You may have heard of the following four devices or you may even notice a familiar looking chassis in the above image. Either way, these are the top dual-core Android smartphones that are going to hit carriers on our shores in the near future (the Sensation still up in the air, for now):
Each have their pros and cons, however in the end it’s all up to personal choice. What we’ve done here though, is create a little comparison table comparing some of the more important specs of each device. Hit the break to check it out and troll other device owners about your devices specs if you own any of the aforementioned phones. We’ve put in green what we think is best, and to help stir the pot in the comments.
| Galaxy S II | Sensation | Optimus 3D | Atrix | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | Samsung Exynos 4210 @ 1.2GHz | Qualcomm MSM 8260 @ 1.2GHz | TI OMAP 4430 @ 1GHz | NVIDIA Tegra 2 @ 1GHz |
| GPU | Mali-400MP | Adreno 220 | PowerVR SGX540 | ULP GeForce |
| Display | 4.29″ Super AMOLED + (800×480) | 4.3″ Super LCD (960×540) | 4.3″ 3D TFT (800×480) | 4″ TFT (960×540) |
| Camera | 8MP – LED – 1080p @ 30fps | 8MP – 2xLED – 1080p @ 30fps | 2x5MP – LED – 1080p @ 24fps (2D) – 720p @ 30fps (3D) | 5MP – LED – 720p @ 30fps |
| RAM | 1,024MB | 768MB | 512MB | 1,024MB |
| HSPA Bands | 850/900/1900/2100 – 21Mbit | (850/900)/2100 – 14.4Mbit | 900/1900/2100 – 14.4Mbit | 850/900/1900/2100 – 14.4Mbit |
| Internal Memory | 16GB | 1GB | 8GB | 16GB |
| Battery | 1650mAh | 1520mAh | 1500mAh | 1930mAh |
| Dimensions | 125.3 x 66.1 x 8.5 mm | 126.1 x 65.4 x 11.3 mm | 128.8 x 68 x 11.9 mm | 117.8 x 63.5 x 11 mm | Weight | 116g | 148g | 168g | 135g |
| Android ver. | 2.3.3 | 2.3.3 | 2.2 | 2.2 |
| Gyroscope | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Carrier | Telstra, Optus & Voda | N/A | Coming to Optus | Telstra |
| Outright | $849 | $849 | $729 | $679 |
| Review | Review |
I am getting the Sensation tomorrow, so I really can’t wait to put it head to head with my Galaxy S II. Specs are one thing, but actual everyday performance is another major factor when purchasing a device.
Edit: I’ll actually have on hand 3 of the 4 devices mentioned above, tomorrow. This will be fun!
Great review. Having had the chance to play with the SII and the Atrix, I went with the Atrix for one non-technical reason only — the SII was just too uncomfortable to hold in one hand and the Atrix was a better “fit”. So maybe I have small hands or something but the 4.3″ displays just seemed too big for a phone, I felt like I was holding a small tablet. I’m quite happy with it, RAM and CPU are both up to spec, and the hot spot feature is incredibly useful.
HTC Sensation is not Next G compatible :/
EDIT: Was gonna get a SGSII anyways 😛
HTC Sensation is not Next G compatible :/
EDIT: Was gonna get a SGSII anyways 😛
850 NAM is.
the HTC is Tested for Next G and is fully compatible with the network …
Overall performance is better on the SGSII as seen on a comparison. The extra RAM on the SGSII really shines during multitasking. Browser performance was more buttery smooth on the SGSII too. Screen is also much better (save the resolution) as the Sensation has terrible viewing angles. Sensation is apparently feels nicer in hand and is generally better built. Camera is better on SGSII especially the 1080p video capture.
And there’s my two cents. . .
I’m really curious just how much difference the dual-core CPUs make in everyday use. Not benchmarks — they’re obviously going to get higher scores there — but do they make the UX smoother?
For example, if you’re not going to use your handset for gaming, are you losing anything by picking up (say) an Arc rather than an SGSII?
My last phone was an iphone 3gs and after having mine for a week am finding it silky smooth, no stuttering or lag and the joy of just dropping a file onto the phone without having to go through itunes is worth its weight in gold.
As for the screen, just brilliant!
I put my SGSII alongside a friends Arc today. Loaded up the desktop engadget page and scrolled up and down while they were loading. The SGSII was noticably smoother. The Arc was still quite good for a single core phone though. The SGSII can smoothly and responsively zoom in and out of a flash video embedded on a complicated website without breaking a sweat. That’s power folks. My quad core desktop with dedicated graphics card doesn’t do it that well. The Arc’s screen is actually brighter and possibly sharper than the SGSII, however blacks, contrast, viewing angles and motion all… Read more »
Bloody hell 60+ comments. Gee I wonder if there is a bit of interest in this 🙂
This has been a really successful post for us… and it’s a good bit of value we (Ausdroid) can add to the community – we get access to a _lot_ of these devices, so we can do these kind of comparisons… especially as it’s the kind of exercise we expect consumers are going through – comparing the relative merits of four very powerful phones.
I’d like it if this sort of page became a permanent fixture. Not necessarily as a feature post (i.e. “Monday Night Showdown”) but instead as a resource page that can be referred to in the future. Perhaps for each month’s releases (or the quarter’s major releases) there could be a table with the comparisons of that month’s phones. Going on a month by month basis would be helpful for anybody getting ready to renew their plan. A dynamic table that lets you compare different phones at will is pretty neat (and would definitely be useful in other avenues such as… Read more »
When will the sensation be out in aus!!!!!!!!!!!
Each of them brings a lot of unique features to the table.
I don’t have any numbers on the Exynos yet but the OMAP4 vs MSM8260 is interesting: The Cortex-A9 architecture used in the OMAP4 (& Exynos) is more efficient than QCT’s Scorpion design. OMAP4430 = 1GHz x 2 x 2.5 DMIPS/Mhz = 5000 DMIPS MSM8260 = 1.2GHz x 2 x 2.2 DMIPS/Mhz = 5280 DMIPS (Sure more but wait until the memory bandwidth comes into it) OMAP4430 = 136Mtri/s & 2450Mpix/s MSM8260 = 88Mtri/s & 532Mpix/s The LPDDR2 RAM in O3D runs at 400MHz and is simultaneous 2 channel. The Sensation is single channel @ 266MHz. OMAP4 = 400MHz x 2 (DDR)… Read more »
I don’t have any numbers on the Exynos yet but the OMAP4 vs MSM8260 is interesting: The Cortex-A9 architecture used in the OMAP4 (& Exynos) is more efficient than QCT’s Scorpion design. OMAP4430 = 1GHz x 2 x 2.5 DMIPS/Mhz = 5000 DMIPS MSM8260 = 1.2GHz x 2 x 2.2 DMIPS/Mhz = 5280 DMIPS (Sure more but wait until the memory bandwidth comes into it) OMAP4430 = 136Mtri/s & 2450Mpix/s MSM8260 = 88Mtri/s & 532Mpix/s The LPDDR2 RAM in O3D runs at 400MHz and is simultaneous 2 channel. The Sensation is single channel @ 266MHz. OMAP4 = 400MHz x 2 (DDR)… Read more »
On the cameras: simply looking at the specs isn’t enough. You can have all the megapixels and flashes you like, but if the optics are shoddy then it’s still going to take lousy pictures. HTC’s record with cameras isn’t great, so until the Sensation has been out for a while and the camera has been properly tested I’d be pretty cautious about it. And what’s with the lack of a hardware shutter key on Android phones? Hardly any devices have one, but it’s the #1 most annoying lack as far as I’m concerned. It’s not enough to make me spend… Read more »
too commonly people think “more megapickles [sic] = more gooder pictures” and so the manufacturers capitalise on that
Of course anyone who’s remotely serious about this will be carting a dSLR everywhere with them, but it’d be nice to have a phone with something vaguely-okay just for the convenience factor. The Desire is a really nice phone in a lot of ways, but my gods does it take lousy pictures!
IMO, SGX540 @ 300MHz on Optimus3D is faster and more complete than Mali-400MP on SGS2.
Great story! But IMO Tegra 2 is the way to go although in saying that the SGSII is pretty irresistable! Disappointing LG didn’t stick with the Tegra 2 with the 3D!
well if you wait a short while, sgs ii will probably be released in aus as the nfc-bearing, tegra 2 powered variant – albeit with a super lcdÂ
Yes I wondered what stock we were going to be getting in Oz!Â
I would much rather the Tegra 2 device and Super LCD wouldn’t worry me one little bit!!Â
Tegra 2 is a bit overrated imo. With the right opengl wrapper (thanks Chainfire!), quite a few current market handsets (ie. Galaxy S “1”, DHD, etc) run (quite a few) Tegra-exclusive games without even breaking sweat.
That just tells me nvidia is just hyping their stuff up as usual.
Tegra 2 is not over-rated! I think we will see a lot of major development on T2 devices, just wait.
FYI, it’s only $779 at telechoice 🙂 not sure about the warranty or if that includes delivery though. 🙂
the GSII is also $799 at Allphones.
This is where I bought mine from – $779 outright.
Forgot to mention that plan is 12-month plan and with Vodafone.
you would probably find that you would get the cheaper handset repayment if you were going onto a 24 month contract, but with a 12 month, there’s less time for the carrier to make up their losses on the handset.
Definitely Galaxy S2 for me. Tried to get it on $49 cap plan + 30 repayment/month. Some people said they’re offered $5-$10 (loyaly) discount for monthly handset repayment, makes it even cheaper. However, when I mentioned that to the sales man over the phone, he said he can’t do it. He needs proof.
So, if anyone of you had that offer, could you please let me know how to get it?
Thanks a lot.
The HTC Sensation is having Death Grip issues…
http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_sensation_suffers_from_death_grip_iphone_4_caught_snickering-news-2742.php
Sad… cause I quite like HTC phones.
I’ll be sure to test that out today 🙂
Just brought the Samsung Galaxy S II and getting Quadrant scores of 5300 – 5900 (not clocked). Please post the Sensation scores so I can decide to keep the SGS2 or get the Sensation as I want the new Sense 3.0. Thank you.
Bought my Galaxy S 11 from Clove and loving it, I just cann’t stop showing it off, as said once you have seen one in real life the screen just blows you away. I find mine really smooth to use, with no hesitations or lockups. The best things about buying it overseas is that there is no bloatware:)
That’s what I like to hear!!
afraid to say that i don’t have any covers or screen protection yet, they should arrive from overseas in the next few days
afraid to say that i don’t have any covers or screen protection yet, they should arrive from overseas in the next few days
can i ask what kind of case you have on it, if you have one at all? i was playing with a dummy GSII today at an optus store, and it feels to me like it needs something almost like the iphone bumper around it as a case.
That’s a huge difference, like over 1000+, better than every other site has reported, does it have a custom ROM to get scores like that?
Yeah that just sounds wrong to me.
Those scores look off. Even a 1.5ghz overclocked SGS2 should post ~4500 (source: someone’s post on xda)
The Atrix is actually Quad Band with Telstra.
The Atrix is actually Quad Band with Telstra.
Well how about that. Updated 🙂
Buzz did you go a review on the Atrix at all?
Yeah there’s a review link in there now. Chris is the one who actually reviewed it.
Thanks mate, would’ve really like to have tried that one…
2 days ago I comment: “I guess it will be a 4-way fight between the Atrix, Galaxy S II, HTC Sensation and Optimus 3D for dual-core Android supremacy then.” in the Optimus 3D article, and then this article appears! I feel very psychic right now. 😉 My personal ranking for what I’d get (note that I own a Galaxy S II): 1) Galaxy S II – once you go Super AMOLED Plus, you never go back 2) HTC Sensation – I happen to love Sense, and HTC build quality is phenomenal 3) Optimus 3D – sure, 3D is a gimmick…but… Read more »
2 days ago I comment: “I guess it will be a 4-way fight between the Atrix, Galaxy S II, HTC Sensation and Optimus 3D for dual-core Android supremacy then.” in the Optimus 3D article, and then this article appears! I feel very psychic right now. 😉 My personal ranking for what I’d get (note that I own a Galaxy S II): 1) Galaxy S II – once you go Super AMOLED Plus, you never go back 2) HTC Sensation – I happen to love Sense, and HTC build quality is phenomenal 3) Optimus 3D – sure, 3D is a gimmick…but… Read more »
G’day ppl! A mate of mine purchased the SGSII today on droptus. I had a play with it for about and hour and I must say WOW what a machine! The only thing I found a little disappointing about it was the auto focus when recording video on 1080p. It kept on going out of focus but not often. Other then that it’s absolutely sensational. Can’t wait till July when Telstra release it on Next G.
Question- If I were to purchase a SGSII today from mobicity, can I get it to work on next G?
Thanks in advance 🙂
Definitely that’s what I did.
absolutely awesome performance
Can you include the weight of the devices in the table as well?
SGSII will be the clear winner 😛
I don’t get why the Sensation’s Qualcomm 1.2GHz processor is preferred over the Exynos 1.2GHz processor?
When the Qualcomm is an ARM cortex-A8 and the Exynos is an ARM cotex-A9.
Are there big performance tweaks to the Qualcomm chip?
The Exynos also has NEON support (much faster media decoding) and in every benchmark has clocked in significantly higher than the Qualcomm…so I’m confused by this too.
I think the chart needs a bit of fixing.
The Exynos also has NEON support (much faster media decoding) and in every benchmark has clocked in significantly higher than the Qualcomm…so I’m confused by this too.
I think the chart needs a bit of fixing.
Fixing now. Good talk guys 😀
Are you people really this uninformed? MrSimtang is talking garbage, in raw power the GSII is not close to what the HTC Sensation can do. Go have a look at Anandtech’s review of the MSM 8260, the Exynos is like a 1.2Ghz Tegra which is still weaker than TI’s Omap 4 and certainly weaker than Qualcomm’s MSM 8260, even though the Qualcomm benchmarks were from a qHD v GSII’s WVGA Qualcomm is not just a Cortex-A8, in fact, Qualcomm’s chips are what are called “scorpion cores” which are variants of the ARM reference design (which Samsung, Nvidia etc just copy… Read more »
Agreed – the Exynos and the OMAP4 are the most powerful/efficient there.
I must offer this caveat (and yes, essay alert!): specifications aren’t everything. I mean this on an individual parts level and on an overall product level. Overall, the parts have to work in tandem to create a nice piece of technology. The Atrix seems to be the perfect example of how the sum is not greater than the parts of the phone (Whoops – I hate puns!), whereas the iPhone is an example of a phone working well regardless of specifications. On the other hand, just because something is clocked at 1GHz does not make it a slower chip than… Read more »
Agreed, specs aren’t everything, but they are something. A phone with 16GB holds a lot more data than one with 1GB. Specs tell you that and it’s pertinent information to the way you will experience your phone. When your HTC phone tells you it’s memory is low – yes, I’ve had the privilege myself – that’s not a great experience. Specs tell you that a phone with 1GB of RAM has significantly more headroom than one with 512MB running the same OS (assuming similar amount of bloatware). The difference is quite appreciable. I’ve owned phones and tablets both with 512MB… Read more »
I don’t disagree with you that specifications hold a definite place on the plate of choosing a phone at all. Most people here would be “guilty” of choosing a phone with higher specifications (myself included, definitely) over something with weaker specifications. I didn’t post my message as a piece of self-righteous, you-shouldn’t-read-this-blog-post zealotry; it was just another point of view from the post. That said, for the people inclined to rely more of specifications, tables like this can’t do particular parts justice. Two slabs of RAM on a phone can vary massively to a point where 512MB of RAM A… Read more »
Agreed, AnandTech is the place to go when you want your info to be empirical, measured and precise. I follow those guys too. As you say, there are others like Tom’s Hardware, etc. I think Ausdroid is a news site that hits it’s target audience well. It doesn’t pretend to be intellectual (although the guys are certainly switched on) which I suspect for many [myself included] is often quite refreshing. As you have noted, it makes for interesting discussion. In Ausdroid a foundation has been laid that focuses on Australian topics from which we can all dig a little deeper… Read more »
Optimus 2X isn’t included as the post clearly states devices on Carriers only. And yes, it _can_ be a semi-good phone once you rip it to shreds.
Optimus 2X isn’t included as the post clearly states devices on Carriers only. And yes, it _can_ be a semi-good phone once you rip it to shreds.
And to think I just tweeted this question GS2 Vs Sensation. Looking forward to what you think of the Sensation. If its no good its the GS2 then for me
me too, this is the roundup/comparo that i’ve been waiting for.
I’ve had the Atrix since before Buzz had his hands on it.. I like it but would really like the bootloader solution to be sorted out already! :@ That’s okay, It will all be over soon! 2nd-Init was ported over from the Motorola Defy to give full control over init.rc thus allowing custom ROMs provided they don’t load a new kernel. hehehe
How can you afford to get all those handsets? I’m struggling to get the Galaxy S2 for me. Lucky you.
We get review devices – we don’t own these (well, we do own some of them).
hanging to get a release date on the sensation!
for me it was either that or the atrix
Dear HTC, 1GB RAM & 16GB of internal storage should be the minimum spec for your flagship phone.
true but then you can get a 32GB microsd for cheap these days- with 64gb avail soon…
Strange they have done this though because a lot of their phones they release in the states have a small amount of memory (eg. G2 had 4gb).. so its sort of a step back for some reason. Â Apparently the Evo3D has 4gb so that maybe a better option…. now if only they put the SGSii specs inside the HTC Sensation case…
A cheap microSD is no match for internal nand flash. If the Sensation was $100 cheaper then that’s fine but with less ram (sense is a ram hog) and storage it comes off as a bit cheeky. I suspect htc put some of that money into a more expensive case though.
how cheap you go on the card will depend on how far apart the card and the NAND flash would be, i would imagine if you got something like a class 6 or class 10 card, it would be reasonably close to having the internal memory, but obviously a bit more expensive than a class 2 card.
I now have a Samsung Galaxy S II and I’m really happy! : )
I was waiting for the HTC Sensation but the internal memory just isn’t on par with the current world.
You’re a lucky man to have three of the above 4 Buzz (well, maybe apart from the Atrix …. 😉 ). I’m really looking forward to what you think of the Sensation.
My goodness, does the Sensation only have 1GB of storage? I’m guessing it will have a bundled microsd. When will HTC stop cutting corners and include at least 16GB of quality NAND flash internally. Bundling a donkey speed microsd is just rude in a device of this stature!
Indeed. Surely an extra 15GB wouldn’t cost them an arm and a leg.
Its even less than the phone it replaces. The Desire HD had 768mb of RAM and 1.5GB of internal storage. HTC are cost cutting!
I believe the US versions are also shipping with an 8Gb micro SD card standard. Â Maybe the AU version will ship the same?
For me, it’s down to either the SGSII or the Sensation…
Lol. First. Troll.
+1 for weight
Lol. First. Troll.