Galaxy S2 vs Galaxy S2 Skyrocket: One and the Same - Not
The Samsung Galaxy line has been a name that many smartphone makers look up to. Two of the latest smartphones in the Galaxy line right now are the Galaxy S II and the Galaxy S II Skyrocket. Several people say that the only difference between the two is just the LTE connection support in the Skyrocket. Let’s go ahead and find out.
The looks
The size of these two smartphones is very similar. The Skyrocket is just slightly bigger by 0.5 mm than the Galaxy S2 and is also thicker by 0.1 mm. The Skyrocket has more curves at its edges compared to the S2, so it’s actually easier to hold.
The arrangement of the physical buttons is the same on these devices: volume rockers at the right side, power button on the left, Micro USB port for charging and syncing at the bottom, and the 3.5-mm headset jack at the top.
You will notice a tiny difference in the position of the camera flash at the back. On the Galaxy S2, it sits beside the camera. On the Skyrocket, it sits at the bottom of the camera.
The physical button at the bottom of the screen of the Galaxy S2 would be another noticeable difference since the Skyrocket only has the touch-screen ones.
Processor under the hood
Both devices use dual-core processors, which says much about what one can expect of the devices’ processing potentials.Though they differ in processor type and clock speed. On the one hand, the Galaxy S2 uses the Samsung Exynos 4210 running at 1.2 GHz. On the other hand, the Skyrocket uses a Qualcomm Snapdragron processor clocked at 1.5 GHz. Both devices come with 1 GB of RAM each, to support their powerful processors.
To the ordinary person on the street, the processor type and clock speed on these two devices won’t mean much. But, to those who are picky about specs and processing potential, the processor type and clock speed may matter much, even if the clock speed difference is only 0.3 GHz.
Operating system
The Galaxy S2 and the Skyrocket run Android 2.3 Gingerbread. There’s a very small difference though, since the Galaxy S2 uses the earlier Android 2.3.4 while the Skyrocket uses Android 2.3.5. Though, most users don’t seem to mind the slight difference in versions.
These smartphones are also equipped with Samsung’s proprietary Touchwiz UI. This user interface has been known for its good looks and its very fluid animations. It comes with seven home screens which users can easily customize. Gingerbread may be not stay long inside these smartphones, since Samsung is planning an upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich soon.
Display screen
The screen sizes of these devices are bigger than the typical smartphones. These two might not really be pocket-friendly devices. Both devices use the WVGA Super AMOLED Plus touchscreen display. To protect the display screen, Samsung uses tough Gorilla Glass with fingerprint-resistant coating.
As mentioned, screen size differs between the two. The Skyrocket sports a bigger 4.5-inch screen, while the Galaxy S2 has a 4.3-inch screen. This also explains why the Skyrocket is bigger in size.
Camera
Both the Galaxy S2 and Skyrocket sport two digital cameras. The one at the front is a 2-megapixel shooter which enables users to video chat with ease. The back-facing camera is an 8-megapixel shooter paired with a LED flash. The camera at the back doesn’t just capture high resolution pictures but can also record 1080p HD videos.
Storage capacity
Storage is a major concern when it comes to our mobile devices. Samsung made sure that the Galaxy line won’t have any issues with this. The Galaxy S2 has two variants, a 16 GB model and a 32 GB model. The Skyrocket on the other hand has 16 GB of internal storage. Both devices have a microSD card slots, which can support up to 32 GB of additional storage.
Wireless connectivity
These devices are packed with the right communications hardware, after all what’s a smartphone if you can’t communicate. Bluetooth 3.0 makes it possible for these devices to connect accessories like a wireless headset or a wireless keyboard. This also enables file sharing between devices. Wi-Fi enables these smartphones to connect to the Web if network data connection is not available.
One of the major differences between the Galaxy S2 and the Skyrocket is LTE network support. The Galaxy S2 can only support 3G HSDPA connectivity, which is the older and slower standard. The Skyrocket, in contrast, supports 4G LTE connectivity, which translates to a faster data connection.
Battery life
The battery life of a phone is an integral factor performance-wise. The devices being compared have different batteries. The Galaxy S2 runs on a 1,650-mAh Li-ion battery while the Skyrocket has a 1,850-mAh Li-ion one. This clearly indicates that the battery in the Skyrocket has higher capacity; though, this won’t mean that it will last longer than the other. The LTE connectivity may require more juice than the usual.
Samsung Galaxy S II
Pricing
Both smartphones are under the AT&T network. The Galaxy S II is available for US$199.99 with a two-year contract. The Skyrocket, on the other hand, has a price tag of US$249.99 with a two-year contract.
Conclusion
It’s not just LTE connectivity that sets the two devices apart. The battery capacity is another major one besides LTE. The form factor is another thing. The bigger display and size of the Skyrocket may not be appealing to some, but for others, an additional 0.5 mm won’t matter.
As for LTE connectivity, for now this might just be in select areas in the U.S., but this will be the future of data connections. The question is, are you ready to jump to the future?
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