[tmelon]

I tried the Galaxy S II for a bit and I loved it. The speed was phenomenal and it completely kills almost every other Android smartphone in every aspect. The only reason I'm not using a GSII now is because iOS is a better fit for my needs than Android is right now.

[anakin1979]

Screen, camera, email and browser are all gauranteed to look better on a bigger all touch device.
Connectivity, battery and gps are all better on later os builds aswell so an operating system update would have helped those areas massively. Compare the 9900 to another qwerty device and see how it fairs is all I'm saying ;-)

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

hey there- it is true that the screen, camera, email and browser look better on a bigger touch device.

however- my winning points given to the GSII (on the points you raised) were:

1. Camera- Yes of course the pictures look better to view on a larger screen, however my winning points were due to the GSII's superior camera mechanism (8.0MP vs 5.0MP, 1080P vs 720P, better quality)

2. E-Mail- Again yes this looks better on a big touch screen, but my winning points for the GSII was for its efficiency and speed to handle push e-mail. E-mails came in quickly. This was actually a surprise for me as I thought the 9900 would be the winner.

3. Browser- Yes, it is true that this will look better on a larger screen. But my winning points for the GSII were for the speed (it was snappier and faster than the 9900 browser) and Flash abilities. Again, hardly anything to do with the screen.

While it is also true that OS updates and future builds might help the 9900, the fact is it's hardware specs are not that on par anymore with the competition. The Galaxy SII will always be faster due to it's dual core processors. The 9900's camera alone is an example. With it's limitations and quality, I'm not sure how it can be better.

[anakin1979]

I tried the Galaxy S II for a bit and I loved it. The speed was phenomenal and it completely kills almost every other Android smartphone in every aspect. The only reason I'm not using a GSII now is because iOS is a better fit for my needs than Android is right now.

Care to elaborate? My carrier also gave me an iPhone4 several months back, and while I also think it's a good device, I still prefer the Galaxy SII.

I haven't done an actual comparison though similar to what I did with SII vs 9900.

:-)

[tmelon]

Care to elaborate? My carrier also gave me an iPhone4 several months back, and while I also think it's a good device, I still prefer the Galaxy SII.

I haven't done an actual comparison though similar to what I did with SII vs 9900.

:-)

Well I use a Mac, so the whole idea of iCloud keeping all of my calendars, pictures, documents, etc. in sync was very appealing to me. Google also has a great syncing system, but other than Gmail, I don't use any of Googles other products.

My second reason was the selection of apps. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the Android Market, but I have previously owned 2 iPod Touches and spent quite a bit of money on good apps for them. I didn't want that money to go to waste.

[anakin1979]

Well I use a Mac, so the whole idea of iCloud keeping all of my calendars, pictures, documents, etc. in sync was very appealing to me. Google also has a great syncing system, but other than Gmail, I don't use any of Googles other products.

My second reason was the selection of apps. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the Android Market, but I have previously owned 2 iPod Touches and spent quite a bit of money on good apps for them. I didn't want that money to go to waste.

Makes sense to hold on to your iPhone :-) I think they are also great devices.

I am also a Mac user by the way, and I agree that iCloud is very useful. On my Galaxy SII, we have similar cloud features through Google :-) I'll explore iCloud more on my iPhone4. :-)

Cheers!

[condemned]

Both are different beasts in their own right. I've actually been pretty impressed with what I saw with OS7 and the 9900. If I were to choose a BB now it would hands down be the 9900.

Between the GS2 and 9900, I think the GS2 gives you more bang for your buck but you can't go wrong with either.

[darkmanx2g]

Thanks for this post.
Can you kindly provide me with an Android users forum address so I can register and waste everyones time over there by refusing to post in a separate forum for a different operating system, ignore a specific thread for people moving to other devices, and start a new thread instead, posting about how superior my 9780 is compared to the Galaxy S2?
Thanks in advance

Why do you even think he wasted anybodys time? He went in detail and compared BOTH devices he owned and one of them is a Blackberry. He had his opinion and supported it with his detailed usage. You on the other hand wasted your own time clicking this thread knowing your getting a comparison reading the title. You just didnt like the outcome.

[dodger_moore]

I bought a Samsung Galaxy S2 in August and had it for two weeks. It was around the time my 9700 was up for upgrade and the 9900 was late getting to O2 (that's my carrier in the UK).

Out of the box, the SG2 was slick and fast, downloading apps like I've never seen before. All my faves were on there - and they were not on the BB app store.

I set up my email accounts, tinkered with some screens and then left my wifi 3g environment and that's where the love affair ended.

No point getting all turned on about the video camera or stills camera, neither are that special. I took some photos and flicking between them was certainly not a joyous or brisk experience; I had to wonder what on earth that dual core processor was doing as my phone lagged on one poxy photo...

Signal, or more specifically, ability to transmit data in the field was poor compared to a BlackBerry. I could not even access the internet sat in my car in the driveway at the back of my house.

Battery life = ****. Sorry.

Email / message notification was cumbersome with that daft pull down screen widget - just give me the facts - HAVE I GOT A MESSAGE OR NOT???

Battery door felt flimsy.

OK, so the screen is nice, but then so is the 9900. Personally I don't miss the SG2 screen next to the 9900.

The 9900 lacks apps for sure that the Korean phone has. This grinds my gears. It has feck all in the way of video or music streaming apps, please prove me wrong I am desperate for both.

Swype vs real keyboard - no way am I going to bash out 1000 word emails on Swype. I mean, it's a nice quirk for the odd text or FB update but never for proper paragraphing and structuring of long, er, stories. Keyboard smashes Swype, especially for composing messages on the move and by this I mean walking around the supermarket or pub and not whilst driving.

Media - BB is perfectly adequate. Plays all your songs and videos, in fact, I reckon the sound on the 9900 is very, very, good indeed, especially through some nice headphones.

- Oh, and streaming music through Youtube on the BB with its data compression smashes the SG2 (which doesn't even get data out the back of my house) so just perfect for those random 'must hear' moments.

Browser - was really looking forward to this in the SG2 but no really biggy over my iPod touch. 9900 is perfectly adequate and handles all the desktop sites I need.

Sooo anyway, this user here (me) ditched the Samsung Galaxy S2 in favour of the 9900 and although the 9900 does loads of stuff that grinds my gears, for me, it is a superior phone, a superior communications device, and whilst not a match for media consumption, I prefer the form factor of it and the feel of it in my hand and would rather read a book or watch a video on its smaller screen for the duration of a short flight. (A long flight will see my with scotch and valium at hand).

Oh yeah and steps from 'standby' to making calls / emails - BB smashes SG2 in that area also.

Just my �0.02 worth, your mileage may vary etc...

[Tre Lawrence]

I love Swype. It is great for one-handed entry... quick data entry, textx, emails, etc.

For longer documents (I am working on a book), Gingerbread Keyboard makes me more productive than I was on my BB with regards to speed of entry and accuracy. I use that in landscape BB-style with my thumbs.

That's the advantage for me... options. I can get my device to mimic features of other platforms that I prefer, and add more to the table. My Android is a communication and business device first, and an entertainment hub second... and it does both very well.

[dodger_moore]

Can't mimic a real keyboard though can it?

Stoked for you that you got the communications part of the SG2 down. I was ready to give it back after week one (I know my original post said one week trial but I had it for two) and revert back to the 9700.

Notifications were just too woolly for me.

I know (or at least am told - never actually achieved this) that you can receive a text and forward it as an email and vice versa on the SG2 but compared with a BB this was just not instinctive.

I felt like I was wasting my time pratting about with this Android device when I had people I needed to communicate with so was delighted to send it back once the 9900 became available.

For me it was definitely not a communications device first. I doubt even Samsung would be so bold as to assert that. Lovely media consumption / twatting about device no doubt. Comms? Nah.

But good luck to you if that's what you like.

[Tre Lawrence]

Can't mimic a real keyboard though can it?

Stoked for you that you got the communications part of the SG2 down. I was ready to give it back after week one (I know my original post said one week trial but I had it for two) and revert back to the 9700.

Notifications were just too woolly for me.

I know (or at least am told - never actually achieved this) that you can receive a text and forward it as an email and vice versa on the SG2 but compared with a BB this was just not instinctive.

I felt like I was wasting my time pratting about with this Android device when I had people I needed to communicate with so was delighted to send it back once the 9900 became available.

For me it was definitely not a communications device first. I doubt even Samsung would be so bold as to assert that. Lovely media consumption / twatting about device no doubt. Comms? Nah.

But good luck to you if that's what you like.

Nah... but that's the thing: I am not trying to get it to mimic the BB keyboard. That is a crutch. If I couldn't use a virtual keyboard, I wouldn't be using the device I have. Virtual keyboards are better for me. Last year, I would have choked just thinking that.

And, I wasn't referring to the SGII, though I would pick it over any BB device out now. For my business needs, BB just isn't suitable in terms of functionality, but I am fairly certain my needs are not necessarily universal.

BTW, wasn't rebutting you. I am big on people getting devices that work for them. I am receptive to the fact that BBs are capable devices for a lot of people. I should know.

[dodger_moore]

No worries Tre, I assumed you had an SG2 since you were replying in this thread, the assumption in error is mine

FWIW, I thought the SG2 was the best Android device out there? Haha, (he said in a genuinely amiable way) that's at least what the tech reviewers and experts tell me. So what one are you using?

Good for you for discerning an Android to fit your communication needs. I'm all about smashing text out on the keyboard and strong antennas and battery life so the BB is the fit for me BUT - if that 9900 form factor (and antenna) (and battery life) (oh and whilst we're here, blinking red light) could appear on an Android, I'd jump ship.

BBOS really ticks me off at times; I could forgive the cumbersome messaging experience (of the Android) if I had that keyboard and blinking red light, and enjoy the other fruits of the Android OS.

[Tre Lawrence]

No worries Tre, I assumed you had an SG2 since you were replying in this thread, the assumption in error is mine

FWIW, I thought the SG2 was the best Android device out there? Haha, (he said in a genuinely amiable way) that's at least what the tech reviewers and experts tell me. So what one are you using?

Good for you for discerning an Android to fit your communication needs. I'm all about smashing text out on the keyboard and strong antennas and battery life so the BB is the fit for me BUT - if that 9900 form factor (and antenna) (and battery life) (oh and whilst we're here, blinking red light) could appear on an Android, I'd jump ship.

BBOS really ticks me off at times; I could forgive the cumbersome messaging experience (of the Android) if I had that keyboard and blinking red light, and enjoy the other fruits of the Android OS.

I have an old EVO 4G. Rooted and all that.

I am not gonna lie: it was hard to change. If you look back a few hundred posts, you'll see me mock virtual keyboards. Swype made it easier to adjust to, and now I am quite adept at it.

Also, I do a lot of social networking, blogging and webpage management, plus I rely HEAVILY on Dropbox and Evernote professionally. Heck, I even need to use my device as a hotspot for the office occasionally.

But I agree with you: the messaging on Android irritated me at first. If all my email was not Google-based, I probably would not have been able to adjust. One reason I picked the EVO was I refuse to live without a BB-like LED feature.

So, in many ways, I admit to tailoring my Android experience to my BB way of doing things.

[chunt69]

hey there- it is true that the screen, camera, email and browser look better on a bigger touch device.

however- my winning points given to the GSII (on the points you raised) were:

1. Camera- Yes of course the pictures look better to view on a larger screen, however my winning points were due to the GSII's superior camera mechanism (8.0MP vs 5.0MP, 1080P vs 720P, better quality)

2. E-Mail- Again yes this looks better on a big touch screen, but my winning points for the GSII was for its efficiency and speed to handle push e-mail. E-mails came in quickly. This was actually a surprise for me as I thought the 9900 would be the winner.

3. Browser- Yes, it is true that this will look better on a larger screen. But my winning points for the GSII were for the speed (it was snappier and faster than the 9900 browser) and Flash abilities. Again, hardly anything to do with the screen.

While it is also true that OS updates and future builds might help the 9900, the fact is it's hardware specs are not that on par anymore with the competition. The Galaxy SII will always be faster due to it's dual core processors. The 9900's camera alone is an example. With it's limitations and quality, I'm not sure how it can be better.

fair enough, for sure the camera will always be better- hardware dictates that.
but browser and email- where camparisons made just on wifi? or just on 3G? becuase i have a few collegues that have hi spec androids (sensation and GSII included) and in our office with lack of 3G or a great signal my bb browser is much more capable and i'm always first to notice or receive an email. The only time the androids seem quicker is with a perfect signal or wi-fi.
This is where i think many of you spec chasers go wrong, the spec on the 9900 is very good(not many higher spec single core phones out there), it will continue to improve as RIM optimises the OS(its a big step hardware wise from the 0s 6 devices).
On the BB platform right now there is no no need for dual core so it would be a waste so i wish people would just get over that aspect.
Android and all its bells/whistles needs the extra core BB does not right now.

[tkwolf]

If only i had enough patience and was good with typing on touch screen, I would have made the switch already. Thing is, i just can't let go of keyboards..not now at least. Good comparison btw.

[taajir]

nice review
my bro has the s2
but my 9930 works perfect for me
i send hundreds of emails n save big time with my fixed monthly plan
also bbm
these 2 clinch the deal for me
but enjoy yours

[CrackedBarry]

If only i had enough patience and was good with typing on touch screen, I would have made the switch already. Thing is, i just can't let go of keyboards..not now at least. Good comparison btw.

Well, there are quite a few highend Android handsets these days that comes with an excellent keyboard... And many people who switch to touchscreen keyboard find that they can type as fast or faster than on a regular keyboard once they get used to it.

Btw: There are a lot of myths and misunderstandings about Blackberries as a whole supposedly having better voice and signal quality than other platforms. That's nonsense... RIM uses the same DSP. chips and radiosets that any handset manufacturer uses. Sometimes their voice and signal performance is better than other phones, sometimes its worse as in the OPs review...

[anakin1979]

If only i had enough patience and was good with typing on touch screen, I would have made the switch already. Thing is, i just can't let go of keyboards..not now at least. Good comparison btw.

This was one of the things that initially held me back from switching. The Bold keyboard was a real pleasure to type on. But after weighing all the pros and cons, I figured the S2/Android is just the better choice overall.

If this helps, it took me a couple of days to adjust to the virtual keybpard. I am now typing very comfortably and fast on the S2. :-)

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[bobauckland]

Why do you even think he wasted anybodys time? He went in detail and compared BOTH devices he owned and one of them is a Blackberry. He had his opinion and supported it with his detailed usage. You on the other hand wasted your own time clicking this thread knowing your getting a comparison reading the title. You just didnt like the outcome.

Erm no, he in no way presented an unbiased opinion which I would have respected.
He instead came here to present the Galaxy S2 in a very biased light, which would be better suited to either the thread dedicated to switchers or the kindly provided Android forum. Additionally in other posts he has mentioned he has owned the Galaxy for less than a week and is trolling all the other forums posting about how Playbooks should be sold for scrap and pushing iPads or the bloody awful Galaxy Tab instead.
Thats suited to a site not directed at BlackBerry fans as it is misleading.
My wife uses a Galaxy S2 at present. My 9780 crushes it for messaging, practicality, dependability, longevity, and pure communications. The implementation of UMA appears to be better. Its also cheaper and goes way farther on a data package.

[anakin1979]

fair enough, for sure the camera will always be better- hardware dictates that.
but browser and email- where camparisons made just on wifi? or just on 3G? becuase i have a few collegues that have hi spec androids (sensation and GSII included) and in our office with lack of 3G or a great signal my bb browser is much more capable and i'm always first to notice or receive an email. The only time the androids seem quicker is with a perfect signal or wi-fi.
This is where i think many of you spec chasers go wrong, the spec on the 9900 is very good(not many higher spec single core phones out there), it will continue to improve as RIM optimises the OS(its a big step hardware wise from the 0s 6 devices).
On the BB platform right now there is no no need for dual core so it would be a waste so i wish people would just get over that aspect.
Android and all its bells/whistles needs the extra core BB does not right now.

I did the push e-mail comparison while I was out at a coffee shop and I was using a 3G connection. The SII handled push e-mail faster.

The browser was quicker, and I didn't see the "checkerbox" lag effect. On the 9900, it showed up several times- it disappeared quickly though, but it was there. And on top of that, the SII handled Flash websites nicely, something the 9900 browser cannot do.

I did not really state in my original comparative review that the specs of the 9900 are not good. They are in fact, good- I'm just not sure how it compares to what else is out there. I agree that going through menus and photos is very fast now compared to the 9780, but there are still some lags in other aspects.

[anakin1979]

Erm no, he in no way presented an unbiased opinion which I would have respected.
He instead came here to present the Galaxy S2 in a very biased light, which would be better suited to either the thread dedicated to switchers or the kindly provided Android forum. Additionally in other posts he has mentioned he has owned the Galaxy for less than a week and is trolling all the other forums posting about how Playbooks should be sold for scrap and pushing iPads or the bloody awful Galaxy Tab instead.
Thats suited to a site not directed at BlackBerry fans as it is misleading.
My wife uses a Galaxy S2 at present. My 9780 crushes it for messaging, practicality, dependability, longevity, and pure communications. The implementation of UMA appears to be better. Its also cheaper and goes way farther on a data package.

Hey there. I re-read my original post and I really did not find biased statements. I was a long time Blackberry devotee but I still did my best to present objective statements. can you tell me which of the points sounded biased? If I agree, I'm willing to edit them.

I apologize if you think the posts I made about the Playbook were troll posts, but I posted those without any hateful statements. I just think that as consumers, we have the right to choose the best devices out there and the Playbook is just not on par at the moment.

I am happy that you find your 9780 dependable, I didn't compare the GSII to the 9780 though. Can you do a similar comparative review on all the points I raised? Camera, Screen, Apps, etc?

Thanks in advance.

[pbfan]

I hope this is an exception.

[anakin1979]

I hope this is an exception.

This is my first Samsung product, and I bought the Galaxy tab a couple of days later.

I can say after two weeks of non stop use- no complaints. All praises.

[ichat]

I always will and am a BB fanboy. I recommended the S2 to my uncle a few months ago. He loves it and the reason I gave it to him was because BB at that time weren't doing stuff which he wanted (no 9900 then!) I love BB but if someone needs something in their device then I will truthfully give a good device which fits their needs

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[NordicNinja]

I think that the time has come... I have supported and defended Blackberry for years but I don't think that I can do it any longer. I am considering switching to an Android device, possibly a Galaxy S2. The thought of abandoning Blackberry really pisses me off though, in part because I paid full price for a 64gb Playbook (plus accessories) and if I will switch it will lose a lot of it's functionality, especially some of the functionality I've been waiting for like the rumoured phone as pb remote. For me, buying the Playbook was a costly mistake. I like many aspects of the Playbook, but it has underperformed and RIM has under delivered on their promises. I can't stomach it any longer. The fact that someone like myself has come to this point makes me think that RIM's days are really numbered. Tell me I'm wrong?