Another place where Samsung's imagination is evident is in the settings shortcuts that sit above the notification bar. Battery life on a smart phone like this one tends to be short, so it's important to be able to turn off features like Wi-Fi and GPS when they're not needed.
The battery life of the Galaxy S2 isn't bad -- check out our battery section to read more on this topic. But even so, we love being able to drag down the notification bar from the top of the screen to tap battery-hungry features on and off quickly. We still see room for improvement here. For example, we'd love to see a screen brightness control too, and it would be handy to be able to open the wireless settings so that we could do things like connect to a new Wi-Fi network.
But, for even more control, there's a settings widget that you can stick on your home screen -- it does all this and more. The notification system on Android phones is so groovy that Apple is essentially reproducing it in the next version of its iOS software, iOS 5.
The Galaxy S2 doesn't do anything special with the notification system, but it's really handy to be able to see your unread email, messages, Android Market updates, and other gubbins all in one place, without suffering a barrage of pop-ups, like on the iPhone. One quirk of notifications is that you only get one chance to hear that you've got a new text message.
That means that, if you're out of the room when the message arrives, you have to actually look at the phone to see that someone's been trying to reach you. This can't be changed, so you may want to try the free Handcent SMS app to adjust this setting, along with tonnes more text-message options.
The S2's notification sounds in general are too quiet for our liking, with a gentle bonging for texts and a far too ignorable chiming for calls. Happily, it's a snip to adjust the ringtone and volume in the sound settings menu. The Galaxy S2 is a huge phone that grabs your eyeballs and shakes them to attention with its monumental screen and wafer-thin case.
It's a miracle of hardware engineering that's only made more stunning by the phone's insane lightness. God knows what alien technology Samsung has harnessed to make the Galaxy S2 so light, but ignoring the latest trend for hefty metal cases has helped. This means that the S2 has a thin piece of plastic protecting its guts, which may put you off if you prefer the solid feel of the iPhone 4, for example.
But the screen on the S2 feels less exposed along the edges than the iPhone 4's, and the fact is that the more flexible plastic case is more likely to survive a short drop than the shatter-tastic iPhone. The S2 sports minimalist buttons along the bottom of the screen -- a squarish home button, and two touch-sensitive buttons for going backwards and opening the menu. Pressing the menu button for a tad longer launches the search option. These two buttons light up for a few moments after you press them, but otherwise they're invisible.
This makes the S2 look stealthy and cool, but it means that you have to memorise where the buttons are. That's not tough once your muscle memory is used to the S2, but it can be disorientating at first. If it bothers you, dig down into the display settings to turn the lights on for longer, or all the time. The volume rocker button on the left-hand side of the phone sticks up enough to use easily, without ruining the S2's sleek lines.
The power button, which doubles as the unlock button, is also on the left, rather than the top, where it has come to rest on many other smart phones. The button is big enough, but we found it awkward to press it and then unlock the phone, by swiping the screen, if we were operating the S2 with one hand.
The Galaxy S2 is one of the most desirable phones running Google's Android operating system. The fact that it's Google-powered means this phone works best if you have a Google account -- in fact, you must sign in with your Google account before you can even use some features, like the Android Market.
If you've got a few different Google accounts -- one for work and one for home, for example -- the phone can support all of them. But we'd suggest picking one main one, and logging into that first. That's the account that will be linked with all the apps you buy, so you can restore them if you need to swap phones or reset your S2 to its factory settings. Having Android on-board means the Galaxy S2 is packed with useful features, from Google Maps to free turn-by-turn navigation software.
Google even gives its email program, Gmail, special treatment, keeping its own app separate from the app that supports other types of email, such as POP and Outlook mail. This separation of email apps can be annoying, but Google says it's necessary because it has to support Gmail's unique features, such as archiving mail instead of deleting it.
It's a valid point, and the bespoke Gmail app is better at reproducing the online experience than other email clients. But, if you're used to being able to see all your accounts in a unified inbox, like on BlackBerry phones , you'll be disappointed. Next page: Samsung Galaxy S2 screen and battery life. The Galaxy S2's screen is its crowning glory.
It's truly epic, nudging into tablet territory, at 4. We still had no trouble packing the S2 into our pocket, though, since the bezel around the screen is narrow and the phone is so thin. We did, however, have nightmares about the phone snapping in two like an After Eight mint when we sat down.
We can vouch for the fact that it's eye-searingly bright in dim environments, and it's possible to use it in very bright sunlight as long as it's turned up to maximum brightness. The brightness of the screen is also its undoing if you like realistic-looking images.
Colours look stunning but they're far too oversaturated. Images and videos generally look brighter and more saturated than they would on a monitor or TV screen. Pixel count stands at x, which equates to pixels per inch. This pales next to the ppi on the iPhone 4S. Compared to an LED screen like the one on the iPhone, the Galaxy S2 seeks to blow your eyeballs away, rather than massage them with a realistic image. Still, we don't think the screen will annoy anyone except those who are obsessed with calibrating the colour temperature of their monitor.
As an added bonus, the S2's display floats spookily close to the top of the glass front of the phone, which lends it an extremely classy veneer. It's something we also appreciated on the oozing-with-class Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc. The viewing angle is very wide, so you'll be able to appreciate every colour and hue even if you're not looking at the screen dead on.
With a smart phone this light and with so much resource-guzzling tech inside, the battery life was a pleasant surprise. We'd wager you'll still want to top this bad boy up every night, but, based on our tests, a full day's use shouldn't be a problem. There's an automatic battery-saving mode that comes in very handy, and it can be customised to kick in at whatever point suits you. This feature is much more extensive than other battery-saving modes we've seen on phones like the HTC Desire HD , and it's a real help on a phone this powerful.
There's also a home-screen widget that keeps its eye on your various apps and warns you when one is consuming more battery power than it should. Watch out when the battery is completely discharged. Our S2 took forever to wake up after we plugged it in when the battery was totally flat. Samsung has overlayed the stock Android interface with its TouchWiz 4. The 4. This translates to brilliant color rendering, enhanced contrast ratios, improved sunlight legibility and smoother video playback.
The Galaxy S2 is powered by a 1. The faster core speeds allows the I to deliver high-speed multitasking , faster web page loading, and a slicker UI experience. There is also a front facing 2 megapixel camera for video calls. Samsung has thrown in plenty of manual controls like ISO adjust, choice of three metering and multiple white balance options.
Design The Samsung Galaxy I sports an ultra-thin 8. The S2 features a unique Hyperskin mesh back panel which gives added grip and prevents the phone from heating up during extended calls. Apart from the usual triad of accelerometer, proximity and light sensors, the Galaxy S2 I features magnetic and gyroscope sensors that detect dynamic hand and arm movement to deliver an enhanced gaming experience. Battery and Storage Despite its slim form factor, Samsung has managed to cram an impressive mAh battery into the Galaxy S2.
The Lithium Ion battery can go unplugged for up to 18 hrs minutes on 2G and up to 8 hrs on 3G networks. The Galaxy S2 features an intuitive Voice Command feature that allows hands-free execution of all major functions like calls, texting, launching apps and music control with the ease of a voice command. The S2 is preloaded with the Readers Hub app which gains you access to over 2 million book titles and 2, magazines in 16 different languages.
The Social Hub integrates various social networks like Facebook, Orkut and Twitter into a single feed. The Galaxy I can organize and synchronise contacts from multiple networks into a single streamlined phone book.
The Galaxy S2 is optimised for secure access to enterprise resources on a Microsoft Exchange server. This allows you to stay up to date with your business email, calendar, contacts and task synchronisation.
Dual-core Application Processor. Rate Product. Guys and Gals Those who have IG - Well I have nothing to say, but you just ended up in the wrong side of the table. I don't want to say anything about this model. The only problem is the battery backup.
It packs an 8-megapixel rear camera, a front-facing 2. Also, considering that the bar is set quite low for tablet cameras, the Galaxy Tab S2 features one of the best sets of cameras. Images shot with the rear camera looked quite sharp and with rich colors, especially in good lighting, and it also did fairly well in darker environments.
However, there was a noticeable amount of grain. You can game for about 5 hours before needing recharging, around 7 hours of video playback, and overall, the battery will make it throughout a full day of light use.
Fully recharging the tablet takes about four hours. The new Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 is an improvement in some sectors over the Tab S and a worthy competitor to Apple tablets, but at the same time, some features were downgraded. Leave this field empty if you're human:. In this review, we will look at the 8-inch variant of Galaxy Tab S2.
Design Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 features a sleek design with nicely rounded corners, flat edges, a matte finish on the back cover, and a metallic frame. About author Arielle Scott I work for WideInfo and I love writing on my blog every day with huge new information to help my readers.
Fashion is my hobby and eating food is my life. Download Snapseed APK. Asphalt 7 Heat is one of the best the best in my opinion racing games for Android, another infaltaables on your Galaxy S2 especially if you like cars and speed. In this game you can drive more than 60 of the best cars in the world manufacturers like Ferrari, Lamborghini, Audi, Aston Martin, among others, in more than 15 tracks in real cities around the world like Hawaii, Paris, London, Miami and Rio de Janeiro.
In addition, we have six different game modes with 15 leagues and more than runs to enjoy simply stunning scenery and graphics. As if this were not enough, the latest updates Gameloft has included the new SSC Tuatara, a new lottery to get the Koenigsegg Agera R, two new cups Lamborghini and SSC Tuatara and events and limited time glasses further improve the game.
Google Maps is one of my favorite Android applications and one of the most use, one of those tools that you can not miss in your device, whatever you have. Google Maps not only DRIA you how to get from place to place by walking, cycling, driving or using public transport, but also provides detailed maps with 3D buildings, GPS navigation voice-directed, traffic information in real time to avoid traffic jams, interior view of some buildings such as airports, hotels, department stores, etc.
Google Maps not only is great for use in day to day, but it is also very useful when we travel to another place that we know as we will get to all the places you want easier and quicker and we will help locating a good place to eat, drink, etc..
MixBooth is one of the funniest Android applications I know. What it does is combine the faces of two people to form a new one. Can you imagine such a combination would be yours with your best friend? Or how would your children to blend with him with your girlfriend? What would mix with your grandmother? Now you can find a good time and laugh combining two sides to form a new and share them via email, MMS, Facebook or Twitter.
Mixbooth Running is very simple: just take pictures with the camera on your Galaxy S2 or select photos from your gallery or the gallery app which are always treated with the face images in the foreground in the order you want and the app will automatically combine to form a new face. It is clear that the results will change if I combine my face eg with my father and then my father with mine not the same my face in your face than vice versa.
MixBooth is a very funny application that can be downloaded for free from Google Play and ensure you good hours of laughter.
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