Samsung Galaxy S II vs iPhone 4

Out in the market for a high-end smartphone? We believe Samsung Galaxy S2 and Apple iPhone 4 must be on your radar. Both have a fan following bordering on cult, both are products of some cutting-edge technology and both are priced above Rs 30,000. But the similarities end here.

At TOI, we don’t believe iPhone 4 - now almost a year old - is a competitor to Galaxy S2, a device that packs all the latest technology. The natural competitor to Galaxy S2 - iPhone 5 or iPhone 4S - from Apple is still a few months away.

Yet, given their similar price points, we put S2 and iPhone 4 in a showdown to find which one is the right buy at the movement.


Galaxy S2 feels cheap and iPhone 4 stylish. Both feel fragile. Though, in reality, the plastic on S2 is likely to deal better with falls and bumps due to its flexibility. iPhone 4 is all glass and doesn’t take very well to falls.

In terms of usage, iPhone 4 fits well in hand and is comfortable to use. S2 may feel too big for people with smaller palms.


Galaxy S2 runs on Android, customized with TouchWiz 4.0. The iPhone 4 uses iOS 4.3. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. While it’s difficult to cover the Android vs iOS debate in a few lines, here is a summary: iOS is very simple to use. It is simple, effective and efficient. There are no hidden options, few ‘long press’ options and mostly you get what you see.

But this same simplicity may not appeal to everyone. Android, in comparison, is highly customizable. And it's not as complex as many would like you to believe. Most of the settings are easy to access, and if you are familiar with computers, you will not have much trouble. For power users, Android opens up a host of opportunities that can make a smartphone truly a ‘magical experience’.

The performance, especially the speed of navigating between apps and scrolling through web pages is great on both iPhone 4 and Galaxy S2. Earlier, Android had issues with browsing performance. They are not there anymore. As a bonus you also get Flash content on Android. The iOS doesn’t allow any Flash content.
S2 sports an 8MP primary camera. iPhone 4 has a 5MP camera. In still photography, the S2 camera slightly edges out the one in iPhone 4. In video capture, there is no comparison as S2 can record some decent quality full HD videos while iPhone 4 can only manage 720P recording.
This one is easy. Galaxy S2 is hands down the best smartphone when it comes to playing videos. On iPhone 4, you can play only 720P videos. This too depends on the kind of codec used and quality of encoding. The S2, on the other hand, can handle all popular video formats and codecs in 1080P.


Ecosystem and apps
Apple claims that it has better ecosystem (read number of apps and their quality) than its competitors. And we agree. On iPhone 4, you will have access to better quality of apps. 

On Android, even though all popular apps are available, there could be a time when you do not find the app you want. Also, many apps - especially games - on Android may lack quality and optimization similar to what is found on the iOS side.








Worth the money
As far as I see it, Galaxy S2 is rightly priced (Rs 32,890 MRP) and iPhone 4 (Rs 34,500) overpriced for what the devices do. As I said earlier, it will be iPhone 5 that will be the natural competitor to S2. iPhone 4 is too old now. Galaxy S2 is simply a better device.

Of course, if you prefer Apple (as many do, supposedly because of better brand image, better aftersales service and the ‘premium’ tag attached to it), all this doesn’t matter. Still, my two cents: wait for iPhone 5. Once it arrives, go for it. Through a friend or relative who lives abroad. Or, maybe, by some other means. Or, maybe, it will come to India within weeks of its global launch. But iPhone 4 is too costly for what it does.