Samsung Galaxy S II Review (9.5/10)

Let’s just get this out of the way: this phone is about as perfect as it gets for now. There are only a few places things Samsung could have improved on (although I suspect by the time the next round of super phones come out, these issues will all be resolved). Until the next round of super phones comes out, it’s very difficult to see past the sheer awesome that is the Samsung Galaxy S II.
So let’s get the bad stuff out of the way:

• Screen resolution is a generation behind and it’s particularly noticeable due to the relatively huge size of the screen. 480x800 is so last generation. To give some perspective, my previous phone. the Motorola Milestone (which is now at least two generations old) was packing 480x854. This is the foremost failure of the phone – especially since the major selling point of the phone is it’s [gorgeous] screen.
• Lack of dual-LED flash. For most people, this is mostly just a marketing blip, although there is some real-world advantages to having dual-LED flash – again, something my Milestone had.
• Lack of hot-swappable SD cards. Given how fast this sucker boots up and shuts down, this is more of a minor annoyance than anything close to a deal breaker: it would just be nice to have hot-swappable micro-SD that’s all :)
• Nonstandard Android button layout. The SGS2 has eschewed the standard four button Android layout (back, home, alternate, search) in favor of two virtual buttons (alternate, back) and a physical home button. The back button is also on the right hand side, instead of the customary left-side. This is a bit annoying, but something I can get used to given how awesome the rest of the experience is. For some people, the power button on the right hand side is a bit of an annoyance although those coming from previous Samsung phones will find it standard fare
• No LED indicator light. This is something that should have been included as it’s a standard Android feature that lets the user know at a glance if there’s a notification of some sort.
• Some may find the all plastic body to be a downside, but that’s how they keep the weight down! For me, it’s not a big deal.
• Camera doesn’t shoot as fast as on iPhone (even when the same camera settings are used). The iPhone definitely rattles off pictures way faster.
• Personally, I dislike the TouchWiz skin. I find it aggravating: but thankfully the phone is easy enough to mod.

So all in all, none of the flaws are particularly deal-breaking (other than, perhaps the relatively low resolution screen). The good stuff is pretty easy to rattle off:

• Stupid light and thin. Think thin and light and it’s better than that. I don’t crap my pants for thin and light phones (having come from the Motorola way of doing things – big, chunky, industrial and jamming a massive 3600maH battery on my phone haha).
• The phone is retardedly fast. It shuts down and reboots faster than some phones can load text messages or email. This phone is certainly faster than my XOOM in all respects (I think the only exception is that the XOOM renders the 3D view in Google Maps a bit faster)
• The screen is gorgeous. It’s beautiful. It looks photoshopped in real life. I don’t entirely understand the inner workings of AMOLED technology, but this phone can be used in direct sunlight. Like, full-on sunlight. It’s crazy. Another benefit of the screen technology is that black pixels don’t use power (so you can boost battery life with darker/black wallpapers etc.)
• The camera on the phone is pretty good (as far as non-real-cameras go).
• The phone is one of the few that supports NFC. Sure, NFC isn’t really being used anywhere, but it’s nice to have some future tech in a flagship phone.
• Novelties like an FM radio are a nice touch too.
• Samsung has a portal application/service, Kies Air which allows the user to connect wirelessly to their phone. Motorola has a similar tool, Motorola Phone Portal, which is, in my opinion, easier to work with, but the Samsung tool is far more capable.

A quick Google search can reveal many more pros (and some cons probably) for the Samsung Galaxy S II, but those are the ones that stand out to me after a couple of weeks of having this phone. Final verdict: 9.5/10.