Questions prior to Purchase

[Trooper]

Hi folks,

Since I have a strong feeling we will not be getting the Euro type version of this phone in the US, I am highly considering purchasing an unlocked phone and having it sent over.

I have a few questions to those of you using the phone and especially to US users running it.

1. I read that the phone can be used on ATT HSPA+ with a SIM card. Im currently a VZW customer so I was wondering, do I need to sign a full contract here? Or can I just purchase a SIM card to give me voice and data? If so, can someone please send me a link to where I can investigate this? I had a look around ATT's site but could not find exactly what I was looking for.

2. How is the call quality? I had a HTC Droid Incredible and it was horrible. I've had my Droid X for quite time time and the call quality was night and day between the two. How does this phone rate?

3. I've read about bluetooth problems and I am a heavy bluetooth user. Would need to pair to my Acura TL Type S. Are there still problems with this? How is the call quality on bluetooth these days?

4. So is this phone really that fast? I cant trust all the quadrant scores I've seen but I'm sure the dual core is slick.

5. How easy is it to root the phone? Any good ROMS for it yet?

6. Build quality is important to me. My Droid X is pretty much a tank. I know that the SGSII is all plastic. Do you think this phone will last me a few years and not fall apart? Im pretty careful with my phone so hope that would be of help to its longevity.

7. Finally, would you buy this phone again? I mean is it all that and a bag of chips? Or am I crazy and should just wait to see what the coming months bring?

Thanks in advance for any/all replies.

 

[Trooper]

Geez. Anyone?

 

[Trooper]

 

[adamantell]

hello

contract by law you have 28days CANCEL !!!!

take phone, use it see if you like it if not take it back ....

simple thats what i did :d ended up taking or back and swapping networks but keeping thr S2..

its amazing i have come form iPhone

SG3 is coming, for sure ..... and SG4 and i guess 5 6 7 8 9 so maybe best w8 10 ? hehe joking just go get it dude and enjoy..... the world may end next week :O

 

[Trooper]

hello

contract by law you have 28days CANCEL !!!!

take phone, use it see if you like it if not take it back ....

simple thats what i did :d ended up taking or back and swapping networks but keeping thr S2..

its amazing i have come form iPhone

SG3 is coming, for sure ..... and SG4 and i guess 5 6 7 8 9 so maybe best w8 10 ? hehe joking just go get it dude and enjoy..... the world may end next week :O

So what network are you on brother?

 

[daz_2000]

1. Dont know
2. Fine
3. Undecided on this, people struggle to hear me when connected to my sony car stereo, but that may be the stereo, I can hear them fine, and play music through BT well.
4. Yes, its fast.
5. Im not a rooter, but been told its easy and loads of roms around.
6. Build quality is good.
7. Buy it, I guarantee you wont regret it.

 

[Slug]

1. I read that the phone can be used on ATT HSPA+ with a SIM card. Im currently a VZW customer so I was wondering, do I need to sign a full contract here? Or can I just purchase a SIM card to give me voice and data?

I can't help with details as I'm in the UK, but this thread was started by someone using a GS2 on AT&T - maybe he can advise?

2. How is the call quality?

No complaints here, either from myself or anyone I've spoken to using the phone.

3. I've read about bluetooth problems and I am a heavy bluetooth user.

I can only comment on using a BT headset. It required pairing (which was easy and painless) and call quality is perfectly acceptable to me. I realise that in-car installations are more complex though, so hopefully someone else can offer better advice on this.

4. So is this phone really that fast?

Oh yes. Even commonplace stuff like flicking through the app drawer, accessing menus, opening apps etc is noticeably quicker than my Desire Z (overclocked to almost the same speed). That's how I judge it, not synthetic benchmarks. The DZ is no sluggard but with the GS2 things happen immediately.

5. How easy is it to root the phone? Any good ROMS for it yet?

Rooting is much less involved than on HTC handsets and will literally take two minutes to do. The development community is very active and productive, with plenty of choice already.

6. Build quality is important to me.

After reading initial reviews I was pleasantly surprised when I held it for the first time. It may be "plastic" but despite the light weight feels well constructed and designed. I've got a minimal 'shell' case on mine to protect it from scuffs (as with all my handsets) but I've no worries about it lasting.

7. Finally, would you buy this phone again?

Certainly.

Or am I crazy and should just wait to see what the coming months bring?

Do that and you'll wait forever - there will always be something better just around the corner.

 

[Trooper]

Slug,

Thanks so much for your thorough post and answers to all of my questions. Really appreciate that!

I guess its a toss up for me for purchase. Either through Expansive or Clove which I know you can't answer for me. If anyone else does know I would really appreciate it.

I emailed Expansys USA about the adapter and this is what they said.

"These are new sealed unit. They are UK imports and we include a UK to US adapter."

Decisions decisons.

 

[Vegeto]

Hi, first post.


I can shed some light on the AT&T situation.

The unlocked International version from the UK DOES work with AT&T here in the U.S. I'm currently doing so in the NW subburbs of Minneapolis/St.Paul, my Galaxy S2 was purchased from Expansy's.

If you are already grandfathered into unlimited data at Verizon, I'd probably wait for the Galaxy S2 to be available there, because you will be data capped at AT&T, 2gig for 25$.

Call quality is good. H+ is not always so good. I find I'm often switching back and forth between H+ and 3g. Even when I am on H+, I've never seen speeds over 6gps, I'm usually around 3gps down, .5-1gps up. On the map, I'm supposed to be in an H+ backhauled area too.

There is a guide for tweaking APN settings (for use of H+) floating around the internet, but it's only working for some. I'm currently using these settings without any problem, but I'm noticing very little difference.

Thread-

[FIX] AT&T SGS2 Data Speed Issue's (Correct APN Settings) - xda-developers

For the above guide to work, you will have to call AT&T and give them an IMEI# from an infuse or Atrix, (which is easy to get and do) because when you activate your Galaxy S2 at the store, you WILL be put on the 3g plan. They literally CAN'T put you on the 4g H+ plan with your Galaxy S2's IMEI#, their computers wont let them. On the 3g plan, your phone will show H+, but you will not be on H+. ..It's all in the above thread.

Other than that, it's as easy as dropping in the AT&T sim card. You DO NOT have to go on contract either, because you wont be buying a phone from them. You will be month to month.


The phone itself is amazing, but I wish I was on unlimited data with Verizon LTE. Sadly, the phone cannot be used on Verizon.

 

[Slug]

Either through Expansive or Clove which I know you can't answer for me.

Not directly, but here's what another member said about his purchase from Clove:

+ DHL took 3 days to get from the UK to Nevada

Both are reliable and reputable retailers, that much I do know.

 

[heshanj]

let me answer wat i can:

2. call quality is fine. i dont really spend much of my time on the phone but whenever i do, i have no problem hearing, and i havent heard any complaints from the other end either

3. i havent had any bluetooth problems. i paired easily with another android, another mobile and i had no problems transferring data

4. it is fast. its my first android so i cant compare, but i hear many other androids are not as smooth as iphone. this is. i think it'll be even smoother with newer firmware.. currently there have been slight performance issues that have been pointed out, which really shouldnt exist with a 1.2Ghz dual core, but i cant complain at all

5. its super easy to root. shouldnt take u more than 5min, to be honest. i dont use custom roms but i hear there are some good ones already, and using android 2.3.4

6. with a smaller phone, i think it'd be nice to feel a bit of metal and feel the weight. with this phone's size, if it was made of metal and weighed more, it wouldve put me off. im glad its made of plastic, and to be honest, it feels perfectly solid in my hands. the back cover feels flimsy when its OFF. when its fitted back, u wouldnt be able to tell if the entire phone is just one piece of plastic, its that solid. and i hear the back cover is pretty strong too.

7. hell yeah. whenever i upgrade (not for a good while) i hope watever phone i choose will be as good as this one lol

 

[remimcgraw]

Hi,

I got the Galaxy S2 on july 21 and I have paired it with my car since the 23. The reception is good but I have a problem when I try to end calls. I can answer my phone, make calls without issues but when I try to end them using the button on the wheel, it hangs. I have to end the conversation using the phone and then wait a couple of seconds for the car system to "hang up".

If others have found a way around this, please let me know.

Thanks,
R

 

[Trooper]

Thanks so much for all of your replies. Its been really helpful!

What cases are you guys using with this phone? Any recommendations? Anyone using Otterbox by chance?

Thanks!

 

[Trooper]

Thanks so much for all of your replies. Its been really helpful!

What cases are you guys using with this phone? Any recommendations? Anyone using Otterbox by chance?

Thanks!

Bump!

 

[Relaxed]

Fast - it's mindblowing. Otherwise - battery life seems to be a snaglet if you use it for games particularly - but it's very very pretty and it isn't an iphone. (Yes, I'm really this dumb and I bought one just for the sleek and the Android!)

I'm still struggling to get it to connect to my cell network. Dunno why, probably my thickness, but I'd be very nervous about this aspect of it (like buying exUS).

As long as it can suck at a wifi network it'll outstrip (speedwise) your biggest bestest tower cased PC - but you probably want portability of access. It should do it, but your cell network has to play ball.

The camera is (probably) very good - but holding this tiny thin thing is not (for me) at all intuitive (and, not uniquely amongst smartphones) it doesn't have a tripod mount. It's anti-shake is pants compared with a Sony DSLR which I have hand held at 4 secs with unbelievable results.

Bluetooth is amazingly slick and trouble free for me.

 

[Slug]

What cases are you guys using with this phone?

Sorry, I meant to point you to this thread. Plenty of choice and opinions there.

 

[Trooper]

Sorry, I meant to point you to this thread. Plenty of choice and opinions there.

Thanks again Slug.