The iPhone 4S seems destined to become the best-selling smartphone in the coming months. Here we compare the phone to the Samsung Galaxy S2, the most popular phone so far this year, and see how the two models stack up against each other.
Let’s start by taking a look at the screens offered with these two phones. It’s fair to say that both screens are two of the best currently available. The iPhone 4S offers a smaller 3.5-inch screen compared to the 4.3-inch screen offered by the S2. Apple devices use an LED-backlit TFT capacitive touchscreen that incorporates IPS technology to ensure excellent viewing angles can be achieved. With a resolution of 960 x 640 pixels, the screen offers the highest pixels-per-inch rating currently available at 326. From an aesthetic point of view, the screen is highly resistant to fingerprints and smudges thanks to a special coating and this also improves everything that is displayed on the screen you see. The Samsung device uses a Super AMOLED screen that offers vibrant colors and natural dark tones. The 480 x 800 resolution on offer here means this device only offers a PPI rating of 217. Compared to many models, this display would be the best, but with the iPhone 4S it has met its level.
The iPhone 4S comes in three storage sizes, with the largest being 64GB. Despite the lack of an external card slot, this matches the 32GB on offer with the Galaxy S2. The S2 offers the option to add a micro SD card and will accept cards up to 32GB in size. So the consumer would have to spend money to match the massive storage that comes with the 4S. Things are a bit more even in the processor department. Apple’s new phone sports the impressive A5 chipset that includes a 1Ghz dual-core processor. Despite the obvious speed improvement this gives the iPhone, it can’t quite match the full S2 with its 1.2Ghz dual-core chip. It is fair to say that Samsung is the best phone available in this area. In terms of operating systems, the iPhone proves to be a winner thanks to the new iOS5 platform that it uses. The simplicity is as good as ever, but a few nifty touches have been added, like a notification center that pushes this system ahead of the Android platform used in the Galaxy S2.
There is no doubt that until recently the Samsung Galaxy S2 has been the phone of the year. However, with the release of the iPhone 4S, Samsung moves into second place thanks to major improvements to the operating system, a high-quality screen, and the beautiful appearance that Apple devices always sport.
