pro's & con's of the Galaxy Ace 2?

[GrahamF]

Hi everyone, I have been a very happy owner of the Galaxy Ace (on Froyo 2.2.1) for some time now, but am considering upgrading to the Ace 2. Can't find many reviews on-line so would appreciate any feedback. I know it has better spec & RAM etc.. but does it have any nasty little bugs like the first one? ie/ SOD, wifi etc...? Thank you in advance for your positive/negative comments. Graham :thumb:

 

[fuzzface]

Having owned both, and currently own the Ace 2 and I recommend it.

No bugs so far that I know of, battery life is a bit hit and miss, but better thant the first Ace.

It supports Flash, so more games and content available, definitely an upgrade I think.

 

[iKevvin]

I would definitely recommend the ACE 2!
Runs amazingly
Cons:
-You cannot turn off the camera shutter noise unless you are in silent mode
-You cannot access a mini music player from the home/Lock screen
-A bit cluttered with Samsung apps but that's usual

That's about it all cons I mentioned can be fixed with a simple software update *Hint Hint Samsung* GIVE US ICS!! lol.

 

[GrahamF]

Thanks guys, as you can see from my new Avatar I'm now the proud owner of the Galaxy Ace 2. Looks & feels nice so far, can't wait to put it through its paces, lol. :five:

 

[Pertusaria]

Cons so far, about half a month after purchase:
- Seems not to have a camera zoom function
- Very little built-in storage (less than Samsung Galaxy SII, for example)
- Usual Samsung proprietary USB port
- I'm not thrilled with Samsung Kies software for updates and PC interaction

On the whole, I'm very happy with it. Pros:
- Takes pretty pictures
- Skype works well, sometimes camera seems to go to sleep if you don't move around much
- Has a normal-sized headphone slot and doesn't need special headphones to receive radio
- Fairly easy to use interface
- Nice size for normal / small hands and pockets, although doesn't really work for one-handed texting (for me)
- Audio quality on calls is good, i.e. it works as a phone ;-)

Overall, I'm very happy, although as it's my first smartphone there's a predictable jump in features. The Kies software really grates in comparison to the ease of uploading pictures from my old Nokia, though, and I haven't yet spotted how to make this phone "visible" to Windows Explorer so as not to need the software so frequently.

 

[milesbennetdyson]

@Pertusaria Do you mean you want to connect your phone to your PC to copy files over? If so, this seems to be the way.

Go to Wireless and Network > USB Utilities > COnnect storage to PC. Then it tels you to connect it to your PC. Then click 'Connect USB storage'. After a few seconds loading you will be able to copy files to and from your phone like a normal disk drive. Just make sure you click 'Disconnect storage from PC' on your phone before unplugging.

This is a bit different to my last Samsung phone. Previously I'd just plug my phone in and my phone would ask if I wanted to connect to the PC, which is much easier. Maybe I'm going about it wrong?

 

[richsausage]

- Usual Samsung proprietary USB port

It's not proprietary, it's a Micro USB port, like every other phone out there (apart from iPhone, of course)..

Previously I'd just plug my phone in and my phone would ask if I wanted to connect to the PC, which is much easier. Maybe I'm going about it wrong?

If you install Kies, it installs the necessary MTP drivers so whenever you connect your phone you can access the drives (USB storage & SD Card) on there without needing to do anything. Give it a try. Just connect it to your PC and you should see a device called "GT-I8160" appear under "My Computer", you can open this to drag files to/from your computer without using any special software.

 

[milesbennetdyson]

Ah right, I didn't realise that, thanks. I'd read the MTP method is better because you can still access your SD card on your phone whilst it's connected.

I used Kies to update my last Samsung phone and to be honest, after using it then, I don't think I want to install Kies ever again! Such a crap program. I'll probably stick with this slightly more awkward method although it's nice to now how it works in case I change my mind, thanks.

 

[richsausage]

I used Kies to update my last Samsung phone and to be honest, after using it then, I don't think I want to install Kies ever again! Such a crap program. I'll probably stick with this slightly more awkward method although it's nice to now how it works in case I change my mind, thanks.

I was just thinking about this. I have the MTP drivers on my work laptop without Kies and I can access the USB storage and network card - I believe I just connected the phone to my laptop and Windows Update downloaded the MTP driver for me. Might be worth trying MTP is a lot more convenient.

 

[milesbennetdyson]

Hmm, good idea. Worth a try.