know if the rookie Android mobile device can defeat the old-timer Samsung smartphone, better not lose your focus and read on.

APPEARANCE

In other terms, appearance could refer to a phone’s form factor. We know that this isn’t a beauty pageant but in reality, looks can definitely attract a lot of people. Now, imagine if you have a very classy looking mobile device. You will definitely feel proud of having such kind of smartphone.

And speaking of which, the Samsung Galaxy S2 flaunts its overall body measurement of 125.3 x 66.1 x 8.5 mm while the HTC One S flaunts its overall body measurement of 130.9 x 65 x 7.8 mm. Apparently, the HTC One S is slimmer than the Samsung Galaxy S2 but when you get a grip of both phones, you won’t even be able to tell the difference. However, the slim body of the One S could not deny the fact that it is still heavier than the Galaxy S2. When it comes to weight, the 116g body of the GS2 appears to be lighter than the 119.5g body of the One S.

Design wise, the Samsung smartphone looks a lot like a flattened chocolate bar with curved edges. It may not have the fancy contours and details that you can see from other smartphones but the direct and simple approach of its design can be considered as one of its best assets. On the other hand, the HTC One S showcases its curvy look with a thin bezel that surrounds the edge of its curved black panel.

We can say that in this aspect, both phones are well-designed. It is up to you if you would prefer the simple rectangular design of the Galaxy S2 over the contoured unibody design of the HTC One S.

DISPLAY QUALITY

Apart from the appearance of the smartphone, you will also need to consider the quality of its display and if it can provide a decent full screen resolution. As for both handsets, we can say that the HTC One S gains a slight lead over the Samsung Galaxy S2.

You see, the HTC One S packs a very nice 4.3 inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display with 16M colors that matches its 540 x 960 pixels of full screen resolution. On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy S2 can provide you with a decent 4.3 inch Super AMOLED Plus capacitive touchscreen display with 16M colors. But do not let the ‘Plus’ in the phone’s display tempt you. You have to note that the smartphone can only give you a full screen resolution of 480 x 800 pixels which is quite inferior to the screen of the HTC One S.

OPERATING SYSTEM

It wasn’t too long since the firmware of the Samsung Galaxy S2 was upgraded to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Back then, the phone originally ran on Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread. Now that its firmware has been officially upgraded to Android 4.0 ICS, the phone can finally flaunt its new lock screen and new icons. On top of that, the ICS kernel of the GS2 remains layered with Samsung’s TouchWiz UI v4.0.

If the Samsung Galaxy S2 keeps its TouchWiz, the new HTC One S will be layered with HTC Sense UI that will also be put on top of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Therefore, we can say that both are quite up-to-date. If you like Sense, pick the One S. Likewise, pick the Galaxy S2 if you’re more comfortable with TouchWiz.

PERFORMANCE

The Galaxy S2 can take pride of its 1.2 GHz Dual Core Cortex A9 that runs on Samsung’s very own Exynos 4210 chipset while its contender, the HTC One S, can take pride of its 1.5 GHz Krait Dual Core Qualcomm Snapdragon Processor. No doubt that both are very powerful and responsive smartphones. However, it appears that the architecture that’s being used by Qualcomm is far better than the architecture of the Exynos. Therefore, even if we say that the processor of the Galaxy S2 can be used to multi-task, the responsiveness that it could give would still go behind the HTC One S’s performance.

MEMORY AND STORAGE

The HTC One S may have the lead over the Samsung Galaxy S2 when it comes to performance. However, it can only provide you with 16GB of internal storage that will go alongside with its 1GB RAM. On the other hand, you can have the freedom to choose between the Samsung Galaxy S2’s storage options and whichever you choose; you’ll still get the 32GB of external storage and 1GB of RAM. That’s why you can easily choose between the phone’s 16GB and 32GB storage variants.

CAMERA QUALITY

Both smartphones are equipped with 8 mega pixel rear facing cameras. As a matter of fact, both are also packed with image enhancement tools such as auto focus, geo-tagging and LED Flash. Both can record videos in 1080p HD resolution.

But unlike the HTC One S, the Samsung Galaxy S2 cannot record videos while taking photos. There’s this unique Simultaneous HD video and image recording feature that allows the camera of the HTC One S to do so. In this aspect, we can say that the HTC One S gets the advantage.

Nonetheless, the lucky coin will eventually be flipped as luck would go in favour of the Samsung Galaxy S2. That’s because the HTC One S does not offer a 2 mega pixel front facing camera that can be used for video chats. The GS2, on the other hand, can definitely allow you to call your friends via face-to-face chats as you get to use its 2MP front facing camera.

CONNECTIVITY

When it comes to connectivity, both smartphones can provide you with a range of options. You can connect to the internet via 3G HSDPA or Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n. For quick file transfers, you can definitely rely on Bluetooth and micro USB 2.0. Both have similar features and we can somehow say that in this aspect, you can opt for both.


BATTERY

Both smartphones are packed with 1650 mAh standard batteries. The only difference is that the HTC One S uses a Li-Po battery while the Samsung Galaxy S uses a Li-ion battery. Even so, there’s not much difference between the two. Both will last for at least 8 hours, that’s for heavy use.

PRICING & AVAILABILITY

Despite of the fact that the Samsung Galaxy S2 can no longer be considered as a newcomer in the tech market, its features and specs can still go against today’s latest mobile handsets. Apparently, the unlocked version of the Galaxy S2 can be availed at your nearest Samsung mobile retailer for a price that would range somewhere in between 500 to 700 US Dollars. As for the HTC One S, we’ve heard that it will hit the shelves of T-Mobile this coming April 22nd. The phone will most likely be sold for a price that won’t go any lower than 199 US Dollars. Do expect that you will be required to sign up for a two year contract. As for those who are in Central Europe, the said smartphone will be sold for 499 Euro that’s roughly equivalent to 670 US Dollars.

CONCLUSION

Obviously, this is a close fight. Both handsets are packed with impressive specs. It’s just that you need to keep in mind that the HTC One S gains the advantage over the Samsung Galaxy S2 in terms of display quality, rear camera quality and performance. The latter may beat the former in terms of storage size but that doesn’t seem to be enough. Plus, the Samsung Galaxy S2 will eventually be succeeded by the Samsung Galaxy S3 and it is very likely for it be sold for a cheaper price.

If you are currently looking for a high-end Android smartphone, we suggest that you take the HTC One S or wait for the Samsung Galaxy S3 to be officially released in the market. If you cannot manage to wait for a few more months, the HTC One S is a very decent smartphone that you can get without ripping your precious wallet. But if you currently own a Samsung Galaxy S2 and would want to make a nice upgrade, better not get the HTC One S. Instead, go for the Samsung Galaxy S3 or HTC One X.