Samsung Galaxy S2 Plus - Specifications. Well-forgotten old: Samsung Galaxy S II Plus smartphone review Mobile network is a radio system that allows many mobile devices to exchange data with each other

The Galaxy S II smartphone was released in 2011, far from mobile standards, but still enjoys the attention of users. At the time of release, it was a real flagship: a chic 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus matrix with a decent WVGA resolution, a 2-core processor, a brand new Android 2.3 with a good proprietary shell - beauty!

Is this the return of a legend, improved and modernized? At first glance, you can’t say so: the technical characteristics seem to have not changed, the design is the same, even the dimensions have remained the same down to fractions of a millimeter. Today we will figure out what kind of “beast” this Galaxy S II Plus is, whether it differs in any way from the flagship two years ago and why Samsung released it.

Appearance

Deja vu is the first sensation when you take the Galaxy S II Plus in your hands. The smartphone exactly repeats the design of its eminent ancestor. Nothing has changed significantly at all: the “hump” at the bottom of the rear panel, the location and size of the controls, camera, speakers, microphones, even the notch to pick up the cover - everything remained in place.

The only difference from the Galaxy S II is the back panel. In the updated model, it is glossy and made in the style of the Galaxy S III. In the original device of 2011, we recall that the lid is textured. Rough plastic is much more practical than the glossy Galaxy S II with the prefix "Plus". Fingerprints and any dirt remain on the latter, and all this is clearly visible on a dark surface. "Fingers" are easily erased, but in no time appear again.

When we tested the Galaxy S II, its dimensions were alarming. How: width 66 mm, height 125 mm! Today, against the background of "tablet phones" and other devices with a screen diagonal of more than 4.5 inches, the smartphone looks quite compact. The device fits comfortably in the hand. It does not seem heavy, although, judging by the technical characteristics, the weight of the Plus model is 5 grams more than that of the “progenitor”.

The build of the smartphone is still good. The lid still sits firmly in its place, the buttons are pressed clearly, do not play, they protrude from the case just enough to make it convenient to use them blindly.

Well, Galaxy design S II Plus has not changed, and the material from which the back panel is made has become even worse than the original. Maybe the novelty will surprise you with something else? For example, an improved display, increased performance, or an even more advanced camera?

Display

It's amazing how perceptions change in just a year and a half. Seems like very recently Galaxy screen The S II was one of the best in the smartphone segment, and no one noticed the pixelation. Into the Age of Retina, HD and Full HD Galaxy resolution S II Plus can be called an anachronism. Among the models of the middle and even lower price range 480×800 resolution has become the norm, but you still expect a more modern screen from a new device costing more than $500.

The Super AMOLED Plus matrix will please fans of the "acid" image with bright and saturated colors. Viewing angles are good, deep blacks and "dirty" white colors are present. In general, everything is like in the Galaxy S II.

Camera

At one time, the Galaxy S II boasted one of the best "smartphone" cameras. So far, the pictures taken with this device look decent even when compared with the photos taken with the new flagship models.

Photographed in bright sunlight snow

The Galaxy S II Plus smartphone also received a main 8-megapixel photo module. Most likely, the camera remained the same, that is, not bad. However, in our copy there were clearly defects either with the matrix or with software processing pictures, or both. There is a noticeable pink spot in the center of all the photos, there are problems with white balance and focusing, some shots turned out to be as if they had gone through the muzzle of Instagram.

Functionality

The tested Galaxy S II Plus was running Android 4.0.4, although the device should appear on sale with a more recent Android 4.1. The new current firmware out of the box is a significant advantage over the Galaxy S II, but only if the owners of the second smartphone for some reason do not want to update it to the official Jelly Bean.

The interface and capabilities of the device now resemble or rather. The similarity is in everything, from the lock screen to the gurgling sound accompaniment and ending with some Samsung branded features.

For example, when working with long lists of contacts, email addresses, or messages, you can jump to the top of the list by double-tapping the top of the device. Implemented the ability to zoom in and out of a web page and photo by holding two fingers on the screen and tilting the smartphone. The same principle underlies moving a shortcut to another desktop: the icon itself is held in one place with a finger, and the phone must be moved to the right or left. Another feature is called Shake to Refresh. No, the smartphone's firmware will not be updated by shaking, but the Galaxy S II Plus will be able to find available Bluetooth devices.

The device is also able to track the user's gaze, preventing the screen from turning off. Thanks to the "Direct Call" you can call the subscriber whose contact or message is open on the display without touching the display - just bring the smartphone to your ear.

Some of these features are useful, others are only interesting for a short time for the sake of pampering, others do not always work correctly (like eye tracking, for example).

Performance and battery life

Finally, the first significant hardware difference from its predecessor! The Galaxy S II Plus smartphone is based on the Broadcom BC28155 platform with two Cortex-A9 processing cores operating at a frequency of 1.2 GHz, 1 GB random access memory and Broadcom VideoCore IV graphics. The predecessor was based on the Exynos 4210 chip, the specifications of which do not differ from the Broadcom BC28155.

It is currently difficult to compare the performance of Galaxy S II and Galaxy S II Plus in synthetic benchmarks due to different versions operating systems and benchmarks. It remains to focus on work in conditions close to reality and subjective impressions.

The capacity of the latter is 1650 mAh. Subjectively, the novelty is more "survivable" than its predecessor. This can be explained by a new version of the OS and, possibly, a more energy efficient processor. In video playback mode at maximum brightness and off wireless modules smartphone lasted 5 and a half hours. In most cases, with everyday use, the device will need to be charged every one and a half days.

Information about the make, model, and alternative names of a particular device, if any.

Design

Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Used materials, suggested colors, certificates.

SIM card

The SIM card is used in mobile devices to store data that certifies the authenticity of mobile service subscribers.

Mobile networks

A mobile network is a radio system that allows multiple mobile devices to communicate with each other.

Mobile technologies and data rates

Communication between devices in mobile networks is carried out through technologies that provide different data transfer rates.

Operating system

The operating system is the system software that manages and coordinates the operation of the hardware components in the device.

SoC (System on a Chip)

System on a chip (SoC) includes all the most important hardware components of a mobile device in one chip.

Built-in memory

Each mobile device has a built-in (non-removable) memory with a fixed amount.

Memory cards

Memory cards are used in mobile devices to increase the storage capacity for storing data.

Screen

The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.

Sensors

Different sensors perform different quantitative measurements and convert physical indicators into signals that are recognized by the mobile device.

rear camera

The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on its rear panel and can be combined with one or more additional cameras.

Front-camera

Smartphones have one or more front cameras of various designs - a pop-up camera, a PTZ camera, a cutout or hole in the display, a camera under the display.

Audio

Information about the type of speakers and audio technologies supported by the device.

Radio

The radio of the mobile device is a built-in FM receiver.

Location determination

Information about navigation and location technologies supported by the device.

WiFi

Wi-Fi is a technology that provides wireless communication for short distance data transmission between different devices.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless data transfer between different types of devices over short distances.

USB

USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that allows different electronic devices to communicate.

HDMI

HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is a digital audio/video interface that replaces older analog audio/video standards.

Headphone jack

This is an audio connector, which is also called an audio jack. The most widely used standard in mobile devices is the 3.5mm headphone jack.

Connecting devices

Information about other important connection technologies supported by the device.

Browser

A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.

Audio file formats/codecs

Mobile devices support various audio file formats and codecs that store and encode/decode digital audio data, respectively.

Video file formats/codecs

Mobile devices support various video file formats and codecs, which store and encode/decode digital video data, respectively.

Battery

Mobile device batteries differ from each other in their capacity and technology. They provide the electrical charge they need to function.

Samsung GALAXY S II Plus GT-I9105 is an updated version of the popular flagship samsung galaxy S II. New features have made it possible to improve the quality of the smartphone, and its use is more convenient.
Released in 2011, the Galaxy S II made a splash among mobile device enthusiasts. There was a full-fledged replacement for Android already boring Apple iPhone. Users were amazed by the abundance of new excellent features. These include a new camera capable of capturing truly beautiful pictures and videos, as well as a powerful dual-core processor. Another factor that new smartphone managed to disperse in a couple of months with a circulation of forty million copies, is a nice design of the device.

In 2013, Samsung decided to surprise fans of its products and released an updated version of the famous model, which was called the Samsung Galaxy S II Plus GT-I9105. Smartphone owners with little experience will hardly be able to discern any specific differences in it, but true fans will be surprised at the new model's set of updated features.

Model design

The body shape of the Samsung Galaxy S II Plus GT-I9105 remains the same as that of the flagship of this popular line. The design remained straightforward, simple and incredibly comfortable. It was not diluted with any stylistic decisions, but despite this, it still looks quite impressive. The only thing that has changed is the composition of the materials.


Plus GT-I9105 inherited from the Samsung Galaxy S III "supergloss" coating, literally transforming the look. Also, changes overtook the coloring of the device. Now there are only two colors on the market: blue and white.

The ergonomics of the device has not changed either. The weight remains the same, the layout of the keys is the same. In general, Samsung specialists decided that the rearrangement is unlikely to lead to anything good, because the initial measurements of these indicators for an ordinary Samsung Galaxy S II were carried out for more than one month.

Device interface

This indicator is really worthy of description. New model complete with Nature UX user interface and one of the best Android version– 4.1.2. Jelly beans. In addition, Samsung Galaxy S II Plus GT-I9105 is equipped with such modern applications as direct call(you can make a call by simply holding the phone to your ear) or Smart Stay(prevents the smartphone from turning off the screen while reading books or browsing the Internet). All this allows us to call the updated model truly comfortable.

Memory and processor

From this moment on, the Plus GT-I9105 begins some really serious changes. Samsung decided to abandon the use of the already outdated Exynos chip, and put in its place a good dual-core replacement - Broadcom. This processor is based on ARM Cortex-A9 cores, clocked at 1.2 GHz. A similar change was also made in Galaxy Grand duos. In both cases, you can see that the RAM has risen to one gigabyte, and the main storage is now 8GB. Of course, there is support for microSD cards, but their volume cannot exceed 64GB.

Camera

And here is the camera new Samsung The Galaxy S II Plus GT-I9105 is really good. 8 megapixels allow you to take really high-quality pictures that can be immediately sent to social networks. In addition, thanks to the integrated Android 4.1.2, which has the "zero delay" function, the camera response speed has become really high.

In general, the new updated Galaxy S II model showed its best side. Some experts even dare to call it a new smartphone. If you are accustomed to the comfort of the Samsung Galaxy S II, but want a new experience, then the Plus GT-I9105 model is perfect for you.

As well as some other features and improvements. So let's try to focus on what's good about the device and what kind of performance the Galaxy S II Plus can provide.

The Samsung Galaxy S II Plus retains the same dimensions as the original, including a slim profile of 125.3x66.1x8.5mm. The c version is slightly thicker, but it is only 8.9 mm. But the weight has slightly increased and now it is 121 grams instead of 116 grams for the classic Samsung I9100.

You'll get interesting smartphone, combining the design of the Galaxy S II and the finish of the Galaxy S III. The result of this mixing is surprisingly good.

The front surface of the device is almost entirely occupied by the display, above which there is a speaker, proximity and light sensors, front-camera and the company logo, below it are the control buttons. On one side there is a power / lock button, and on the other - a volume control key and an eyelet for the cord. There is a 3.5mm headphone jack on the top, and a microUSB port on the bottom.

On the back side you can see the camera with LED flash, slots for the speaker and the company logo.

Note that the assembly of the smartphone is done quite well: there are no squeaks during operation and no backlash.

Performance and Software

The Samsung Galaxy S II Plus is based on a dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor with clock frequency 1.2 GHz with Broadcomm Videocore IV GPU graphics (Mali-400MP was used in the original smartphone), 1 GB of RAM. The novelty comes with an operating Android system 4.1.2 Jelly Bean out of the box.

Benchmark Pi showed good results, bypassing the old version of the gadget.

Oddly enough, in the test multi-core processors Linpack showed a very poor result, much worse than the original Galaxy S II smartphone. But this seems to be due to the fact that this one has problems with devices running Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean.

In the Quadrant test, the tested gadget easily outperforms its predecessor, second only to 4-core devices.

GLBenchmark showed that the Broadcomm VideoCore IV HW GPU couldn't beat the Mali-400MP graphics, but came very close.

Finally, the SunSpider and Browsermark 2 tests showed different results. And we expect that after the transition of the Galaxy S II to Android 4.1 Jell Bean, it will be able to catch up with the Galaxy S II Plus in these indicators.

The image is obtained good quality. Despite the adverse weather conditions, the Galaxy S II Plus managed to take a photo with little noise, the colors are rendered naturally.

Also, the smartphone is equipped with a 2-megapixel front camera for video calling.

Battery

Gadget received lithium ion battery capacity of 1650 mAh, which, in our opinion, is very small for a device with a 4.3-inch display. So, one battery charge is enough for 5.5 hours of browsing the Internet or 4 hours of watching videos.

Price

The price of Samsung Galaxy S II Plus in the Russian market is 19,990 rubles.

Note that we expected more significant updates, since the screen was not improved at all.

Samsung Galaxy S II Plus video review:

The general features remained the same, but the filling was finalized, which became more powerful and modern. If at the time of its market launch in 2011, the smartphone was definitely best model in its own way, now it occupies a much more modest position. Now you can't surprise with a 4.3-inch WVGA screen, 4.3-inch resolution, 8-megapixel camera. These characteristics have become the norm for mid-range models, which is aimed at the current Galaxy S II Plus. There is no avoiding internal competition with other models, but this is the company's policy: to offer the widest possible range of smartphones so that everyone can easily choose the option that suits them.

Equipment:

• Smartphone


• Charger


• USB cable


• stereo headset


• Brief instruction

Appearance

The appearance of the smartphone remained unchanged, in fact, we still have the same i9100, which for some reason has lost its pleasant rough matte “back”, instead it has a glossy finish. On the one hand, this makes it look like modern models, but at the same time, the absence of a slippery surface was a pleasant highlight at the time.

The black color of the case was changed to another, now it is a gray-blue shade. The model looks different, it is not difficult to recognize Samsung products. At that time, emphasis was not yet placed on ergonomic contours, instead of smooth body shapes, almost rectangular shapes were offered, which can be seen in the follower of the well-known model.

The assembly is excellent, dense and high-quality fitting of the body parts. The dimensions are the same: 125.3x66.1x8.5 mm, weight 121 g. The weight has slightly increased, but this difference will be very difficult to feel.

If in 2011 the model seemed large and large, now they are used to such sizes, it has become commonplace.

At the top of the front panel is the speaker, front camera, light sensor and proximity.

At the bottom there will be a large and convenient mechanical “Home” button, next to which there are a couple of touch zones on the sides, these buttons have a backlight and vibration feedback.

At the top is a second noise-canceling microphone and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

At the bottom, there is another microphone and a microUSB port for connecting a cable or charger.

On the left is a convenient volume control button.

On the right is the screen lock key.

On the back surface at the bottom you can see a characteristic protrusion, two speaker holes are made in it. At the top is an 8-megapixel camera lens and an LED flash, inscribed in a small insert on the body.

The battery is inside, it closes the memory card slot, and the SIM card is freely available.

Screen

The screen diagonal is 4.27 inches, Super AMOLED Plus-matrix is ​​used. Resolution 480x800 pixels. Once it was a normal thing for flagships, now the requirements have changed, but the positioning of the smartphone has changed, it is no longer a top class.

The capacitive surface responds well to pressing, there is a multi-touch that understands up to 10 simultaneous touches, the surface is protected by glass.

As usual in screens of this type, the colors are very bright, they are not so natural and natural. Moreover, if in the new ones or a function has appeared that allows you to adjust the color rendition, then there is no such thing here, so you have to live with thermonuclear colors. Outdoors, the data on the screen fades on sunny days.

Performance

The smartphone has a Broadcom BC28155 processor with a frequency of 1.2 GHz and two cores, Broadcom VideoCore IV graphics and 1 GB of RAM. There is 8 GB of its own memory, there is a slot for a memory card, the phone works fine with large storage drives: 32 and 64 GB are recognized correctly. The smartphone runs on Android 4.0.4, but you can update it to the newer 4.1.2. After that, the device scores 20-30% more points in benchmarks, the interface works smoother and a little faster. No negative points were noticed, although, if we take special cases, for example, the speed of the gallery, it can be seen that the animation does not work very smoothly. But it's resolved third party software. With native support for DivX and XviD, the smartphone looks promising for those who like to watch videos on the go. Here, without third-party players, quite a lot of file types are played, which distinguishes the phone from its analogues.

Interface

The lock screen displays not only such standard information as time and date. If you drag down the status bar, you can quickly access the notifications that fall into it, without having to unlock the device. There is also a line with shortcuts for quickly disabling various functions.

You can unlock your smartphone in different ways. Swipe across the screen; use phone tilt by tapping the screen; face recognition; points; PIN or password. As seen, standard means you can secure the device securely enough to prevent tampering.

At the bottom, 3 shortcuts are displayed that will help you quickly launch one of the applications. You can select any program from among those installed on your smartphone and install it here. Like other new Samsung smartphones, the lock screen displays news, weather, stock prices, and gesture control is supported.

The user receives 7 desktops, which are used to place widgets, shortcuts, create folders for icons. Extra desktops, if desired, can be removed, organizing the workspace as conveniently as possible. Icons are configured at the bottom of the screen, out of 5 shortcuts, you can change the first 4, and the last one is invariably responsible for accessing the menu. Widgets can be resized by stretching them on the screen.

The smartphone menu consists of 20 icons, which are placed in a matrix of 4x5 characters on several virtual areas. The background is the picture on the main screen. In a smartphone, you can set your wallpaper on the lock screen, while they may differ from the image on the display with desktops. A "simplified" version of the menu with simple widgets is also being created.

Contacts and calls

The general list includes contacts from both the phone memory and the SIM card, as well as data from the account google records or other accounts (Facebook, Google+, ChatON, Skype). A contact is assigned an unlimited number of fields. They include phone numbers different types, e-mail, dates (they automatically fall into the calendar), groups, ringtone, and additional data.

From the phone book, you can quickly call or write an SMS to a person - you just need to swipe left (call) or right (message) on the line with the name of the subscriber. Contacts can be assigned to different groups, which are assigned an individual signal. There is a Favorites tab - those contacts that are used most often are added to it.

The call history is sorted by date. By selecting a subscriber, you can see which calls and how many times were made. The number is dialed using virtual keyboard. When you enter a number, the phone automatically displays contacts stored in the device's memory that match the numbers.

Messages and mail

When sending a message, the phone can display the last used numbers, thereby greatly simplifying the search for the addressee. A message can be sent simultaneously to several subscribers or to a group created in the smartphone's memory. The device combines correspondence with subscribers into dialogues. The smartphone can automatically delete old SMS if there is no desire to store thousands of archives in the device. When typing text, you can cut, copy and paste it.

For typing, the standard Samsung keyboard is used, in which continuous input has appeared, a kind of analogue of Swype. Swype itself is not in the smartphone, but you can install it separately if you like this layout. There are quite a few text settings that make it easier to type, vibration feedback, sound, automatic dots are turned on if you double-click on the spacebar. The language is switched either by a separate button or by a gesture on the "space". There are also voice input text that works very well, you can just dictate phrases without resorting to help on-screen keyboard.

Mail client works with various services, everything is quickly and easily configured. You can work with attachments, you can upload pictures or documents, view them on your smartphone. It will also work and send some data from the phone.

The calendar

The diary is called S Planner. By default, the current month opens, where all important events are highlighted. It is easy to see them, in each cell on the screen there will be a small mark. If you select the desired one, then a list of cases will be displayed in the lower area of ​​the screen. The current date is marked with a blue square. All days of the week with black font except for Sunday, these days get red.

A tab opens on the side with categories: year, month, week, day, agenda, task. It helps to quickly move around the calendar. The smartphone helps to add additional data using Google, Facebook, Exchange to synchronize events. new entry the name, interval, repetition is assigned (single, daily, every weekday, weekly, monthly, yearly). A reminder is set that will work in advance. An additional picture or note is attached.

Gallery

The image is broadcast via DLNA, sent via MMS, email, Bluetooth in social services or file storage. Sets the music and animation for the slide show, as well as the data display speed. When you open an image, it will be displayed in full screen. The image is set as the background wallpaper of the main screen or lockscreen, can be assigned to a contact. The speed of the application is not the highest, it is noticeable by the animation effects.

Music player

The smartphone plays various formats, including MP3, AAC/AAC+/eAAC+, AMR, OGG, AC-3, apt-X, FLAC. So it can play almost everything, including very high-quality recordings without quality loss. There are several categories in the player: all, lists, albums, artists, mood, folders, external devices. Additional groups are added: genres, authors, years or remove unnecessary ones. The speed of music playback is adjusted and the timer is turned on.

Starts repeat mode for one song or the entire album, as well as mixed music playback. The volume is changed by the side key or a separate icon in the menu. There are both ready-made and customizable equalizer profiles.

In terms of sound, the smartphone is on par with such models from the company as Galaxy Ace 2 or Galaxy S Advance.

Radio

The receiver supports RDS, works in background, and, if necessary, switched off by set time(30 minutes, 1 or 2 hours). Stations are in both automatic and manual modes. Favorite stations are placed in the lower field, which can be scrolled to the sides, moving between them. The radio works only with connected headphones, you can record the transfer to your phone and save it.

Video

The smartphone supports DivX, MPEG4, H.264, H.263, VC-1, VP8, WMV7/8, can play almost any video without third-party players. In any case, out of several dozen tested files in AVI and MKV, none of them caused problems with playback. While watching a movie, a scroll bar is displayed on the screen indicating the length of the video. The film can be broadcast to an external device, the image adapts to the boundaries of the display.

Camera

For shooting, an 8-megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash is used. As usual, there is no separate button, so the application is launched through the lock screen or in the menu itself. There is a 2-megapixel front camera.

Settings

Front-camera.

Flash: auto, on, off

Shooting mode: single shot, continuous shooting, smile shot, beautiful face, panorama, caricature, photo sharing.

Subject: portrait, landscape, night, sports, indoors, beach/snow, sunset, dawn, autumn colors, fireworks.

Exposure.

Timer: 2, 5, 10 seconds.

Effects: negative, sepia, black and white.

Resolution: 8M (3264x2448 dots), 5M (3264x1836 dots), 3.2M (2048x1536 dots), 2.4M (2048x1152 dots), 0.9M (1280x720 dots), 0.3M (640x480 dots).

White balance: daylight, cloudy, incandescent, fluorescent.

ISO: auto, 100, 200, 400, 800.

Metering: weighted average, spot, matrix.

Auto contrast.

Grid, stabilization, geotagging.

Sample photos below. The camera is good, works quickly, there are no problems with color reproduction. Detailing is also on the level, but when you zoom in on the pictures, it is noticeable that some of the details turn out to be blurry. But given that over the past 2 years, cameras in phones have stepped forward, and this option still looks quite competitive.