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Galaxy S2 or S3?

iodineee

Lurker
Hello!

I'm deciding to get a new phone at the end of the year, around December, and I'm kinda caught in between 2 choices. Between the Galaxy S2 and the Galaxy S3 (sim-free), which one would be a better choice when putting their prices and features into comparison?

I mainly use the phone for calls/whatsapp, youtube, browsing, camera, and other daily stuff like news and updates. I've tried my friend's S2 and frankly I'm quite impressed with it, but I hear that it's getting old and runs on Gingerbread out of the box. Anyway since the price of Galaxy S2 has dropped alot, it is really cheap right now and I'm not sure paying extra for the S3 would be ideal. I'm definitely willing to part with my money if the S3 is really worth getting over the S2.

Additionally, I currently use a HTC One V and I love HTC Sense and the camera but the phone is quite laggy and not to my liking. I do not think I will get a HTC One X too because my friend has one and he says it's not that good.

Also, would anyone kindly list out the main differences between S2 and S3? Other than 4G LTE, since I run a 3G plan. Or are there better phones out there for the same price?
 
Mainly its the quad core processor, making it able to run faster and smoother. Plus more recent apps are designed to run on more hardware for some reason. My formerly speedy Galaxy S is already starting to show its age with each app update and UI revision of the apps I normally use. Games don't run well on it anymore. I can't run Temple Run or Subway Surf without lags, and that's because of my setup where I have several apps running in the background like SugarSync and Dropbox, as well as launchers, custom icons and widgets.

This means that the SII will show its age in two years time, while the SIII can still chug along merrily. However, that also means that at the moment, there is really nothing much differentiating the two devices NOW. If you plan to be changing phones every 2 years, getting an SII won't really be much of a put back. You do lose however the better battery on the SIII.
 
Mainly its the quad core processor, making it able to run faster and smoother. Plus more recent apps are designed to run on more hardware for some reason. My formerly speedy Galaxy S is already starting to show its age with each app update and UI revision of the apps I normally use. Games don't run well on it anymore. I can't run Temple Run or Subway Surf without lags, and that's because of my setup where I have several apps running in the background like SugarSync and Dropbox, as well as launchers, custom icons and widgets.

This means that the SII will show its age in two years time, while the SIII can still chug along merrily. However, that also means that at the moment, there is really nothing much differentiating the two devices NOW. If you plan to be changing phones every 2 years, getting an SII won't really be much of a put back. You do lose however the better battery on the SIII.
Thanks a lot for answering! I don't think I'll be changing phones anytime soon until my contract ends and I have to renew it again(which is in another 2 years)... So I guess getting the S3 would be more ideal? And is the battery on the S3 much better than S2? I'm tired of my phone dying on me before the day ends!
 
Buy the SGS3. Seriously, you won't regret it. The smoothest smartphone on the market and it is extremely reliable.

Only get the SGS2 if you're on a tight budget. It's still a very reliable phone.
 
The battery on the S2 runs out at 50hrs, while the S3 reaches 60hrs, according to tests done by GSMArena. These are standardized tests and won't reflect real world usage apart from the fact that the SIII lasts longer than the SII
 
I would say that if you can afford the S3 it's the better choice. The S2 has held up remarkably well given its age, but the S3 is still one of the top few handsets out and will give you more longevity if you are buying now.
 
Hello!

I'm deciding to get a new phone at the end of the year, around December, and I'm kinda caught in between 2 choices. Between the Galaxy S2 and the Galaxy S3 (sim-free), which one would be a better choice when putting their prices and features into comparison?

I mainly use the phone for calls/whatsapp, youtube, browsing, camera, and other daily stuff like news and updates. I've tried my friend's S2 and frankly I'm quite impressed with it, but I hear that it's getting old and runs on Gingerbread out of the box. Anyway since the price of Galaxy S2 has dropped alot, it is really cheap right now and I'm not sure paying extra for the S3 would be ideal. I'm definitely willing to part with my money if the S3 is really worth getting over the S2.

Additionally, I currently use a HTC One V and I love HTC Sense and the camera but the phone is quite laggy and not to my liking. I do not think I will get a HTC One X too because my friend has one and he says it's not that good.

Also, would anyone kindly list out the main differences between S2 and S3? Other than 4G LTE, since I run a 3G plan. Or are there better phones out there for the same price?

If you are on a tight budget, get the SII. But if you want a phone that will hold its value and worth the longest, get the SIII. Despite the SII's age, it is still one of the top selling smartphone in the market. But you will miss out features such as the smart-stay which is only for the SIII and Note 2.
 
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