Here's why Samsung Galaxy SII scores over iPhone 4S in India

Get Ahead reader Ayan De does a thorough comparison between the two smashing smartphones in response to our reader invite.

Ayan, a postgraduate in nuclear physics, is currently working as a programme manager for IT projects at a Mumbai-based BFSI. He also loves to dabble with new technology and gadgets.

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Build

The 4S is a snooty old Apple after all. No defects at all. The aluminium band adds both the sheen of class as well as the super strength you traditionally associate with iPhones. The almost translucent feel of the plastic makes the iPhone a very desirable tool either in the boardroom or in that poolside party.

The S II is no slouch in this game either. Even though the back cover is a flimsy sheet of plastic, yet you will admire the solid feel in your grip. No creaks whatsoever given its minimal thickness (8.49 mm) compared to the iPhone's (9.3 mm). It is also the lighter of the two -- 116 gm to iPhone's 140 gm.

The large 4.3-inch display also makes it ideal for watching hi-res videos as well as reading e-books. The 3.5-inch display of the 4S is the brighter of the two because of the 640x960 pixel density and sunlight viewing is no issue at all. The scratch resistant front panel of the 4S is an even match to the gorilla glass display of the S II. Round even.

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UI

The Samsung TouchWiz 4.0 is a fantastic app on its own built over the Android platform, but the Apple UI beats it hollow in terms of plain sensitivity and sensibility. Steve Jobs had not only introduced the planet to scrolling, zooming and multi-touch but he still manages to teach a thing or two to his Californian neighbours. RIP. Round to iPhone. KO.

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OS

It is really unfair to compare the two phones based on this feature because both have their own strengths. The iOS5 has been a fresh whiff of air with improvements all around. Still, the much-touted Siri did not impress me at all. The problem, of course, was with my NDTV-inspired modern Indian English accent. Sorry, but Siri will not really understand any accent except the very pronounced Hollywood drawl.

The other improvements, like PC Free and Wi-Fi sync appeals a lot. The improvements on the camera software plus the work done on the Organiser is also relevant.

The 4S will be looking at the sunrise of the Icecream Sandwich (Android 4.0) and Samsung has already promised that the Galaxy users will get a quick upgrade. Round to iPhone.

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Camera

The S II shines with its brilliant camera with a cool video recording at 1080p. The super Amoled screen ensures that the results are breathtaking. With this gadget in your pocket, you will not need a point-and-shoot. The 4S has significantly upgraded its camera as well and the results speak for themselves.

Its CMOS-illuminated sensor also renders the camera into a powerhouse performer. But the front 2 MP camera of the S II is definitely much better than the VGA one on the 4S.

So, video calls on 3G networks is definitely a better experience on the Samsung. Round to S II.

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Hardware

The S II runs on a dual core 1.2 GHz Cortex A-9. The world has never seen a cell phone with so much computing power before and even though the 4S has employed a dual core 1 GHz core, yet the Android is a clear winner in sheer terms of CPU power. Even a standard netbook fails to deliver this performance. Round clearly to the S II.

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Memory

My old grouse against the Apple, and for a long time now. We Indians are clearly not satisfied with the 'as is'. We are always looking for that extra mile. Though logic explains that a standard 16 GB (upgradable to 64 GB) will manage your entire collection of Sachin's tons, yet the very thought of a limit puts me off.

The S II with its initial internal memory of 16 GB (again expandable to 32 Gigs more) gives me that good feel. But just. The RAM of the Android device is also a whopping 1 GB against the 512 MB of the 4S. More RAM means more freedom to run apps in parallel. Round to S II.

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Apps

Here the iPhone is the king. With almost 3 times the number of applications available in the Appstore as compared to the Android Market, the 4S is a long way ahead. Still, the Android world is catching fast and you will not really miss a necessary app on the S II. iPhone ahead in this round.

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Battery life

This feature is almost comparable but since we Indians still believe in religiously charging our phones once every night by the bedside, the S II with its 18-hour talk-time will be a safer bet than the 14-hour of the 4S. My personal experience on an average mixed usage of Wi-fi surfing, regular calls, watching a movie with some gaming thrown in, the Android stands with a stronger posture.

Round to the S II, but only marginally.

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Call quality

Well, aren't we comparing phones after all! Both smartphones do not give any reasons to complain on this point. No death grips on any of the devices. With the abysmal call networks in urban India, both phones manage to live up to the network ads shown on TV. Round shared.

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SAR rates

This is not a point of comparison, rather that of information. We Indians are still not very aware of the impacts of RF radiation on the human body. Nor is this a scientifically proven fact. Still the S II has a very low SAR footprint of 0.34 W/Kg (Head) to the 0.99 W/Kg (Head) of the iPhone.

Price

Now, finally the kitna deti hai point. At Rs 42 K the 4S asks for a serious premium over the S II at Rs 28 K. Sure, Apple never cared about the numbers sold in India, but price is a point to be reckoned with in the sub-continent. Round clearly to the open source S II.

Verdict

Even though the Apple iPhone 4S is an all-beater in its own rights but here in India, the Samsung Galaxy S II still manages to nose ahead. Today the gap is very narrow but the promise of Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0 will surely help the South Korean giant to build on the lead.

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Are you a gadget/gaming wizard/afficianado? Would you like to write on gadgets, gaming, the Internet, software technologies, OSs and the works for us? Send us a sample of your writing to gadgetsandgaming@rediffmail.com with the subject as 'I'm a tech wizard/afficianado' and we will get in touch with you.