iPhone 4S vs. Galaxy S II Spec Shootout

By Killian Bell on October 5, 2011 in Comparisons, iPhone, Samsung

I’ve been using an iOS device since the first iPhone launched in 2007, but after 15 months, I began to grow bored of the iPhone 4. Why? The temptation to own the best Android device on the market right now, the Samsung Galaxy S II, was strong.

That gorgeous Super AMOLED display is the perfect size at 4.3-inches, the processor is super quick, and it’s the thinnest Android device available. In order to secure another big chunk of my wages and tie me into another two-year contract, then, Apple’s fifth-generation iPhone had to compete.

While there was no sign of that rumored redesign, the new iPhone 4S does have some awesome new internals, and that incredibly impressive Siri assistant. But does it do enough? Let’s take a look…

	iPhone 4S	Galaxy S II
Processor	A5 Chip (clock speed not confirmed yet)	Dual-core 1.2GHz
RAM	(RAM not confirmed yet)	1GB
Display Type	Retina	Super AMOLED Plus
Display Specs	960x640 326 ppi 3.5-inch with 800:1 contrast ratio (Gorilla Glass not yet confirmed)	480x800
Storage	16GB, 32GB or 64GB internal	32GB internal, microSD slot allows for up to an additional 32GB
Operating System	iOS 5	Android 2.3
Networks	MTS/HSDPA/HSUPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) CDMA EV-DO Rev. A (800, 1900 MHz)	HSPA+ 21Mbps/ HSUPA 5.76Mbps EDGE/ GPRS Class 12 Quad band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Quad band UMTS 850/900/1900/2100
Rear Camera	8MP with 1080p 30fps video, touch focus and LED flash	8MP auto-focus with 1080p 30fps video and LED flash
Front Camera	VGA, video up to 30fps	2MP
Battery	Internal, Up to 8 hours on 3G, Up to 200 hours on standy	Removable, up to 11 hours talk time, 396 hours on standby (1650 mAh)
Wi-Fi	802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi (802.11n 2.4GHz only)	802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 4.0	Bluetooth 3.0+ HS
Connectivity	Proprietary USB terminal	MicroUSB
Sensors	Three-axis gyro, accelerometer, proximity, ambient light, GPS	Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, proximity, GPS
Height	4.5 inches (115.2 mm)	4.93 inches (125.3 MM)
Width	2.31 inches (58.6 mm)	2.60 inches (66.1 mm)
Depth	0.37 inch (9.3 mm)	0.33 inch (8.49 mm)
Weight	4.9 ounces (140 grams)	4.09 ounces (116 grams)
Colors	Black, White	Black, White
Supported Audio Formats	AAC (8 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), HE-AAC, MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV	MP3, OGG, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, AMR-NB AMR-WB, WMA, WAV, MID, AC3, IMY, FLAC, XMF
Supported Video Formats	H.264 video up to 1080p, 30 frames per second, High Profile level 4.1 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps per channel, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) up to 35 Mbps, 1280 by 720 pixels, 30 frames per second, audio in ulaw, PCM stereo audio in .avi file format	MPEG4, H.264, H.263, WMV, DivX, Xvid, VC-1 Recording & Playback 1080@30fps

It’s pretty clear from the comparison chart that both devices have their advantages. While the processor in the iPhone 4S won’t be clocked at more than 1GHz, Apple’s A5 processor is famously quick in the iPad 2, and it won’t disappoint in the new iPhone. It’ll certainly be just as smooth and seamless as the Galaxy S II.

The biggest difference here, I think, is that front-facing camera. On the Galaxy S II, you get 2-megapixels for snapping pictures of your own face, but on the iPhone 4S, Apple has stuck with that slightly disappointing VGA camera.

My verdict? For a happy Android user, the iPhone 4S isn’t worth converting for. But if you’re already a lover of iOS, Apple’s operating system — coupled with those improvements in the new iPhone — are most certainly enough to keep the desire for a Galaxy S II at bay.

What do you think?