HTC Sensation v Samsung Galaxy S2

Not_a_Newbie

Yolina wrote: »

I've just checked on Amazon... Sim-free razr on preorder, due for release on 11 November £475 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Motorola-RAZR-Free-Smart-Phone/dp/B005PTZT6Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320142060&sr=8-1

A question for the techies out there. I had finally decided on the Samsung, now the Razr had been thrown into the mix. Ignoring the fact that there is a £100 difference, is the Razr much better than the S2?

Yolina

in terms of specs, there is practically no difference - razr has a slightly higher res screen but the one on the S2 is jaw-dropping enough the razr is also slightly bigger overall for the same size screen. Easy side by side comparison:

http://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=3621&idPhone2=4273

Edit: you can safely ignore the bit that says Gingerbread 2.3.3 for the GS2 and 2.3.5 for the Razr - that's obviously at time of release. I think the latest official Samsung rom is 2.3.4 and in any case I'm running a leaked test 2.3.5 rom on my S2 with no issues.

As for real-life use differences, well who knows! Had the S2 since it came out and and it's great, wouldn't be fair to compare with the last Motorola handset I had (my first smartphone, MPX200 back in 2003 or 2004!)

markdavey

Yolina wrote: »

Edit: you can safely ignore the bit that says Gingerbread 2.3.3 for the GS2 and 2.3.5 for the Razr - that's obviously at time of release. I think the latest official Samsung rom is 2.3.4 and in any case I'm running a leaked test 2.3.5 rom on my S2 with no issues.

Indeed, they'll both end up with Android 4 (Ice Cream Sandwich) anyway so the version they are shipped with is academic really.

chrispafc

The HTC Desire is an amazing phone but HTC have badly let the model down by not providing a decent Android 2.3 update. Many experienced users (including myself) have "rooted" the phone and gone to custom ROMs instead. I currently use GingerVillain 2.3 which is a modified version of the standard Android 2.3.7 release with extra goodies for better power management. With GingerVillain, I can get 2 days usage out of my phone with tethering, listening to music and some calls.

It's not illegal to not like the standard HTC Sense ROM...just as it is not illegal to "jailbreak" an Apple Iphone. It's your phone - you paid for it! Use it!

I had a HTC Sense 3.0 ROM running on my Desire last month but it was very sluggish despite all its bells and whistles. Don't waste your money on a new phone unless you absolutely have to replace it.

chrispafc

Oh..and there are people working on getting Android 4.0 for HTC Desire as we speak. Search for "Android 4.0 HTC Desire" in google or youtube and you will find a video of one such project. I am looking forward to loading Android 4.0 in a few months!

markdavey

chrispafc wrote: »

Oh..and there are people working on getting Android 4.0 for HTC Desire as we speak. Search for "Android 4.0 HTC Desire" in google or youtube and you will find a video of one such project. I am looking forward to loading Android 4.0 in a few months!

These ROM's will not be functional enough for daily use until Google release the AOSP code for ICS. They are SDK ports. The SDK contains no device specific drivers which is why SDK ports are really just for the devs to have a play with while they wait for the source code.

Why are we discussing the Desire on this thread anyway? It is not relevant to the OP's original question as he is not looking to purchase another 2 year old device (don't get me wrong, I am not slating the Desire as it is the device I use daily, also on a custom 2.3.7 ROM - Oxygen)

Comparing Sense3 running on your Desire against a new dual core device is completely useless.

shiny76

Not_a_Newbie wrote: »

A question for the techies out there. I had finally decided on the Samsung, now the Razr had been thrown into the mix. Ignoring the fact that there is a £100 difference, is the Razr much better than the S2?

Im looking at a choice between the two phones. Waiting to assess the deals on the Razr but it's the current favourite. Why?

1) It may be a marketing gimmick but the toughened screen and 'kevlar' incorporated back may make it a bit more robust. I have a habit of walking into desks whilst my phone is in my pocket

2) Nostalgia. I loved my Razr v3.

However the comparison someone suggested above has the Galaxy S2 as out-performing the Razr in some areas (battery life - how important). http://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=3621&idPhone2=4273

Yolina

markdavey wrote: »

These ROM's will not be functional enough for daily use until Google release the AOSP code for ICS. They are SDK ports. The SDK contains no device specific drivers which is why SDK ports are really just for the devs to have a play with while they wait for the source code.

I wouldn't touch a SDK port with a bargepole either once the source code is released however, and we get proper roms I'll be happy to flash simply because the devs will be faster than Samsung, though the rumour mill has it that an official Sammy ICS could be available early Q1

Yolina

Both the S2 and the razr have gorilla glass (meaning it's more resistant, not shatter-proof!) As for the battery cover of the S2, time to bring up an old favourite: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErXqnQKs-rA

I really like the shape of the razr though but there's nothing else to make me want to ditch the S2. That's why I advised the OP to see if a shop had the razr to have a play with it in terms of value for money, then the S2 would be the better buy but...

chrispafc

markdavey wrote: »

Why are we discussing the Desire on this thread anyway? It is not relevant to the OP's original question as he is not looking to purchase another 2 year old device (don't get me wrong, I am not slating the Desire as it is the device I use daily, also on a custom 2.3.7 ROM

Comparing Sense3 running on your Desire against a new dual core device is completely useless.

I'm trying to point out that a new dual-core phone is only as good as the software it runs! As the Desire is 2 years old (and still going strong), the warranty has long since expired and one may as well root and load a custom rom. I don't think that Android smartphones have advanced all that much since 2010 to be honest.