Ten reasons for buying the Samsung Galaxy SII

3 million phones sold in 55 days or 1 phone in every 1.5 seconds ! That too without releasing the device in US market. No one can deny the success of Samsung Galaxy S2. When it will be released in US (several variants depending on carrier), it is going to be a big success. The article lists 10 most possible reasons for the success of Galaxy S2. In short, you can consider it as ’10 reasons for buying the Samsung Galaxy S2′.

Please read 10 reasons for not buying an Apple iPhone 4 also

1. The 4.3″ Super AMOLED Plus is nothing short of amazing!

Super AMOLED Plus technology is the best available technology for mobile displays. The images are sharp, blacks are true black (no backlighting) and colors are eye popping . It can make almost anything look better on the screen. Unlike the previous generation SAMOLED screen equipped in Galaxy S, sAMOLED+ consists of conventional RGB matrix, which makes the display sharper as well – you can even read the smallest of text.

As Samsung is the only manufacturer of Super AMOLED displays, you need to make a choice. If you want to experience the best screen there is no other choice in the market (not forgetting Nokia’s Clear Black AMOLED which is also promising but the current devices with Symbian or Meego platform doesn’t have a bright future as Nokia officially embraced WP7). Also, the 15:9 aspect ratio of the device is more suitable for playing HD content than the 3:2 aspect ratio of iPhones.

2. Processing power, RAM, Storage and other bells and whistles

Galaxy S2 is equipped with Samsung’s own Exynos processor (previously know as Orion) which is a dual core processor based System on Chip (SoC) with with a clock speed of 1.2 GHz. It is backed by a Mali 400 GPU and 1 GB of RAM. This is almost equal to the processing power of a desktop machine. The result is, you can play even full HD videos smoothly. There is no other device at present which allows full HD video playback even inside Adobe Flash player.

The only device that can match the specs of Galaxy S2 at least in paper is the HTC Sensation. But in most benchmarks Galaxy S2 wins hands down (There are some devices with 1.5 GHz dual core is expected. But it won’t be released before the 4th quarter)

The phone is equipped with 16/32 GB of internal storage (though the 32 GB version is yet to be released) and comes with a micro SD slot to extend the storage up to a whopping 64 GB (32 GB + 32 GB).

In addition to a GPS receiver, proximity sensor and accelerometer it also includes a gyroscope for optimal motion tracking.

3. Excellent Connectivity

Samsung Galaxy S2 comes with amazing connectivity options. It does support 3G data speeds up to 21 Mbps (HSPA + networks), Bluetooth 3.0+HS transfer, Wifi Direct, Allshare (DLNA) and HDMI through MHL.

Unlike Apple iOS, where you can’t even transfer the pictures taken with the camera through bluetooth, there is no restriction here. You can transfer files through highspeed Bluetooh (it is the only device at present that supports true 3.0+HS standard), or Wifi Direct. Using Allshare, you will be able to stream multimedia content wirelessly to any device that supports DLNA (you can use XBMC media center software in your computer as well). Kies Air enables you to manage the phone content wirelessly without any software or driver. It also supports Usb on-the-go so that you can connect other USB storage devices directly to the phone.

4. Excellent Camera

The 8MP camera sensor can capture full HD videos (1920 x 1080px) and good quality images. It may not be the best camera (Nokia N8′s 12MP camera is still the best camera equipped in a mobile), but definitely one of the better mobile cameras. Samsung also listened to the users’ feedback and added an LED flash (at least it can be used as an emergency torch light).

5. Responsive UI

Samsung finally made the TouchWiz UI right. It was a bit buggy on the Galaxy S, but the new TouhWiz 4.0 is stable and usable. Because of the extensive processing power, the UI feels very responsive and fluid. My Galaxy S2 didn’t hang even once since I bought it (more than 1 month) while my friend’s Galaxy S is hanging frequently.

6. Form factor

You’ve to hold it to understand how thin and light is the phone. It is comfortable to hold and doesn’t create a bulge in your pocket. Also, the matte finish of the back is a welcome change. Yes, the body is plastic but it does not feel cheap and using of metal would have made the phone a lot heavier.

7. Android OS

In a recent survey conducted in US, most people voted Android as the most sought after mobile OS. The Android Marketplace is growing at a great pace and at this speed, it will catch up with Apple Appstore very soon. Also the architecture of the OS allows for maximum customization. With the next Android version (2.4 -Ice cream Sandwich), the OS will be more functional and will feature more fluid interface. Also, unlike Apples’s Appstore, the Android Market is more open to developers and there are lot of quality applications available for free.

8. Value for money pricing

Unlike Apple, Samsung produces amazing technology at affordable price. At around 29K Rs (650USD) this phone is a steal. You need to consider, the more than one year old, single core Apple iPhone 4 costs significantly more ( retails for 33 K + in India) (You might want to read my other article, 10 reasons for not buying an Apple iPhone 4)

9. Frequent firmware updates

Contrary to what people says in some forums, Samsung always provided firmware updates at regular intervals for their high end Galaxy series. Be it Galaxy S or Galaxy S2, be confident that you will get the latest Android build before most of the other manufacturers (HTC, Motorola, Sony Ericsson etc).

If you’re in US, the firmware may be delayed because of the carrier customization. In markets like India, where phones are sold unlocked by default, there is no issue and you can be confident that you will get the latest updates. There is already a leaked firmware based on the latest Android Gingerbread 2.3.4 which enables video support in Google Talk and significantly improves the battery life. It will be official soon.

10. Universal availability

Unlike iPhone (Apple released iPhone 4 in India just recently), Samsung Galaxy S2 is available in almost all countries where the phone can be sold factory unlocked.

At least in US, where the phones are locked to a carrier, just like the previous generation Galaxy S, Galaxy S2 will have several variants. So, regardless of carrier, you will be able to pick your Galaxy S2 variant. Unlike iPhone which is only available through AT & T and Verizon, you will be able to experience Galaxy S2 without changing your service provider.

If you’ve already bought the device, you can be proud that you own the most powerful mobile phone ever released and it will continue for at least 2 – 3 months that way. Apple iPhone 5 is around the corner, but don’t think it will cross the clock speed of 1 GHz (it may be the same Apple A5 SoC that is used in iPad 2). Also, there are some rumors about 1.5 GHz dual core phones from Sony Ericsson, but don’t expect them before 4^th quarter.

Related posts:

1. 10 reasons for not buying an Apple iPhone 4
2. Proud Owner of a Samsung Omnia I8910 HD
3. Why am I excited so much about the Galaxy S II?
4. Galaxy S II – The dream come true!
5. Galaxy S is available in FlipKart?