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samsung galaxy s2 worth it?
- Thread starter cairns84
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- samsung galaxy s2
FutureDroid11
Lurker
I have not got it yet, but from what I read the major problems are fast battery drain and overheating issues. These seem to be recurring themes in the threads on this board. With that being said, I will buy a SG2 as soon as it is available in my market. I think those two issues will be taken care of soon.
killabee44
Newbie
Makes me wonder though, that this phone has been out all over the world for some time now and these issues have not been resolved yet?
HMM...
HMM...
melll
Android Enthusiast
Thats because its probably a hardware problem.
Makes me wonder if I should really get it when it comes out...
Or wait, till something with more reliability comes out.
I am thinking, Nexus 3.
Ice Cream mmm plus it will be made for it.
And in the back of my mind, something is telling me, that the SII wont be getting ICE CREAM till 6-12 months after its released on the N3.
Think how long its taken the Galaxy SI to get Gingerbread.... Hmmmm?
killabee44
Newbie
Really, Im not worried about updates since I will be flashing custom roms on mine, but I can see for most people how that would be a concern.
I am worried about hardware issues. Are users in countries where it was first released having the same problems? Why havent they been addressed?
Like you, Im also waiting for ANY news of when the Nexus3 will be released and on which US carrier. That is the one Im most interested in as well.
I am worried about hardware issues. Are users in countries where it was first released having the same problems? Why havent they been addressed?
Like you, Im also waiting for ANY news of when the Nexus3 will be released and on which US carrier. That is the one Im most interested in as well.
greggebhardt
Android Enthusiast
Not all of us "peeps" have had over heating problems. Lots of people on the forum and they would not report that their phone is NOT over heating but only if it did.
We need a poll to see how many have a burnt ear!
We need a poll to see how many have a burnt ear!
The only time mine gets hotter than merely lukewarm is in some games, but not much more than my 2nd gen iPod Touch did in games (ie. pretty hot for both, bot not burningly so).
As for battery use, I feel it's been a bit hard to track how long it lasts on a charge, as my usage varies a lot in length and type from day to day.
On standby the battery drains around 1% per hour, but including active use I've found that I'm typically left with anywhere from 20-50% battery left at the end of the day, so I charge it daily.
As for battery use, I feel it's been a bit hard to track how long it lasts on a charge, as my usage varies a lot in length and type from day to day.
On standby the battery drains around 1% per hour, but including active use I've found that I'm typically left with anywhere from 20-50% battery left at the end of the day, so I charge it daily.
+1. mine gets warm under load, general use is fine...find a small computer with no cooler this slim that doesnt get hot? you have to be realistic here. same as the battery life, it sucks...in both ways.
I started this thread but i dont think alot voted compared to the amount of users reading this forum. (and most probably dont look past the first 2 pages either, so older posts get forgotten and lost) = http://androidforums.com/samsung-galaxy-s2/342381-percentage-faulty-handsets.html
I started this thread but i dont think alot voted compared to the amount of users reading this forum. (and most probably dont look past the first 2 pages either, so older posts get forgotten and lost) = http://androidforums.com/samsung-galaxy-s2/342381-percentage-faulty-handsets.html
Nex_1
Member
So yeah, the Galaxy S II is one of the most expensive phones to ever hit the market. $720, but coming to think about it, it has everything I need and probably will ever need in the future for at least 3 years. But the price is expensive as hell, not to say I can't afford it because I can, but the idea of dropping that amount of money on a mobile phone is just insane for me at least.
Are you happy with the money you used to buy a Galaxy S II ?
And if there's anyway the price will go down after 2 months ?
If it'll do anything I got a Samsung Wave right now and I dislike the OS, Android is allot better
Thanks.
Are you happy with the money you used to buy a Galaxy S II ?
And if there's anyway the price will go down after 2 months ?
If it'll do anything I got a Samsung Wave right now and I dislike the OS, Android is allot better
Thanks.
Screech
Well-Known Member
The open plan one I bought from NetCom came with USB and WiFi tethering out of the box. Setup is done in the settings options of the phone, no 3rd party app as best I can tell.
I've seen many people mention the heat, but for me the only time mine got really hot is when I use it as a lap recorder while racing. The temps that day in the car were close to 100F, the phone was in direct sunlight and I was running an app called aLapRecorder HD, so it had the accelerometers, GPS and camera all working at once to record several data inputs. After each run I would exit the app and remove the phone from the mount to let it cool in the shade some before my next run.
Nex_1
Member
This thread has 10 post which will make it seem complete, NO ONE will enter it again therefore my question will not be answered. That's why I made another thread, I knew the existence of this one. This one was talking in general and asking about the major problems, I was asking about if it's worth the price. Who in the hell merged the two threads together ?
lotus49
Android Expert
It's hard to judge whether it's worth it for someone else but in my case it is.
It's easily the best phone I have used or played with and I haven't had any real problems with the phone itself.
Android is not without it's rough edges compared to iOS but I haven't regretted my purchase.
It's easily the best phone I have used or played with and I haven't had any real problems with the phone itself.
Android is not without it's rough edges compared to iOS but I haven't regretted my purchase.
greggebhardt
Android Enthusiast
How can you expect people to tell you if the phone is worth it
NO ONE can tell you that.
THEN you get a little miffed!
I would say the Mods combined the threads
Nex_1
Member
How can you expect people to tell you if the phone is worth it
NO ONE can tell you that.
THEN you get a little miffed!
I would say the Mods combined the threads
Probably cause i'm scared before buying it lol, I need some self-assurance. I'm a student, i'm not working so this'll be like an investment. So i'll have to question everything before I buy.
I had Xperia X10i and HTC Desire before this, and I have to say it is a big step up from those.
Whether it is worth the money to you is another matter.
If I had to buy the phone in cash, I would most definately not bought it but thats purely because I could not of afforded it, but on contract it is worth it to me.
It does every thing I need it to do, it's a lot faster than the desire, screen is bigger and better, battery life is better, camera is pretty good.
My battery lasts all day with about 30% left, las night before bed, it had 1 day 1 hour on it, live wallpapers running, 40 mins of internet, 30 mins sat nav, 30 mins youtube app, 29 mins calls, and loads of texts as well as checking email every hour, 3 hours 45 display on time, so i'd say thats pretty good.
As for bugs like wifi sharing and os bug, I have neither, although wi fi sharing pops up every now and again, android os usage gets high if I have all my syncing on and dont touch the phone.
Pretty much all the features of sense are in there as far as I can tell, although facebook integration is a little bit pants.
IF you can afford it i'd buy it but if it's going to be a struggle i'd always say wait till it comes down in price.
Whether it is worth the money to you is another matter.
If I had to buy the phone in cash, I would most definately not bought it but thats purely because I could not of afforded it, but on contract it is worth it to me.
It does every thing I need it to do, it's a lot faster than the desire, screen is bigger and better, battery life is better, camera is pretty good.
My battery lasts all day with about 30% left, las night before bed, it had 1 day 1 hour on it, live wallpapers running, 40 mins of internet, 30 mins sat nav, 30 mins youtube app, 29 mins calls, and loads of texts as well as checking email every hour, 3 hours 45 display on time, so i'd say thats pretty good.
As for bugs like wifi sharing and os bug, I have neither, although wi fi sharing pops up every now and again, android os usage gets high if I have all my syncing on and dont touch the phone.
Pretty much all the features of sense are in there as far as I can tell, although facebook integration is a little bit pants.
IF you can afford it i'd buy it but if it's going to be a struggle i'd always say wait till it comes down in price.
D
Deleted User
Guest
OP: Be warned of one very important thing - the GS2 does not support many hours of audio playback like the iPhone does. I did not know this when I bought the phone and it's almost becoming a deal-breaker for me. IPhone supports approximately 40hrs playback, GS2 you'll be lucky to get 4hrs and it will burn a hole in your pocket in the process from the heat it generates! That's 4hrs playback until the battery is completely dead even if you do nothing else.
I'm going to put that 4 hour claim to the test now once I've charged up to 100%.
I'll be using PlayerPro, equalizer off, headphones connected, medium volume, no screen activity after pressing play on a very long playlist (unless I get a call, but I'm not expecting any tonight).
As for heat during playback, similar to my previous post about my experience with heat generation, it's not something I've noticed to any significant degree (ie. more than merely a bit warm) during music playback. But I'll check during the test.
somdave2005
Newbie
40 hours huh? that must be with all signals turned off (airplane mode). Was your 4 hours with the GS2 with data/phone radio on or was it in airplane mode?
That's not how it works, fortunately. People tend to read topics that show activity because the majority of our members are here to share their experiences and offer advice.
I did.
My music playback test has been running for one hour and 15 minutes now. The battery is down to 95%, so if it keeps up at this rate we're looking at around or close to 20 hours of music on a full battery (assuming you otherwise keep your hands off the phone, albeit without turning off things like wifi and GPS or manually closing your usual background applications), rather than the 4 hours suggested by macca__macca.
As for heat, the back of the phone is currently around the same temperature as the blanket it's been lying on, which - on this warm Summer night - is pretty cool.
I'll probably have to put a stop to the test in around 8-9 hours, whether or not it's still playing. I'll post the final battery level by then.
As for heat, the back of the phone is currently around the same temperature as the blanket it's been lying on, which - on this warm Summer night - is pretty cool.
I'll probably have to put a stop to the test in around 8-9 hours, whether or not it's still playing. I'll post the final battery level by then.
Screech
Well-Known Member
Today I was waiting to get my hair cut and was using a stereo bluetooth headset, winamp, browsing the web with Aurora and remote desktop to my home PC (linking Aurora with Firefox). Battery temp was showing about 107F degrees. Not that bad seeing as it was about 84-86 in the waiting area.
lol 4 hrs, my sg2 today playing mp3s for 2 and half hours defiantly only used 12% from a 100% charge, after 2 and half hours it was on 88%
I've stopped my battery test.
After nine hours of uninterrupted music playback with a varied playlist, there was still 55% battery left.
Heat from the phone hasn't been an issue at any of the times I've checked either. Back and front of the phone has felt slightly cool to the touch (somewhat confirmed by the battery temperature which read 29 degrees Celsius when I did the final check), and it's been lying on a thick blanket all the time in a room temperature of around 24 degrees C.
So the final number of hours if I had let it run the full course, may only amount to around half of those supposed 40 hours of music playback claimed by the iPhone (I've never seen anywhere near that on my 2nd gen iPod Touch, and if you happen to turn wifi on on that thing it sucks battery like there's no tomorrow), but certainly vastly better than those 4 hours macca__macca said he's getting on his GS2.
Unless he was just exaggerating greatly for effect - and this being my first smart phone I don't know from experience how good or bad the (realistic) GS2 battery lifetime can be considered - I would say that he definitely ought to ask for repairs or a replacement.
As mentioned in one of my previous posts, I used PlayerPro for this test with equalizer turned off and volume at 50% (right around or slightly higher than my typical listening volume) with headphones plugged in.
GPS and data traffic was turned on as usual, and there will have been some news feed and weather updates over wifi in the background while the music was playing. The screen has only very briefly been turned on a handful of times to check on the battery status.
Overall my impressions of battery lifetime still are as follows.
I plan for a daily charge with moderate to heavy use (with extremely heavy use, as during the first couple of days I had the phone and used it actively for many hours, an extra recharge might be needed).
If the phone is doing nothing but lying on standby - and doing the occasional news and weather update over wifi in the background - I've so far been able to count on right around one hour per 1% battery. So that could be as much as 100 hours on standby, although let's say 72 hours with a more conservative estimate.
After nine hours of uninterrupted music playback with a varied playlist, there was still 55% battery left.
Heat from the phone hasn't been an issue at any of the times I've checked either. Back and front of the phone has felt slightly cool to the touch (somewhat confirmed by the battery temperature which read 29 degrees Celsius when I did the final check), and it's been lying on a thick blanket all the time in a room temperature of around 24 degrees C.
So the final number of hours if I had let it run the full course, may only amount to around half of those supposed 40 hours of music playback claimed by the iPhone (I've never seen anywhere near that on my 2nd gen iPod Touch, and if you happen to turn wifi on on that thing it sucks battery like there's no tomorrow), but certainly vastly better than those 4 hours macca__macca said he's getting on his GS2.
Unless he was just exaggerating greatly for effect - and this being my first smart phone I don't know from experience how good or bad the (realistic) GS2 battery lifetime can be considered - I would say that he definitely ought to ask for repairs or a replacement.
As mentioned in one of my previous posts, I used PlayerPro for this test with equalizer turned off and volume at 50% (right around or slightly higher than my typical listening volume) with headphones plugged in.
GPS and data traffic was turned on as usual, and there will have been some news feed and weather updates over wifi in the background while the music was playing. The screen has only very briefly been turned on a handful of times to check on the battery status.
Overall my impressions of battery lifetime still are as follows.
I plan for a daily charge with moderate to heavy use (with extremely heavy use, as during the first couple of days I had the phone and used it actively for many hours, an extra recharge might be needed).
If the phone is doing nothing but lying on standby - and doing the occasional news and weather update over wifi in the background - I've so far been able to count on right around one hour per 1% battery. So that could be as much as 100 hours on standby, although let's say 72 hours with a more conservative estimate.
Galaxy s2 stuck in flight mode 1 day old will have to take back and wait for replacement