Samsung Galaxy S2 or HTC Sensation for T-mobile?

H

hv43082

[H]ard|Gawd
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May 10, 2007
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I need help in deciding which is the better phone for T-mobile. Costco already had them both and I am having a hard time picking one. Yes, i read the spec and comparison on line but still can't make up my mind. Can [H] fellows help me out?
 
I think you're looking at the Galaxy S 4G. The Galaxy S2 is not released on any carrier in the US yet. If that's the case the Sensation is a much better phone.
 
So far T-Mo only has the Galaxy S 4G as cicatriz has said.

Your local Costco already has the Sensation? I think I'll head over there to give it a try since that's the phone I'm leaning towards, rather than the Galaxy S2 (I've been contemplating switching carriers for it).

Current phone is a Mytouch 3g (aka HTC Magic), so any phone of this generation will be a giant leap in performance anyway.
 
GSII Pros:
- Wins benchmarks
- Better screen
- 16/32 GB internal memory

Sensation Pros:
- Sense beats Touchwiz every day of the week in my book
- Sturdier construction (metal back vs plastic on the GSII)
- Higher resolution
- You can actually buy one today in the US

That's what it breaks down to for me. On paper the GSII looks like the better device but some people who have used both prefer the Sensation. There are numerous threads at XDA Developers where such people have chimed in about this.

I played with a Sensation in person, and even though I remember from videos that the GSII has the better screen, the Sensation is no slouch either. You pit two race cars against each other, one's got to win. Doesn't make the loser a clunker.
 
LstOfTheBrunnenG said:
GSII Pros:
- Wins benchmarks
- Better screen
- 16/32 GB internal memory

Sensation Pros:
- Sense beats Touchwiz every day of the week in my book
- Sturdier construction (metal back vs plastic on the GSII)
- Higher resolution
- You can actually buy one today in the US
Click to expand...
Back of the sensation is actually plastic, too.
 
I spoke to Costco and it seems like they will carry Samsung Galaxy S2 soon because the rep said they are discounting the old SG S 4G to get rid of current stock and make room for the new Samsung phones. They said I can always exchange the HTC Sensation within 90 days for another phone. The HTC phone has a learning curve even though I've been using an Android tablet for 1 month now.
 
Zurginator said:
Back of the sensation is actually plastic, too.
Click to expand...


Going from what I've read, the center "stripe" and the surrounding frame of the back is aluminum, with the two soft touch panels being plastic.
 
Neb said:
Going from what I've read, the center "stripe" and the surrounding frame of the back is aluminum, with the two soft touch panels being plastic.
Click to expand...

This

From here
Praise is due for the aluminum frame that HTC has wrapped around the sides, back, and even a small portion of the Sensation's front.
Click to expand...

No between the 2 I have historically been a HTC guy, but the samsung's screens on comparable phones are way better even with slightly lower resolutions.
 
Went and gave the Sensation a try at the t-mobile store today. I have to say the screen isn't as bad as the video reviews show it to be. Yes, it does dim quite a bit at 45 degrees but it's definitely still good. Not what I was expecting, given how it seems to look much worse in the video reviews out there.

Overall a very snappy phone....especially for me since my current phone is definitely showing it's age :)
 
Neb said:
Went and gave the Sensation a try at the t-mobile store today. I have to say the screen isn't as bad as the video reviews show it to be. Yes, it does dim quite a bit at 45 degrees but it's definitely still good. Not what I was expecting, given how it seems to look much worse in the video reviews out there.

Overall a very snappy phone....especially for me since my current phone is definitely showing it's age :)
Click to expand...

Yeah, I don't think anyone ever said the screen was bad or even mediocre. It's definitely a great screen, it's just when you put it next to the GS2 is when it doesn't look as great. The GS2s screen is just that much better when you put them side by side.

I would still hold off for the GS2 just because of the extra RAM, better screen, better real-world/synthetic performance, it's lighter/thinner and should get a bit better battery life. All of this will only be a marginal increase over the Sensation, but it adds up enough for me to warrant the wait. The Sense/TouchWiz UIs are irrelevant to me because I plan on rooting and removing all that crap along with whatever bloatware the carrier installed.

But I'd say you still can't go wrong with either phone, I'm sure you would be extremely pleased with the Sensation if you decided to go with it.
 
Excellent Analysis T4rd. My vote is for the GS2 if you want to upgrade now. I am taking a more wait and see approach since quads are already announced and I want to see if Tegra 3 eventually conquers the market.
 
I haven't seen anyone actually say the screen was bad, it's just that looking at the video reviews it looks worse than it actually is. As far as the GS2 release date goes though, it's not out yet and from what I've seen there hasn't been a leaked name/model for t-mobile. I don't doubt that it's coming, but I figure it might be a while until t-mo gets it.

Also, speaking purely from what I've read it seems like HTC is quicker with the updates, but I do wish the Sensation had as much ram as the GS2 since that's about the only real negative I really wish would be changed.

On the other hand, I'm upgrading from a phone that has 288mb of ram and a 528mhz cpu. Pretty much any current gen phone is a serious upgrade for me at this point ;)
 
I would go with the sensation, only because of the qhd screen, making it reading hardforums much easier.
 
Neb said:
I haven't seen anyone actually say the screen was bad, it's just that looking at the video reviews it looks worse than it actually is. As far as the GS2 release date goes though, it's not out yet and from what I've seen there hasn't been a leaked name/model for t-mobile. I don't doubt that it's coming, but I figure it might be a while until t-mo gets it.

Also, speaking purely from what I've read it seems like HTC is quicker with the updates, but I do wish the Sensation had as much ram as the GS2 since that's about the only real negative I really wish would be changed.

On the other hand, I'm upgrading from a phone that has 288mb of ram and a 528mhz cpu. Pretty much any current gen phone is a serious upgrade for me at this point ;)
Click to expand...

T-Mobile's variant will be the almighty Hercules ;).

I hear you on the upgrade though. I'm in the same boat with my now totally obsolete Droid. But it's hanging by a nail only because there's still a decent dev community for it that are making a lot of 2.3+ ROMs for it. I was about to bite on the Xperia Play, but now I'm closing on a house that I have to furnish and buy appliances for, so I'm gonna wait a couple months at least.
 
I missed that one, thanks for the link :)

rocketr2 said:
I would go with the sensation, only because of the qhd screen, making it reading hardforums much easier.
Click to expand...

That extra resolution was nice, at least when I was comparing against the other phones in the t-mobile store.
 
I just got a Sensation yesterday. I have no complaints at all about the screen. It's an excellent phone all around.

Now I just need to get that Invisible Shield screen protector just for safety's sake . . . it's on its way.
 
I have the option of getting the galaxy s2 for $600can right now. But...i recently bought the HTC Desire HD so im somewhat torn :( The S2 has HDMI out which would be awesome for me as i could play all my games and emulators on my big screen with wiimote :)
 
My dad got a Sensation for Father's Day. It's really cool. Well built, super fast, nice screen. I watched Battle L.A. on it and was surprised how great it looked.
 
Sensation has two different LCD vendors, which might have something to do with the variable reviews on the screen performance
 
I usually prefer HTC software, but TouchWiz 4 isn't as repulsive as TouchWiz 3 and dare I say actually quite good. Also, every HTC phone I've owned has had awful audio quality (both speaker and headphones) and a relatively poor camera. No one can deny that the GS2 has a better looking screen (even with its lower resolution), better audio quality, and a better camera. And the GS2 will be hackable out of the gate whereas you'll be stuck waiting for HTC to unlock the Sensation. Hell, maybe they'll provide an unlock next week, but I would bet the GS2 will be released in the states before HTC gets that unlock out. Many are expecting US GS2 variants to start rolling out near the end of July, same as the Galaxy S last year, which means only 3 weeks from now.
 
The camera on SGII is also one the best on the smartphone market. GSMArena does a nice comparison. You would have to go with a high end Nokia to beat it. Although the HTC Sensation's camera is pretty solid; easily their best.
 
i would not get anything t-mobile until the final state of the merger is known. Going to suck if ATT gets them and starts converting their towers.....
 
YeuEmMaiMai said:
i would not get anything t-mobile until the final state of the merger is known. Going to suck if ATT gets them and starts converting their towers.....
Click to expand...

Well for some, T-Mobile has bad coverage in less populated areas, so getting to be on the ATT network will be a help.

I am hoping that ATT converts everything over to LTE immediately. Then I can get new hardware quicker. My 4 month old phone will be obsolete and I get a new one for free in order to keep my contract.
 
tombaker said:
Well for some, T-Mobile has bad coverage in less populated areas, so getting to be on the ATT network will be a help.

I am hoping that ATT converts everything over to LTE immediately. Then I can get new hardware quicker. My 4 month old phone will be obsolete and I get a new one for free in order to keep my contract.
Click to expand...
Why would you want to keep your contract? There are cheaper rate plans for those who don't buy subsidized phones.
 
Mr. Wolf said:
I found a video comparison of the GS2 vs. Sensation (scroll about halfway down for the video). Those who expect the GS2 to be a razor thin device compared to the Sensation are in for a letdown...
Click to expand...

I find it frustrating that it is so hard to evaluate thinness just based on the specs. I read that the LG Optimus Black is actually thinner than the GS2 and Sensation even though it would seem to be thicker based on the spec sheet.

However the GS2 is definitely lighter than the Sensation, if that is important to you.
 
HTC vs Samsung, I usually go with HTC. I do love Samsung's AMOLEDs though.

Yes smartphones are still getting bigger.
 
Mr. Wolf said:
I hope the Nexus 4 has no bigger than a 4" screen.
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Your hope will die. If the rumors of a 720p s amoled display are correct, I can't imagine them fitting that many pixels on a 4" screen unless they made some major advancements.
 
The Nexus Prime will probably have a 4.5" screen, maybe a 4.3" screen...likely not a 4.0" screen.
 
I've got the LG G2x, and I have been satisfied with it. you can get a ROM for it, and overclock the processor to 1.5ghz. kick ass.
 
You can buy a Galaxy S2 on Amazon for close to $700. I bought one last week and use it on AT&T's network just fine. I had never had access to HSPA+, but man it screams compared to regular 3G access.
 
I would wait for the Galaxy S II, the Sensation is an alright phone but also take in consideration that it has HTC's Sense software built on top of Android as a layer. Sure you can root it to take off Sense but why would that be needed for a phone in that price range. The GSII should suffice and be a ton better. The screen resolution will be a ton better also.
 
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