Samsung Galaxy Player 5.0 vs Galaxy S II [Video]

Posted By Ray Nicolini
Via www.slashgear.com

Now that we’ve reviewed the gigantic Galaxy Player 5.0 for what it is on its own, it’s time to compare to the rest of the market a bit more in-depth, starting with what at first glance might appear to be the Player’s closest cousin: the Galaxy S II. Before we continue, know this: it’s almost as if these two devices aren’t from the same family, that’s how different they are. Though the Galaxy Player 5.0 is only being released now near the holiday season, the Galaxy S II (in all its forms here in the United States) takes no prisoners when it comes to power and abilities.

The Galaxy S II comes in several different shapes and sizes here in the United States, two of the more powerful ones being the two we’ve got right here, the Galaxy S II from AT&T and the Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch. The first of two has a 4.32-inch display at 480 x 800 resolution and a 1.2GHz dual-core processor made by Samsung. The Epic 4G Touch has the same specifications on a 4.5-inch display. This means that the pixel density is down but the power is the same. The Galaxy Player 5.0 has a single-core processor at 1Ghz that’s also made by Samsung and a display that’s 5-inches large with the same 480 x 800 pixel resolution. In addition, the Galaxy Player has a TFT LCD display while the Galaxy S II units both have a Super AMOLED Plus display. Have a look here to see if you can spot the differences in quality:

Each of the displays above are set to full brightness, and the device on the far right is the Samsung Stratosphere. This device is a 4G LTE enabled Samsung device with a Super AMOLED (not plus) display also at 480 x 800 pixel resolution. Again, see if you can tell the difference from the photo above. Have a peek at the video below for a hands-on comparison of the Galaxy Player 5.0, the Galaxy S II in the two flavors mentioned, and the Stratosphere, each of them in kind:

So what about price comparisons? Have a peek here at some prices that are live RIGHT this second here:

Galaxy S II AT&T $199 on contract $549 off contract
Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch $99.99 on contract $599.99 off contract
Samsung Stratosphere $149.99 on contract $409.99 off contract
Galaxy Player 5.0 $259.00

And heed this again: the Galaxy Player 5.0 has no on contract price because there is no contract in any instance, it’s a Wi-fi only device. The question you’ve got to ask yourself, as with all decisions between devices like these, is “what do I want this device to do?” If it’s just having a one-time-only cost for a 5-inch display having device that’ll work as a display for games and videos in a variety of places on a Samsung interface, the Galaxy Player 5.0 is your clear winner as it’s essentially your only choice.

If on the other hand you want power, thinness, and connectivity wherever you go, you’ll be best off with one of the Galaxy S II devices. For 4G LTE, you can either choose the Stratosphere here or the DROID Charge, another lovely choice from Verizon. Of course all of these are Samsung devices. What if you want a comparable device to the Galaxy Player 5.0 but don’t mind if it’s not a Samsung-made interface and set of hardware? We’ll be working with an iPod Touch next – stay tuned to SlashGear for more!

Samsung Confirms White Galaxy S II is Coming… And It’s a Beauty

Posted By Ray Nicolini


If you’re a fan of Apple’s white iPhone 4, but you’re not keen on its iOS operating system, then feast your eyes on this beauty. Samsung has just announced that its Galaxy S II is coming to the U.K. on September 1… in white!

Internally, the white device is identical to the existing black Galaxy S II — boasting the same 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus display, a dual-core 1.2GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, plus an 8-megapixel camera at the back and a 2-megapixel camera at the front.

The device has been so successful since its launch in the U.K. that in just 85 days, Samsung had already shifted a whopping 5 million units — that’s before the Galaxy S II has stepped foot in the U.S. — a new record for the company

If you’re looking at that photo above and you think you’re having a spell of déjà vu, that’s because you may have seen it yesterday. U.K. retailer MobileFun listed the device on its website with a slightly premature August 15 launch date. The price advertised was £410 (approx. $667) for the unlocked, SIM-free model. However, Samsung has confirmed to SlashGear that the device will be available through a number of carriers with subsidized pricing.

If you’re eager to get your hands on this device in the U.S., it’s expected to launch in August with Verizon the first carrier to offer the device, and it may be well worth the wait: One rumor suggests the device will come packing 4G LTE by the time it gets to Verizon. There’s no confirmation, however, that the U.S. will get both colors to begin with.

LTE is just one feature that may give the Galaxy S II an advantage over Apple’s iPhone 5 — which is expected to launch a month later in September. If the iPhone 5′s rumored specs list is anything to go by, it will compete with the Galaxy S II’s high-resolution screen, but it won’t match its processor or its RAM.

What do you think of Samsung’s white Galaxy S II? If I wasn’t already in love with the iPhone, I’d snap this up in a heartbeat.

[via SlashGear]

Samsung Galaxy S II 4G now available from Bell

Posted By Ray Nicolini

Via TheCellularGuru.com

Bell’s smartphone line-up received a huge shot in the arm today, as the Samsung Galaxy S II 4G went on sale. A true beast of “superphone”, the Galaxy S II’s specs include a 4.3″ qHD Super AMOLED Plus display, 8 megapixel camera with 1080p video capture, 1.2GHz dual-core Exynos processor and 1GB of RAM. We’vereceived several tips that line-ups have formed at several Bell dealerships across the country, so if you’re planning on getting the best Android smartphone to date on launch day, you might want to let your boss know you’ll be running a few minutes behind.

[via Bell]

Samsung Galaxy S II gets official for Canada on Bell, Virgin Mobile and SaskTel

Posted By Ray Nicolini

We've already had some indication of where and when the Galaxy S II would land in Canada, and three carriers have now finally made things fully official (even if they haven't yet got completely specific). That includes Bell and Virgin Mobile -- neither of which are confirming a price at the moment -- plus regional carrier SaskTel, which plans to offer the phone for $79.99 on a three-year contract. SaskTel and Virgin Mobile both also say that the phone will be available in the coming weeks, while Bell isn't offering much more than a chance to win the phone in a contest that ends July 19th -- we've previously heard that the phone will be hitting Bell on July 14th. Perhaps not surprisingly, it's looking like the phone will also alternatively be known as the "Galaxy S II" or "Galaxy S II 4G" depending on the carrier.

Via Engadget.com